Darkness Rising: Cursed Guardians

The Curse

I'd successfully found the book I was looking for and read the information I needed. This is going to suck. A lot. Ugh why can't anything ever be easy. The furies had joined me after I left Duncan’s room and reach out to scratch Shadows head. I'm deep in thought when there's a knock on my bedroom door. I know my family isn't here yet. I'd have felt them in the magical sense as soon as they crossed onto the property. To my surprise Draco is standing on the other side of the door when I open it. 

"Hi" I say. He's looking at me strangely. 

"Do you have time to talk to me before your family gets here?" is all he says. Not really hostile but not as friendly as I was hoping. Damn it. I must have pissed him off earlier with his Dad. I was just trying to help. Sighing internally I reply. Sure. Let me just grab my phone and let the furies out of the room.”I turn and go back in and grab my phone then follow Draco from our hallway, letting my furies go, and down the stairs to his office. He shuts the door once were inside then walks around to sit behind his desk while I sit in the chair I kind of think of as mine across from him.

I'm waiting patiently for the ass ripping I'm about to receive. I crossed a line apparently with his Dad. He's studying me and I'm starting to feel twitchy.

"I like it." He starts still looking a me.

"Sorry?" I ask scrunching my face because I'm confused. 

"You're hair. You changed it. I like it." he says giving me a half smile. Huh. Did not see that coming. I reach up and brush my hand over my back and then run my fingers through my hair. I'd been so occupied reading I'd almost forgotten I went and changed it. Drastically.

"Oh!" I blurt. "Thank you. I like it too. It's different. I haven't changed my hair this much since...Gabe." Draco's face goes Puff angry for just a moment and then he bounces back. 

"Not that my opinion matters but I think you look beautiful. How are you?' Draco asks. Wow I'm gonna have to pick that apart later. He called me beautiful. He said my scars were beautiful too. I went from being looked down on to beautiful in a week. Why the hell did that make me so happy? Later. I'll think about that and the fact that Draco calling me beautiful made my stomach do backflips. "Sabella?" he interrupts my thoughts."It does. Your opinion I mean. It matters.” I have zero clue why I just admitted that. Sorry. I'm trying how to answer that. I say needing a moment to come back to the moment. He looks at me surprised. "Not a trick question." he replies. "Just curious how you are holding up. This is a lot of changes, and threat, and danger. Even for a supernatural being. So. How are you?" He looks right at me but he isn't all stiff and angry like he was the first night when he looked at me and not like he had when he came to my door to bring me down here. This man is nothing if not interesting. As I start to answer I see the spirit of the woman pop up behind him. Sighing "It's a lot. My house was destroyed. Demons keep trying to kidnap me. My Aunt came home. The Hunters are home. I moved into a castle where apparently witch is a dirty word. And now my family, also witches, in case you didn't know, are moving in to teach me magic that I have spent the majority of my adult life avoiding. I find you half dead in the forest and then today when I was in town I swear I was being watched." He sits up straight at that last bit but I keep going and look him in the eyes.

"But in general I'm okay. Is it overwhelming? Yes. I am pissed people keep trying to snatch me? Hell yes. Do I realize this is my path? Absolutely. I'm also very sorry." That caught him off guard and he furrows his brow.

"You certainly didn't need this" waving my hand around myself "to disrupt your life. Or the lives of the people  who live here.  All I've brought with me is chaos and tons of shattering glass. Not to mention the witch issue and your are welcoming four more for your trouble with me. I'm sorry to bring all this craziness into your life. And I'm sorry for over stepping with your father." He ponders all that for a minute.

"You are..." he seems to struggle for the right words. "Not a typical girl?" I say with a small smile on my lips. He smiles slightly back at me "I'd say that's about right. Thank you for apologizing but not necessary. As you and Cass have both mentioned you belong here. As for my Father, initially I was upset but watching you and how he responded to you I can't thank you enough. No one has ever been able to calm him so easily." I can feel the sincerity in his voice and see it in his face. 

"It was my pleasure. I've had years of practice with Sybil. When my Uncle went missing and then my mother died...well Sybil has similar episodes to your father. At least all he did you throw an urn. Sybil blew up a shed with her magic once. Not that she was trying to hurt anyone. She was just having a really bad moment. I found that the easiest way to help is easing yourself in by offering help and then gradually bringing them back to the present. Your Father seems like an incredibly sweet man. I meant what I said I'd like to go and talk with him if it's okay with you and your siblings. It's super personal so I understand if the answer is no but I'd also like it to be known if I can help again in the future I'd love to." It made me sad to know he suffered like Sybil but at least I knew I could help if I was allowed.

He brings his eyebrows together. Damn. I really had a good feeling from Duncan but I get it. 800 years of anti-witch they feel the need to protect their father. No judgement for that. 

