Blood Burdens (The Shadow World) Read online

  “That’s okay. I’m not all that tired anyway.”

  Jessie doesn’t say anything, she just turns to leave. I watch as she slowly walks down the hall. Her hands are crossed behind her back. Her head hangs as she continues to stare at the floor.

  I can’t even imagine what she is going through. I know she was raised differently than I was. She was probably brought up within a community that loved her and taught her what family, loyalty, and love was all about. I’m sure Eldrida and the other Elders welcomed her with open arms once she came to join the Coven to learn more about Wicca.

  Now Jessie’s at a loss. Watching her walk away in despair just adds more water to my boiling pot. Once I find Edwin and Cerelia, I will have enough boiling water for them both to drown in.

  Chapter Three

  It’s around dinner time when Addie and I finally make our way to the Elders’ House. Unlike earlier when the place was busy with people bustling around, it’s quiet now. As we had walked down the hallway of the dorm house, the smell of food cooking filled the corridor. The one that really made my mouth water was the smell of fresh tacos. My stomach is still growling. I hope there will be some left later.

  As we enter the Elders’ House, Danika is waiting in the living room sitting in a plush white chair, her back facing us, as she goes over some documents. I glance over her shoulder and notice that each letter is addressed to a different leader of the Shadow World. Aldrick’s letter seems a little lengthier than the others. I’m sure there has to be a little more boost to draw in his interest.

  I try reading more of the letters but Addie walks past her and Danika puts everything away. I did however read part of the first line. The Council is being called to attendance for the matter of–. I wonder why the Council’s being called together? I doubt Danika would tell me if I asked. I guess I’ll have to do some snooping and find out on my own.

  “Did you girls rest well?” Danika asks, as she rises from her seat and walks toward the hallway.

  Addie nods her head as she looks blankly at the floor. I know that isn’t true. After Danika called me to meet her in the Elders’ House, I had walked across the hallway to let Addie know. But before I knocked on her door, I’d heard her whimpers and cries as she thrashed in her sleep.

  “I did too,” I start, “although my room could use some life in it.” Last time I was here, I only slept in my room for a few hours, so the sparse décor didn’t bother me much. But this afternoon, lying in my bed contemplating on my next move, the blank walls seemed to press down on me.

  “Well we may have to dress that room up just for you. We’ll make it your permanent guest room.” Danika makes a note in her phone before continuing. A reminder for herself to dress up my room? The girl may dress little more laid back but she still has the habits of a secretary personified.

  Danika places her phone back in her pocket as she prepares to meet with the Coven leaders. “I’m going to go let the Elders know you are here. They have been convening all afternoon and have finally settled the matter of new Elders.” Although Danika is speaking of this matter lightly, I know it still weighs heavily on her heart. Danika disappears down the hall, her footsteps silent on the thick burgundy carpet.

  I sit down beside Addie who is still focused on the floor. “Hey, you okay?” I lightly bump her shoulder, but from the way she tips sideways you would have thought I shoved her hard.

  Sitting back up, Addie nods slowly with a yawn. “I’m just a little tired.”

  “Wow, did the drive wear you down that much?” I know this isn’t why she is tired but I also don’t think now is the time to bring up her nightmares.

  “I guess so.”

  Her answer aggravates me. I know now isn’t the time to talk about it but just the fact that she hasn’t brought it up at all upsets me. She’s my sister for crying out loud. She should be able to tell me anything.

  We sit there in silence, her in exhaustion, me annoyed, glancing at the room around us as we wait for the Elders. The room is done in a black, white, and burgundy color scheme. The curtains hanging over the two windows that face the front gates are outlined with burgundy curtains. The white walls have black picture frames with black and white photos of Massachusetts landscapes. The only other color in the room is a multicolored vase that holds a bouquet of black, white, and red roses.

