Witch (8 page)

Ophelia

She knelt on the couch, watching the others on the front
lawn and the hundreds in the streets.

She looked back at Jake. He was still sleeping on the
couch across from her.

She glanced at Annabelle, who hovered next to her, “Are
you dead?”

Annabelle spoke but never took her ghostly eyes from the
window, “I guess but I cants die. I’s like you. Miss Lydia protected me always
when we was girls. Blacks was hated and treated badly. Miss Lydia always lied
and said I was her slave.” She turned and smiled, “But I was always her
friend.”

“How old are you?”

“Two hundred and forty six I thinks. Me and Miss Lydia was
born same year under the same summer moon. Same moon as you. I be the seventh
daughter of a seventh daughter too. My magic was always stronger than Miss Lydia’s.
We lived in Georgia and spent our days learning the magic from my gran. We had
to take Miss Lydia from her family. They was not the good kind. They was
teaching her the bad magic. We moved from Georgia to here. We fled the
hunters.”

O felt lost in the story, “Hunters?”

“Bad magic witches. They’s hunt our kind to take our
magic. Good magic’s always stronger than bad magic. Always. But they’s steal
the magic from us and they’s become strong like us.”

“That’s sick.”

Annabelle nodded looking out the window again, “I knows
it. Me and Miss Lydia we come here and she find herself a proper husband and
we’s build this house.”

Her ghostly face looked distressed as she continued, “They
did find us though. They come in the night. The hunters, they find us out. I
make my circle nice and big before I died.”

Ophelia gasped, “You died doing the magic circle?”

Annabelle nodded slowly, “I aint never heard of no witch
living through making a guard circle like mine.”

“You knew you would die?”

She turned sharply, “Miss Lydia had the baby in her belly.
She saved me too many times for me’s to not give it back. I’s told you I can’t
die. I just changed. My body died but my magic is alive. It’s stronger without
the body to make it weak.”

“Lydia had a baby?” Ophelia felt as if something in the
story was about to go very wrong. Something besides the death of the most loyal
person she had ever met.

Annabelle looked sickened, “No.”

Ophelia left it alone. She knew the hardships the people
of the house had faced and couldn’t even comprehend what it was like for them
all.

“Why are the vampires here?”

“They be here for Miss Giselle. She gone and died as the
only heir to the vampire throne. Marcus kept them in balance. He was the ruler.
Never too many vampires or killing people in the streets. Keep the secret was
his law. He wasn’t no good but he wasn’t too bad either. Now he's gone they
could just kill everyone. They needs a ruler. The one with Marcus’s blood is
the strongest. Their blood calls to her and hers to them.”

Ophelia frowned, “Why do they look angry?”

Annabelle laughed bitterly, “You imagine if some five year
old girl be your queen. She gets to tell you what to do? She aint got no
experience as a vampire and now she be the queen.”

Ophelia sighed, “Ohhhhhh. Yikes.” She watched Annabelle
for another second, “Why do you hate me?”

Annabelle looked at her sharply, “Baby girl I don’t hates
you. I love yous just like I loved your momma. All witches loves you and yours.
I hates what you gotta do. I hates that your life is cursed with his dirty
blood. Aint no angel got no right to take from a witch the way Jonathan takes
from your momma.” She looked back out the window and sighed, “We all cursed.
Ever since Miss Lillith been raped in the garden we been cursed.”

Ophelia stood up and walked through the long wide hallways
until she got to the front door. She opened it hesitantly. She had never seen
so many people in her life let alone vampires. One vampire was more than she
had ever seen. The whole thing wasn’t a dream, she was coming to that
conclusion.

She could see everyone in slow motion, as she walked out
onto the front steps.

Lorri was watching everyone with a stone face, but somehow
Ophelia knew she was scared for Giselle.

One of the guys was letting off some kind of perfume
Ophelia had smelled before. When she smelled him she wanted to take her shirt
off and let him wrap his arms around her. She could feel the warmth of his skin
against her. It made tingles everywhere.

The dark haired man who had been at her door with the snow
globe smirked at her from beside the red haired lady. He leaned in and
whispered, “Try to ignore him. He could drive you mad.”

“You again.”

