Sweet Menace (19 page)

Of all my crazy ideas this one promised to be the worst. As a last resource, my instinct of self-preservation went on, blaring wildly like a fire alarm.

If I was lucky, which was difficult considering my weird charm to catastrophe and misery, the pages I collected in the crazy candy house were those Edora couldn’t find in the stinky book. Who would have thought that by improvising, my Maghik grew big this time. Maybe it was an advantage having half of Edora’s Maghik tangled to my own. The sensations were brazen and uninhibited, so uncommon on me who always tends to hold back.

With just thinking on all the sweets I’ll be baking back home-that was considering I manage to make it back- all that power revolved stronger and indomitable. Maybe evil Maghik was much more powerful than my usual kind of Maghik but I was more than keen to try.

Edora stirred in the ground at my feet; a warning that made me aware than unconsciousness don’t last forever. Sam was somewhere between dizzy and dozed. Soon the spell of numbness would fade away just like darkness. Chirps of birds foretold the upcoming sunrise while soft strokes of color began to take shape in between the darkness. With eyes closed I could distinguish the noises from afar, the cars, the boring news reports, the distant music. Some voices were heard as well, but none of them I could differentiate.

I fix a place close to Edora, turning the candles on with a blow of Maghik. The paper was crumpled tiny and round like a raising but the words were still legible. The marks in my arms started glowing like glowworms as fast as I started reading aloud.

This time I wasn’t afraid.

Make me damsel of night and day

who can be nobody’s prey.

My powers grow to full bloom

and steal more Maghik beneath the moon.

Erase her soul, that’s my command,

to fill with fog she can’t withstand.

Grant me wishes to conquer life

though I could never be somebody’s wife.

Trust me the breath of those who hope

to be their strength to pull the rope.

Break the heaven above my head

with curses and spells fit to the dead.

Make my Maghik triumph with passion

allow me be merciless, without compassion.

Suck Edora’s powers and make them mine,

the Maghik comes to me to aline.

Part the clouds, sun and the moon

to earn the respect I deserve soon.

May I change the solitude of my ovens

to be respected by all the covens.

Heaven broke in noisy rumbles. Thunders made the ground beneath me tremble in fear. My skin prickled while a bright pentagram- green and crystal translucent- shone through the woods straight to the sky. Clouds turned green, like infected by some poisonous smoke, and traces of Maghik was expelled everywhere.

The mark engraved in the black mantel of heaven was a warning sign that could give away my position. The last thing I needed was another trip to the police station with charges of murder attempt, kidnap of a cop and a family man, and witchcraft among others.

Maghik flew by but in reverse. Power was sucked from Edora’s being, torn with painful strength. She was lying helpless now, her eyes quasi-opened showed the emptiness that was left inside. Her body contorted while tongues of Maghik abandoned her body like ghost sucking her soul. I could see it all. Tiny faces that doesn’t really exist. Evils and demons brought to life from the worst of nightmares. Power beyond control stolen from the dreams of ambitious men. Desires and dreams fractured with shame.

The ang maximum yawa twirled around me like summoned by my power. I flinched in fear but it didn’t harm me. Its fearful, intangible face stopped inches from mine. I understood it was challenging me, testing my power and my strength. I kept my gaze fixed in its shadowy eyes, those empty sockets with the capacity to break souls and trap minds in a delusional hell beyond rescue. Time passed and its defy was still on. What was it waiting? What was I supposed to do? Should I bow to it? Should I battle it? No. I’ll never bend to anyone ever again. I’ll never let other rule me. I’ll be myself.

My hands opened wide, floating at shoulder length. Maghik emanated from me, growing like a field of energy. The ang maximum yawa backed up a few inches. I exhaled a breath and took all the Maghik together over my head. The impact sent a fat beam of Maghik through the sky. First, clear and bright as pure light. Then vivid green light, from the Maghik I took from Edora. Just a second later, the display of color broke everywhere. Aurora borealis danced around in a magnificent gala of splendor. The invincible demon bowed to me and dissolved inside the page still held in my hand, creeping through it into the bulging tattoos in my arms.

I closed my eyes when the power around me seemed to be bigger than what I could resist. Perhaps I would withstand all this and my end was just a few words away.

“So be it.”

The wind blew hard and impatient, tangling my hair all over my face. Fallen leaves from an early autumn twirled along with cotton and dandelion seeds. Little pebbles rose inches from the ground, twirling with the inclement wind. All the Maghik and energy ricocheted to me in an agreed attack. Soon after, I dared to open my eyes. The marks in the sky were vanishing alike the tattoos in my arms. Everything dissolving like a bad dream. The pain abandoned my body while a fire blazed through my eyes.