  Danika finally returns followed by Witten, Dagna, Laveda, and a middle aged woman I’ve never met before. I’m surprised to see Dagna. She’s wearing a flowing burgundy gown and her rich black hair that is streaked with gray, flows down her back. She fits among the Elders wonderfully, I just didn’t expect her to be among them. The last time I saw Dagna was when I left Virginia for the second time. She had apologized for treating me and my family so harshly over the years, and helped me start on my journey to find my sister.

  Seeing her now brings warmth back into my heart, knowing she is a great replacement for Eldrida. She reminds me a lot of the beloved Elder we all miss so much. She even looks like her in some ways. When our eyes meet, I’m not surprised to find the same wisdom that Eldrida’s had.

  As the Elders take their seats, I notice that the new woman is rigid and is averting her eyes. Her short pixie cut doesn’t help hide her face. Her eyes clearly are observing everything but me.

  Witten clears his throat as he prepares to speak. Though, his eyes were a dark brilliant blue in his younger years, they have now faded to an almost translucent blue. They kind of give off an uneasy feeling. It’s as if you are watching as the soul fades over a lifetime. I wonder if this scares Witten as he looks at his reflection in the mirror.

  “As you both know, we have been in deliberation for the last week on the matter of the Crone and Mother. After a great amount of consideration and many recommendations, we have appointed Dagna as the new Crone and Meira as the new Mother.” The two women nod at this acknowledgment. “The final blessing ceremony will not be until the next full moon. This full moon has too many dedications already and we still need to give the others time to come to terms with Eldrida’s passing. However, there is a matter that still weighs upon us all and for that we will need the assistance of the entire Council. The full assembly of the Elders.”

  I took his slip of mentioning the Council to try and find out some answers. “Why is the Council convening?”

  Laveda starts to answer my question but Witten gives her a pointed look. Whatever she was going to say is locked behind her now-sealed lips. Instead, Witten gives me a vague answer. “The Council needs to discuss many things: the new Elders, Hanalei, Cerelia and Edwin, plus some other Shadow business.” Witten gets a drink of water after having stumbled through what seems to me a lame answer. His frail hands shake as he picks up his glass of water. Though the Elders have been through a lot here lately, I wonder if Witten has started training a replacement.

  “Another matter that needs to be brought to your attention before we start talking about Edwin and Cerelia is my replacement.” I guess he has been thinking about it. “As you can see, my time is drawing near and I need to have a replacement ready to take my position in case it is sooner than we would like. I know what happened to Eldrida was sudden but mine will not be. I wanted to bring this to your attention because he will be joining us from here on out. Right now he is attending other business but will be with us in our future endeavors.”

  Listening to Witten talk about his life ending as if it’s no more important than dirt on the floor, gives me new perspective on how accepting the Witches are with passing from this life to travel on to a new spiritual plane. In the beginning, I didn’t have much respect for Witten. He never seemed to care about what was going on around him or what was happening with the Shadow World. He was always unresponsive in a passive manner. Now I know the older man does hold importance with the Elders and even though he may be quiet at times, he still makes sure the Witches are taken care of and led properly.

  Dagna turns her attention to me, her kind smile easing the tension. “The Elder
s have called upon the other leaders of the Council to meet but it takes time. There are those that believe a Council meeting is unnecessary at this time.” I’m sure Aldrick is number one on that list. He probably doesn’t want to be bothered with this nonsense, especially considering his attitude when we met with him in Sofia.

  I glance over at Meira wanting to know her take on all this. But the Mother of the Elders is not looking at anything but the floor. She seems reluctant to be here at all, let alone join the conversation. I wonder why they thought she was Mother-worthy, if she is this openly unwilling to participate.

  “We, however, believe it should be the top priority for the Shadow World at this time. There have been some minor differences that have happened over the last few days but none that take precedence over this matter. That is why we called for your attention. Danika said you may have some ideas on how to find your grandfather and we would like to know what they are. We may have to take action without the agreement of the Council. This matter cannot be taken lightly. Cerelia is too powerful and too strong-willed to be allowed to remain free.”