He grinned harder, “Yes love, I did try to tell you.”

She couldn’t pull her eyes away from his strong shoulders
and biceps. She wanted so badly to just touch him. She couldn’t understand how
they all made her feel gooey inside.

She tore her eyes away from him to watch Giselle walk out
in to the yard and cross the magic guards that Ophelia felt at all times. She
shivered as she watched her. The vampires fell silent as a tall dark haired man
rounded off against Giselle. The others formed a huge circle. The Roses never
moved from the front porch, but every one of them seemed ready to leap into action
any second.

“Why can’t we help her?” Aimee asked softy.

Lorri never moved her eyes from Giselle, “She will look
weak. She should be able to take them all on as queen. It’s their way. Not to
mention they need to believe I don’t run her.”

Ophelia could feel the apprehension and fear pouring off
of everyone. She didn’t know what to do or say, but their nerves were building
up inside of her. She couldn’t recognize the emotions or who they belonged to.

The wolf looked at her and held her gaze. She backed away
from it realizing it looked similar to one that had attacked her.

“It’s Lucas Ophelia Jesus Christ.” Lorri turned and
snapped at her. Ophelia flinched and took another step back.

“Are you all mind readers?” She asked feeling frightened,
earning a bitter laugh from everyone.

Dorian smiled at her, “God bless you Ophelia. I needed
that.”

Lorri laughed and took several steps forward, “The rules
are the same as always. No one fights her except him. Anyone who interferes
meets Dorian and Aimee. Now I know you’ve heard about Aimee and how she likes
to eat. Let’s not provoke her.”

The crowd eyed Aimee cautiously and gave Giselle and the
tall man space.

Ophelia looked around and shook her head, “This is bizarre
and barbaric. They’re going to fight to the death. It’s 2012 not 1812. Even
then I don’t believe fighting to the death was ever done. Maybe in the wild
west.”

Sam smiled at her, “These guys have mostly been around for
hundreds of years. They haven’t changed much unfortunately.”

She forgot what she was talking about. The smell of him
was intoxicating. She took a step toward him. She heard the commotion and
watched as they began to cheer, but all she saw was him.

Sam

He could feel her eyes upon him, but he tried to block her
out as he focused his eyes on Giselle. He had pushed his pheromones out to
intoxicate the vampires and accidentally ensnared a witch.

He tried to focus on the fight. The tall man had sliced
Giselle's face open savagely. She stood in shock. Her beautiful lips coughed as
bright red blood dripped from them. She had recently eaten obviously. Her dark
eyes looked around at the crowd cheering, as his hand came down again at her.
Sam felt his blood boil watching beautiful and sweet Giselle dying. She moved
faster than he did. Trying to escape him but the circle held tight. The others
snarled at her.

He turned to the girl staring at him like he was her next
snack. He grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her.

“I need your help.”

She blinked, “Whatever you want.”

He pushed his attraction for Hanna as hard as he could. He
could see the girls pupils dilate as she leaned into him. He bent in to her
face, “See the girl dying?” He turned her to face Giselle who was on her knees.

She nodded.

“I want you to help her. Every strike against her is a
strike against me. They are trying to hurt me.”

Her eyes became slits, “They want to hurt you?”

She turned and looked at the man with the dark hair. His
hand came up in the air to strike Giselle again.

Sam watched as the girl blew as hard as she could. A great
wind blew across the yard toward the fight.

Sam whispered into the wind, “Giselle fight back. Close
your eyes and feel the heat. It’s there waiting.” He pushed his scent into the
wind. The vampires looked distractedly around the circle for the source.

Aimee looked back at him, tears rolled down her cheeks but
Sam knew she was unable to move her feet.

Sam nodded at her, “She’ll be okay. She just needs to
unleash it. We all have it.”

Aimee turned and screamed, “Giselle I’m with you. I’m
holding your hand. Close your eyes and trust me to help you.”

Giselle’s skin healed faster than anything Sam had ever
seen before. She darted around the circle in between jabs and lunges. The hands
of the Euro Trash moved swiftly tearing at her.

Lightning crashed down in the middle of the circle of
vampires sending everyone back.

