Ritual Magic Read online

  "Look, it's not what you want to believe because it sounds absurd. People haven't seen dragons for hundreds of years. Heck, even your Bible refers to dragons...it's one brief mention, but it is in there. Then there are the Cherokee people, who have a distinct memory of the dragons as they walked the earth. The stories have been passed down from generation to generation to ensure that they will never forget. Their memories have dwindled down to an oral living history of dragons passed down from father to son. Mother to daughter."

  "So why did they 'vacate the premises'?" I made my air quotes especially obnoxious to push yet another button. Dylan didn't seem to mind, though, or even notice. My curiosity was piqued.

  "Because this world was becoming too corrupt, that's why." He eyed the beach in the mist as he leaned back in his chair. "The current world is an unusually ugly place when you take the time to account for all of the horrible things."

  "So why are you still here? Why haven't you zapped yourself into another dimension and just left?" The idea of my dad zapping himself away sounded pretty good right at that moment. Parental units could be just so annoying sometimes. How did I know? Again, I pay attention to teenagers.

  "I cannot simply zap mahself away, lass. I am the Ocean—I am too large to have that kind of freedom. Trust me, I would if I could." He was angry, but not with me it seemed.

  Silence hung in the air as I processed that. "So...how did they get to the other dimension?"

  "They vibrated themselves into another dimension." He sounded so matter-of-fact, American accent and all, making me want to giggle uncontrollably.

  "Vibrated?" A quick snicker escaped me before I knew what I was doing. "Okay, no matter how you say that, it just sounds so wrong." I definitely was going to giggle now. Gosh, did I actually have the brain of a teenager? I was having a distinct issue keeping my mind out of the gutter. I made a coughing, sputtering noise as if I was trying to laugh through closed lips. It was actually pretty obnoxious.

  "These are noble creatures, Raven. They vibrated so quickly that they passed through dimensions. (He slipped back into English but this time with a British accent.) It was quite a feat for creatures as large as they are. But they were incredibly old and wise, absolutely worthy of respect." He paused a moment for effect, "So be respectful, Raven."

  Nodding, I swallowed the feelings of guilt away. This conversation was going to happen no matter what I thought was funny. "Okay, Dad. Get to the point. What do you need from me?" My eyes were set on his wide face, watching for any movement or subtle eye contact.

  Sighing, he spread his hands out in front of him as he leaned heavily against the arm of the chair, looking exhausted and almost sad. "I am here because you called me, Raven. You needed your powers back—they have been restored. The prophecy will be fulfilled and balance will be retained." He shrugged. "You know that I speak the truth."

  I nodded in absent bewilderment. Yes, it was true...Cora...that's right. "So I have my powers back?"

  He simply nodded.

  A distinct chill began to permeate the mist around us. "And what does that mean? When had my powers been removed?"

  Dylan nodded again, appearing to agree to move on with the conversation because he knew it was inevitable. "When you were a mere infant." His eyes burned into me, those swirling orbs of ocean, deep and emotional. "You were born too strong to contain your own power. You could have lost control and killed everyone around you but your mother and yourself. We felt that it was necessary to separate you from that power to protect the people around you. Your mother and I both agreed—we made the decision to remove your powers together." He let his voice drift off as his eyes shifted over and became almost sorrowful.

  "But, but...why are you giving them back to me now?" I shook my head and rubbed my temples with the tips of my middle fingers. "What the heck are you NOT telling me?" I shook my head in bitter pain.

  Sighing, he leaned back in his chair and slumped. "Look," his accent became sort of gangsterish—making me think of The Godfather and other terrible movies that I refused to watch. "I can't tell yous everythin' but what I can tell yous is this—yous are a demigod. Half the one and half the udder. Yous..," he jabbed his finger at me like he was making me an offer that I couldn't refuse, "yous are going to be the muddah of an incredible child. She's gonna be big, you hear me?! Big!"

  My chin must have been scraping the floor because I couldn't believe my ears! My father was talking like a real honest-to-goodness gangster. Did they still even talk like that anymore?!