  I start to reply, but when I open my mouth to speak, my body is rocked back with an unseen force. My vision blurs as new surroundings form in my mind. I’m standing in the middle of the desert. I shield my face to keep the sand from assaulting my eyes. Once I see the carnage around me, I want to lower my hand to let the dust shield me from the view.

  Various Shadows stand, fighting to the death among the dunes of sand. The Shadows are fighting against an army of Chimeras. But the Chimeras aren’t alone. Beings just like me are mixed in with the disfigured army. This is Cerelia’s army and they’re advancing. On the other side, Vampires and Lycans fight as allies, the Witches protect the Fairies, and the Shape-shifters are trying to sneak down one side to open a second line of attack.

  I know those that are mixed in with the Chimera are just like me, because their similar appearances. Their fangs extend all the way in rage as they throw power balls at their victims. Instead of blue energy, they have red, and their eyes are a brilliant silver outlined with a deathly red. One changes into a snake that wraps around a Vampire’s throat as it swallows his head.

  I can also hear their thoughts. They are filled with anger and hate, yet they are all the same. We will show them our wrath. They will bow down to us unwanted creatures with fear, as we rule over them. This can only have come from one source. Glancing around I spot her. Cerelia is standing on a hill of sand watching as the battle plays out before her.

  Her thoughts are full of glee as she watches the blood spill upon the land. All she wants is power. It feeds her soul like rivers feed an ocean. I can hear her plans as they play out in her mind. She wants to gain power of the Shadow World and then once she has completed that, she wants to imprison the Human World. She wants to become the goddess she thinks she deserves to be. What she doesn’t realize is that she will be feared, not adored like a true goddess.

  Just before being ripped away from the nightmare vision, my chest tightens. I see Micah standing next to Cerelia. Pink tears run down his face as he surveys the scene before him. I try reaching out to hear his thoughts but I’m ripped back to the present before a single thought can reach me.

  I open my eyes to see everyone is looking at me in horror. Even Meira has come out of her haze of superiority and is now kneeling down before me. My face is wet from tears. I stand and begin to pace the room, wiping my face. Negative thoughts try to fill my head but I push them aside. I want to deal with the emotions of what I experienced later, on my own time.

  After seeing that vision, it’s now more important than ever to make it clear to the Elders that Cerelia has to be stopped soon. “If she wins, the world will suffer under a ruler unlike anything it’s seen before. People will be praying for Lucifer to come save them.” I pace the floor with heavy steps. My body is humming with fear as images from the vision flash before my eyes. I want to run, to soar, to escape, but I can’t.

  As I’m pacing, Meira steps in my path and places her hands on my shoulders to stop me. Her royal blue eyes search my silver ones. “What did you see?”

  I take a deep breath and tell them everything that happened in my vision. I explain every detail, describe every creature, and relay every thought. Everyone listens intently. They don’t interrupt or gasp out in shock. The only person that gives the slightest reaction is Addie. She covers her mouth with both of her hands midway through the story.

  I do leave out one little detail toward the end. I don’t want to risk involving Micah. I’m going to discuss it with Addie in private, not here in front of the people that could determine his fate if we find them. The last thing I needed is them thinking he is a part of everything. I know he didn’t agree with Cerelia or her plans but that doesn’t mean they would believe me. They didn’t see his face. They would only hear the facts which would set Micah up as Cerelia’s ally rather than a captive.

  “Did you see Edwin?” Witten asks, twisting in his chair as if he’s uncomfortable.

  I think back to the vision and realize that he was in fact not there. How strange. My grandfather was the one who gave Cerelia everything she needed to start her psychotic plan. Why wouldn’t he be there beside her and Micah to see the end result?

  “No.” My voice is heavy with the puzzlement I feel.

  “Just as I suspected.” Witten glances over at Dagna who is nodding her head.

  “What do you suspect?” I ask, taking my seat once again. Meira had returned to her seat while I was telling them about my vision. Now she’s back to staring at nothing in particular, while still making sure not to glance my way. There’s a familiarity about her that has me questioning where I know her from.