I collected the dagger covered with drops of drying blood and soil and went to check on Sam. A rattling noise behind me warned of unwanted company. What if the spell hadn’t work? What if Edora was standing inches away from me, waiting for me to turn around to kill me and steal my unlimited Maghik? My hand moved on self-impulse, furiously rising the dagger at head level. A second later I turned around protectively.

“Whoa, is okay. Is just me, Viktor. We met at the wedding. Remember me?” -Viktor asked with hands raised. His presence consternated me. The sharp blade was touching his jugular vein with enough pressure to make the flow of blood stop.

“What are you doing here?” -I asked with distrust.

“I saw your van close and started looking for you. I heard noises and went this way. Until now I found you. I needed to know you were okay.” -His appearance forced me to consider that he was a potential witness of which I had to get rid of. -“No need to worry. I won’t say a word.”

I considered his words but my trust in the rest of the world was somewhat null. Nobody has been truly loyal to me, not even to their words.

“Officer Whilhey needs to go to the hospital.” -Viktor said checking for Sam’s pulse. -“Lets get him to your van.”

I shouldn't be doing this but Lavender is my only family. I needed to know what was in her mind. When I climbed the steps to her house I told myself what a bad idea this was. I should just disappear from her life forever, but my heart was so weak to continue hurting myself the hard way. Sam was in the hospital and officer Evo was watching over him. I apologized for having to go but my cousin needed me. Family first! I waited a few minutes after knocking the door but Lavender didn’t show up. I knocked again just to make sure I made the attempt to peace with her.

To my displeasure, Gregor- the messenger- opened the door after my last knock. He stood looking at me with a disgusting expression, like if I had somehow given him a kick in the manhood.

“Is Lavender home? -I dared to ask when he didn’t pronounce a single word.

“Nope.” -Gregor answered with a false tone. -“She’s out doing some grocery shopping.”

Gregor stood with his uni-brow arched, looking fixed at me.

“Grocery shopping? But it’s dawn!” -I said with concern. Lavender is not that early riser.

“And?” -Gregor asked as if I was dumb. I tried to set the worry aside.

“Sorry for my intromission but… What are you doing in her house? Is Jerome back home?” -I asked with curiosity.

“None of your business, limp.” -He answered right before slamming the door in my face.

That’s what I get for not killing them all when I had the chance.

When skies turned green and black from my spell I knew there was no coming back. The power in me was beyond anything I had ever considered.

Somehow I didn’t regret what I did to Edora. She deserved worse than what she got. If we come to think deeply about it, I did her a favor. Her soul was free from curse, free from perdition. Sam was back in the hospital. Superficial scratches and insignificant cuts were most of the damage. Dehydrated and with some animal bites, Sam would recover in a wink.

Carrying him semi-unconscious through the darkness was the hardest part of this night. Silently I felt happy to have Viktor there to share Sam’s weight. Sam, on the other hand, felt his pride hurt when he returned to consciousness and saw Viktor helping him to the hospital. He preferred to be hauled in a wheelchair than escorted by Viktor. The gazes of disgust and challenge they gave each other were a shocking hint. Something tells me that these two guys wouldn’t get along well. At least not in this life.

Believe me. This morning, after returning home, I’ll be alone again. Mamma and Lilly had been taken by officer Evo and Elizabeth to Sam’s apartment. Jerome was on the loose but I doubted he would be a nuisance ever again. The curse left on him by the maximum yawa would keep him busy for a while. I knew what was going to happen. I’ll have to move again. Another village. Another mockery to endure. Another wish of vengeance. Sam and I… That wouldn’t have worked no matter how hard I focused my strengths and effort.

When the sun came out I had already changed into a dark yoga pants and a white cami. A black scarf was tied in my neck. Black uggs hugged my feet, warming my frigid toes. My clothes were already packed and everything was gathered in the living room, ready to be hauled to my van. My sweet ride needed to disappear too. A low profile car was better needed now. One special edition imported minivan attracted way too much attention, plus I was easy to track in it.

I gave a last walk through my house, absorbing every memory I lived there. Every wall, bare of pictures or art, was full of images moving in my mind. So vivid were their faces, it felt unnatural not to cry missing them already. Lavender and I played in this hallway. These rooms were a fortress to exchange Lavender’s secrets for apple chickpea crumb cakes. I fell in love right in this house. My blankets were witnesses of how selfless and patient is a man who truly loves. Not just I found my passion in between this walls, I discovered how semisweet love can come to be.

Say goodbye to my house, my peace, my villager-zombie-proof bunker, my private haven, was useless. I’ll never be prepared to say good bye to the only thing I know about myself.

“Packing up to go home?”