  "Again, I tell yous that yous have to fulfill the prophecy. Do yous hear me, little girl?" He pointed a sausage finger at me as he rubbed his muscular belly with his other hand. Dad really gets into character when he does the Jersey Shore bit, I'd say.

  "Yeah, I hear you." Geesh.

  Sitting up straight, he leaned forward and looked at me, speaking with a more charitable tone, sounding less like a gangster every second. "I think that I also need to be a little more specific to prepare you for your coming challenge." This time his voice was dripping with British undertones—reminiscent of the 007 Bond series. Was it Sean Connery I was listening to in his accent? Hmmmmm.

  "Raven, you must fulfill the prophecy. Five beings, selected by fate, one child conceived in magic, one day where the world stands still, and then the ultimate sacrifice made for love alone." He nodded at me as if I understood it all. "Ahh," he sighed and rolled his head back with his eyes closed, "to be in your shoes. What an opportunity to feel alive!" He threw a giant fist into the air as he made a guttural "Hoorah" like a Marine. Guess a few Special Forces are in there too. Creeeeepy.

  I was beginning to feel twitchy as I watched him react and tried to digest everything that he had just shared with me. Too much information at one time would cause my mind to meltdown, possibly even black out. Oh yeah, I already did that. Maybe I'll actually wake up this time.

  "I think it's time I get out of here."

  Dylan nodded, opening his eyes and straightening his head to eye me cautiously. "I have one more topic of importance that I need to talk to you about before you escape back to your reality." Was it really escaping when you were afraid of where you going to end up?

  "Okay..."

  "The vampire..."

  "Yes?" My eyebrows furrowed and I looked at him deliberately with a warning deeply embedded. This could not be good at all.

  "You must break it off with him." Dylan said flatly.

  "What?! Why?!" My voice shook and I immediately felt like I had no say about the topic. My dad was making me break up with Solomon? What? Was I sixteen?!

  "Nothing good could ever come from a relationship with him. You must break it off before it ever begins." He began to pick his fingernails while he spoke to me, giving him something to focus on instead of looking directly at me. There must have been some really gunky stuff underneath because he was spending extra attention underneath his right thumb.

  Heat swelled into my face and my heart pounded painfully as I considered what he had just said. "What? What could possibly cause you to want me to break things off with Solomon? We aren't really even together. Not really." My voice trailed off as a towering wave of guilt and distress washed over me. I want us to be together, though.

  Suddenly I heard shushing noises, which seemed completely out of place considering I was ready to destroy something.

  "It's okay, it will all be okay." Dylan's words sounded like the waves crashing on the beach, "You will be much better without him, I promise." His words sounded insincere and I instantly suspected that he was up to more than just putting the wrench in my relationship with Solomon.

  I could feel my body quake with my tears and my cheeks were newly wet, but I couldn't remember crying at all. When did that happen? "Why?" That was the only word I could get out.

  "You two could never truly be together. It would be wrong. You were never meant to be with him." He shook his head, "Now, the warlock. THAT is a good man. HE is a good choice—steady, a brilliant str
ategist, a fair and strong leader and a handsome individual." My head swam as he spoke, a feeling of true foreboding riding up my spine. Could he honestly have been talking about VON?! "Now HE will provide me with grandchildren to be proud of." His voice sounded final.

  There was silence for a brief moment as I listened to his words...truly listened. CLICK!

  "What the f'ing hell are you saying?! That you don't want me to have children from Solomon?!" I railed at him as I pounded my fists in my lap. Instantly I felt like a teenager fighting the man who just happened to be the nosey dad sitting in front of me. I really needed to beat something up right about now.

  "Young lady, you will NOT use that kind of sailor language around me—I hear it quite enough as it is, let me tell you!" Dylan looked at me sternly as he leaned forward in his seat as if he was going to fly between the chairs and give me a good spanking.

  My eyebrow cocked up as I gave him my warning look. Don't mess with me, Dad. I'm on PMS! I wasn't but he didn't need to know.

