Mortiswood: Kaelia Awakening (Mortiswood Tales) Read online

  Calix suddenly turned to her, grasping her face in his hands, his eyes boring so intently into her, Kaelia thought he could see her soul. ‘But I haven’t cured you of the poison.’

  Kaelia covered his hands with her own. ‘My grandmother believes in you, meaning I do too.’

  * * *

  Outside, the moon showered the ground with its pale light and Cassie walked around the cottage bathed in the cool beams. From a heavy basket hooked over one arm, she cast handfuls of dried Rosealrium leaves at the four corners of the property. Content all four corners were littered with the leaves she returned to the front of the property and laid out an offering plate cast from gold. From the basket she withdrew a well-used black pot and a jar of oil and placed them next to the plate.

  Her hand was steady as, upon a piece of handmade paper, she wrote: “The Salloki and all those who wish to harm us”. Reaching again into the basket Cassie drew out a black candle, its musky aroma tickling her nostrils, and laid it beside the paper.

  The paper was stiff, making it difficult to fold but she persevered until it was tightly folded into a small concertinaed shape and then dipped it in the oil. Oil trickled from the paper and over her hand as she tossed the paper into the pot. Taking a ritual knife, carved from the wood of a Rosealrium bush, she scraped symbols into the black candle.

  Her voice was clear and crisp, ‘By air, earth, fire, and water with a call for Thor, Vanadis, Logi, and Heimdalr, I tie these threads to seek, find, bring, and bind all of our enemies to rock that will not move, to trees which will not break, to earth that will not yield, and waters which will not part. With these ribbons my spell is cast.’

  While repeating the words, Cassie bound the candle with black ribbons and immersed the whole lot in the oil. Still reciting, she placed the candle atop the paper and lit the wick. The heat of its flame rocked Cassie, flaring higher and more intensely than the flame from an ordinary candle.

  Cassie thought of Kaelia and swelled with love. ‘Vanadis,’ she whispered into the night. ‘Hear my call. Protect my granddaughter, guide her in any way you can.’

  A sudden sharp blast of wind whipped around her, the faint whispers of a maniacal laugh carried on its wings.

  Cassie jumped up, her heart thudding furiously inside her chest. ‘I know you’re here. You can’t come any closer. I won’t let you!’

  She picked up a handful of Rosealrium leaves and, ignoring their sharp bite, scrunched them in her hands and threw them into the air, willing the magical breeze to lift them in its fingers.

  The strength of her words belied the tremble inside; she could not allow them to know she was afraid. ‘With these leaves I damage thee, although not to my eye is it you I see. With these leaves, I blind thee so you may not see and be as blind to me as I am to you. With these leaves, I cut thee the same as your teeth cut one of my own.’

  The leaves twisted and turned in the hold of the wind, swirling before crumbling into thousands of tiny pieces and swarming Cassie, obscuring her vision.

  ‘No!’ she wailed, waving her arms against the pieces biting into her skin and piercing her eyes.

  She crashed to the ground, writhing in agony as the tiny shards of leaves wormed themselves under her flesh, into her mouth, nose, and eyes. Unable to scream, the evil magic having silenced her, Cassie’s face contorted in pain but she prayed the candle was still alight and the home protection spell would work.

  In silent anguish, she forced herself forward and reached for her basket. Her fingers furled around the familiar twisted wand forged from the burnt wood of a Rosealrium bush. Shakily, she pointed it into the sky and stood. Her legs shook, blood seeped from every tiny wound the shards of dried leaves had caused, and pain coursed through every inch of her body. Determined not to give in, Cassie silently mouthed the words of a spell to return her voice to her.

  * * *

  Five

  The chalk path was easy for the wolf to negotiate. Although loose pieces of chalk scattered down the incline after each paw it laid down, its claws dug into the soft chalk, providing it with the ease of grip. The night air smelt peculiar to the wolf’s sensitive nostrils. It lifted its head, sucking the scent in deep until a distant memory jogged in its brain. With a heart-wrenching howl, the wolf sped off in the direction of Cassie’s cottage, tail whipping straight out behind it.

  * * *

  Following the freshly laid paw-prints in the wet sand, a figure dropped to its knee, tails of a dark coat scraping against the dampness. The figure extended a finger and dipped it inside a paw-print, rubbing the sand between long forefinger and thumb before lifting it to its nose and inhaling deeply.