I jumped frightened. Turning around, I discovered the woman from last night sitting in my kitchen. Despite all the power in me, I was easily scared. A baby bird pushed from the security of its nest… Falling down to emptiness… Yelling inside… Mouth suffocated for the excess of air… Breath absent thanks to the fright… The terror of an imminent death I was running away from… That was me. A frightened little thing.

“What are you doing here?” -I asked avoiding answering her question. I had hoped that everything related to this woman had been only a dream. After all, I didn’t even know her name.

“I assume you haven’t noticed your house is fixed. Technically, nothing happened here.”

I looked around to corroborate what the woman was saying and it was true. Not a single wall was burnt. Not even the bathroom pipes were broken. So absorbed by the recent events, I had marauded my whole house without noticing that the fire and all damage had been undone. I wanted to say thanks, I wanted to celebrate, but I was so worried. This woman had been following me since the previous day. Exactly the same Edora had done before trying to kill me. Perhaps Edora told me the truth when she said that other witches from far away would come after me.

Standing proudly in the kitchen door, my eyebrow arched with reserved curiosity. The presence of this woman made me believe that the world confabulated against me. It’s like if I had to ask for permission to move on. Set aside already, people. I create my own world.

“I’m Guineverè. You don’t have to be afraid of me.” -The silver haired woman said. Guineverè? Edora had mentioned her name. She had said grandma Guineverè. Do I have to be afraid? No. Why not? Because she said so? I needed to reconsider that. -“Have you heard of Camelot or Avalon?”

“In some stories, yes. Those are fantastical places, unreal.” -I answered intelligently.

“Its real name is Witch’s Hearth. Home of all covens of witches.” -She stood up from one of my chairs and paced around the kitchen, touching my many appliances. Her face reflected something resembled to tenderness and appreciation. -“I came looking for you but Edora reached first. When I got to you, you were in need of help but along with the little girl, you managed it perfectly well. A work worthy of my royal crown. The heiress I’ve been looking since…”

“I didn’t manage anything. Lilly had most of the credit.”-I dared to interrupt her succession to the throne.-“And I’m not your heiress. I’ll never be.”

“You cannot deny the blood running in those veins. Your mother committed the same mistake.” -Guineverè said caressing my red mixer.

“Yes, she did. And you and your husband killed her in revenge.” -I managed to interrupt her with my knowledge.

“Looks like your sister misinformed you too.” -Guineverè walked towards me. Pity stained the yellowish color of her eyes. -“Come home with me. There I’ll tell you everything.”

Considering her proposal I knew that it was wiser to stick to my original plan. Travel the world. Settle into a new and nicer town. A city maybe. Start a new life. Heal my soul, let my spirit vomit all the pain gathered and empty everything keeping me deep in hate and sourness.

“Maybe some other time. I have unfinished businesses.”

Guineverè laugh as if she was expecting to hear what I had just said.

“What business? Your romance with the hunter?” -I tried to protest, to look for options to keep him to me, but I knew the truth. He’s not something I can keep. He’s not an object or a pet, or a Styrofoam pan I can simply hide in my cabinets. He’s not a bottle of wine that can be waiting in hidden until the day I’m ready to celebrate. -“It has no future. You cannot turn him or something. He’s a real man, not a fictional vampire or werewolf. We are witches, Morgan. That’s what we are. As terrible as it may seem, we cannot change the Maghik gathered inside. Just like he cannot stop been a hunter.”

“I know I have to let him go. I’ll move on somewhere else. My heart is so full of hate and I need to release this feeling.” -I confessed though I wasn’t sure if I wanted to lie to her or I was just lying for my own sake.

“Vengeance won’t take you anywhere, Morgan. Your father and both grandfathers made the same mistake. I won’t let it happen this time.”

“We’ll see.” -I defied her while dragging my luggage to the front door. Standing right in the closed door, I looked back at Guineverè. She was supposed to be my grandmother but I felt nothing for her. The only family I’ve ever had had tried to harm me. Lavender, my cousin, who I loved like a sister, had destroyed my heart. But what was she doing with Guineverè last night? My own sister, Edora, had tried to kill me more than once in less than two weeks. I needed no more relatives. My hand held the door knob firmly, ready to walk to a world of new opportunities. -“What Lavender has to do with all this? How you were with her last night?”

Guineverè thought for a second while she inspected my lovely ovens with approval.

“You’ll have to ask her that question.” -The Queen of Witch’s Hearth responded with a shrug.

“Good bye then, Guineverè.”

The fresh breeze caressed my hair and blew a soft rain to my face the instant I opened the door. I closed my eyes, inhaling deeply to welcome my freedom. No more hate. No more killer plans. From today on, I’ll be just me. Free at last.

“Are you going somewhere?” -Sam was standing in my porch, his hands holding his hips in a demanding position. The id band from the emergency room was still attached to his wrist.

