Ritual Magic Read online

  "Prove it." Leo leaned back and crossed his arms across his bulging chest. Armani was great for standing, but bulging caused the fabric to creak.

  Cora continued to smile as she closed her eyes gently as if she was getting ready to meditate right there on the couch in the middle of the living room. Opening them again, her eyes were a brilliant glowing red—powerful and frightening. A shiver shot down my spine as she smiled to reveal small spiky fangs. "I also control the vampires under Dad's control as well." Her fangs elongated to menacing points, making me more than aware that everything she had been saying was the absolute, swear on a stack of Bibles, truth. Damn.

  "Geesh, Cora. That's pretty creepy with your eyes and fangs all at the same time." I cringed away from her, suddenly very uncomfortable with this futuristic vampire-demon child of mine.

  "I know, right?!" Cora laughed as she retracted her fangs and sustained her glowing eyes as she gazed up at Leo.

  "So, do you believe?" She asked boldly, drawing my eyes to her genuine and sincere face and filling me with the distinctive pride in her convictions. She was definitely a child of mine—forward and brave. Or maybe it's stupid and bold. Who knew what the difference really looked like?

  Leo nodded sharply before turning his full attention back on me. "What is this about a 'dad'?"

  Cora giggled brightly and it was instantly clear that we were in for a very long night. Huh, this is going to be interesting.

  3

  When Cora finally released Solomon from the sleep spell, we had all been sitting on the couch conversing happily. The only sign she gave that she was doing anything was that she flicked her hand towards the master bedroom during one point in the conversation, keeping her eyes fixed on Leo as if she was simply speaking with her hands.

  A rumble of activity immediately sounded from behind the door and Solomon burst into the room, ready for anything. Well, not anything. His hard body was poised for battle, but his expression held the true mixture of his feelings—confusion, fear, anger, distrust and concern.

  I smiled up at him and waved towards the side of the couch that Cora had vacated to make room for him—it was the side closest to me. I guessed she figured that he needed as much moral support as possible for the impending conversation.

  Solomon's eyes cut toward Cora and Leo as they chatted and patted each other's hands lovingly. Shaking his head at me, he paced the room and checked all of the windows and doors before turning to observe them one more time with a look of deep suspicion. Finally, after contemplating almost every corner of the room, Solomon came to stand near me. He was actually nowhere near my side but a little to the side and a step behind. He was in guard mode.

  Solomon eyed Leo with danger in his eyes as he spoke his first words. "What...is he doing here?!"

  "Solomon," I worked to keep my voice gentle and calm, "please sit down. We have much to discuss now that our special guest has arrived." I waved towards Cora.

  Cora looked up from her conversation with Leo and practically beamed at Solomon. "Hi, Dad." She smiled brightly at him. Standing slowly from her spot on the couch, Cora walked deliberately towards him with a slow pace. All of her cautious, sinewy steps looked choreographed and well planned. Her firm body looked like a tigress slinking through the jungle on a leisurely stroll and it was obvious that she knew not to rush him or make any sudden moves. Everything about her body language illustrated that she knew how to deal with Solomon...like a wild animal. And like a wild animal, Solomon could dart away—just as fast as any buck, but much more lethal.

  Placing her hands out in front of her, she made the motion to grasp his hands. Because of her slow actions, she was allowed close proximity to his person although he was gauging all of her moves and possible motives.

  Just as Cora rested her hands on top of Solomon's outstretched hands, Solomon's eyes darted to mine and I nodded reassuringly. Cora allowed her touch to drift away as the shaking in Solomon's body became a tiny tremor that only the most trained eye would be able to see.

  "Who are you?" His voice rumbled in his chest.

  She smiled at him kindly, clearly wanting to reassure him yet again. "I'm Cora Elena Ravenwood, and I'm your daughter."

  "Not possible. I am a vampire and I am unable to father a child. No vampire can father a child in the literal sense of the word." He stared down at her with contempt in his eyes, "You are playing with fire, little girl."

