Witch (Cursed book 4) Read online

  “By the gods, what is she?”

  Sam smirked, “Death, Hamish. She is death.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Ophelia

  “ Your mother is the witch. She is the oldest human, ever. She and Adam were created together, equally. God made them in his image, in the image of the angels.”

  Ophelia shook her head, “Where is Sam? He smells nice?”

  Lydia put a hand over her eyes, “Ophelia, you must focus. Sam is not of importance. Please.”

  Ophelia couldn’t help but feel the fog around her brain. Everything was a mistake. The people around her were a dream. She remembered Jake suddenly and shot up from her seat, “Jake, where is he?”

  Lydia looked at the dark-haired girl, who smiled at her. “Ophelia, we took him home, remember? He needed to go home. We had someone wipe his memory. He would be in danger if we let him remain here. Mortals aren’t safe here. Not to mention, the love spell you put on him.”

  She gasped, “What? I don’t know what you're talking about.”

  Lydia smiled, “Honey, did you wish for him to love you?”

  Ophelia blushed and nodded.

  “How often?”

  She looked down at her fingers. She tried to not feel the embarrassment that was overwhelming her.

  Lydia chuckled, “As we expected, dear. When a witch wishes for the same thing over and over, it becomes a spell. He was under your spell. Everyone in your little town was under your spell. From the moment your magic woke up, you became a threat to their freewill.”

  Ophelia had reached her limit, “Look I need some sleep. Can I go home now, please?” She felt humiliated and exhausted. She wanted Abbey and her own bed.

  She caught a look shoot across Lydia’s eyes, as she glanced at the dark-haired girl.

  The dark-haired girl spoke again, “You can stay here. We have a room for you.”

  She felt like a snake caught in a charm. She didn’t know the people in the room well enough to lose it, so she held her emotions. She just wanted out. She wanted to go home. The walls started to close in around her. She felt herself panicking. She rubbed her hands on her thighs.

  “Do you want me to show you to your room?”

  She shook her head, “I want to go home. I want to go now.”

  Annabelle was beside her suddenly, “Child, you be having a hard time understanding everything that we be saying. But you needs to understand that we’s only be trying to help. What more do you need? I’s a ghost, the vampires were in the yard, you done magic right out there. Thems seems like pretty overwhelming things but if you think about it, they’s just the proof you need.”

  She couldn’t help but see it. Annabelle was right. The proof was there, but her brain couldn’t possibly see the forest for the trees.

  She shook her head, “I need to go home. I need to find my sister.”

  Suddenly, the room grew hot. She shook her head, fighting for sanity.

  The blue light began to glow around her. She pulled away from them, but they circled her and pulled in tight around her. She could feel the warmth of their light upon her face, as she felt herself grow still. The lights took away everything.

  Everything went blue, matching the light of the beings around her. She felt the floor hitting her face, as everything changed to black.

  xxxx

  ‘Ophelia, don’t wake. Don’t open your eyes. Let this be a dream, my love. Let my voice be part of your sleep. Your father has discovered you, my child. You must trust Lydia and Annabelle to help you. Everything depends upon you. You and your brother.”

  She felt the words against her skin, as if they manipulated the breeze around her.

  The voice had been sweet like an angel’s and the words had caressed her, as a mother would. She knew she had heard the voice before somewhere. She couldn’t let it be a dream. It was freaking her out.

  She opened one eye and glanced around the room. The darkness was the first thing she noticed. Compared to the six tiny lights that sat in the corner of the room, it seemed pitch black.

  She didn’t fear the lights suddenly. Something about them made her feel safe.

  “What are you?” she whispered in to the darkness.

  ‘Your sisters.’

  She frowned, “No, Abbey is my sister.”

  ‘We are your sisters. We have the same mother and father. Each of us has waited for you, Ophelia.’

  She shook her head, “Who is our mother exactly? Can you guys just answer questions, without having to run out the room every five seconds.”

