Forbidden (Book One)

Unlikely Allies

   I didn't sleep that night. How could I, I know they are out there watching me. More importantly, I know nothing will stop them from getting to me. Sighing heavily, I pick up my cell phone and dial a number I never thought I would. "Hello?"  Swallowing hard I respond. "Hey Amanda, it's Reya." There was a long pause on her end, the sound of a door closing in the background, not a loud sound, almost too quiet for me to here. No doubt she left her dorm room so we could speak for privately. "Reya, it's three in the morning-" I cut her off. "I know, I know, but you are the only person in the world I knew would be up. And it's important, I swear to you I would not have called if it wasn't." I hear her sigh into the phone. "Yeah, okay. What's up?" I swallow once more, making sure there was no one listening. "I need a favor. If the vampire army is growing with more Purebloods, then I'm sorry but the hunters and wolves can not hold them off for very long. They are going to need more help." I here her chuckle. "More help? What does a vampire fear more than the wolves and hunters?"  "I can tell you right now that the purebloods do not fear the wolves, nor the hunters. If anything, we fear other purebloods over them. And especially if this girl is my brother's mate she will be even more of a problem. No, there is one group that we do fear." Another pause, this time longer, filling my ears with absolute silence. 

    "Are you f*****g crazy!? You must be. You want to ask Witches to help you? You do realize that Witch and Vampire kind spit after the disappearance of King Kyrid? Why on Earth-"  "Because I feel they would listen, that they would love nothing more then to go to war with my brother and his army of blood suckers. If anything a witch should revel in the thought of killing a pureblood or two." Another sigh followed by a pause. "Alright, let me get dressed and I'll come and get you. But if they deny you access don't act surprised, I really don't feel like fighting them."  "Thank you Amanda, I owe you big." 

    It was another hour before she arrived at the house. Thankfully no one awoke to the sound of her car against the loose gravel. I had snuck out through my window, as to not risk the door making a sound as I left. I had actually almost scared Amanda as I sped into the passenger seat of her car.  "You're sure you want to do this? Unlike the other Witch clans the Rosset clan is directly descended from Kyrid's mother Emberlynn." Queen Emberlynn, last queen of the Dark Forest of Alfia, mother to the vampire/dragon half breed King Kyrid, the last King of Alfia. Once he had disappeared the Witches' had cut themselves off from Alfia, and the once grand alliance with Vampires had ended, and with it our magical bloodline. "I'm sure, we have a common goal in mind. I know that my brother's actions irritate them so, and I would love nothing more than to end this, but we are going to need all the help we can get." She pauses, but then nods, pulling out of the driveway, heading out of town, towards thick hard to reach woods. 

       We had stopped along a long and deserted road, what had once been a busy highway for the humans, now served as a sanctuary for the Rosset Witches. Amanda shut off her car and got out, me following in toe. A path of roses began to bloom as she stepped closer, their petals glowing like white under black lights. Amanda's face began to glow as well, she began to look like the sugar skills you see on the Day of the Dead. Bright purple rings around her eyes form, her lips glow a bright red like the roses, thick black lines form on her mouth like a skeletons smile. Her thick black hair turned green under this light. This was the sign of the Rosset clan, roses and skeleton faces. However, the rest of the path was blocked by rose thorns and darkness. Amanda looks at me for a moment before turning to face the thorn cluster. Reaching her right hand out, and pricking her first finger. Her blood illuminated against the thorns causes the air to go still. Her blood seeps into the thorns causing them to come to life like snakes. Slithering out of the way, exposing the well lit path inside. "Stay behind me no matter what happens, no wondering off got it?" I nod sternly and we continue deeper into the brush. 

    I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Deep within the thick of woods was what one could only describe as a town. Homes luminated by their magic, so many neon colors, and so many people, families. Children glowing as they play, their parents watching them as they talk. The Hunter's have been searching for the Rosset clan for years, and to think one of their own can access it. Not paying attention, I suddenly smack into Amanda's back, falling back onto my butt, noticing she's stopped suddenly. Two large creatures, made of vines and thorns were to blame, blocking the path. "Reya, get up." I rush to my feet standing behind her. The creatures began to speak, a language I could not understand. "Statum tuum negotium hic." Their voices were deep, and grainy, almost felt like the earth was trembling with the sound. I hear Amanda clear her throat. "Nomen meum est Amanda, ego sum filia Princeps Pythonissam Karimala, hic sum loqui c*m ea soror, Princeps Pythonissam Marila." She then lifts the sleeve of her shirt, revealing a tattoo on her left wrist, a red rose surrounded by a wall of thorns, the symbol of the Rosset clan. The creatures grunt and peek at me, sniffing the air and groaning. "Hoc unum non odor pythonissam sanguinem." "What did he say?" I ask a little nervous. "He says he doesn't smell Witch on you." She clears her throat and replies. "Illa mea est hospes, venit ad loqui de Pureblood consequat." They look at me for a moment before moving aside, letting us pass. 

    I hear Amanda let out a sigh. "What language was that?" "Latin, a dead tongue to most humans. Helps them weed out the outsiders if you somehow make it through the thorn gate." I follow her up the steps of a winding tree, into a room surrounded by flowers and vines, a throne made of plants sits at the end, a woman, seemingly old sits upon it, a girl similar in face sits next to her, maybe it's her daughter. They were dressed in elegant robes, with golden head pieces upon their brows, a sure sign of royalty. Amanda kneels and I follow. "High Witch Marila, Princess Malika, please forgive my intrusion." She stands, and I once again follow, feeling the air shift in the room. "Four years it has been, since my dear niece visits me, and she thinks it wise to bring an outsider." Marila stares at me, her eyes a blinding white making my hands shake, I wasn't lying when I said we fear the Witches, for they are the only Alfian race more powerful than us. "Not only did she bring an outsider mother, but a Vampire, and by the smell of her one of Pureblood decent." I swallow hard. The old witch silences her daughter with a simple raise of her hand. "I'm sure Amanda has a reason for bringing her here." Amanda nods, "I do, she wishes to discuss the Pureblood army." She looks to me again, her eyes shaking me to my core. 

    Amanda smacks my arm to snap me out of it, I clear my throat and speak, my voice shaking. "Yes, the army grows everyday and becomes a threat to all mankind." She laughs, breaking my focus. "Forgive me, but a Vampire speaking for the humans is funny to me. The human race destroyed Alfia, killed millions of our kind during the war, continues to kill our kind with their new Hunter organizations and you speak for them?" I step forward. "I am Reya Calline, daughter of Cyrus Calline, a Vampire who believed that co-existence was the key, and I hold the same beliefs, and I refuse to let my brother continue to kill innocent humans for power." She leans forward in her seat, her daughter looking at me like I'm a ghost, but I continue. "And if you think my brother will stop with the humans extinction you are wrong. What better way to show his new power then to kill the only race that is a threat to him." They look to each other before standing. Marila taking my hand, and looking into my yellow eyes. "We will help you." Amanda looks at her cousin confused but then her body sinks, realizing something I don't get, ignoring it I nod shaking her hand, realizing an alliance that hasn't lasted for years had been born.