  Leo chuckled in the background, "I believe it is you that is playing with fire, my friend." He said underneath his breath, "Be careful what you say to the woman—she can match you blow for blow. I'm very sure."

  Solomon bristled at the words 'blow for blow' as he eyed Cora closely. Had he seen the reflection of his blue-green in her eyes yet? I wasn't sure what was going to happen and what was going to pass between the two. Cora knew how to work Leo like a pro, but Solomon... Well, that was another story altogether.

  "Move swift as the Wind and closely-formed as the Wood. Attack like the Fire and be still as the Mountain. Remember, Dad? Sun Tzu. Your favorite book." She beamed at him—they were bonding as far as she was concerned. What in the world is she talking about? I couldn't help but be impressed that she sounded so good while making no sense to me at all.

  Solomon looked down at her, turning his head slowly left and then right as in a painfully slow shake of the head. He was looking at her...truly looking at her. "The Art Of War, my favorite book." He nodded sharply, "But how would you know my favorite book? How would you know that at all?"

  Turning to Cora, I heard myself say the words without thinking them, "Show him." I then turned to Solomon and gave him a warning glance. "Do not react or you could hurt more than just yourself and one little girl."

  Solomon's eyebrow shot upward at the comment. He obviously didn't think that he was going to be in any danger. Well, he was going to be shocked.

  Cora nodded at me seriously, snapping her head back as she closed her eyes, probably imagining all of the ways she could push Solomon's buttons. A part of me glowed as I considered exactly what she was going to do. I was going to get to see my little weapon in action. A weapon. Fear crept into my heart and I was suddenly overwhelmed by the deepest sadness I had ever experienced, my body washing over in a harsh pang of guilt. My daughter...was a weapon.

  Just then Cora's eyes snapped open and she flashed her fangs—longer than they were the first time she shared them with us when it was just Leo and me. She didn't whip out her frightening demon claws, but her hands glowed and the ring of steel could be heard vibrating throughout the room. Her sabers were now in her hands once again and she began to inch around him slowly, taking deliberate step after deliberate step. She didn't make a move towards him...she just held her sabers out so that he could see both the sabers and her stance.

  "You gave me these blades, Dad. In fact, besides all of the automatic weapons that Babbo gave me and trained me to utilize, you provided me with every single metal weapon that I own." She smiled deviously. Her hands flickered and she was then holding a long, feminine Celtic-etched sword, glistening from hilt to tip, engraved with intricate and delicate designs. It glistened in the light of the room, adding an eerie beauty to it.

  "A maiden sword." She smiled broadly and arched it over her head as if she was getting ready to spar. She straightened out of her stance, smiling openly at Solomon's expression as her hands glowed again and the sword disappeared in a blink. In her hands were two sharp and delicate knives. "Knives are my specialty, Dad. You have worked long and hard to teach me to be both aggressive as well as deadly with the knives because it often comes down to hand-to-hand more than anything. You always scoffed at Babbo's automatic weapons, but they have their place too. Don't you think?" Her head quirked to the side as her fangs glistened, perfectly accentuating her amazing smile.

  My child has fangs! EEEEK!

  Solomon shivered slightly.

  Cora didn't seem to grasp that she was frightening Solomon. He didn't know what to think or do, and it was ev
ident in his rigid posture and the way that his eyes followed her every move. It was obvious that all he wanted was to protect me, and he didn't know what he was supposed to protect me from. His own 'child'?

  "Dad!" Her hands glowed again and two traditional sai were sitting in the palms of her hands. She spun them on her palms like she was might spin basketball. "The Sai! You think I'm pretty darned good with them." She nodded at him, eagerly. "I'm actually pretty proud of..."

  "ENOUGH!" Solomon's voice was a slamming door on Cora's enthusiasm. Her shoulders dropped slightly as if he had just punished her, but she kept her loving smile on her lips.

  "Just because you quote Sun Tzu and you have quite the little armory at your 'fingertips' does not mean that you are my child." He rocked back on his heels and crossed his arms in a sign of hostility.