  He stopped suddenly where he was, his huge body going rigid as he weighed my words and finally sat back down in his chair, crossing his arms over his massive chest again. Good.

  For a moment we just sat there staring each other down, trying to force our wills on each other before I opened my mouth to share my thoughts with him. Oh yes, he was definitely going to get a piece of my mind.

  "I will date whomever I want whenever I want. You hear me, DAD?!" A man telling me how to live my life? Any man? That was way too much for me to handle. My body shook with power, which drew Dylan's attention as the air around us began to crackle with sharp, quick snaps.

  "Hmm, maybe I gave you back your powers a little too quickly." He watched the clouds of billowy white swirl around him as the mist began to darken and tiny bolts of lightning jumped from non-existent clump to non-existent clump. "Running Wolf, the Chieftain—he would be a better choice." His head bobbed up and down as he tried to continue with his idiotic theme.

  Narrowing my eyes, I watched my father through the tiny slits that were covered only by my eyelashes. "No." My eyes lasered through him and he shifted in his seat uncomfortably.

  "Look here, young lady..."

  "No, you look, DAD, I don't like being told what to do..."

  "Obviously." He threw it in before I could catch my breath.

  "And that being said, I want you to butt out of my love life, thank you very much!" I kicked my leg over my knee and began to pump my foot furiously, my body language screaming that I was taking charge and I was tired of the conversation.

  "Raven, be realistic." His voice practically pleaded, pausing to allow me to interrupt if I was going to. He continued when he was sure I wasn't going to cut him off, "You are capable of having a child with anyone...and...he is a vampire. There is a reason that vampires are infertile—they are abominations. Any child with him would be just that—an abomination." He paused for a brief moment and then instantly allowed his head to hang low as he realized that the words had finally made it out of his mouth. "I will not have a blood-sucking leech in our family line."

  Taking a calming breath, I set aside my distress slowly, deliberately closing my eyes to clear my view of Dylan's adamant expression.

  "So," deep breath in, "let me get this straight." Deep breath out. "You do not want me to become serious about Solomon because...and this is just a stab in the dark...we could end up having a child together? Did I get it right?" My voice was dripping with agitation but Dylan nodded firmly, an unmoving statue.

  "Well, it's a little late for that isn't it? I mean, Cora clearly exists, and Solomon is one of the four. One of the fathers chosen by fate." Pointing this out seemed weird.

  "Yes, but she is a child of legend—a prophecy come to life. She is not the product of true love between you and that...that...thing!" Dylan's voice shook with discomfort and I could see the oceans in his eyes become tumultuous and deadly.

  "Uh-huh." The panic washed away from me in a wave of calm because, for some strange reason, I finally understood. I finally got my old man. "So, you don't like my boyfriend and you're afraid I won't have safe sex. You're typical, Dad... Dylan...whatever. Don't you know that? You're acting like all dads do that don't approve of the boyfriend the daughter is dragging home." I laughed as I leaned forward in the chair and reached over to touch his monster-sized hands with my fingertips. I was trying to make eye contact but it appeared as if he was fighting the urge to look at me at all. "You're going to have to trust me to make the right choice."

  "Abomination!" Dylan growled.

  "Whatever, Dad." I rolled my eyes. Yeah, yeah, he wanted me to call him Father, but he had to earn the respect before I would call him by that title. Hey, this daddy-daughter thing was coming pretty easily. "But I do actually have to get going." I stood up as I set my hand down along my hip. "What? No hug?" I cocked an eyebrow and looked up at him with a soft smile—hey, he was huge even sitting down!

  "Girl, I forbid you ever having a relationship with that vampire." He was seething mad, and he was clearly putting the force of his anger into his words. It wasn't going to bother me, though, because I had already decided not to let him bother me anymore.

  "Okay, but it's cool if I date another vampire, right?" I cocked my head to the side, flipped my hair over the shoulder that was more exposed and smiled innocently.

