Waylen's Witch

Chapter 4 (Waylen)

"There's nothing here. Why is he leading us out into the middle of nowhere?" Solus says as we finally slow down and Matteo shifts back.

"You're such a baby."

"Well, it's easy for you to be brave, isn't it? All you do is get us into trouble. I'm the one who has to get us out of it."

I suppose he's not wrong about that. Hopefully, this isn't one of those times.

We agreed to follow Matteo back to his home, despite Solus's protests.

I can't put my finger on it, but I get the sense we can trust him, he did save our lives after all, but Solus is not so easily won over.

I have so many questions. Matteo is the first shifter I have ever come across...At least that I am aware of. I don't think many shifters would willingly reveal themselves to a werewolf. A lot of my kind view shifters as abominations because they don't have a spirit animals inside of them like we do. I guess that makes them believe they have no soles at all, which just sounds ridiculous to me. I don't believe that at all. In fact, I think the deep-rooted prejudice comes more from a place of fear. Shifters' abilities are extremely powerful and that can be seen as a threat.

If I have learned anything from living under Alpha Arron's rule, it's just how far someone will go for power and control. He would not hesitate to wipe out anything he thought could stand in his way, even at the expense of an entire species. So it stands to reason that there are others out there who have the same views.

I watch as Matteo shifts back into his human form, from.. something resembling a coyote.

"What animal is that?" I ask when I shift back myself, slipping into the pants that Solus carried around his neck.

"A coyote" he confirms.

"That's no coyote. He looks like a dog with a pig's ears and the legs... there too long." Solus says.

I am prepared to drop it but Matteo asks "Why?".

I shrug not wanting to insult him "I guess I've just never seen a coyote that looks like that".

His cheeks heat "It takes a lot of practice, and I... I had to figure it out on my own".

"Your parents didn't teach you?"

He shakes his head. "No, they died when I was little. I was raised by Mama B. She did her best to help me, but she's not like me".

I nod in understanding "My parents died when I was 12 and I was raised by my uncle".

"How did they die?"

"In battle. Protecting the pack. They were both pack warriors."

Matteo takes that in for a moment. "I'm sorry," he says finally. "That must have been hard. I was only 3 when my parents died, so I barely remember them. Maybe that makes it suck less" he shrugs.

"How did your parents die?"

He doesn't say anything for a long while. I open my mouth to tell him he doesn't have to talk about it if he doesn't want to, but don't get the chance.

"Mi Padre, he was into some bad things. Until he met Mi Madre. When they had me, he wanted to do better for us. He wanted out. For a long time, they just ran. Lived off the land. But eventually, they were found... In the worst way. They were called demons, monsters, devils, and freaks. They were both captured and... burned. I would have been killed along with them, but I managed to get away and I ran. For days I just... ran. I was nearly starved when Mama B found me and took me in."

I can tell the memory haunts him. Something else we have in common.

"Poor kid." Solus whines in sympathy.

Every time I start to feel sorry for myself and the hand that life dealt me I meet someone who has had it way worse. It keeps me in check and I find the fact that things could always get worse both comforting and terrifying.

I don't know what to say to him, so I settle on an apology. "I'm sorry. I could no even imagine."

He shakes his head "It's not all bad. Mama B is great! I have learned so much from her, and she protects me and makes sure that I have everything I need and more".

"He feels the same way about her as you did about your uncle."

Goddess, I miss that man, and just the mention of him cuts deep.

"I'm sorry Waylen. I should no have brought it up."

I push the sadness away and force myself to focus on the present. Something that I have gotten very good at doing.

"Turns out that I have quite a lot in common with this kid after all. Still think he is leading us into a trap?" I ask Solus.

Solus doesn't say anything, but I can tell he still has his doubts.

"OK, we're here."

I look around and as far as I can tell we aren't anywhere. There is just more of the same dusty terrain in every direction. The only slight change is a small lake to our left and the rise of a hill before us, but there are no distinguishing features to speak of, and definitely not what I was expecting.

Matteo smiles when he sees the look of confusion on my face. He puts his arms out wide in a show "Now you see me" he says, taking a few steps backward until he completely disappears "Now you don't!" he laughs.

"What the hell is this?" Solus asks, his unease growing.

"I think it's a magical barrier of some kind."

"What could create something like that?"

"Some kind of caster maybe... I have no idea," I admit.

"Wait there for a minute." Matteo calls "I'll tell you when you can come through".

"Still think he's no leading us into a trap?" Solus asks "We could just make a break for it".