  ‘Lillith, she is Lillith. She is the beauty and the grace of God. She was the first woman. She was born of God, the same as Adam. God made her free as he did Adam. She saw Adam as her brother. The angels told her to seek out the Stag, the king of the elves. She had wandered into the sacred garden, looking for the Stag, but Adam had been watching her. God had told him he would receive a mate. He assumed Lillith was his mate. He tried to convince her of his notions but she dismissed him, perhaps cruelly. He forced himself upon her in the forest. In the moment of anger, pain and humiliation she called upon the magic she felt in the sacred garden. She pulled the magic into her and let it fill her. She used it to curse Adam with endless suffering and pain. She did not know the scope of the suffering, she would cast upon him. Realizing what he had done to her, Adam left the sacred garden, never to return again. He believed the land was cursed. Lillith was destroyed. When the Stag came, he refused her, as she was with child. She stayed in the garden alone and gave birth to the Fae. She gave birth to the first of them in that garden. Part of her and Adam was in the triplets but so was the magic. They could change themselves into anything they saw. One mated with a bear, one with an elf, and one with a wolf. She lived in the sacred garden with her children and their children for centuries, until our father fell and stole her from the garden. There was a prophecy written when the angels fell, that the children of Lillith would save the world. Only the children of Lillith could lift the curse she had placed upon them. The fallen believed that meant saving the world from God but Lucifer and the good angels believed it would be from the curse Lillith placed upon Adam. Suffering would end as would strife and pain. The seven deadly sins would cease to exist, as would war and hate. Revelations speaks of a world free from death. After the Armageddon, the world would become Heaven. Heaven on Earth. The fallen wouldn’t survive such a scenario.”

  Stunned and confused, Ophelia sat numb. “This is nuts. How do I fit into this?”

  “The prophecy was specific. The children who would save the earth would be twins. One would be sacrificed to give the other strength. Because of her hate for men, most believe the daughters of Lillith will free her from the evil clutches of our father. That is why he has sacrificed each of us.”

  Ophelia watched the six balls of light, “What are you?”

  “We are the remaining magic. Each of Lillith’s children has magic in their soul, as do their offspring. When one of Lillith’s children is killed, the magic remains. We were killed so that our magic would remain.”

  “How long have you been dead?” The question frightened her. How long had they waited for her to be born.

  “I am the eldest. I am over one thousand-years old.”

  “I am the youngest and only forty-seven-years old.”

  She blinked at their answers. None of it was fathomable, but then nothing about her week was.

  “Where is my brother then?”

  “He is with our father.”

  She frowned, “Our evil, fallen-angel father? So is he bad?”

  The balls of light floated toward her and took shape, each looking more and more like her. One smiled at her and moved like it spoke, “No. We have been with him since his infancy.”

  Ophelia frowned at the ghost, “Why didn’t you come to me? Why have you waited until now?”

  “We couldn’t find you. We feared you were lost or held captive somewhere. If you had died, you would have joined us but you never. We never
gave up hope that you were still alive. We feared you were held by magic so your soul could not be free as ours is.”

  Ophelia felt a tear slip down her cheeks.

  “How did you die?” she asked.

  “Our father had us murdered at birth to stop us from ever ending the curse.”

  “How is it you have aged?”

  “We haven’t aged, we choose how we look. We look like Mother."

  Nothing surprised her any more, but that did make her sick. She felt dirty to be born of a man so evil as to have her siblings murdered.

  She sighed and lie back down on the bed, “I just don’t understand how you never knew where I was.”

  “Miss Ophelia, you had a guard around your house. The witch who your father forced to kill your sisters, put you somewhere safe. She died to save you.”

  “The witch died making my guard?”

  Annabelle, who had appeared out of nowhere, nodded, “I don’t know no witch who can live through making a guard. It’s a permanent stain on the earth. It takes a soul to make it.”

  She rolled on her side and watched the light of the maid flicker, “Annabelle, why are you a maid here?”