  ‘Ah, Vallesm,’ a deep, masculine voice said knowingly. ‘As I expected.’

  The man rose, stuffing his hands into his coat pockets he traced the wolf’s prints to the steep chalk path. Wind whipped through overgrown, raven-black hair covering his eyes. The man sprung effortlessly from the sandy bay and landed mere seconds later on the cliff top above.

  He pushed his hair out of his eyes. Moonlight bathed his face, pale against his hair and heavy eyebrows, emphasising the slice of a deep scar running from forehead and across his left eye to the cheekbone. He stood the collar of his coat up against the cold air and surveyed the surroundings with eyes oil slick glazed.

  The faint light from Cassie’s cottage was visible in the distance. ‘Very good,’ the man chuckled deviously. ‘Very good indeed.’

  He tipped his head back, spread his arms wide and splayed out his hands. Violet swirls of light twisted from his palms, slivered into the sky, and forked into noisy bolts of lightning.

  ‘Come to me!’ he bellowed, the ferocity of his words causing the sky to rumble. ‘Come now!’

  * * *

  Inside the cottage, Kaelia stirred from where she had fallen asleep on the sofa beside Calix, her neck ached and she snapped her mouth closed. How elegant, she thought, sneaking a glimpse at Calix, she’d been sleeping with her mouth wide open. Luckily, Calix’s chest rose and fell with the light breaths of sleep meaning he was oblivious of however Kaelia had been sleeping.

  Kaelia carefully eased off the sofa. For a moment, Calix stirred also, the fan of his pale eyelashes fluttering lightly against his smooth skin. Kaelia held her breath, not wanting to wake him. Satisfied Calix was still asleep, Kaelia tiptoed to the lounge doorway and listened. The house was still. Her grandmother must be asleep too. The hallway clock displayed the time as near to three in the morning. The silence was deafening.

  Kaelia scratched at where the skin on her neck itched but the irritation remained. She paused to study her reflection in the mirror by the front door. Veins of poison had spread around the front of her neck, etching her flesh with a now silvery-pewter pattern of intricate finesse. Disgusted, she traced a line with her fingertips. The colour faded underneath her touch but returned as soon as she removed the pressure. She lifted her dress and studied her body. Poison tracks meandered down her body before her eyes, slowly but systematically lacing every inch of her skin.

  Sickened, she straightened her dress and furiously scratched at her neck again, succeeding only in making it red. Her neck throbbed harder and she clutched at it. Gasping, she tore her hands away, as clusters of blisters formed over her palms.

  Wind howled past the front door, rattling the letterbox. A draught teased her ankles, enticing her outside with the promise of cooling her. The door was unlocked. Kaelia shrugged away her surprise; after all, their enemies were not of the mortal kind. A simple lock on the door would surely be no more than a mere irritant.

  Kaelia stepped outside, her skin prickled as the cool air wove around her. She held her arms out, relishing the relief the air brought. With the throbbing of her tortured skin lessening, it registered something cracked underneath her bare feet.

  A charred piece of paper disintegrated at the corners when she picked it up. Kaelia unfolded what remained, frowning at its blankness. Thinking nothing of it, she dropped it, dismissing it as unimp
ortant.

  ‘Kaelia,’ a light voice carried teasingly on the wind. ‘Kaelia.’

  Kaelia’s breath caught in her throat. Her eyes widened, scouring the garden for intruders.

  ‘Kaelia,’ the voice whispered. ‘I am waiting.’

  Goosebumps raced over her body until the hairs on her head prickled and she could feel the root of every strand.

  The voice was impatient. ‘I will come to you if you do not come to me.’

  Kaelia looked back at the cottage. The only light came from the table lamp in the lounge, meaning her grandmother was definitely asleep. Kaelia gulped, whoever the voice belonged to she had to deal with on her own. She could not risk losing any more people she cared about. Her feet argued with her mind but she forced them to follow the direction of the voice. The garden stretched before her. By the time she reached the edge of it, her legs ached although the distance was the same as it had been earlier. Kaelia followed the voice into the field beyond before turning right towards the densely wooded area known as Stone Forest. Rough grass whipped her bare calves, leaving invisible, itchy scars. Clumps of hardened mud and stones may as well have been hot coals underneath Kaelia’s feet but she pressed on regardless. She would not allow the owner of the voice near her last relative until she knew exactly what she was dealing with.