  Cora straightened up and tapped her chin with one sai. I couldn't help but wonder what she was thinking about. Looking at Solomon as if he were a puzzle she was about to conquer, she smiled so broadly that her eyes twinkled, "That's right—'swift as the wind.'"

  In a flash she was gone, rushing away from us and our location in the living room, all of our eyes following her flash of movement. The air in the room seemed to follow her as she swiftly darted away in such a blur that it didn't even look like she had moved. As the air shifted back into place she was holding in her hand two books, tapping them on the palm of her hand with a knowing smile.

  My eyes strained to see the spines or catch a glimpse of the titles, but Cora's hands were wrapped around them so that I couldn't see anything but a black paperback and an old leather hardcover book. They were two books from two very different eras.

  Laughing, Cora held up the antique book with delicate leather binding, "The Art of War." She nodded slowly as her grin was plastered from side to side. "Oh! And my favorite...Breaking Dawn from the Twilight series!" She held up the black paperback that glistened in the reflected light, waving it around the room for all to see, including Leo who was lounging back against the cushions of the overstuffed chair across from the loveseat.

  A giggle escaped my lips as Solomon growled slowly under his breath. He was not happy about Cora riffling through his stuff, I could tell, because he clearly did not like me knowing that he had that fictional series about vampires in the house. Who knew that he would even have that book, much less be interested in it?!

  Solomon straightened his back and looked at me swiftly with fierce embarrassment. "I had that in the house in case you wanted to read it. You had read the other three and I thought..." He shrugged and shook his head slowly, finally registering that something definitive had just taken place. "What just happened?" His head snapped back to face Cora and she tilted her forehead forward and looked up at him through her long, feathered lashes.

  Leo finally uncrossed his legs in his chair, drawing attention back to himself and his perfectly tailored suit. "It appears that our sweetling has just proven that she is, indeed, your child." He didn't look happy about it and I figured that I would hear something about it in the future. As if he had any say at all. "Interesting..." Leo's eyes began to glow as he clasped his hands together in a subtle gesture of discomfort.

  Solomon finally took a long look a Cora, his eyes softening as his forehead furrowed with concern and even more questions. He paused for a moment to fill his lungs to capacity as his eyes shut tightly; clearly tasting the air for any hint of hidden information that only his sense of smell could share with him. What was it that he was able to smell? What was it that he could strip away with that one swift taste of air? Could he tell that Cora was his own child? Could he tell that I was her mother? What was there that he could share with me that my troubled mind hadn't even conceived of thinking?

  A tiny part of my own mind began to wobble as I watched his lungs fill. I wanted so badly to be privy to the secrets that he was learning from that breath. Was it true? Was she our child? Had I fallen victim to my heart believing that this beautiful woman was my child when she truly hadn't provided much evidence to prove that to be the fact? Was I being a fool? No. My heart assured me that I wasn't a fool—Cora was mine...and theirs as well.

  My eyes scanned Solomon's face as his eyes flew open and his face changed its expression. He now wore the expression of a man that had just found out he had long lost family that were deeply submerged in problems he couldn't save them from. His shoulders slumped and his body shook as he turned to look down at me.

  "So...we have a daughter?" His voice cracked and shook as his helpless eyes questioned me. Guess that answered that question.

  "So it would seem." Leo replied for me from the other side of the room, his voice sounding a little annoyed. "A daughter from the future..." He ran a firm hand across his slicked-back hair as if he was ensuring that any stray hairs were coaxed back into place. There was no reason for it, though, because his hair knew better than to pop out in any random direction. "Mostly demons can travel through time, but we are bound by the laws of time and space. We have sworn a blood pact to never travel into the past to change the future or manipulate it for our own benefits. It is not done—it is not honorable." His eyes twitched over to Cora again, scanning her face as his eyes narrowed to zero in on her face. "What have you done my child? Why are you even here?"

  Cora began to fidget with her shirt again and walked over to the couch to flop down loudly, just like a teenager after a long day of school.