  "Grrrr, you...don't...get...it. You can never be with any vampire..."

  "Oh, I get it, but I'm just not agreeing to your terms." I turned my head to get the view of the misty beach I had noticed previously before continuing. "I pick the men in my life—not you."

  "I forbid it!"

  "Yeah, yeah, Dad." Waving my hand in the air, I could see his face turning a deep shade of red, and then purple. "Look, I have to know though...what was it you said about 'love' and getting pregnant?"

  Sighing, Dylan ran his fingers through his hair and leaned back in his chair, looking a little ill. "For you to be able to conceive a child, you must both be truly in love. That is part of what makes your magic in conception so strong—it is a gift." I wanted to almost laugh at the thought that my father was, just now, giving me his version of 'the talk.'

  "Ahhh," I nodded as my eyes glassed over. So having a child with Leo would have been out of the question anyway. "Hey, aren't you afraid that I would have a child with a demon?"

  "Are you interested in a demon?" His voice dripped with consternation.

  "Nah."

  "Good."

  I could actually hear the anxiety escape him in a long, wispy breath as he eyed the mist above him longingly.

  Looking at him, I finally nodded. "Gotta go Dad. Love ya and all!" I smiled at him as I began to walk towards the beach in the mist. I've gotta get out of here before my brain melts!

  "Don't forget what I said, Raven. No vampires. Oh, and stay away from demons too!" His voice rumbled behind me.

  "That cuts out half the male population, Dad! You take all the fun out of everything!" I smiled wickedly as I began to glow with a steady calm and walked straight through the mist onto the beach of Gull Cottage, the beach house that Solomon had bought for me as a gift. The house was actually located off of highway 101, a scenic stretch of road that hugs the United States' West Coast. The house is right off of the coast and has a direct stairway down to the beach. Basically, it's heaven.

  6

  As the mist around me dissipated I glanced around the beach—there was nothing and no one anywhere to be seen. My heart dropped by a fraction just before I caught a blur in white out of the corner of my eye. My head snapped in the direction of the blur and Cora was instantly standing next to me with a distracted look on her face. She reached out for my hand, and looked me in the eye—her eyes narrowed while continuing to scan the horizon. What is she looking for? Are we in danger? For some reason, I still feel safe.

  "Mother, you need to get to the house." Her words were clipped, getting directly to the point, which I figured was very much in her nature.

 
; "Okay." I nodded and turned towards the stairs just before she reached over and grabbed my hand sharply, yanking me back towards her.

  "No, Mom. You have to jump to the house—there isn't time. Do it now because I don't know how long we have before something attacks." Her voice was laced with concern.

  "Cora, are you going to be okay?" I leaned in closer to her as I scanned her face for any signs of dread.

  Laughing sharply, she flicked her eyes to me and I instantly knew I was being an idiot. Oh well, I'm her mother and I was going to be protective, dammit!

  "Mother, you have to go now." She whispered underneath her breath, which scared me even more. My pulse raced and I could hear my breathing quicken as the realization of our dangerous situation hit me with a subtle ping. Placing her hand on my shoulder, Cora looked deeply into my eyes.

  Instantly a vision of the living room of Gull Cottage, my Gull Cottage, spread through my mind's eye and I could smell the cotton scent of the fabrics and feel the comfort and safety of the atmosphere. Closing my eyes, I reached out for the vision as if it was something tangible that I could grasp onto. With a swift whoosh of air popping in my ears, I knew that I was finally there. What a rush! Opening my eyes, I could see the living room stretching out before me. It was just as I had left it, messed up cushions and all. When had I actually left? Huh.

  Walking quickly to the window, I peered down on the beach to see if Cora was still there. Of course she wasn't, and I could feel anxiety wash over me as I scanned the area around the beach and the back yard skirting the area behind the house.

  Get away from the window, Mother. Cora's voice rang through my head. You're telling anyone that might want to get to you exactly where you are.

  Right! I'm sorry. I thought as I grabbed the curtain and tugged to close off the view. "Right." I whispered to myself.