  The whooshing of blood filled Kaelia’s ears. Her skin tingled, enlivening every sense. She stopped at the edge of the forest and listened. Majestic trees loomed high overhead, reaching into the early morning sky.

  Twigs crackled. Kaelia held her breath. The sound moved closer, lower branches of the nearest trees, rustled. Amber eyes glowed from within the foliage, drawing Kaelia into the forest. She heard nothing else apart from the beating of her own heart as she stepped into the forest and, transfixed, walked towards the glowing eyes.

  The wolf lowered its giant head, hunched its withers, and slunk out of the shadows to meet her. Breathing became faster, Kaelia’s head, lighter yet she stood firm. She didn’t believe what Calix and her grandmother had said about the Vallesm. Their information on the creatures hadn’t exactly been concise.

  The wolf’s wet snout pressed against her bare legs, freezing Kaelia. A tremor ran through her. The wolf was huge, its head level with her chest. Had it grown? Its fur was now dry but the faint odour of seawater and dirt clung to it.

  Kaelia’s breath escaped her as the creature thrust her over, forcing her onto the forest floor. Her heart raced to catch up with the lost beat. Sweat prickled her brow and rough bracken tore at her exposed limbs. The image shown to her by the goddess Vanadis burned bright. Panic crippled her; she was unable to free her hands from underneath the wolf’s immense bulk.

  A fearful cry tore from the pit of her stomach. What if Calix and her grandmother had been right all along? The Vallesm opened its huge mouth and closed its jaws around her neck. Its hot breath moistened her skin, dampening her hair. Was the dampness blood running down her neck? Terror grasped Kaelia, slowing her thought-waves until adrenaline injected her with a shock.

  ‘No!’ Unable to move, she blindly rammed her fists at the underside of the wolf’s chest but it was a wall of fur-covered concrete resistance. The wolf was too heavy and Kaelia willed her magic, crying out in disbelief as useless specks of orange-red painfully burst the blisters on her palms. She was sinking, drowning on the forest floor in a pool of fear.

  The wolf released its hold. Air rushed at her, bringing her back to the surface. Her breathing was frenzied, her hands frantic as they felt her neck. Her hands were wet but not with blood. The wolf poised above her, trembling. With a whine, it turned away. Its back arched with violent, wracking waves as it dry retched. Its head snapped up and a torrent of black liquid spewed out in an arc.

  Kaelia struggled to her feet, the black liquid seeping towards her bare toes. She jumped back, unable to take her eyes off the Vallesm. As quickly as it had happened, the torrent of liquid stopped and the wolf’s head dropped back down.

  ‘A Vallesm hero,’ an unexpected voice chuckled. ‘What a surprise.’

  The wolf, now sitting and panting heavily, looking as sick as a wolf can, managed a growl.

  ‘There’s no need to be afraid.’ The male interloper held out his hands in a calming gesture, lifting his angular shoulders.

  Kaelia glanced at the wolf; it was growing weaker by the minute. ‘Who are you?’

  ‘Bran.’ The man raised a dark eyebrow, flint eyes glittering.

  ‘Did The Salloki send you for me?’

  At the mention of the name, the wolf growled again.

  Bran slipped his hands into the pockets of his dark coat. ‘No.’ A shaft of moonlight caught the deep line of his scar, emphasising it.

  Kaelia didn’t trust him. ‘What are you doing here at this time in the morning?’

  ‘I could ask you the same thing.’ His lips curled into a grin.

  ‘Don’t play word games.’

  ‘Fine.’ The smile dropped from Bran’s face. ‘I was looking for you.’

  ‘You know who I am?’

  Bran strode to her, towering head and shoulders above her. ‘You’re Kaelia.’ His eyes sliced into her. ‘The Chosen One.’

  ‘It was you calling me.’ Determined not to be intimidated, Kaelia raised her chin. ‘If you’re not part of The Salloki, how do you know who I am?’

  ‘Because we are alike.’

  ‘You’re chosen too?’

  Bran shook his head, dark hair flopping across his forehead, concealing part of his scar. ‘Our powers are linked. Sorcery runs through our veins.’

  Kaelia snorted despite herself. ‘Poison is the only thing running through mine at the moment.’