  She shrugged, “I gots nothing better to do, and Miss Lydia kept me alive and safe for a long time. I don’ts sleep and I don’ts eat and I never need to rest or be quiet. Eternity is a long time to be dead.”

  “Why don’t you go to Heaven?”

  She laughed, “Oh I will. When Miss Lydia is ready to move on, we move on together. We was born together and we will die together.”

  “What is the guard for?”

  Annabelle’s face grew serious, “Them shadows is full of dark magic. The stain on the earth from the darkness. All the black evil magic hunts us. It wants to corrupt us.”

  She frowned, “Are we that weak?”

  Annabelle shook her head, “No, but a witch has gotta rest, and ain’t no witch restin’ when them dark thangs is after ya. The shadows creep along trying to tie themselves to you. They the dark stain your momma put on this earth. Her anger.”

  Ophelia shivered, “I saw them. The shadows that moved.”

  The maid put a ghostly finger up at her, “You stay away from them shadows, they be coming for you. If the darkness wins, everything good on the earth is gonna die Miss Ophelia. All the hate, and pain, and suffering your momma cast on man is in those shadows. It be the original black magic. Full of hate and pain.”

  “Am I bad?”

  Annabelle shrugged, “The prophecy says you gonna choose the light and save man, but tis only a prophecy. Tis possible that you could choose the wrong side and your brother could save man. The prophecy only says one of the twins. It's them angels that thinks it be the girl and not the boy who evil.”

  Ophelia looked at the balls of light hovering in the corner again and sighed, “I hope that doesn’t happen.”

  ‘We all do, Ophelia.’

  Chapter Eighteen

  Sam

  Aimee paced back and forth as the sun came up, “I think this is a mistake. She is going to burn to death.”

  Sam shook his head, looking at the old dusty book, “No, it says right here. She just has to wear that disgusting old ring of his and she can walk in the sun.”

  Giselle sat in the window, watching the sun. She twirled the ring that replaced her Roses ring.

  “It feels old and gross. I hate this ring. Look how fat it makes my finger look.”

  Sam closed the book with a snap, “Giselle you need the ring. Being the sun walker makes you different than the others—more royal. Marcus was always slightly weaker but he could go in the sun.”

  Aimee never spoke.

  “Aimee, I just want to sleep. Can we try tomorrow?”

  Aimee spun and looked confused, “What? Oh, uhm sure... whatever you want.”

  Giselle left the window and waved backwards, “I’m going to bed. Jeeves come tuck me in.”

  Sam covered his eyes, “Hamish, it’s Hamish.”

  He looked at Aimee with a smile, as Giselle’s voice echoed throughout the halls, “Why are you so old? Why don’t I have young, hot guys as my slaves?”

  “Well, miss I am your butler, not your slave.”

  “Whatever. I need like, warm blood before I go to sleep and don’t microwave it.”

  Aimee barely cracked a smile. She turned her back to the doorway again and watched out the window silently.

  Sam grabbed her arm and instantly they were standing on the side of the road. The old faint cross in the bark was barely visible.

  She walked to it and dropped to her knees. She rested her head against the tree and brushed her fingers against the lines of ripped bark.

  She whispered, “How did you know?”

  He sat on the road, “Aleks. He called it your spot, like his and yours. He told me you would sit here and tell him everything. You poured your heart out to him. He spent eight months listening to every thought and feeling.”

  She felt it in the air, it wasn’t her mother’s spot. It was their spot. His and hers.

  “Sam—what the hell, Aimee?”

  Sam turned and waved, “Shane, hey man.” Aimee turned her back on the tree but never removed her hands from the bark.

  “Hey.”

  Shane looked hurt, “I’ve been calling you and shit, Aims. What’s going on?”

  She shrugged and swallowed hard.

  Sam stood, feeling the tension in the air, “I’m going back to the castle, Aims; give you two some time alone. See ya around, Shane.”

  Shane put a hand out for Sam to shake. He shook it, trying desperately to not feel the pain in Shane’s heart.

  “See ya, man.”