Sam realized Ophelia's eyes had gone completely black and
her head was tilted back looking up at the sky. Bolts of lightening began to
strike the street around the Vampires.

The Euro Trash looked over at Lorri. Lorri turned back at
Ophelia and scowled, “No.” She looked at Sam, “NO.”

Sam bowed under her will.

His feet were stuck as Aimee’s were. Lorri would let
Giselle die before she would let them interfere. “The vampires must do things
their way. Giselle must earn the right to be queen.”

Sam could see Ophelia from the corner of his eyes. She
lifted her fingers to a point. Her will was not attached to Lorri. She could
disobey Lorri. Sam put his hand over hers and shook his head.

He noticed Giselle rounding on the vampire suddenly. She
wasn’t jumping and fleeing anymore. She appeared to be listening to Aimee’s
shrieks and cries. She closed her eyes. She put her nose in to the air and
began to sniff.

She listened to the wind.

She moved as if dancing with her partner. He slashed out
with his hand but she leaned back and rolled to the side. His hands swiped at
her, but she dodged it and backhanded him across cement. He was back and clawing
at her, but she fought him using precision. Her eyes were still closed as her
leg shot out and took him to the ground. She leapt across the concrete like a
feral cat and pinned him with her strength.

The vampires in the circle began to scream and howl as
Giselle’s hand came down on the man. She stopped a hairs width from his throat.
She looked up at Lorri.

Lorri’s expression never changed, “Finish it my queen.”

Giselle blinked, “What?”

“He is a usurper. Finish him. No one may defy your crown
queen Giselle. Your word is final.”

Giselle looked as if she gulped. She looked into the man’s
eyes as she lifted her hand and brought it down. Sam watched as one of her own
tears dripped onto his face, as her hand tore his throat out. She brought the
hand back a second time and tore the head right off of him. His frightful face
rolled across the street to the edge of the silent circle.

Giselle sat back down on the cement and licked the blood
from her fingers. She was panting. Sam closed his eyes and took his first real
breath. Aimee was on her knees sobbing. The intense death dealer was nowhere to
be seen, she was the fragile girl she fought to hide.

“Queen Giselle has my support. She is law. She is life and
death.” Lorri shouted across the yard.

Sam watched as Giselle stood. Each vampire dropped to
their knees and bowed their heads. Giselle looked stunned. She backed away from
them all, but they whispered and muttered ‘My Queen’ in every direction.

She walked toward the house but was slammed on her back.
Sam felt his jaw drop, as she stood up only to wince as she put her hands out.

“Lorri I can’t get passed it. Lorri?” She looked like a
mime making the fake wall, like the ones on the seaside boardwalks.

Lorri sighed, “Giselle, the Queen of the Vampires may not
enter Lydia’s home. It’s a sanctuary.”

Aimee was off the ground and running before Lorri could
speak another word.

She crossed the guards in time to catch Giselle, who had
dropped to her knees.

“Never?” She asked.

The vampires began to growl at Aimee, as she wrapped her
arms around Giselle.

Giselle put a hand out, “She is my friend. No one hurts
her. Like ever, okay.” She looked to be in shock.

Sam looked at Lorri, “Did you know this would happen?”

Lorri clenched her jaw and then she was gone. Sam looked at
Dorian, “What the fuck Dorian?”

He shook his head, “Giselle never would have done it if
she knew. She would have died. They would have waited for her to feed and then
they would have killed her. This was the only way.”

Sam felt the truth in the words but his heart ached for
Giselle.

“Where will she go?”

Dorian cracked a grin, “The castle of course. Dracula’s
castle has always been where the royalty lived.”

Sam shuddered imagining visiting the disgusting place
where his Hanna had been kept.

“What always? Marcus was the only Dracula.”

Dorian shrugged, “It’s hers if she wants it. It’s spelled
to keep the royal one safe.”

Sam snorted, “Yeah it worked for Marcus.”

Dorian gave him a hardened look, “He was in the yard if
you recall.”

Sam looked back at Ophelia, who was still staring at him.
Sam frowned, “Go inside and learn about your family. If Annabelle is right, you
meet your father in a couple weeks. July seventh is almost here.”

She nodded, “Whatever you want.”

