“Sacrifices must be made if you desire the position of power.” My late grandmother’s wise words reverberated in my brain as I accepted the offer by the Wiccan Council last night. She herself was among the first council members after we lost our King and Queen.
This morning, I mulled over the circumstances leading to my appointment as Crimson Bay’s youngest council member as my feet took me to my father’s office.
“Yes, Father. You called?” I knocked on the door and peered cautiously before entering into his office.
“Ah, just the person I am looking for.” My Father looked up from the sheets of paper that he had in his hands, a frown wrinkling on his forehead, his eyes glazed, his mind still immersed in whatever issue he had at hand.
He dropped the pieces of papers on the desk and rounded the table, his eyes crinkling as he smiled at me proudly.
“Congratulations! I heard the great news. You are part of the council now.” Father beamed and hugged me warmly.
“Thank you, Father. I wouldn’t be able to if it wasn’t for you.” I replied sincerely, my eyes shimmering with gratitude.
My father must have put in a good word for me. After all, he is one of the many advisors to the council.
“Our work has just begun, Nari. Take a seat, as we have much to discuss.” His face turned sombre, a sense of urgency in his voice.
“Will Romeo be coming to your birthday tonight?” Father asked as I slid into the chair opposite his desk, his eyes roaming on my face, trying to discern answers before I even opened my mouth.
Father is apprehensive, I realised.
There is a lot hanging on my birthday event tonight and although Romeo is unaware, he plays an important part in our future.
“Yes, Father.” I smiled assuredly, squaring my shoulders and sitting up straighter in the chair.
“Ah, good. You know why I have called you this morning. We are moving into the next phase of our plan. Do you remember the prophecy?” Father asks. An eyebrow raised at me, waiting for me to answer.
Of course, I remember. The prophecy is what I live for.
Father and Mother have been pushing me to realise the prophecy for years. The prophecy reveals the culmination between a wolf and a witch, the werewolf guardian of the black onyx stone and witch guardian of the ruby stone. The unification between the realms of witches and werewolves.
With my close relationship with Romeo, I am their only hope at realising the prophecy.
“Yes. Father.” I answered boldly.
However, there is only one problem, the ruby stone is missing.
Just like the black onyx stone is an insignia for the Kingdom of Werewolves, the ruby stone is an insignia for the King and Queen of Wiccans. Our family is the guardian of the ruby stone but it has been missing for many years, leading to the fall of the royal family.
Only the guardian of the ruby stone can be proclaimed as a royal.
My grandmother, who was supposed to be the next in line for the throne, told us it was stolen from her when she was just a child. Now, the royal family is no more, replaced by the Wiccan Council.
“We will use a locating spell to search for the ruby stone while you focus on Romeo. We may need to sacrifice a life for the spell to be more potent but we’ll worry about that later. Are you certain that Romeo is going to take you as his mate?” My Father asked curiously, tilting his head to the side, his eyes glittering brightly.
Because of the mate bond that werewolves believe in, very rarely are werewolves mated to witches.
“Yes. I am.” I smiled triumphantly.
Of course, I am certain. After all, what witch would I be without a love potion or two?
“You have done well, Nari.” There was a feline smile on Father’s face. He is pleased with me, I know.
Shortly afterwards, I left my father’s office and retreated to my bedroom. There is much to do today and not a moment to spare.
I stood in front of a brick wall in my room and pressed the palm of my hand against the wall, feeling a tingling vibration as magic left my palms and ensconced itself into the wall. The brick shimmered and gradually the bricks faded, revealing a hidden enclave.
I entered the hidden chamber, a secret space for me to practice my magic and create new potions and spells. The wall shimmered and closed behind me, I am now enclosed in a protected space, shielded by a cloaking spell.
No one can find me here, because this room does not exist. Not to the naked eye or to any locating spell.
Unlike my spotless bedroom, this hidden chamber is messy. Spellbooks piled up high on the desk and spilling onto the floor, floor to ceiling shelves filled to the brim with potions and jars of various sizes and abundant magical knick knacks littered whichever space available.
And in one particular section, I have my prized possessions, ingredients for my spells and potions. Ambergris, elephant tusks, monkey brain, pixie dust and many other rare items sit on the shelves.
They are the reason for the cloaking spell. I cannot have anyone knowing what I possess.
My fingers deftly pulled out items needed for an amplification potion which would enhance my spells. The potion would make my spells more powerful and potent. Now that I’m a council elder, I need to cast stronger spells.
I also need to pass the remaining tests from the other three council members before my induction into the council is complete.
Incantations flew from my lips and my fingers sprinkled ingredients into a large cauldron filled with boiling water. Dragon scales, benzoin, pixie dust, bear’s paw, mermaid’s tear, motherwort leaves and ghost orchids.
I paused, trying to remember the final ingredient, tapping the side of my cheek with my forefinger. My eyes scanned the room, flitting from one shelf to another until it landed on the final ingredient which I had brought in a few days ago.
Oh, I almost forgot, I need the heart of a witch or a wizard.
Picking up a carving knife, I turned to the motionless figure lying in the corner, his eyes glazed and unseeing. I carefully pushed the sharp instrument into his chest, making squishing sounds as a rounded outline was carved into the wizard’s torso. My fingers turned crimson as I pulled out the sticky flesh and dropped it into the boiling water.
The water bubbled for a moment and then stilled. My amplification potion is ready.
Looking at my watch, I realised that it's almost two in the afternoon and I need to attend another meeting.
Leaving the chamber, my head tilted towards my first wizard sacrifice, now lying with a huge hole gaping in the middle of his chest.