  “I, or shall I say we, have our suspicions about Cerelia’s commitment to Edwin. At first, I truly believed that Edwin was pulling the strings with Cerelia but I no longer believe that is the case.” Witten crosses his legs as he runs his wrinkled hand over his face. “I believe she plans to use Edwin to get to you and once she has you, she will destroy him, just as she plans to do to the rest of us.”

  I shake my head at his thought, “That would never work. I’m not ever planning to join Edwin or Cerelia. I made that clear in Greenland.”

  “Yes but Cerelia may still think that he can persuade you. You are of his blood.”

  I go to protest against Witten again when I’m wracked with pain. I grab my head and scream as the pain overwhelms my body. My veins feel like they are full of tiny needles. I feel like my whole body has been frozen and is now unthawing. Nausea knots my stomach, causing me to double over. My body is covered in so much perspiration it looks as if I just came in from a heavy rain. I barely notice my white shirt is now stained pink, as I open and close my eyes, trying to work through the pain.

  I can hear the others around me talking, though their voices are muddled from a loud ringing in my ears. “…ever had a premonition before?” I try to focus on who’s talking but I can’t distinguish the voices through the pain. “Yes, in Sofia she…” I scream out as another wave of agonizing pain crashes through my body. “We must…” I never hear the rest of the sentence, as I’m picked up and plunged further into agony. Where the person’s hands make contact with my skin it feels as if thousands of needles are being plunged into me. I want to break away from the person’s grasp but it’s too strong.

  I open my eyes for a moment to meet a set of blue eyes belonging to an unknown man. He’s holding me in his arms as the other Elders make a circle around us. Dagna lays her hand on my forehead and then numbness overtakes my body as I’m plunged into darkness.

  Chapter Four

  Slowly opening my eyes, I first see the ceiling to my dorm room. I breathe out slowly, afraid that the pain will return. I barely remember anything but I remember that. The pain that had me screaming and unable to comprehend what was going on around me. I’m very relieved to find that it was only temporary. At least I hoped it was.

  Addie is sitting by my bed bu
t jumps up when she sees my eyes open. Danika’s standing in the corner looking out the window, but seeing Addie in action, she quickly makes her way to the bed. Then they both hover over me with worried expressions.

  “How are you feeling?” Addie and Danika both squeak out the question. Danika carefully removes something from my forehead. As she pulls it away, I see a crystal pulsing with blue energy in her hand. Danika puts the glowing crystal in a pouch then places the pouch in her pocket.

  Cautiously, I stretch out my stiff muscles. A fear fills my mind that if I move too much the searing pain will return. When no pain grips me, I try to sit up. That’s when pain shoots through my head, making it hard to see straight. Two pair of hands are on me, guiding me back down against the bed. The throbbing in my head lessens once I have my head resting on the pillow.

  “You need to rest, that vision really took it out of you.” I glance up to see Danika pouring me a glass of water. She adds some powdery substance to the water, making it cloudy. She walks over, extending the glass to me. “Here drink this. It will make you feel better.”

  I don’t hesitate. I grab the glass, swallowing it despite its bitter, chalky taste. I trust Danika one hundred percent and I know that whatever she just gave me will make me feel better. Still the taste could use some work.

  “What was that?”

  “Crushed Tylenol. It works faster that way.” Danika takes the glass from me with a smile.

  Rolling my eyes, I reply. “Better watch it Danika. You don’t want to reveal too many of those sacred witchy traits.”

  I lay back against the pillow trying to remember the events that led me to be bed stricken. The last moment I remember is the vision, and the plans Cerelia has for the earth. Other than that, I don’t remember anything except for the blinding pain.

  “What happened anyway?”

  Addie sits back on the bed with a sigh. “You just started convulsing with pain. The Elders said they have never seen anything like it before. They believe your body was fighting against the unnatural traveling your mind had done to see the vision.”