Kogo
Bright light surrounded me as my body left the comfort of my boutique. It was as if I was floating in an empty space. I actually was. There was nothing around me. I was surrounded by heavenly colours. The kind of colours found above the clouds with blue, purple, magenta and black. This had always been my favourite portal.
A lethargy began to take over my body as the portal asked its carrying charge.
That's what a portal did to you. It sucked the life force out of as you moved throw it. Everything had its price, even magic, especially magic.
For every spell there is a toll. This is to keep the balance of life, the balance of nature.
I was not so sure my body could handle this task any more. I was getting old and age also has its toll. If I had it my way, I would never leave my house or my liquor cabinet. Sadly, I had to attend the stupid meeting. One day -soon- I would tell the other Princeps to go screw themselves.
Screw you all! Fuck your godforsaken meetings.
A smile tugged at my lips as I entertained the idea.
Suddenly, I stopped floating and before knowing it my knees were met with a hard force. Opening my eyes, I saw that I had arrived at my destination.
I was kneeling on the stark white, limestone floors of the highest tower in the Witch Lands.
Looking up, I took in my surroundings. I was at the centre of the room, kneeling directly in front of the starry portal.
The room was stupendously large, comfortably a dozen times the size of my home. With high, golden ceilings and a masterfully carved stone pillars supporting it, it was the height of ten long-legged men standing on top of each other. You would think the architect's aim was to touch heavens and disturb Zeus as he hoed around in his palace.
"I would appreciate it if you watched your language while using my portal, Kova ." To my ears came the chilling, nauseating voice of a woman I knew.
Her words, reminded me one important fact :a portal broke the barriers put up by the human mind, allowing anyone on the other side to hear your thoughts as you travelled. She had heard my thoughts. And I did not give a rat's ass.
Meria- as usual- was dressed to kill. She was trying too hard. Even when we were young, she cared too much about what people thought about her, a common effect of growing up in a highly noble witch family.
She wore pure white, a sign of purity -none of which she had- and left her blonde locks hanging over her shoulders, cascading down her slim back.
I felt a twinge of jealously. The men here preferred her kind, blondes, they always had, I while and my raven locks were left in the dusk awaiting her tired scraps.
"Are you going to sit there the whole night? Surely Kova, we have much work to do," she said, her tone reprimanding. How I wanted to smack her.
She addressed me by my birth name. I only ever used it here. Elsewhere I was Kogo, a fun loving old lady who will sell you weed provided your fake id is believable enough.
Taking a breath, I stood.
"Be kind, Meira," someone said. I knew that voice. It was Keith. He came up from behind me, dressed in pure black, prepared for meeting we would be having in a few hours' time.
Keith acknowledged my presence with a simple, polite nod.
He had not changed a bit. He looked as dapper and as dangerous as usual. The only thing that was different was the way he had styled his hair. He had cut his famous manbun but had spared the white streak at the front of his head.
In his younger days, he had been such a rebel. He still was but his wife had somehow managed to tame the badboy in him.
"The fact that she still stands here shows that I am being kind ", the woman spat acidly, not knowing that my only reasons for showing up were the...herbs awaiting me in my chambers.
Her husband approached her, giving her a chaste and clearly forced kiss on the cheek. It hurt me a little, watching him do to her what he used to do to me.
It had had hurt me deeply when the two were betrothed. Keith had been my first crush and my sixth boyfriend. We broke up on the announcement of his arranged marriage to Meira. But I moved quickly after all, his sister was a much better lay.
That was all in the past. Now we were grown, some of us anyway.
"If you will, excuse me. I shall return for the meeting," I excused myself. The meeting would not begin for another hour or so. My buzz was wearing of and I needed to find myself a drink. Hecate, forbid I sit in a room with Meira for hours sober. It may just be the thing to cause my long over due death.
I exited the hall before the Princep could respond, walking into a labyrinth of corridors.
The sound the water rushing down the mountain around us laced the atmosphere, covering up the sound of my sandals tip tapping on the limestone floors.
My chambers lay all the way on the other side of the castle.
The halls were covered in ancient architecture, collections, momentos of our past as the children of Hecate. One of the works of art was of a giant woman - a goddess- , over twenty feet tall cradling dozens of children in her arms. The beautiful woman was a depiction of the ancient and powerful daughter of Perses and Asteria.
Another painting hung on the opposite wall. It was wonderful, displaying the theory that witches were born of the earth and not of any diety. The landscape was vast with human-like creatures arising from the green. It was like the miracle of birth.
As I walked the halls, I was reminded of how majestic our land was. This was our home and it sure was beautiful. Elsewhere we were just visitors, outsiders.
The familiarity of the palace was great. I came here every fortnight for the Princeps meeting where leaders of each coven converged to discuss' important matters' which rarely were as imperative as they made them sound.
After a long walk during which my tired old legs nearly gave out, I reached the tall doors of my chambers. The wood of the entrance was gold encrusted, baring the insignia of the Xolem Ignim.