“Thank you, Callum. For your heart and your seat at the council.”
One by one, my plans are falling into place.
Nari Montgomery Standing in front of the full-length mirror, I twirled excitedly in my birthday dress, admiring the soft folds of its fabric and the beautiful shimmer it makes as light touches the dress. The high waisted garment is close-fitting around the bust and tapers off loosely from the waist to my ankles. Today is my nineteenth birthday and tonight will be the night where the Goddess will reveal I am the chosen mate for the Alpha of Bayswater pack, Romeo Price. I giggled at the thought of finally being mated to my best friend and boyfriend, the thought filling my heart with happiness and making me giddy. I eyed my twin sister slinking at the doorway behind me, trying to be obscure. “Ala
Romeo adjusted his cufflinks as they approached the front door of Nari’s residence, an ill-suffering sigh escaping his lips. He hates wearing a tuxedo, the garment is too restrictive and a pain to get out of if he needs to shift. Yet here he is, wearing one just so that he can appease Nari. “Looking good tonight, Alpha. Our future Luna will be happy to see you.”There was a wolfish grin on Arch’s face and as the biggest player in Bayswater, he is probably thinking about the witches that he’s going to bed tonight. They entered the hall and Romeo’s eyes zoomed towards Nari, her coral dress shimmering under the lights. His heartbeat turned erratic as their eyes met and his mouth grew dry. When did Nari become so beautiful?
Romeo was standing on the raised platform, his body frozen as Nari floated menacingly in front of him, chanting in a voice that is not hers but a deep, gravelly, and ominous sound. The voice rang loudly across the hall. “You are MINE!” Her eyes were glowing strangely, threads of black mist swirling and growing behind her floating figure. Romeo’s eyes darted wildly, trying to find a way to escape. No matter how hard he tried moving his legs, they remained rooted to the floor. Alaia gasped, her eyes rounding in alarm as realization dawned upon her. The coloured stones and hexagon star which she discovered earlier was not meant for Nari. It was meant for somebody else. It was meant for Romeo who Nari sees as her
Bayswater Beach Annabelle was walking back from the beach when she heard a noise that suspiciously sounded like a groan. Her ears twitched and her head bobbed to the left, from where she presumed the sound came from. She stilled, her eyes squinting towards the tall grass which bordered the beach, her ears trying to distinguish what she heard from the natural sounds associated with the beach. She thought she heard another groan but it was fainter. Could someone be in trouble? She thought to herself. Sundown is fast approaching as the final traces of the sun dipping into the horizon. On the opposite side, the moon has risen, and very soon, red and orange hues will appear when the earth’s moon is encapsulated in a total lunar ec
The next morning, Annabelle woke up with a start. Something heavy was pressing against her chest and making it difficult for her to breathe. Alarmed, her eyelids flew open, only to discover that Chucky had rested his paw and half of his head on her chest. The dog weighs a ton and Annabelle swears she almost suffocated in her sleep. If I’m not careful, Chucky is going to be the death of me, Annabelle thought to herself, questioning her decision bringing the dog home last night. Chucky was supposed to sleep in the kitchen but she found the dog is not very good at obeying instructions. He ended up lying by the foot of her bed and somewhere in the night Chucky must have crawled into bed with her. She slowly lifted Chucky’s paw and nozzle, gently placin
Bayswater Packhouse "Have you found Romeo?" Richard Price, the former King of Werewolves eyed his second born gravely. He was seated behind the Alpha's desk, a position he had relinquished to Romeo five years ago. "We have not been successful, Father." Roman replied, his expression sombre, mirroring his father's. Seconds later, Arch, Trav and Jughead entered the office, their faces equally grim. Richard observed the four men, the only ones in the pack who knew that his firstborn is missing.Each one of them had spent the whole day yesterday combing areas near the borders between Bayswater and Crimson Bay but have not been successful. Whatever scent that was left of Romeo had been carried away by the wind. “Have you tried mind-linking with Romeo?” Richard Price asked, his gaze solemn and thoughtful. The air was heavy with trepidation, the possibility that Romeo might be captured by Nari was not lost on everyo
Two hours after returning from the beach, Annabelle was driving her car to Bayswater town with the windows down. Chucky was on the passenger seat, his head half protruding out of the window, pink tongue lolling adorably from his gaping jaw. She had music blaring from the speakers, singing off-tune to a rock song by Green Day, her blonde hair flying wildly. They needed to replenish their rations and she also wanted the vet to take a look at Chucky’s injuries. The laceration on Chucky’s side had magically disappeared this morning and the dog is surprisingly active, making her wonder if she had imagined his injuries when she brought him home yesterday. Ten minutes later, she parked her car in an empty bay in front of the veterinarian’s office. She opened the door and walked in, Chuckyfollowing closely behind her footsteps like a shadow. From he
To Annabelle’s surprise, the four strangers paused directly in front her. Her pulse jumped, not in fear, rather in nervous anticipation. Instead of intimidating her, their athletic figure and rugged looks made her heart flutter. At five feet six inches, Annabelle did not consider herself tiny but the guys were almost a foot taller, causing her to crane her neck to meet their gazes. One of them took a step forward and she drooled internally. He is possibly the most gorgeous man that she has ever met. “Hello. I don’t know your name but I am sure it’s as beautiful as you are.” The stranger gave her a dazzling smile and she couldn’t help but return with one of her own. “I'm Archimedes and you can call me Arch.” Arch had smooth expresso skin, almond shaped brown eyes, full lips and a wide, engaging smile.He had a deep baritone voice, two dimples peeking at her as he smiled and boyish good looks. His eyes flickered with int