"We have no say in that much to Kaelebs displeasure. Father has made it clear he'd like to see you, which Abi and I have no issue with in case you were wondering. You made quite the impression. Especially after my sister told him about you getting the jump on me and putting my own dagger to my throat." he raises an eyebrow and damn it all smiles at me. Hello heat between my legs. Did he just take a deep breath and his eye flash green to blue again? Now he's chuckling. The hell? Now I'm smiling because somehow his laugh brings a smile to my face. What is wrong with me."Good. I'm glad I'll get to visit with him." Still, I fell like there is more to this little chat so I wait. He takes in a breath. Yup here it comes.

" Now I need to ask you something important." The spirit drifts closer making me think this is really important. 

"Hit me." I say. 

"The other night. On the phone with your cousins. You kept telling them I wasn't a vampire. Why? Can you not see the fangs, sense the vampire aura? I fed from you." He smiles, not a real smile, but the menacing kind to show is fangs. 

"Oh yeah for sure. I see them. And your aura does present as vampire and for all intense purposes you are. But you aren't a vampire." I finish. Looking him dead in the eye I say "You're a lycan." Cue jaw drop. Not just from Draco but from the spirit too.

"How?" was all he managed to whisper. 

"I'm not really sure how it works. Or why I can. I've always been able to see true nature. I mean I couldn't see Cass was a pixie. I always felt there was something special about her but couldn’t place it. After meeting her mother, that's some serious magical juju cloaking she did on her daughter. I always felt like she was different but until the attack I couldn't see it. You however. I'm not sure. At first glance you are absolutely vampire, or a hybrid but as soon as i thought both of those I dismissed them because I could see the aura of your true form. Wolf? Lycan? Beast? Sorry I'm not entirely sure of proper terminology." I finish.

Long silence passes as he looks at me. "Any of those would be accurate terms. Each lycan refers to their inners as something different." Silence again. I hate silence. Makes me twitchy. I stand up and walk to a side table with a new decanter and glasses. "Drink?" I ask. He nods still looking at me. I pour both of us a drink, walk back to the desk and slide his over to him. I take a sip of mine and let the delicious feel of the whiskeys burn go down my throat. I love whiskey. Draco also takes a drink although much larger than mine. As in all of it. 

Draco mumbles something I can't make out. Not sure who he is talking to right now. The spirit is very focused on him. I wonder if he knows she's here. Or maybe he's talking to me?  Before I can think further he starts to talk.

"Only a handful of people know this story. More of a myth in the supernatural world. It's...a sensitive subject to my family." I nod and he continues. "800 years ago a witch placed a curse upon my family. She took from us our ability to shift, to connect with our inner beast, our very being and instead replaced it with that which we hate most. Vampirism. For the past 800 years our beasts have been silent, never changing form , while we are forced to flee from the sun and drink blood as a vampire does." He pauses and let's this all sink in. Holy. Fuck.I take this moment to down the rest of my drink, stand up, grab the bottle off the side table and bring it back with me. Pouring him and I a much more generous glass full this time. Spirit lady is looking at Draco with sad eyes. I've got a better read on her now that she isn't just vanishing.

"Well" I clear my throat after another hefty swallow of much needed booze. "No wonder you hate witches. I hate this b***h for you." I say. Draco looks up from his drink.

"May I ask why? Or are we talking literal wicked witch and did it just because she could?” More drinking. The room was feeling heavy between Draco’s emotions and the vibes I’m getting off spirt lady. 

He sighed heavily again. “She felt wronged. It’s my fault. She was a sweet lass who lived the village. She and her family would help the healers with herbs they grew. She was…fond of me. I never thought it more than a crush. Harmless. Then she saw me with Emily.” Heavy sigh. The spirt looked at me. The depth of sadness told me she was Emily.

“Emily was the daughter of a neighboring clan. We were close. Not in the romantic way really. A stolen kiss or a run under the moon. Nothing more” Oh that is not what Emily’s face is telling me. “Sara, was insanely jealous. She pleaded with me that we were soul mates. I thought I let her down gently explaining as a Lycan I would know my soul mate when I met her and I hadn’t yet. She wouldn’t back down. She thought I was choosing Emily as my mate even though she wasn’t. She killed her.”I gasped “I’m so sorry!” I say. He nods. Emily looks stricken. Draco continues “Shortly after Emilys death, Sara came to court. She declared that if I did not choose to be with her she would lay a curse upon me and my kin. We would loose our beasts and become what we hated. We thought not of it. She was a girl, a healer of sorts not capable of such things and I refused. When the next full moon rose high the shift did not come upon us. The entire clan withered in agony as our beast were suppressed and the traits of the vampire placed upon us.”  

“And so it has been for 800 years. Sara said she would eventually let us communicate with our beasts but in all that time no matter what demand we met, what was given, our beasts remain silent, missing from us. Even though we no longer suffer the pain of not being able to shift to be without our beast…is excruciating especially for so long.” He finishes and we are both silent for a long time. He pours himself another drink and offers me one. I shake my head no. I need to be able to focus.