  ‘Where?’

  ‘I’m not showing you, I don’t know you!’

  ‘Not yet you don’t.’

  ‘Meaning I will?’

  Bran shrugged easily. ‘Don’t you know what the Vallesm was doing to you?’

  Kaelia shook her head.

  ‘It was drawing out the poison, rather like humans do with snake bites.’

  Kaelia’s face fell. ‘And it’s weakening him?’

  ‘You really don’t know anything do you?’ A flash of annoyance darkened Bran’s chiselled features. ‘What was the poison?’

  Guilt tore at Kaelia. She had assumed the worst when the wolf was saving her. Again. ‘I was bitten by a Dybbuk.’

  Bran rubbed his chin. ‘Hmmm, a bite from a possessing demon, a fatal poisoning to most.’ He studied her critically. ‘When were you bitten?’

  ‘Yesterday morning.’

  ‘You’re lucky to still be alive. Something saved you.’ He gestured at the wolf, which was now deadly still. ‘Before the Vallesm sucked out the poison, something, or someone, slowed down the absorption of the poison.’

  ‘Calix,’ Kaelia replied automatically, ‘he applied a poultice.’

  Bran’s eyes narrowed but he didn’t ask who Calix was. ‘If the poison has entered the Vallesm’s bloodstream, it’s dead.’

  ‘No!’ Kaelia raced to the creature and flung herself beside it. It didn’t move when she touched it. Conscious of Bran’s hard eyes upon her, she splayed her hands over the Vallesm’s chest, fingers sinking into the grey-white fur until they were no longer visible. This time she was aware of feeling the light before seeing it, certain it originated from within her very heart. Her whole body shook with the strength of the light’s power as it poured out from her.

  ‘Breathe!’ she screamed at the Vallesm. Her nose crumpled in anger, hot tears spurting from her eyes. ‘He’s dead!’ Kaelia punched at the creature’s immobile chest. ‘It’s my fault and I can’t bring him back from the dead!’ Her tears rained onto the Vallesm’s fur, settling into tear-diamonds on the long guard hairs.

  ‘I can bring it back.’ Bran lowered his tall frame beside her. ‘I’ll bring your pet back if you promise me one thing.’

  ‘Anything!’ Kaelia cried. ‘Do it!’

  ‘If I do, will you come to The Salloki wit
h me?’

  Kaelia’s tears stopped abruptly. ‘You said you weren’t part of The Salloki.’

  ‘I’m not. They have asked me to join them.’

  ‘They’re trying to kill me why would I go with you to meet them? I’d be signing my own death certificate!’

  Bran shook his head. ‘You have it all wrong. The Salloki don’t want to kill you. They want you, the same as they want me. They want our powers pledged to them.’

  ‘They killed my father. I’ll never join them!’

  ‘Not even in return for your wolf’s life?’

  Kaelia stroked the warm fur of the Vallesm, her answer took a moment. ‘No.’

  Bran sighed, shaking off the frown of irritation. ‘Fine, I’ll revive the creature if you promise to see me again. I’ll settle for that. For now.’

  He spread his hands above the Vallesm. Bright, violet light poured into the creature, causing the huge, furry body to glow with the intensity. The wolf’s eyes flickered open briefly. Bran’s arms rose, his light drawing the Vallesm from the ground and suspending it in mid-air. The wolf drew in a juddering breath and exhaled noisily.

  ‘It’s alive.’ Bran extinguished his light and the wolf crashed back down.

  The Vallesm’s eyes pinged open and its chest rose and fell rhythmically.

  ‘Thank you!’ Kaelia flung herself across the wolf, pressing her face into its fur.

  The wolf growled. Apprehension made Kaelia withdraw her affection; the wolf didn’t much enjoy contact. She needed to remember the wolf was, after all, a Vallesm.

  Bran offered his hand to help Kaelia up. Before their fingers touched, light crackled between them both and she recoiled from the static.

  ‘Don’t be afraid.’ Bran grabbed her hand. ‘It is who we are, Kaelia.’

  Light radiated from both of their hands, violet from his, ice-blue from hers to form a strange, cool purple glow around the union.

  The rush of power dizzied Kaelia while Bran helped her up. His eyes were dilated onyx pools, her own wide-eyed face reflected within them.