Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Chapter Twenty Two: Something Wicca This Way Comes


Emmalina sat in her chair as her mind drifted elsewhere. She'd tossed and turned all night and barely got 2 hours of sleep. Mostly she thought about her conversation with Sebastian. She wasn't sure what to think or feel but she knew he was right. She was still the same person on the inside, there was just a bit more to her now. She decided she would deal with her now non-human status and ignore the fact that there were other beings in the world besides humans and vampires. If she thought too much about that she would have a mental break down and end up in a padded room with a Thorazine drip. She turned to stare out her window and watched as the sun began to set. She hoped Sebastian would be calling soon because she wasn't sure how much longer she could go without knowing what she was. She already had to suffer through her parent's arguments about vampires throughout most of the day. She stayed locked in her room trying to avoid being dragged into it and saying something she might regret later. Her cell phone started ringing and she looked down to see that Sebastian was calling her. She didn't even bother answering. She put her phone back in her pocket and headed out the door to his house.



As soon as she got there he was waiting for her and grabbed her hands to lead her into the living room. "I found out what you are." he said as her pulse quickened.

"Well? Are you going to tell me?" She asked as she wobbled a little on her feet.

"Emmalina, sit down." he said as he led her over to the couch.



"That bad, huh?" She said as she sat down and he joined her.

"No, not at all. You just need to relax and calm down."

"Okay, I'll try but no promises. Now tell me what you know."

"I talked to Beau about this. He will not reveal what I have told him to anyone, including Bianca. He helped me confirm my suspicions. Emmalina, you are a witch or at least you are supposed to be one."

Emmalina let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Out of all the horrible things she was imagining for almost 24 hours, a witch wasn't so bad. "What does that mean exactly?"

"Your ancestor, a woman named Emily Burkhart, bound her's and her children's magic during the Salem Witch Trails because she feared they would be persecuted. Whether she knew it or not she also bound all future generations which is why your family has no idea what they are."

"Burkhart. That's my Mother's family name. All of the women in our family have always kept that name, going back for generations, whether they were married or not."

"Perhaps, subconsciously they were trying to hold on to their legacy. Maybe all of you are trying to hold on to what you truly are but none of you knew you were doing it."

"How does Beau know all of this about my family?"

"He is not the one I gathered this information from. He told me of a witch that lived in town and I spoke to her."

"There are others?"

"Of course. Emmalina you have so much to learn of this world...of our world. The witch would actually like to meet with you and help explain this to you herself. I am sure she would do a better job than I am. I do not know a lot about witches, we mostly stay with our own kind unless the fates have paired us up. Which seems to be quite often as far as I can tell." He said as he smiled to himself. The fates were indeed kind to me, that I cannot argue. If only I could claim her...

"I'd like to know more about them."

"Very well. I will call her now and set up a time and place."

She watched as Sebastian went into the next room to make his call. She leaned back on the couch and closed her eyes. She smiled as relief swelled in her chest. She wasn't some kind of mutant weirdo who had brains for breakfast. She was just a witch. How bad can it be? She thought as she slowly drifted off to sleep.



When she woke up there was a blanket on top of her and she smiled as she snuggled into it. Then she realized where she was. Oh shit!! She thought as she threw the blanket off and looked at her phone. Only 2 missed calls this time? Maybe he was listening when I told him I wasn't a child anymore. She put her phone on the table and noticed a note. Sebastian had written down the time and place to meet the witch. He had also written down her name, Alesana Blackwell. She was supposed to meet her at 11:00am. She glanced at the clock on the wall, it was already 10:45am. Damn, I'm going to be late. She grabbed her phone, folded the blanket and wrote Thank you, I'll see you tonight on the back of the paper and called her Father back as she headed out the door.

When she got to the little bistro across town, she saw only one woman sitting at a table and assumed she must be Alesana. She was incredibly nervous when she walked up to her. "Are you Alesana Blackwell?" She asked.

"Yes, you must be Emmalina Burkhart. It's a pleasure to meet you. Please join me."

