Any Witch Way (18 page)

At least I still have my talisman, though a lot of good that’ll do if I don’t know how to use it.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a loud wail.   

“Just as I thought, this way girls,” said Adrienne.

The threesome crept silently towards the dungeons, alert and almost wobbly with the enormous weight of what lay upon them. They rounded a bend and the stench became thicker, stronger, causing Tara to cough a little. Adrienne stopped and looked back at her with admonition.

“Sorry, it’s just that the stench is becoming worse. It’s hanging in the air like liverwurst that’s been sitting in the sun,” said Tara. “Speaking of the smell of liverwurst, I hope Alroy is one of the ranks outside. Oh, how he loves a good battle, and I’d hate for him to miss this one.”

At the end of the shorter corridor they had entered, there was a faint light they cautiously walked towards. Reaching the door, the smell was so thick they had to cover their mouths with their hands. A substantial, grey-green smoke floated in a layer a foot thick and hung from the ceiling as if it could drip down on them. Adrienne gasped. Immediately, she grabbed hands with Tara and threw up the W, signaling to Sadie that they needed a shield. Tara grabbed Sadie’s hand tightly and pulled her closer. Making the magik for the shield had brought them all together in the doorway, and both Tara and Sadie saw what had caused Adrienne’s alarm.

A lone creature stood in front of a large fire pit. It was slick with sweat, black and completely hairless. This creature had no eyes and in its place where the nose should be was a protrusion that looked like someone had stuck a pink, glistening octopus on its face. The wiggly appendages seemed to sniff the air of the cell immediately in front of it, and a beak snapped out of the mass. It clicked and clacked open and shut as the creature opened a cell door. Whatever was inside squealed as the creature grabbed it in its long, bony fingers. Turning to face the fire pit again, they saw that it now held a small gnome over the flames. It licked its lips, and then said a few words too garbled for them to understand. The gnome struggled, but to no avail, the creature had a tight grasp on the little being.  

Please release me.

Sadie thought she heard the gnome say though his lips did not move.

It had to be the gnome. The only other voice I’ve ever heard in my head was Mom’s, unless I’m slowly beginning to be able to read minds, too.

The fire within the pit roared and rose up, flames licking the ceiling before dropping again. From out of the fire a large, orange colored profile appeared. It was the color of rotting pumpkins. It was shaped like a pig’s head with features to match, but had the eyes of a cat on the prowl. It appeared to be just skeletal, no skin or muscle tissue. Two massive black twisted horns jutted from its skull, dripping with blood and flame, and its spiky sharp teeth extended out in all directions.

This enormous and repulsive head was attached to the body of a serpent with gleaming dead pumpkin orange scales, not dissimilar to steel. It had two muscular arms, short like a tyrannosaurus rex, with skinny little clawed fingers that clicked and gnashed together. Sadie shivered as the little gnome wiggled and squealed relentlessly. She couldn’t believe the horror she was witnessing, and she didn’t want to think about what was to come next.

The black beast dropped the gnome into the pit, and the pig-serpent creature grabbed it between its mangled teeth. In two quick chomps, it was all over with, and the creature descended once again into the flames. A deep red glow came from the opposite corner of the room no sooner than the gnome was devoured. The horrible stench of burning flesh became unbearable. Sadie knew that being transfixed by the scene she'd just witnessed had kept her from noticing it before, but now that it was glowing, it was all she could look at.

On a pedestal the height of about five foot tall stood a glowing red, semi-translucent, heart-shaped object. Sadie heard Tara gasp. She looked at her mother and recognized sheer terror holding her features frozen.  

Please let us go.

Sadie looked around and didn’t see anyone or anything the voice could have come from. She realized this voice was in her head, much like her mother’s voice had been. 

Is this the Ataraxia Heart, the heart they all keep talking about?

“The Core of Corruption,” whispered Tara.

Sadie was glad to hear this truth because, in fact, she thought the object might just really be the Ataraxia Heart. And she in no way wanted to go near it.

“That’s right, how quick you recognize pure evil when you see it, when you yourselves are such self-righteous beings. I don’t mind saying that I’m a little surprised, I thought you…people knew more. You’re right to show such fear in its presence, for it can destroy you before you even know what’s happened. All it takes is one word from me.”