  "I know it looks bad, Babbo, but I promise you that you were one of the people that decided that I must journey into the past. You were actually there when I left." Her shoulders fell forward and she hunched over slightly as she seemed to be giving in to the scrutiny that the room provided for her. She cast her eyes around the room as if she were pleading with us to allow her to go to the prom with a boy we didn't approve of. She needed our forgiveness and our support to allow her to function. "I had to come. It has been...foretold." She hung her head as if she were defeated, sighing deeply enough to cause her shoulders to slump forward a fraction of an inch deeper.

  "What do you mean by foretold?" Solomon inched towards the couch to look down at her, worry covering his expression now that he was aware of their relationship. He may have still been wary of her, but he was warming up to the new responsibility of being a father.

  Cora released a deep breath and shook her head lightly. Throwing her hands up in the air, she held them palms out towards him as if to say "stop right there." "I really prefer not to talk about it, Dad." She made a clear pushing motion as if she were pressing her palms against a wall, displaying her desire to resist the topic. "Truly, it's not something that I want to go over right now, even if I could. But what I can say is that everything depends on me being conceived and born. And that means that we must convince my other fathers as well to participate in the ceremony, the ritual. In a nutshell, that's what I'm here for." Her eyes were downcast and her body slumped, giving her the distinct appearance of frustration.

  That's strange. It tore me up to see her that way because it was obvious that she felt she was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders.

  "Cora," my hand went out to her and she scooted on the couch to grasp it. "Sweetheart, you know that we are going to do everything you need us to do to keep you safe and help you." She nodded and I noticed the men shift in my peripheral vision, each from different corners. It appeared as if they were agreeing as well, and it gave me hope to think that we could all work as a team for Cora's benefit.

  Concentrating only on Cora, my heart swelled with pride for this beautiful woman, my daughter. It was extremely difficult to think of her in those terms, but my heart agreed with everything she had said—she was truly mine. Well, mine and four others'. I still don't get it. I didn't get how four men could be involved in this scenario, how we were going to perform magic that was strong enough to conceive this stunning individual, and exactly why she would be trained to become such a weapon.

  How surreal was Cora's life? And how was a human weapon actuall
y honed? Well, as far as Cora was concerned, it was as if there was a recipe for it. Leo had taught her about her demon powers and automatic weapons and Solomon had taught her about all other weaponry. Sprinkle in a little bit of Gabriel who had instructed her about Native American skills and foreign languages, as well as Pilates (which seemed like a huge joke), and then there was Von who was the proverbial icing on the cake. He chose every school, tutor, and skill that she learned outside of warfare (except for languages). Everything about that screamed Von to a T. But there didn't seem to be anything about me in the recipe.

  Where was I in all of this? My eyes bored into Cora like she was going to give me answers through osmosis.

  Still staring at her dejected look, I asked with a tiny shake in my voice, "What did I teach you, Cora? Or was I missing during your childhood? I don't hear anything about me in your stories. Does something actually happen to me?"

  Solomon stiffened automatically at the questions as if I were striking him with every word spoken. Had he been wondering the same things?

  Cora's head snapped up as she realized what I was saying, "Mom, you were always there. Watching, supervising, commenting, applauding. When we had moments together they were always beautiful and filled with sweet memories. Of course, you taught me my magic, but you always turned it into a game or a bonding moment more than anything. Learning with you wasn't like taking lessons—it was like learning about myself, and I loved you for it."

  Staring directly into her eyes, I realized that her true gaze was one of gentle pools of hazel and blue-green. There was nothing I wanted to do more than to talk to her about everything from her childhood, but a warning light flashed on and off in my head. There's a danger here, I thought. "Cora, is this all you can tell us? "

  Standing up abruptly, Cora yanked down on the hem of her shirt as if it was the jacket of a uniform, pivoting on her heel before beginning to walk around the room. With Solomon eyeing her suspiciously, Cora couldn't help but react, sighing as she pointed towards the newly vacated couch. "Please Dad, go sit down by Mom, okay? You're making me much more nervous than I need to be," she sighed heavily.