I breath the ancient word of my clan into the doors and they opened like the tomb from Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. Everyone thought the idea of 'open sesame' was sooo original when it was just like another spell among witches.
Entering, I shut the doors behind me, taking in the vision that was my chambers.
Across from where I stood, there was no wall just pillars supporting the high ceiling and a magnificent view of the Crystal Lake where The Trident's -the waterfall right beneath the palace - largest falls drained into. The water of the lake shined even in the night's darkness. A treat for my eyes.
My eyes feasted on the view I had looking been at for a long time. It never got old. The place was timeless.
Just how much we had achieved was astounding. No wars. We deserved it after what we had been through.
I moved across the room to the small living area where a jar of wine had been placed for me. I poured myself a glass and sipped it leisurely. Glancing at the clock, I checked the time. I had some time before I had to go.
I moved to the edge of the floor where only a short wall prevented me from falling right off. From my vantage point, I watched over a great distance the waters of the lake shimmering under the light of the moon.
There was a sudden gust of wind coming from behind me. I felt a presence behind me.
Turning my head I was stupidly surprised to see the person behind me. I should have expected her.
I eyed her keenly.
Her stark white hair flowed down, hovering above the granite flooring. Her hair had always been her best feature. Or was it her sharp silver orbs? Who could decide? She was a beautiful, a first class creation of the gods themselves.
It was hard to believe we were related.
The woman's dress swept the ground, clinging onto her curves like second skin. She was scantily dressed in only a white bra held to her body by silver sashes running across her shoulders and ascending to her top. Her torso was fully exposed, with a skirt hanging right below it.
She had always flaunted her beauty, leaving a trail of broken hearts in her wake. Clearly, she still did.
Just like this castle, her beauty was timeless.
Zoladie was a witch like no other. A true enchantress, no spell required.
"Kova."
I was silent, not showing any response to my birthgiven name. The buzz was just sinking in and I also could not process her presence. Needless to say, she rarely visited, perhaps only once every two moons.
"Kogo? I'm told you go by Kogo these days."
"What are you doing here? The entire kingdom is searching for you," I told her placing the bronze goblet in my hand back on the table.
"I'm simplifying their task," she answered evenly. "I must also see my own-"
I did not let her finish that sentence. "You have to leave. As horrible as you are, I do not want to get arrested."
"These fools cannot hold me. Their magic is weak, as are their barriers." Her silver high-heels tip-tapped on the granite floors as she explored the place. She ran her fingertips across the petals of the massive potted plant placed at the centre of my chambers.
For a fugitive, she was exceedingly calm.
What she said was true. Before me stood a witch older than any of us, her power peeked all of ours...combined.
But that did not mean she was safe from the person hunting her. He was ruthless. A beast. "The king wants your head. Why?"
Zoladie's crimes were against the witches and not the lycanthropes and definitely not against the king but he most of all, hunted her like a thirst man does water.
"He believes I am threat to him. Especially now that the gods have granted him his chosen."
"Are you? A threat?"
She faced me and smiled." Yes."
"Why do you want the king dead?"
"First of all, he is no king. And I do not want his head. I want his beloved's."
The wind was knocked right out of my lungs. I knew who we were talking of. Cara. Cara was in grave danger. The woman out for her head was unstoppable.
"Why?"
"The same reason women wage wars and men fight them. Revenge."
CaraGod, he's handsome ,I think, staring at the man before me. I had forgotten how breath-takingly handsome Ivan was. It was striking -his beauty. It never failed it amaze me how attractive I found him.Did everyone else see it or was it just me? No, they must have seen it too. Who couldn't?Ivan was handsome in a way that was different from the modern definition. Yes, you could describe him as 'hot' but that would not suffice. His beauty was old-fashioned and nothing like the kind seen in today's male models.The beauty he displayed was a dominating and mature kind. It took over your senses and it was not too boyish -not meaning that he looked old, there was nothing old about him.A cold wind blew past us but I hardly felt it, the warmth he radiated shielded me from it. The trees swished and I was reminded of my location and why I was here.How could I have forgotten? Ivan had distracted me from the matter at hand. Liza was missing and possibly in grave danger. A panic filled me aga
CaraI was sat on the couch using my laptop, checking college admissions, so far I had gotten three, none of which I really wanted. To be honest, I had only applied to them in case I did not get into the one I really wanted, Balor.Balor was my dream school and I really wanted to get in. Sadly the application process was a whole thing. First you send in your credentials followed by a few assigned essays and then an interview.All I had to do was attend the interview on Saturday. Saturday because they like to see if the applicant is serious enough to attend an interview on a weekend. A good way to weed off the jokers.Dad was at work and my friends had left after breakfast that morning.Hanging out with them had been nice but Liza had been a bit off. It was probably because of what had happened the night. Maybe a hangover. A hangover was nothing the girl could not handle so I did not worry too much about the issue.The house was pretty much empty. I liked the peace and quiet.There was