The threesome quickly peeled their eyes from the glowing orb and found they were looking at a tall man in a black silken suit. A man that Sadie and her mother recognized to be the Master. Sadie gasped as Tara and her mother moved to put themselves between her and him. With the protective shield broken, it was all they could do. The Master laughed. Though his eyes appeared to be red-rimmed and he kept sniffling, he still looked as menacing as ever.

“Don’t think you can protect her. If I had wanted her dead, she would be already. As you can see, as you have seen, I can do many, many things since I’ve released the Soul Seether and gained use of the Core. All I have to do is feed him some of those stinking pure souls, easy to find believe it or not, and I have all the power and magik I need right at my fingertips.”

(He snapped his fingers and a wood nymph appeared in his hand.)

“I will soon be Master over all dominions, both here and in any realm I so choose; I just have to keep my pet happy.”

He tossed the wood nymph into the pit of fire. Tara closed her eyes and bowed her head as if in prayer.

“You have no idea what you’ve done. You have no idea just how utterly devastating the Core of Corruption is, or its keeper, the Soul Seether. When the Three banished it, it was put under many spells to seal both up for all eternity. How were you able to release it from the Seether’s chest? How did you even find it? What kind of deal did you make with the Soul Seether? You really have no idea just what you’ve done? And who are you? Where do you come from? I’ve never seen nor heard of…” Adrienne asked.

“Shut up! I have no patience for your rambling questions. Now I know where your annoying little offspring gets it. You babble and babble, just like your girl-child, and I do not owe you any answers. You will soon either be dead, a snack for the Soul Seether, or you’ll worship at my feet.”

He inhaled from the purple flowers in his lapel, speaking more softly afterwards.

“And as I just told you, all I have to do is give the Soul Seether what it wants, pure souls, and I get the use of the Core of Corruption for all time. You see, the Three forgot one thing: The Soul Seether can’t resist pure souls. It would rather have them than its own heart. We always want what we can’t get.  

“I tempted it with one, a very pure one. I think you might know whom I’m talking about. I think he was called Whistle. The Soul Seether and its Core were all mine soon after, just as you will be, just as every realm and creature and being will be as soon as I dispose of these pious and bothersome idiots who call themselves the Guild.”

He snapped his fingers again and Gok appeared, stroking his sash of scalps as usual.  

“Tell me, Gok, how goes the battle raging between us and them?”

The imp wiped a bit of drool from his greasy mouth and hocked up a large grey chuck of semi-solid phlegm. He spit it into the air and caught it again, chewed it up, and then swallowed.

“It seems that we’re pretty much tied, Master, pretty much tied. We need to release the Soul Seether to get this thing over with. Can I release it? Can I Master, please, please?” the imp begged without pride.

“In time. First, let our kind have some more fun, killing and destroying those good seekers and doers. I want you to take the one called Tara, you remember her, your friend you were stuck in the bubble with. I want you to bring her to me so I can demonstrate just what I can do.”

Sadie felt a strong rush of an emotion she couldn’t quite pinpoint course through her body. She also heard the voice again, but she couldn’t dwell on that. She needed to do something to stall whatever the Master was going to do with Tara. Without thinking she shouted out.

“I have the Ataraxia Heart, and I’ll give it to you if you let Tara and my mother go,” she said, regretting the words as soon as they left her lips.

What have I gotten myself into this time?

“I was going to use Tara as bait to lure out the Soul Seether in all its evil glory. I was going to torture her in such wonderful and new ways, the likes of which you and your mother have never seen. I was going to do that to coax you into handing over the Heart. Why does my fun always get waylaid? It seems I’ll just have to torture her for fun now because you see; you’ll give me the Heart regardless. Now that I know it’s on you, there’s no reason to resist me. I’ll take it even if I have to cut you to little bits to find it. Which might just prove profitable if your connection with it is as the Seether’s is with its Core.”

“First, can I ask why you need the Ataraxia Heart if you already have the Core of Corruption, the Soul Seether, some other creepy pets, these creatures and beasts from other realms and so many of our own kind on your side? What could you possibly need the Heart for? I see no harm in knowing if you’re going to kill us anyway,” said Sadie.

The Master thought for a moment before inhaling from his lapel once more. Sadie wondered just what it was doing for him. She assumed it must have some magikal power, perhaps it was his talisman. Then he took out a small vial from his inside jacket pocket. It was clear, and Sadie could see purple smoke swirling inside. Her stomach turned when she realized what it was.