Emmalina took the chair across from Alesana. "I'm sorry I'm late. I fell asleep at my.....ummm, at Bastian's house." She corrected, not sure what to call him.

"Sebastian has made it quite clear that you are his mate and if any harm comes to you while you are in my presence I will pay for it with my blood." She said, half laughing.

"He said what?" Emmalina asked, slightly embarrassed. She couldn't believe he would threaten the person who was trying to help her.

"Oh please. Lore men are all the same when it comes to their mates. Always ready to fight or kill someone if a hair is out of place." She said as she rolled her eyes. "Your vampire is no different. Plus I can tell he hasn't claimed you yet. That will definitely put him on the edge."

"You have completely lost me, already. What do you mean by claiming and what is Lore men?"

"Oh you really do have a lot to learn don't you? What I meant by Lore men is the male population in The Lore, that's what we call our little supernatural community. As for the claiming part, well I can tell you are still a virgin, therefore he has not yet claimed you. Which means technically you are still up for grabs."

"How do you know I'm a virgin?"

"That's my power. I have the gift of knowing. It's sort of like a physic, except I'm the real deal. It's also how I know so much about different supernatural beings."

Emmalina shifted uncomfortably in her chair. Not sure how she felt about this stranger knowing things about her. "Do all witches have that power?"

"No. We are all born with the power to cast spells, make potions but each witch also has at least one magically ability."

"What is mine supposed to be?"

"I'm not sure. I did some more digging on Emily Burkhart, who was your ancestor that bound her line's magic and she had several. We won't know what yours is until we break the binding spell."

"Break the spell?"

"Yes. Don't you want your magic? It's who you are, who you were born to be whether you knew it or not. It's a part of you and deep down you know there is something missing."

Emmalina had never thought about it before. She'd been so busy with school, then work and now Sebastian to pay much attention. She closed her eyes and tried to look deep within herself, deeper than she's ever looked before. She then knew what Alesana meant. "It feels......empty."

Alesana smiled to herself knowing Emmalina would see what she was talking about. "Why don't we go over to my house and I can see what can be done about that?"

"Alright." Emmalina said, still wondering how she never knew that dark, empty hole existed in her.



Emmalina and Alesana took a taxi to her house. Emmalina was nervous but she couldn't help it. She didn't know what to expect. When they walked into the house they were greeted by a man. A very attractive man. Jesus, is every person in the Lore sexy? "Emmalina this is my mate, Dorian. He's a Lycan, though Werewolf is more commonly used but Lycan is the correct term. Werewolves are human lore and are controlled by the moon. Dorian is not, though the full moon does...change him a bit." Alesana let her mind drift back to the last moon cycle. Her favorite memory being when he had her pinned against a pine tree. The full moon always brings the wildness out in him and wildness always makes for great sex. It took her a week to recovery from their little camping trip in the woods. But if was worth every bit of soreness.

"This is the vampire's mate?" Dorian asked Alesana.

"Hmmm? What? Oh yes, right, this is Emmalina." She answered as she brought her mind back to the present.

"Emmalina it's nice to meet you."

"You too." Emmalina said trying to keep her nerves in check.

"I'm sorry you were mated with a vampire. You seem like a sweet girl." Dorian said bluntly.

"Why? What's wrong with him?" Emmalina asked.

"Nothing. It's just vampires have had wars with almost every faction of the Lore over the millennia. We tend to hold grudges, though Dorian was just being rude." Alesana answered as she cut her eyes at Dorian.

"You're right, I was. Emmalina I apologize for my rudeness. I'm sure your vampire is a...... some what decent male."

"That's okay. Don't hurt yourself with all those compliments though."

Alesana and Dorian laughed. "I'll try not to. Thanks for that advice." Dorian said between laughs. He turned to Alesana, "I'm going for a run, I'll be back in a hour or so."

She kissed him and said, "Alright, we're going down to the basement." She gestured towards Emmalina, "Follow me."