“Draco” I start looking at him. He’s still looking at me. I think he’s waiting for me to break. Fall apart. Freak. This is some heavy s**t but I can handle it. “First off sorry does not even begin to cover this. There are no words to express the range of emotions I’m feeling.  I do have a few questions if it’s okay. I know this is not easy for you.” Sharp nod and a long drink lets me know it’s okay. “First question. When you say the whole clan was in pain that very first moon. What do you mean by the whole clan?” I ask. 

“Everyone in my family. My parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, 3rd cousins. Everyone.” f**k, f**k, fuckity, f**k, f**k. 

“Okay. This girl who cursed you. Sara. You said she was a healer. Her and her family. Were they witches of the healing sect or healers like the graces?” Lord please give me a good answer I silently chant. 

“Well” he says thoughtfully “Her parents always supplied the village with medicinal herbs. The castle as well. We thought they were healers of the human nature. Maybe with some sort of relation to or similar to Graces only because their knowledge and preparation were advanced. But as far as them being known as witches, we didn’t find out until the curse.” He finishes with a scowl. FML. “Why is that relevant?”

Deep breath and here we go “It’s relevant on two fronts. First off, this is not your run of the mill witch cursed me type of curse. This is blood magic. Evil on a whole new level, deep, dark, ugly blood magic. I can say this with certainty because all of your blood relations suffer the same as you. I assume any children that had not yet shifted have never been able to? Never even felt their wolf/beast?” I ask. He nods. f**k this b***h. Who makes innocent children suffer on that level. The cracking sound pulls me from that line of thinking. One of the glass vases sitting on a shelf has a hair line crack. Deep breaths El, deep breaths. 

Draco c***s a brow. “Sorry. Just pisses me off children being victim to something that doesn’t involve them.” Emily is nodding her head at me. 

“You said two fronts? What’s the other?” Says Draco. 

Oh boy. “Not a witch.” I just say it. Rip the bandaid off. That earned me a confused look from Draco.“Sara. She’s not a witch.” He opened his mouth to cut me off but I plunged forward. “Based on everything you just told me she was most likely, as you said, some type healer. Who knows what kind because there just too many to track. No healer, not even a witch who was a healer could conceal magical abilities especially while practicing her sect as you said Sara did. That means she’s a sorceress.” I finish. 

Puff puffed. Ugh. “Witch. Sorceress. Same same.” He remarked waving his hands dismissively. Hell to the no. “That’s where you are wrong. So very, very wrong. Witches are born with their powers. Sorceresses STEAL their powers. Mostly from witches and other socerers/sorceresses but can also claim the powers of other supernaturals. And that is an ugly business because to take another’s powers you have to kill them and ensure that their soul does not pass through to the other side. For Sara to go from healer to blood magic curses she went and stole someone’s powers.” Emily is looking at me and nodding her head that I’m right. Draco seems to be realizing what I’m saying is true. 

“We never were able to confirm her abilities. We went to her family home and found it burnt to the ground. Her parents bodies inside ashes like everything else. All this time. The power she wielded seemed to come from nowhere. We assumed she’d hidden it.” Realization has hit.  “I’ve held a grudge against your kin all this time and I was…wrong.” He said looking into his now empty glass. Aw this is pulling at my heart strings. He shouldn’t look so sad. Wait. What is wrong with me? Focus. 

I put my hand on desk and say “Hey. You had no way of knowing that. Sorceress is not exactly a common thing and in that time was probably always confused with a witch.” He looked up at me and just stared at me with an unreadable expression.Clearing his throat “How are you so…okay? I just admitted I have held a grudge. A deep grudge against your people. I’ve never refused anyone help but I always made it difficult if it was a witch or made sure I gained an advantage for the trouble. I made it my business to hunt down witches who did harm. And all this time it wasn’t them. It was a sorceress. A murdering sorceress.” 

Shame. That’s what was all of over his face. I cleared my throat because I was seriously feeling the feels for this big, strong man who is now before me feeling a thousand shades of shame for his actions and prejudice. I wanted to walk around the desk and hug him. Wrap my arms around his neck and tell him it was okay. Make him feel better. Look into his eyes and console him. Instead I opted for the next best thing. Humor. 

“Draco you helped them instead of turning them away. You could have killed me the second I handed your dagger back to you when I first got here but you didn’t. Now whether or not that’s because we made a deal or because you enjoyed my sassy, f**k the f**k off attitude I don’t know.” There was a lip twitch. On the right path! “The point is now you know. What matters now is what you do with the information. You can continue to be a jackass and bite the word witch out likes it’s a horrible disease that I have contracted” at that he flinched “or you can move forward and ditch the prejudice and embrace the fact that I’m actually pretty cool for a semi- practicing witch. If you do that, I will in turn, accept that you are old as f**k. I mean seriously your like ancient.” And at that he laughed. Mission accomplished.