He’s an addict.

“Well, I don’t mind filling you in. Especially as it seems your very own mother enjoys leaving you in the dark.”

He flicked his wrist and delivered an invisible slap to Adrienne’s face. Adrienne’s head jerked to the side, taking the blow, as she looked down apologetically at Sadie.

“Have a seat and I’ll tell you a story,” the Master said.

He raised his hands, snapped his fingers and Sadie, her mother, and Tara were bound to chairs. Their shield disintegrated.

“Now, where shall I begin?” said the Master. 

Bound tightly to the cold surface of the stone chairs the Master had magikally produced to hold them captive, Sadie’s mind raced at all the possible ways to stall whatever was to come. She only hoped he really would give her information on the Ataraxia Heart, as he had said. At least then, she might have a chance at figuring out exactly where it was and what she could do with it. After much silence, save for the roaring hellfire of the Soul Seether’s pit, Sadie spoke again in an attempt to buy time.

“Are you going to tell me what you said you would, or do I have to just get rid of the Heart before you can use it against us as well?”

Why do I keep saying these crazy things, these obvious lies?  

The Master snapped his fingers and three small fairies appeared in his hand. He held them high over the pit of fire, shaking them like a dog owner does with treats. He was tempting the Soul Seether out for its prize. As it slithered and hissed and rose up from within the fire, the Master laughed hideously. He took another sniff of the flowers in his lapel and another deep breath in from the vial.

The Master then slapped the handful of fairies against the stone wall, knocking them out, and then tossed them to the monster in the pit. The Seether caught them mid air and swallowed them whole. The large, black beast that had previously held the position of feeding the Seether shook, laughing with pleasure at the act, as the Master wiped his hands on his pants.

“Some fairies are drenched in such purity; I do hate the feel of goodness on my hands. The only pleasure I get out of touching them is slapping them against something really hard to knock them out. It keeps them from flying away before I give them up to the Soul Seether. Now, where were we?” he said as he approached his literally captive audience.

“Ah, yes, I was about to explain the magik and mystery of the Ataraxia Heart. Hmmmm,” he said as he licked his fingers and smoothed into place his already slicked back, perfect hair. “Where to begin, where to begin? Hmmmmm…as you must know, there is a balance to life, love-hate, up-down and good-bad. It simply must be in order for this world, for any world, to function properly.

“If I gain possession of the Ataraxia Heart, while also in possession of the Core of Corruption, I can disrupt that precious balance in life. You see, the Core and the Heart are actually one, split in two. Evil holds the good and good holds the bad. Does this make any sense to you?  

“It’s really black and white if you think about it. I can choose to make one more prominent than the other, and I’m sure you know which one I choose. I can do this by controlling how many souls and what kind it gets. By doing so, dark can prevail over light for as long as I so choose. And I will tell you, witches, it will be for all eternity.”

“That’s not true, since the balance will be disturbed, more or less broken, things will begin to go awry which explains why all of our magik isn’t working correctly; it’s already started, you idiot. You’re upsetting nature’s natural balance. Nothing will be as it was. You know that; there will be mass chaos,” Tara interrupted.

The Master laughed a full-throated, loud, hearty chuckle and wiped the corners of his eyes as if he’d been brought to tears by her words. He kept laughing as he walked towards the fire pit, still snickering, and threw an imp who had wandered into the room into the burning flames.  

Sadie was shocked. If he was able to kill one of his own without regard, what else was he capable of? He stood looking down into the fire as the imp let out a pathetic wail. 

“Oh, now that’s rich. You three are either the stupidest women I’ve ever encountered, or you really know nothing of pure evil.” He spun around to face them again as his voice lowered. “Evil thrives on chaos.”

“But you won’t be able to control anything; that’s what chaos is, no control, not even by the maniac that loosed it,” said Adrienne.

“I’ll control everything,” the Master offered back with malice in his voice. He walked towards the black, hairless creature. The writhing pink tentacles on its face began to twitch as if in anticipation.

“Gok, bring me the latest capture.”  

He commanded this of the imp while staring at the black beast. Sadie’s stomach churned as she noticed that he looked at it in the same fashion newlyweds look at each other.