He sighed and looked at Lucas who was lying in the grass
looking bleak, “That’s going to get annoying fast.”

Lucas made a wolf snicker sound.

Sam rolled his eyes, “Come one we’ve got to help Giselle.
This is nuts. You should change first though. No one wants you eating any of
her loyal subjects.”

Sam strolled out into the crowd to Giselle and tried not
to notice the blood on his pants.

Giselle shook her head in what appeared to be disbelief.

Sam knelt beside her and whispered, “We need to take you
to Marcus’s castle. You’ll be safest there.”

Giselle nodded weakly, “I always wanted to live in a
castle.”

Aimee pressed her lips together. Sam could see the anger
welling inside of his friend. She was already fragile and a blow like Giselle
being forced into anything, could force Aimee’s anger.

He put a hand on them both and flashed quickly.

He looked up at the front of the massive castle, “Home
sweet home.”

Giselle gulped.

Sam knew it was too much to take. Giselle and Aimee had
come from a tiny town with small houses and regular people. The past years had
been filled with too many changes for them to not be overwhelmed.

Giselle’s dark and beautiful eyes filled with tears,
making her face devastating, “Will you stay with me?”

Sam nodded, as did Aimee.

An English accent broke the silence, “Mistress my name is
Hamish. Welcome to your new home.”

Sam spun to see an odd looking older man standing in the
doorway of the huge entrance.

"Hamish? You weren’t here when Marcus lived
here?"

Hamish shook his head, "I stay back in the English castle
until Master Henry was permitted to leave."

Aimee put a hand out to him, “I’m Aimee.”

He cringed as he took her hand. Aimee pulled him into her
and whispered something. The man’s eyes grew as he pulled back, “Madam I would
never. I serve the Mistress of the house. My bloodline has always served the
house of Dracule loyally. She is the mistress, her blood is his blood.”

Sam scowled at Aimee, who shrugged, “He must be like the
house elves in Harry Potter. No one give him any gifts or clothing or socks.”

The older man looked horrified but stepped to the side to
make way for them to enter.

Sam felt nauseous seeing the place again. It was never
appealing to him, but remembering Hanna there made his skin crawl. Giselle
gripped his bicep tightly as they passed the threshold.

“It’s creepy. It’s too big. Hamish is there a smaller
house we could maybe hang at?”

Hamish looked at Giselle as if she had three heads,
“Mistress does the manor displease you? We have five others. The one in Romania
is quite nice in the summer. Not too hot and there is a nice lake out back.”

"Five? All like this?"

He laughed, "No, no, much larger."

She looked at Sam with her huge eyes full of fear. Her
lips trembled slightly. Sam leaned in and kissed her soft face, “You have this
Giselle. You defeated that other vampire. We won’t leave you here alone. Me and
Aimes will move in with you okay?”

She pressed her skin against his lips and nodded, “I like
the house Hamish.”

“Would you care for a snack perhaps?”

Sam shot his eyes up at Hamish who pointed down the hall.

Giselle nodded, “I am hungry.”

Aimee looked at Sam menacingly, but spoke to Hamish, “What
kind of snack?”

Hamish looked confusedly at Sam, “Well she only really
eats one thing young sir, obviously a bloody one.”

Aimee turned to him, “Where does she get her snacks from?”

Giselle put a perfectly manicured hand up, “Hamish I like
my blood by the bag.”

Hamish choked, “What?”

Aimee looked furious, “Do you keep people here?”

Hamish reddened slightly, “We keep all blood types on tap.
It’s how Master preferred it in all his homes.”

Sam felt his nose wrinkle, “Where do you keep them?”

Giselle looked confused, “On tap?”

Aimee shook her head, “Nothing. I will take care of it. Me
and Hamish will go together to get you a snack.”

Sam stepped away from Giselle and grabbed Aimee’s hand
quickly, “Maybe me and Hamish should get the snacks Aims.” He noticed the
relieved look on the poor old man’s face.

Aimee looked wickedly evil, as she spoke through pressed
lips like a ventriloquist, “Fine.”

Sam took the older man’s arm and rushed away quickly.

“By the gods what is she?”

Sam smirked, “Death Hamish. She is death.”