“Yeah, I forgot to tell you.” -Guineverè whispered from behind the door. -“They don’t remember the last 48 hours. Not him, not his hunter family. Almost nobody in this town.”

I felt touched by her words but I couldn’t understand why it had happened. If Sam hated me, if his family hated me, I would have no place to go rather than Witch’s Hearth. Despite that, Guineverè opted to give me the chance to choose.

“A gift of reconciliation from me and our kingdom.” -She offered with a wink.

Being caught trying to escape gave me great sorrow, not talking about how ashamed I felt to see him face to face. Pushing my luggage back inside the house, I closed the door right behind me. I stood still, only watching the tip of my shoes. Once again I was biting my lower lip, nervous. He tapped his shoe impassively while we both remained quite.

Sam leaned leisurely against the railing of my porch. I raised my gaze to discover he was mesmerized, looking at me. Why this has happened to me? Why, of all men in the whole world, I end in love with a witch hunter?

“You need to return to the hospital, Sam.” -I managed to say when the silence and the tension was crushing me. -“You’re weak. Doctors can help you to feel better.”

“I’m not a weak man, Morgan. I have strength and I develop a resistance to every illness or medicine. It’s just a matter of a day or two, and I’ll be perfectly fine.” -Sam told me. -“My life is complicated too, but I don’t escape when I feel cornered. I talk. I love. I confess what I feel.”

He straightened from his previous position and raised my face with his hand under my chin. Looking straight into his eyes I wanted to yell. Why me? Why you? All the truth we hadn’t shared was shining through our eyes, confessions we weren’t willing to pronounce, feelings we weren’t prepared to accept.

“I can help you carry that heavy suitcase. There’s no need for you to run away from me. If you don’t want to see me again, you just have to ask. The least I want is to be an obstacle for you. I want you.” -Sam said coming dangerously close to me. I could feel Guineverè’s piercing gaze on me like a poisoned arrow. -“What I meant is I want you to be happy.”

The closeness of his body was a punishment. A suppressed hug wanted to escape from me and my growing Maghik wasn’t of big help. Somehow it had turned into a passionate being with own mind. It wanted to force me to act against what was the right thing to do.

“You have nothing to do with this. The decision was made long ago. I have businesses to do somewhere else. Maybe I’ll be back in a week or so. I don’t know.” -I lied. -“I don’t want to hurt your feelings. You’ve been good to me but it’s better if you move on.”

Closing the distance between us, Sam gave two big steps ahead. This was just wrong, I could feel it. He was standing inches from me and my willpower was weak, trembling to melt like a pathetically made Tembleque. Sam was my weakness despite always being so strong. He was the heat to my frosting. His smile left me in disadvantage, forcing me and my hopes to wane. I just wanted to curl with him, to feel his warm embraces. And I couldn’t help but blame myself that during the upcoming trip I would be dreaming of the kisses I wasn’t brave enough to take.

Giving two steps back I collided against a wall. Sam gave those two steps forward. His body was heaving with agitated breaths while he leaned on me, chest on chest.

“Move on?” -He asked while caressed my chin. -“Are you leaving me for real? I wasn’t expecting this. In fact, I was hoping for you to come with us. Lilly is waiting in the car. She dies to talk with you.”

“Is Lilly there?” -I asked in disbelief, pushing past him. -“How’s she? Why you left her alone in the car? Is the air conditioner on, right?”

“Now I’m officially jealous.” -One more twist of his lips and my heart would be twisting as well. -“I knew that the moment you met Lilly you’ll stop loving me to just give your heart to my niece’s tenderness.”

“It’s serious, Sam. You shouldn’t leave a kid alone in the car.” -I advised him and started walking towards the car.

“She’s alright but she wants to talk to you.” -Sam stopped me by grabbing my arm. -“The air is on. She’s perfectly fine. And no, she’s not alone. Mamma and Elizabeth are with her, mocking me this moment. I just hope they don’t read lips. They’ll discover you’re leaving me already and I hadn’t even popped the question.”

Speechless, I stood still, watching Sam with deep attention. He was so damn cute. And I was so in love with him. I needed to leave soon before my heart gives this feeling away. He was asking me
THE QUESTION
? The big question?

“Look, Sam.” -I interrupted him right when he was coming dangerously close to me again. I knew that if I didn’t stop him I would never find the strength to push him away. -“I have an appointment and I can’t be late. I’m sorry. Tell Lilly I’ll call her tonight.”

“Morgan Caprice!” -He called after me. -“Don’t you dare leave me here. Lets talk.”

“Sorry, Sam. I’m not good for you. You’re a drea
m
come tru
e
. I’m only a nightmare. We both have secrets we aren’t able to say
.
It'
s
better this way.” -I said.