Gok left, this time walking. He went down the dark corridor adjoining the room opposite the door from where Sadie, her mother, and Tara had entered. Save for the roaring fire of the pit, the room became silent once again. The constant periods of silence were beginning to drive Sadie crazy. The Master stood with his back to them as he stroked the black creature’s slick, wet skin, in between sniffs from his lapel. Sadie looked at her mother, and Adrienne mouthed the words we’ll get out of here to her, but Sadie didn’t have much faith. Tara turned her head away from the pit and the Master, to face Sadie and mouth, yes, we will.  

There was a commotion in the passageway as Gok and the victim drew closer. Gok appeared, dragging a rough burlap sack over his shoulder. It was the length of a human and who or whatever was inside kicked furiously. He dropped the sack at the feet of the Master and kicked it once, hard, while drool escaped from his mouth and oozed through the material of the bag. He untied the end and two legs appeared. The black beast’s octopus mouth began to snap its beak and its tentacles wriggled furiously. The Master pacified it by stroking its bald head.

“You see, Ladies,” he said, grabbing the end of the sack opposite the feet, “I feed the Seether to keep the Core happy. The Seether is the Keeper of the Core. I’ve learned how to separate the Seether from the Core and in doing so, he belongs to me now.

“He does my bidding so long as I constantly provide him with fresh, pure souls to feed his insatiable appetite. He needs me to feed him, as I need him for destruction, for evil, and for my work here. Evil likes to spread out.

“What? You want to see him complete and whole? Your weak sensibilities would probably balk at him intact with the Core, and it would have devastating effects for you. It would behoove you not to ask to see his one true form.”

He dumped the contents of the sack onto the floor. Sadie gasped.

“I see you know this pathetic excuse for a man,” said the Master.

“That’s David’s father,” Sadie half mumbled.

“He is a weak, pathetic human who worked for the Guild. He tried to burn down our offices here in Cranberry Grove and for that, he will pay,” the Master replied.

Grabbing the man by his bound arms, the Master yanked him to his feet with the same amount of ease with which he dumped him out of the sack. He took off his blindfold and removed his gag. David’s father gulped a huge breath while his eyes adjusted to the light of the killing room. He spotted Sadie and began to speak, his voice scratchy and rough.

“Sadie, I tried to watch out for you; I tried to keep you safe like Ms. Cabot asked of me. That was me back in the bookstore—the man who knocked all those books over, the man hidden beneath the black wool coat and hat.

“As of late, the Syndicate has been able to spot witchlings before they turn. The Guild had me keep an eye on you so that they couldn’t get to you beforehand. I have no idea how the Syndicate knew of my involvement. Please,” he pleaded, turning to the Master, “I have a son and a daughter that need me. They’re innocent; they’re human and do not belong in this war. They need me as a father; they have no mother. Please spare me.”  

He turned back to Sadie.  

“I’m afraid I’ve failed you; I’ve failed the human race, my children, Ms. Cabot, and the Guild. I’m sorry,” he choked out as he dropped to his knees. “Maybe I should have taken the magik they offered me. But I was afraid…I’m sorry…you see, Sadie, I’m your Uncle Marcus.”

Adrienne MacDougall let out a gasp.

“I REMEMBER YOU NOW! I knew you looked familiar. I saw a picture once when Dominic and I were married. I tried to find you when he died, but you'd disappeared.”

“I know and I’m sorry for that, too. When the Syndicate killed him, I renounced my magik. I was tired of all the evil it could do. I guess, in my grief, I forgot all the good it could also do. I wanted nothing further than to live in ignorant bliss in the human world. And I did…for a while.

“You died in a car crash, well, supposedly died, and Sadie was all alone and coming on the change. I went to Ms. Cabot and told her my tale. I told her all my fears and worries, and she let me help how she saw fit.” Marcus began sobbing again. “I am so sorry, Adrienne…I am so very sorry, Sadie….”

“Not half as sorry as you’ll be in a moment,” laughed the Master. “Oh, and your son and daughter, David and Hannah, such easy, stupid children to manipulate. I recruited them as soon as I saw you in the bookstore.”

David’s father looked crushed, defeated, and tears began to fall down his face. 

“I knew that, no, I could feel that you were up to something of a goodly nature, goodness does have such a stench. Bits and pieces was all it took to convince those two rotten children of yours to work for me—bits of magik and pieces of lies, and they turned you in quicker than an imp on a rotting rat’s corpse.”  

