Burned at the Cross

Burned at the Cross ~ Ch. 4

        {[Eamon]}

        We all rushed out towards the garden where purple smoke came over the top of one of the green hedges. I cursed, "What is she doing?"

        As soon as Greg told me about the fire, we both went out, racing to find Alyssa. And sure enough, there she was, some smoking weeds in one hand and the other a green candle. The weeds were attached to a stick, it looked like, and gave off some purple-ish smoke. Alyssa seemed to be chanting something, her eyes closed, and waving around that baton of hers.

        The calm Greg that I've always known my entire life, snapped. "What in blazes do you think you're doing, witch!" He went over and seemed like he was about to grab her out of her delirium, but something blocked him.

        The dog that had bitten into my trousers before stood in front Greg, growling. Instead of shoving the little mutt out of the way, like I expected him to do, he backed away. I stared in disbelief as the grown man who had been in the military before, back away.

        "What's wrong Greg? Just go around the blasted thing! Make her stop." I told him.

        "Can't," he said. "That's her familiar, and only a fool would mess with one of those."

        I narrowed my eyes. No one has been making sense this whole entire day -and it was Sunday for Christ's sake! If Greg wouldn't do it, then I would. I stepped up and the dog reared up at me, ready to defend his master.

        "I wouldn't do that if I were you." she murmured. Apparently she wasn't in much of a trance if she could speak to me. But she still waved around her stick of mud around, the sweet smell drifted towards me instead of smoke.

        "What is wrong with you?" I growled. "You are only a guest here, and is this how you treat others homes?"

        Alyssa stopped what she was doing and looked at me squarely. "I'm treating this place as my home because it's my home, now."

        "Don't fool yourself. You're just an acquaintance with my father, and since you are not his mistress, you are but a guest." I said, enraged.

        Instead of replying immediately, she laughed. The girl actually laughed and threw her head back. "You fool yourself, Mr. Price. I am here to stay, to protect you. Not to be anyone's mistress." Then she continued her dance of lunacy.

        I tried to step towards her again, but that stupid dog was in my way again and some buried instinct in me told me to back away, let off.

        "Don't go any further, Eamon, or you'll loose a finger, maybe a hand." Father said, stepping out from behind a tree.

        I realized he'd been watching the whole entire time.

        "You might want to control your son, Aiden. Just because I am bound to this family, doesn't mean I take kindly to insults." Alyssa said, eyes closed again.

        "You'll have to excuse Eamo-." he started.

        "Just because he doesn't know about us? Aiden, I think you made a grave mistake when you decided to exclude him from his duties." She blew out the candle and drew a pentagram star in the earth with the stick.

        "He was young at the time, he didn't need to worry about duty and the Court. No young lad should grow up worrying about that kind of stuff." his Father stated.

        "And look where that's gotten him. He has no knowledge of us; our history, our heritage, it will mean nothing to him! I can already see that."

        "Then what do you suggest I do?" he asked, eyes full of regret.

        Alyssa glanced at me with that same sympathy in her eyes then adressed Father. "I don't know." she said, quietly. Silence followed for a while, leaving me in confusion and Greg's furious gaze at Alyssa to deepen in it's intensity.

        She spun on her heels. "The seals are done, your house is protected. I shall see you at dinner." As she walked away, the dog leaving me behind to trail after his master.

        {[Alyssa]}

        As soon as I walked in my room, I could feel that someone had snooped through my belongings. Furiously, I looked through my suitcase to see if anything was stolen. I spotted my Mother's ring and snatched it up and held it to my chest. I don't know what I'd have done if someone had stolen that.

        I'd have left, I realized; for there was no real reason if I didn't have something of Mother's. The reason I was here wasn't to full fill the contract, it was to track down my mother. I believe that she ran away with someone, because she needed someone to provide for her. I was planning on doing a tracking spell and that required something that belonged to the owner, but that could consume a lot of energy. That's why I was spending time here.

        I figured I'd get the chance to practice spells here, but so far, the plan has become a little fuzzy. It's all that Prince's fault.

        Then, I caught the smell of a Shifter in this room, and that made me angry. No one passed onto a witch's territory unless they wanted to be turned to ashes. But that didn't make the culprit any easier to find; this whole house was filled with Shifters.

        "Stay here, Loui." I commanded, and the little dashchund sat down on the bed, obeying. I stormed out of the room, muttering,

        ''Goddess of fate, 

        God of dieretion, 

        send the lost one or ones, 

        in ower dieretion."

        Suddenly, a gut instinct pulled me in the right direction and the closer I got, the more enraged I got -for I knew who it was. I burst the doors open towards the dining room where servants were setting the table and the Prince, named Eamon, and Aiden overlooking everything.

        I stared at Eamon, glaring, as everyone stopped what they were doing and look at me. I didn't say anything, and quickly smoothed my expressions, masking them to be cool and distant. "Aiden," my voice coming out a bit strange. "Can I speak with you... alone?"

        Aiden looked at his son with a worried glance, then nodded and made his way towards me. We both walked in silence, and I steered him into the first door I saw and locked the door behind me.

        I spun around. "We need to settle this, Aiden. Tell him."

        "I don't know how." he said, sounding defeated.

        "Then, for God's sake, I'll do it! Better yet, why not have his Council tonight?" I threw my hand up in the air.

        "Tonight?" Aiden asked, incredelous.

        "Why not? It's a full moon, and I assume he hasn't chosen a form yet?"

        "No... but to put it all on him tonight..."

        "Aiden, we might not have a choice anymore. If we wait any longer, you'll have to send him off to some other family, to live as a mortal."

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Okay!! Done with this chapter, now question. What animal do you think that Eamon should be? I mean, he's a Shifter!! What form should he have? And what do you think about the spell? Comment & Vote!!