I sigh. Matteo told us that this lady could help us hide from the trackers. Even if it is only a temporary fix, to me it is still worth looking into. After last night I could use a break. "Are you no tired of always running?" I ask Solus "What if this lady could really help us, is it no worth the risk?"

"Aye, but I'm no a fan of dying either, and do we really want to see the being who could create something like this?"

"Solus, There is a difference between no dying and living." Something that I have become very aware of in the past few years. "Besides these things are no that uncommon, our village back home had something like this to keep us hidden from the mortals."

"You can come through now," Matteo's floating head and shoulders appear before us.

"Here goes nothing," I say aloud.

"Or everything," Solus grumbles.

I close my eyes and walk forward a few steps before opening them again.

I am dumbstruck.

Gone is the dry earth and sparse foliage as I find myself in a lush green paradise. I feel moss under my toes for the first time in years and smell the sweet smell of exotic flowers. A light breeze rustles leaves in tall trees of various species, and a dirt pathway leads down to the lake, where a little house is propped up on stilts overtop of the water.

I turn around and can clearly see the line between the border where this Garden of Eden meets the normal Mexico landscape.

"You can see out, but not in," Matteo is beaming, clearly enjoying watching my reaction. "Pretty cool, huh?"

All I can do is nod.

I've heard tell of places like this, but this is the first time I have seen one for myself. I have so many questions, but I have the feeling that it would be beyond my capacity to understand.

"This way," Matteo gestures for us to follow him down the path.

The house is more like a tiny hut with wood paneling and a rusting tin roof. There are no window pains, which is common from what I've seen locally, and the wooden shutters are held open with sticks. However, the way it sits on its beams leaning slightly to the left makes me hesitate to step foot on it.

"I know. It looks like a strong breeze could carry it away. But it's sturdy, I promise" Matteo assures.

"Something smells amazing," Solus all but moans.

I take a whiff and my mouth immediately begins to water. It's been a while since we have had a decent meal. I had managed to ignore my hunger until this point, something that I have long since grown accustomed to doing, but now the pang is back full force and my stomach gives a loud growl.

I see Matteo sniff the air too and he licks his lips. "Oh yeah! Chilaquiles!" he says walking through the door "You're the best Mama B!".

"Sí, lo sé." answers a small female voice.

I take a peek inside and see Matteo getting smothered in kisses by a tiny elderly woman who has to stand on her tippy toes to reach his face. She's wearing a long pink dress with flowers embroidered on it, that stops right before her bare feet. Her heavily grey-streaked hair is braided long down her back and flowers are laced through it every so often.

"Yeah, she's definitely evil, Solus."

"Have you no heard of judging a book by its cover?"

When she finishes mauling Matteo she turns to me "Come in, come in you two", she smiles kindly. "Let me take a look at you," she gestures for me to come closer.

I approach and tentatively lean down, letting her take hold of my face. Her touch is gentle but her hands are coarse and cold. She stares directly into my eyes like she is looking for something.

"Waylen, she's looking at me."

"Calm down, no she's not."

The old woman smiles "Of course I am" she strokes my hair "Now there's a good boy, you're ok. All twisted up in there aren't you?"

I jerk back in shock.

"I bloody told you." Solus whines.

"How is that possible?" I ask.

"Where are my manners? My name is Celia, but you can call me Mama B like Matteo if you prefer", she says, brushing off my question.

Matteo looks sheepish "Oh, uh... Celia is a Bruja. That's why I call her Mama B".

"A witch?"

"Sí."

"I did no ken witches could do that," Solus says.

"Not all of us can. And if we had met anywhere else, other than here, I wouldn't be able to" Celia replies as she heads over to the stove in the far corner.

"Mama B created this... Bubble, we are in. She can do anything she wants in it."

Celia laughs, "Well, that's one way to put it".

So does that mean none of this is real?

I find myself looking around the tiny house. There are drying herbs hanging on twine above every window and assorted plants in pots on each window sill. Other than that the place doesn't exactly scream witch. There is no giant black cauldron or dead animal carcasses. There are no black candles or skulls and no jars of mysterious substances with body parts floating in them.

There is, however, a small table against the far wall with a miniature statue of the Virgin Mary on it. A single white candle is lit at her feet and two framed photos sit on either side.

"If this place is no real, and she could have made it however she wanted, why just this tiny house? I would have at least given myself central air."

"Don't be rude." Solus has always been brutally honest, saying whatever pops into his head, but it was never an issue until now, because no one except me could hear him. At least, not since we were in the company of other werewolves.