  Sam flashed to Greece instead. His heart burned. It was nighttime there. He watched the small house in the lonely part of the island, but no one moved inside of the windows. He flashed downtown but the streets were bare. He frowned and wondered alone, searching for her. He could sense her still on the island. Her heart felt full. He loved the feeling.

  His body pulled to the left. He climbed a steep street until he heard music. He left the road and ventured into the woods at the top of the hill. He flashed into the tree and surveyed the area.

  Finally her bright strawberry-blonde hair shone like a beacon of light for him. The lights above glistened off her hair. His heart snapped almost in half.

  She was in the arms of another man. They danced slowly on a dance floor. She was filling up on the man. He could sense it. He could smell it in the air. The other sirens were around her dancing with strange men as well. They were teaching her to glean emotions like a Succubus. It would dull the ache of her need. Sirens could feed similarly to a Succubus. They needed sexual energy to satisfy their craving which was called a need. Orgasms given by another were the best way for a siren to gain the energy and end the need, but it could be had by sucking a member of the opposite sex of their sexual energy. It was more vampirism than siren, and frowned upon. His mother would never have stooped as low as Hanna was.

  The dark-haired man was roaming his hands across her back and down her ass cheeks. He gripped the satin of the thin dress she wore and slid his hands everywhere. His fingers probed and caressed. Sam felt rage building inside of himself, but she allowed it. If anything she encouraged it. He felt his breath quicken as she swayed her hips to the music. She smiled and giggled. She had drunk the wine. Sirens were famous for their aphrodisiac wines. It made the gleaning easier. They gave off an aroma when they did it.

  Suddenly, as if sensing his pain, her eyes darted to where he sat swaying in the tree.

  Her hands dropped.

  The other women looked up.

  He watched their faces drop as they recognized the smell of him.

  “You are an abomination. You must leave this island.”

  He flashed to the ground across from the patio where they danced, “Why?”

  He ignored the others and looked only at Hanna. Her eyes flooded with tears, “It wasn’t what it looked like.”r />
  He took a step back, “I know what it is, Hanna. You’re no better than a vampire, a slutty one. You and Marcus deserved each other. I’m sorry I killed him. It was the ending you needed.”

  His heart was breaking. It was on fire.

  “You have no right to be here. Your angel blood is a disgrace to our kind.” One of the older ones with shiny blue eyes pointed at him.

  He sneered at her, “Don’t worry, I’m leaving.”

  He turned away from Hanna and began to walk away. He couldn’t flash. His power was gone. His pain was everywhere.

  “Sam wait.” She ran after him. Tears poured down her ruddy cheeks, “Sam, honestly what do you expect from me?”

  He felt her hands shove him. He didn’t have to look back at her to know, she was fighting the beast.

  “You’ve loved me your whole life. You’ve known about me since forever. I’ve known you a year. It’s not the same for me. I don’t even know why we love each other. I can’t explain it.”

  He winced. He wanted to tell himself it was the wine talking. He could hear it in her voice.

  "Sam, I just need a little time to adjust. I can't learn everything from you. Your mother was a disgrace to our kind. You need to know how bad her choice was. I shouldn’t even love you, Sam. You shouldn't be my match."

  “We don’t have to love each other, Hanna.”

  She shoved him again but he continued to walk away from her, “Good, I don’t want to love you anyway. It feels forced, like I have no choice in who I love. I wish I never loved you. Jesus Christ, just turn around and talk to me, like a real man. You're acting like a bitch.”

  She shoved him in the back once more. He flew down the road and into a building. His face and arms stung where fresh blood began to trickle from the wounds. Rocks and building began to crumple around him.

  He watched regret pour across her face as she screamed for him. He flashed as the rocks covered his body.

  He lay in the yard at Lydia’s. He could still smell the old vampire blood on the road. His blood began to fill the air and take over the air around him.

  “Sam, what are you doing?” Ari rushed at him and cradled him in her arms. He hadn’t realized tears had blinded him until her face appeared blurry.