The black creature came forward and took the man by the shoulders. David’s father, Sadie’s long lost Uncle Marcus, seemed immediately transfixed by the creature and swayed in its arms as if in a trance. It was like watching some macabre death dance between creature and man.

“Now, you’ll get to see the Core in action,” said the Master softly.

The tentacles on the creature grew a little and spread themselves across the face of Marcus. Each one seemed to be a mouth on its own. The beak came snapping out and grabbed his face, covering his mouth and nose. Blood began to trickle down his chin and neck, and the little mouths on the tentacles lapped it up while others held him in place suctioning tight.

David’s father’s body began to tremble and shake. A white light began to flow from him to the beast and then over to the Core; it was a snakelike coil that worked its way between the three. The air felt heavy, oppressive, and made Sadie, Tara and Adrienne feel very uncomfortable, like they were in the presence of pure evil. And in reality, they were. There was a smell of burnt flesh wafting around the room. The tentacles then released the man’s face, and the beak, smeared with blood, slowly receded as well.

As this happened, the Core began to glow more so than when the gnome and fairies were fed to the beast in the fire pit. Its brilliance was almost blinding, and the feeling of dread weighed heavily on the three women. Tara inhaled sharply as if her breath had been taken away.

The black creature released the man from its grip, and he fell to the floor with a thud. Horrified, the three women held their breath as his body began to twist and contort violently. It began to change, to transform; when the spasms and seizures were over, he lay, back to them, in a still heap.

Moments later, Marcus stood up, awkwardly, as if a newborn taking its first weak, unsure steps. Turning their faces, the women gasped in horror at this new version of Sadie’s Uncle Marcus, as he slowly gazed upon them for the first time. He had clawed hands and leathery, rough-looking skin. Spiky protrusions tore through his clothes and ran the length of each arm. Veins were apparent just beneath his skin and two small horns were beginning to rip through the flesh of his forehead. His eyes, void of any emotion and a milky white, turned to meet the Master’s. It opened its mouth, blood and tissue falling to the floor, and spoke.

“I’m in your service; give me my orders, Master.”

“Go and fight with the others to destroy the Guild. Kill any humans that get in your way; they’re meaningless, worthless. Bring back any magikal creatures that seem too noble or any humans that seem too good. You’ll be able to smell the purity in them. Do your best to serve me, and I’ll not destroy you,” said the Master.

The new creature that used to be a simple man, David’s and Hannah’s father, Sadie’s long lost Uncle Marcus, left the dungeon to join the ranks of other evil creatures and act out his orders.  

I had an uncle….

Turning once again to face Sadie, the Master wiped his hands through his hair and then took a long, deep inhalation from the purple flowers on his lapel. Walking towards Sadie, he began to smile his wicked grin.

“You really don’t know anything do you? The Core sucked his pure soul right out of him. It’s locked away within its infinite walls. Look at you, surprised, a bit shocked maybe, all three of you are. I guess I underestimated your goody-two-shoes powers. Well, let me ask you something, Sadie. Do you really want to be the keeper of all that evil?”

Sadie’s eyebrows furrowed and the corners of her mouth turned down. What is he talking about?

She looked at her mother who silently and slowly shook her head as she bowed it, chin meeting chest. Sadie turned to Tara who tried to put on a brave face.

“Sadie, whatever he says will be a trick. Do not listen to him. He’ll twist the truth to meet his needs, lie to you, tell you anything to try and bring you over to his side. He needs the Ataraxia Heart and he….”

“Shut up, you worthless and wretched witch. Now, Sadie, answer my question,” said the Master.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she replied.

And she honestly didn’t.

The Master’s laughing was getting quite annoying to Sadie. Her bindings were beginning to burn her wrists and her head hurt. The burnt flesh smell was nauseating, and she wished they weren’t in this situation. She was angry that she had an uncle whom she could have lived with instead of all those foster homes. She was angry they were all in the position they were in. And she was really aggravated that she still knew nothing about this object everyone said she had. She wished with every ounce of her being she knew more about the Heart.

“The Ataraxia Heart holds within it all the evil that it has destroyed, just as the Core holds all the good souls. The Core is the Heart of the Seether. The Seether just does its bidding. As you will do the bidding of the Heart.