Emmalina followed Alesana down stairs into a big, dark basement. "I'm sorry about Dorian. His parents were killed by vampires when they were in war with the Lycan several centuries ago. I don't think he's ever gotten over it. I'm not making excuses for him but just hoping you might have a little more sympathy."

"I understand. It's fine, really. Wait did you just say centuries?? Lycan are immortal too?

"Yes, we all are."

"That means I will be too, right?" Emmalina asked excitedly.

Alesana winced. "I'm sorry but no. You have a human father. One thing you can always count on humans for is their mortality. That's why most of us don't take humans as lovers. We don't want our children to be crippled by mortality. Though it's possible that you may live a little longer than the average human but in the end you will die as well." Alesana looked down at her feet as she continued. "And your vampire will surely follow you, this I know."

"I was trying to forget about that." Emmalina said sadly. "I don't understand why he can't just live on without me. We don't even love each other." I don't think? Do I?

"I don't think you fully understand mates, Emmalina. You get one, that's it. To only be able to spend a measly 80 years with him or her is just cruel. Imagine getting the one thing you have waited for centuries or even millennia for and then all of a sudden it's snatched away from you....for eternity. Since your mate is a vampire, you will give him even more."

"That sounds....horrible. But what is it that I'm supposed to give him exactly?"

"Life, Emmalina, life. Remember when I told you about him claiming you? Well there is something else that happens with that too."

"What?" Emmalina asked, completely enthralled by all this new information.

"You are the only person in existence that can make his heart beat again, make his lungs fill with air. You're the only one who can bring him back from death."

"That's quite a lot of responsibility. But he never said anything about any of this."

"Well, what is he supposed to say? Would you please have sex with me so I can breath in some fresh air for the first time in centuries? I don't know about you but I don't think many people would react very well to that kind of request, especially if you aren't a Lorean."

"Okay, I see your point but he should have at least tried to explain it to me. I've never heard of any of this and my parents are vampire hunters for Christ's sake!"

"He would have eventually. I'm actually surprised he lasted this long. For a vampire, he is a decent male, I'll give you that. As for you parents, they don't know the half of it. The stories humans tell about us are always wrong. I mean really! Do you know what I use a broom for? Sweeping, just like everyone else. But I will say since they are vampire hunters, some of what they know about vampires is right. Just not everything about the mating process for them. When vampires are brought back to life by their mates, their strength and speed almost triples with the first beat."

"What about witches? How do you find your mate?"

"Our powers won't work on our mates. I will never know anything about Dorian unless he tells me himself. Nor can I tell how he is feeling since I'm also an Empath. I have two magically abilities."

"What is an Empath?"

"I can tell what you're feeling. I feel it myself. For instance right now, you are worried about what will happen to your vampire when you die, you are nervous about being a witch and you are excited about the claiming process." Alesana said matter of fact.

Emmalina blushed a bit at the last statement. She liked the idea that she could make Sebastian's heart beat again. It made her feel important....special and yes excited since she knew sex was the key. "That's quite impressive. The one that bothers me the most is my worry. Is there any way I could be an immortal?"

"A few factions can be made instead of born. Vampires, Lycan and Phantoms can all be made. But once you are one of them you cannot go back to what you once were."

"What is a Phantom?"

"It's a very rare being that was actually once human. After a human dies, if their ghost doesn't move on, after 500 years they will gain a corporeal body. Then they will be able to change back and forth from their solid body to their spirit one. Which makes killing them impossible because you can't kill ghosts. The blade just goes right through their necks."

"500 years is a long wait. I was hoping for something a little sooner."

"You could get bit by a bunch of Lycans. But that would be extremely painful and you would probably die. Few are turned into Lycans because the bites usually kill them. Then there are the vampires. I think I should let Sebastian tell you about that one."

Emmalina was a little disappointed that was all she had to choose from. She didn't really want to be a vampire. But that seemed her only option. Wait, why am I even thinking about this? Just because I don't want to be responsible for Bastian's death doesn't mean I love him. And these are drastic changes that you should do for someone you love. Which I don't.....I don't think. I'm so confused...