JasperThe fire burned furiously in front of me in an icy blue flame. Unlike an ordinary fire, it was as cold as Greenland's icy mountains, freezing you with its touch. It made the atmosphere similar to that of a crypt. Cold and unnerving.An unburning arrow stuck out from the flame. The arrow had been used to light the fire. By my calculations, it had from travelled beyond the castle walls, past the large opening where there should have been a wall and landed right onto the spot it currently was. The work of a skilled marksman. Or markswoman.Below the cold waves was a sign. A sign with an unmistakable message. It was as old as time itself and everyone knew what it meant. Revenge. Vendetta.The sharpness of the points of the star-like sign chilled my bones.This was the work of powerful magic.I stared across the room. It was evening now. Night was approaching. Ivan would soon be here. I greatly anticipated his reaction to this. He would either lose his tempter and break something l
CaraI dropped down, pain shooting through my knees due to the impact, but I did not care. I barely even noticed.Liza's form was cold. Freezing. I pressed my palm on her temple. She shivered under my touch. I was actually thankful that she did. It assured me that she was still alive.My breath caught as I took her in. She was covered in soil and grass. Her clothes -the same one she had worn the other night- were dirty and torn up. Her blonde locks were a mess. She was barefoot. Dry blood covered her hands and feet."Oh my God!" I exclaimed, my palm covering my mouth.How had this happened?Who did this?She was fine yesterday.What shocked me most was the gory cut on her left wrist. A deep anger accompanied my astonishment. I wanted to know whoever had done this to her.Was the work of a human or something else? Probably the latter.I felt defensive and protective of my friend in that moment, feeling a strong urge to find whoever it was that did this and exact a painful revenge on th
IvanShe stood at my side, my hand gripping her wrist. I ensured that my hold on her was not too tight. I had a problem controlling my own strength especially around her. Cara was my greatest reason to remain in control, yet she was the only reason I had trouble keeping myself calm.My greatest weakness and my greatest strength.Her eyes rested on her father who had not moved an inch from behind the long beige couch. His gaze was sharply fixed on me as I held his daughter's arm possessively. He was very protective of her, as was I. I was thus able to know exactly what was going through his mind. Who was this man near his daughter? Why did he speak as he did? What was his interest with her?Their resemblance was uncanny. Their relation was undoubtable. Their eyes were so much alike. They were bright and jade, unlike anything I had ever seen."Can we focus? Liza is not ok. Now is not the time to stare at each other." Cara spoke so commandingly. I felt myself smile for a moment. When the
CaraAnd only I can protect her ,the words echoed relentlessly in my mind.Without knowing what I was doing, I jumped out from where I was hiding behind the wall, at the staircase. I did not care that they now knew I had been eavesdropping. Ivan had probably already known."Protect me? Protect me from what?"Both men turned to me. Ivan's dark grey orbs were glued on me. As always, I felt stark naked under his stare."It's difficult to explain," answered Ivan. He pursed his lips, avoiding my eyes as if they burned his own."Try. Explain." Enough was enough. I was adamant on getting the answers I wanted."There's a witch. She will stop at nothing to...harm you. She wants to...to kill you," he faltered. Surprisingly, my father did not even flinch.He knows."She attacked Liza and if you do not get away from here, she will strike again." The world suddenly feel in, the room closing in on me. Ivan rushed to me but I stepped back, refusing him to touch me.What I got from his statement wa
CaraThe weight of all that had happened that day crushed my chest causing me a physical pain. Heaving, I collapsed onto the plush comforter. The beddings recieved me and comfort spread over me.My eyes shut and I began to drift off into the land of slumber - one of the best places known to troubled people. The feeling of solace however proved to be ephemeral. I was quickly brought back. Remembering that I was not at home and definitely not on my bed, my eyes snapped open. I was far from home.Sitting up on the luxurious queen sized, four-poster bed , I looked around the room again. I had hardly gotten a chance to look around before. Ivan had escorted me here and had quickly left. He clearly had other business to attend to. And it made me feel like... an inconvenience.My room was more than sizeable. It was huge. It was different from the room I had slept in the last time I had been here. That room was on the floor below the one I was presently in.Whoever had designed the place had m
CaraThe water felt like ice on my back. I turned up the knob, increasing the pressure at which the water poured down on me. The water came down on me from different sides - it was one of those multihead showers.I grabbed the shampoo and applied some of it on my hair. A soft honey scent spread in the air. I rubbed the shampoo into my hair then washed it out and did the same with the conditioner.The shower cleared my head and rid it of the harsh memories of my most recent nightmare. The dream had given me quite a shake. It had been so vivid. So real. Every moment had felt real and for a moment it felt like... I was looking into the future.Without even dressing up, I secured the towel around my body and took my phone from where I had kept it in my luggage bag.The first thing I saw upon unlocking the device was the my screensaver, a photo me and my father smiling, eating pancakes at this diner we used to go to before we moved to California. I remembered that day. It was the first day