"It's fine, Waylen" she smiles over her shoulder at me "it will take more than that to rile me up." I watch as she wipes her hands on a tea towel and walks over to the window closest to the stove. "Everything here is as real as you and me, But in my little world I can control everything." She holds out a wrinkled hand to the plant in the window and before my eyes, a bell pepper grows to full size and ripens in her palm "Right down to the how fast the plants grow."

"That was incredible!" I can't help but blurt. I've never seen anything like it.

"OK, that is cool. What else can you do? Can you make us fly?"

Celia lets out a jovial laugh as she walks the pepper over to the counter and starts to cut it up "Lo Siento, I can not. Like everything, there are rules. This world has to follow the same fundamental laws of nature as anywhere else".

Her hands start to shake as she cuts the pepper. Matteo notices and immediately goes to her side.

"Let me finish that for you," He says, gently sliding the knife out of her hand and guiding her to a rocking chair. "Don't push yourself".

She takes a seat, patting Matteo under the chin. "Such a good boy."

As she starts to gently rock, her eyes grow heavy and I think she might fall asleep.

"You see, It takes a vast amount of energy to keep even this small place going, and the more intricate objects I create or manipulate the more energy I use up," She lets out a big yawn, covering her mouth with the back of her hand.

I nod in understanding "That makes sense, Every power has a limit".

She smiles drowsily "Sí. Only gods have no limit to their power."

"But there is also a catch," Matteo chimes in.

"Of course there is."

Celia's smile doesn't waver, "I can never leave".

"What do you mean?" I ask confused.

"If I was to step one foot outside the boundary of this place it would all cease to exist. It would revert back to the dusty patch of land it was when we first got here."

"That sounds horrible," Solus says.

"Aye, so you've been stuck here for..."

"Matteo is nearly 18, so... nearly 15 years now. I created this place the night I found him, so I could keep him safe."

Matteo walks over and kneels in front of her, taking her hand in his "You've given up so much for me. I don't know how I will ever repay you." His words are choked, but he tries to hide it with a cough.

"You can start by going to fetch me an onion from the garden." She smiles, rising from the chair, "I don't know about you boys but I'm starving".

"Absolutely!" Matteo says, and he's already heading out the door "I can't wait!".

"He's a good lad," I tell her "You raised him right".

"Gracias," she beams, but then suddenly becomes serious "Now let's get down to business, shall we?".

Celia walks over to a drawer and produces a long slender object of some kind and a bottle of black liquid.

"I know why you are being hunted, and I can help you with that. I can put a permanent ward of concealment on you. It will keep them from being able to track you down, either by scent or magical means, but if they get close enough to recognize you, there is nothing I can do about that."

"That would help us out tremendously."

"Why would you help us? What's the catch?"

Celia smiles softly. "Always the skeptic, aren't you Solus." She sighs. "But it's true, I was hoping you would do me a favor in exchange."

We watch as she hobbles over to the chair and gestures for me to take the stool next to her. "I want you to look after Matteo for me".

"You mean, stay here in Mexico with you?"

She smiles but it doesn't reach her eyes. "No. I know you are planning to move on from here and head north. It's a good idea, and I think what you two are doing is simply wonderful. I want you to take Matteo with you."

"How does she know so much about us... sorry old habits. How do you know?" Solus asks.

I nod. "I admit I dunno ken much about witches, but you seem to be extremely powerful."

This makes Celia's smile widen. "Some of us have... special abilities that are unique to us. For myself, I can create a "bubble" like Matteo described, about a square mile all around. Other than that, I have normal abilities for a witch. My sister, on the other hand, was an oracle," Celia points in the direction of the framed photos by the virgin. She shakes her head "Now her power was truly impressive. She is the one who sent me to find Matteo and foretold all of this and you. When we separated, she gave me a shard of her seeing crystal. I do not have my sister's talent, but I can see enough."

I look down. I can only imagine what they have seen about me. I feel my cheeks heat with embarrassment and shame.

"I know," Celia places her hand on mine. "I know what weight you carry. But If you didn't feel such heavy guilt I would be worried you aren't the man I think you are."

I shake my head. "There is no excuse for what I did. But I'm afraid that if I was forced to re-live it all over again, I would do the same thing. That doesn't exactly make me a good person."

Celia studies me with an odd smile "I'm not the person who will change your view of yourself. But I am afraid that my request remains the same."

"I can ask him to come with me, but I am no sure he will be willing to leave you."

"He isn't going to have a choice. I am running out of power to keep this place going. It's a miracle I have managed to maintain it this long."

"What happens when your power runs dry?"

"This place will disappear, along with everything and everyone in it."