Lilah (43 page)

This vision was powerful and I cried for
Claude, for the girl, and for my lost time at the monastery and how no other
place had ever felt so much like home. It was a strange irony that a witch, a
supposed descendent of evil, and tortured by Christians, could feel so close to
God; that we were all much closer than any of us realised. I believed the
stories I had read of fallen angels – later the strigoi – who had
gone against God and remained on earth for eternity, but that witches were
created for another purpose.

A short while ago, I returned to Josephine’s
house to bring her gifts and to thank her for all she had done for
me, Irene and others
who needed safety. She had kept
me and Irene
there for six months and we had shared our
knowledge. She said then that many witches had passed her way since me, sent by
Gabriel, from countries as far as Norway. And I could not help but feel joyous
knowing he was there, somewhere in the same world as I, continuing what we both
had started: to protect those witches from both humans and the strigoi.

My book of notes has been buried so that it
does not get into the wrong hands. There are secrets about nature that
no-one
should know.

*

The sun is in my eyes. I could not
see but sensed someone there. And then he stepped forward to block the sun.

He was large and handsome with a square jaw. He
seemed curious about what I sold for he wished to be cured of his persistent
headaches. I accommodated and touched his hand. I felt
a
warmth
there like no other. This man was good. This man might help me
forget about who I am.

‘Thank you
Signora
…’

‘
Marissa.
You can call me Marissa.’