The Blood Witch

12

"What I want to know is when you started." 

Her voice cut like a knife and even though the fear Scarlet felt was not her own, it still hit her gut. As pretty as this young woman was, her eyes were hard. Her grip was bruising and she meant business. 

"Speak now or I'll cut the truth from you. What have you seen?"

"Enough." Again the voice was coming from the younger version of her grandmother. 

It was as if that alone made Lovey calm down. She pushed Charlotte farther into the room and followed slowly. Pulling a chair from her desk she instructed Charlotte to sit. Scarlet watched as Lovey pulled another chair right before her and sat. 

"If you seen enough that means you been watching an awful lot." Lovey began before she cracked a smile. "If you been watching, then you're also learning. Problem is I bet you don't understand what I been teaching. That means you have questions Charlotte, and I have all the answers."

Lovey stood and held out her hand. The room started to fog over as Charlotte placed her small hand into hers. She reached out with weakened arms. Trying to hold on to the dream memory. There was more she wanted to see. 

In the blink of an eye, Scarlet sat up and bumped heads with Carl. He backed away so fast that she forgot about the pain in her head, for just a second. Then the throbbing began. Scarlet sat up legs swinging to the side of the bed. 

"Take it easy," Carl said rushing towards her more slowly this time. 

I glanced around and noticed we were all in my room. Dakota and Stella stood in a corner, talking furiously in hushed tones. Theodora sat in a chair by the door halfway asleep, and Carl as always stood beside her. "What happened? Scarlet asked. "How did I get here?"

"The question is when did you get here?" Stella said stepping forward in heels that Scarlet would never try. 

Scarlet sighed and looked to Carl for answers. She had nothing against Scarlet but she enjoyed talking in riddles. 

"Three days," Carl said, pouring a cup of tea. "You have been asleep for three days. Drink this, it will help you focus."

Scarlet took the tea and sniffed before taking a sip and spitting it out. "What the fuck is in that. It tastes like stale feet and bad decisions."

Carl laughed but Theodora stood with her hands on her hips. "Drink Girl. It will give you strength." 

"It's not unusual for some people to sleep for weeks after going into the ether," Dakota said as she watched Scarlet with accessing eyes. 

"The ether?" Scarlet asked.

"It's where you were." Stella sighed as if she were bored with the conversation. "Drink the tea and you will be fine."

"You will feel as if you can lift a house when you are done," Theodora promised, as she sat back down.

"And you will need all the strength that you have," Thiago said as materialized from thin air. This guy seemed to have all the tricks up his sleeve. "The council is arriving and they can't wait to meet you."

"They here now?" Scarlet asked, still sipping the gross tea. 

"They are on the way as we speak," Dakota said as she came forward, her clipboard in hand. She scribbled some notes as she observed Scarlet as if she were a scientific revelation. 

"As well as most of the supernatural population," Stella said as she walked to a window. She sniffed and shook her head. "They are arriving in droves."

"I understand why the council is here but why everyone else?" Scarlett asked.

"A gathering of the council is a big deal," Thiago said as he materialized a book out of nowhere. He passed it to Scarlet before going to stand beside Stella. He touched her shoulder and Scarlet watched as some of the tension left the woman's body.

"Thank You," Stella said smiling at Thiago.

He nodded before facing Scarlet again. "All council members together is a one-year thing. It is rare for them to gather twice in one year. This will be the second time they are all gathered in one place. They have agreed to be in session for three days and as a result, people have come here to speak with them face-to-face. They are our government and any issues that can't be solved civilly are taken to them. Unfortunately, with the yearly meeting, some people wait for months to be heard."

"So when people hear that they are gathering they come, hoping to lay out their claims and grievances. It can all get rather whiny if you spectate." Stella said calmly. 

"When will they want to see me?" Scarlet asked. 

"Only they know when they will call on you or who they will call on," Thiago replied. "Some people won't be heard at all."

"Why not?" Scarlet asked as she finished the tea and set the cup aside. She stretched and felt the throbbing in her head subside. A jolt of energy spread across her fingertips and she felt wired. 

"The council is known for holding grudges. Anyone on their bad side will most likely be left out." Dakota explained.

"That sucks," Scarlet said. "To come all this way and not be heard."

"They are just petty that way," Stella said sighing. "It is important to know that this session is not just three days. They will see people for three days and will deliberate for at least a week after. Of course, there is the two-day welcome mixer as well. Be prepared for the Hall to be overrun and packed for the next two weeks at least."

"You don't seem happy about that," Scarlet observed with a lifted eyebrow. 

"She hates goblins and well if the council is in session the goblins will be here," Thiago said laughing.

"I don't hate them." Stella argued, "They stink."

"Horribly," Carl added. 

"It's in their DNA," Theodora said smacking her lips, "they can't help how they smell."

"Anyways," Stella said giving Theodora and possibly all the goblins of the world the mental finger. "You will want to dress nice," she said to Scarlet. "You never know what will happen."

Scarlet watched as Dakota and Stella shared a secret look. Scarlet started to ask what that meant, but Thiago grasped Stella's hand, wrapped her in his wings and they disappeared. Theodora left first followed by Dakota who stopped at the door and looked at Scarlet with glowing eyes. 

"Dinner tonight will be interesting."