Alesana smiles to herself as she senses Emmalina's battle with herself. "Well, while you fight with yourself, I'm going to look for that spell."

"I'm sorry, I'm just....unsure. This is a lot to take in."

"I know. But once the spell is broken, you'll be stronger and more sure of yourself because you'll be whole. You're getting back what's missing which is half of who you are. All of you are."

"What do you mean all of you?"

"Your mother and brother?"

"How did you know...Oh nevermind. I thought this was only supposed to unbind my magic?"

"No, it will release all of your powers."

"WHAT!? No, we can't do this. How am I supposed to explain all of this to them? I thought I was just making the decision for myself! No, I don't have the right to change them. They don't know anything about any of this."

"Emmalina you are not changing them. We are just going to give them back what is rightfully theirs. All three of you were meant to be witches. You were born witches. We just need to release what is already inside each of you. Trust me, they will be freaked out at first but eventually they will come around."

"Fine, let's just get this over with before I change my mind." Emmalina said not sure she was making the right decision.



"Ah! Here it is! Emmalina would you grab that knife from that table? We're going to need a bit of your blood for the spell."

Emmalina walked over to the table and grabbed the knife. Alesana joined her with a bowl and an arm full of ingredients. She placed the bowl in the middle of table and started throwing in God knows what. Emmalina recognized a few things like salt, rosemary and lavender but the rest was a mystery.

"Give me your hand." Alesana said and Emmalina lifted her palm. Alesana slide the knife across her hand and blood quickly began to pour out. "Hold your hand over the bowl." Emmalina did as she was told and watched as her blood dripped into it.



"Alright, now I just need you to repeat the words I say. Are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

And they began chanting:
What was Sealed
is now released
what was Bound
is now freed
The Wheel turns
and Time flows
the Circle opens
and words cease
By Fire and Air
Water and Earth
Spirit and Soul
the Spiral rises
up and out
now go...


After the words were said three times, Emmalina felt tingly all over. Then she felt a burst of electric energy. After it was faded away, she felt....powerful, bright, whole and confident. She understood what Alesana meant. I know what I want now and I'll be damned if anyone tries to take it.



Alesana pulled her in for a hug as she said, "Welcome to the Lore, Emmalina."



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NOTES:

Sorry for my small little break. This chapter was actually supposed to include a few other things but I decided to cut it short and save that for the next chapter. (Sorry Cece, I PROMISE it will be in the next chapter!) I actually had some trouble writing this chapter. It took me most of the day to get it done. Note to self: No more breaks! Lol. Thanks again for reading!

Credit for the spell used is here because I suck at rhyming.

8 comments:

  1. Aaaargh. You KNOW the scene I was waiting for Jessica! : P You tease. I can't believe you'd do that to me.

    Still, I'm glad Emmalina got her powers back. Although I am curious at to how she's going to explain all this to her mom and brother. I can't wait!

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  2. Your legacy is so sexy!
    It's also intriguing and very cool.
    I'm really looking forward to the Claiming scene. Just saying.

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    1. You and me both, Melissa. Jessica's been teasing me with spoilers about it for WEEKS. I swear if she makes me wait any longer I'm breaking both her legs and tying her to a bed until its done.

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    2. LMAO! I know you guys! I swear it's coming tomorrow! Please don't hurt me Cece! Ahaha! I've had those scenes running in my head for quite some time so they should be awesome. *crosses fingers and hopes I don't let anyone down*

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  3. lol Oh god you are funny, I wish I could write like you, I should read more books.

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  4. Oh seriously!!! I expected the same as CECE!! :D you're mean!!

    you'd better get that done today!!! :D

    But this was a great chapter, I'm waiting for the bomb to explode at home though!

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  5. That was a fascinating chapter, I loved all the stuff about the Lore and I can't wait to find out how her family react to it

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  6. Yeah, I'm with everyone else! While the claiming scene will be fun (ahhh, now I think I realize where your post on MTS warning of nekkidness stemmed from!!) I'm really interested in seeing how Amelia deals with this new realization!!

    Amazing job. This world is so rich and complex!!!

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