Forbidden Blood

Chapter 3: Clara

Agatha and I are sitting in her hut along with two of Agatha's friends, Leesi and Molley, talking about the events of the night. Or should I say instead, I'm listening to them talk about the events of tonight. Rumor has already spread about there being vampires on the loose.

We know the vampires could have only gotten out tonight by a witch's spell. There are no other villages of witches anywhere close to us, so someone from our village anonymously cast the spell on the vampires. This means that someone on the inside broke the rules. The witch who cast the spell is the only one who can remove it, and my guess is that she isn't going to do so anytime soon. Adriana will be monitoring our uses of magic constantly until she figures out who it was.

While the others are talking about the vampires, all I can think about is the man. He knew I was a witch, and now he's dead. There is no chance of getting any more information out of him now. And worst of all, he was killed by a vampire. He was affiliated with both witches and vampires; who knows whose side he was really on? And if he--

"Clara, are you alright?" Leesi looks concerned.

"What?"

"I said, are you alright? What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing, I'm fine. Just, a little shell shocked from tonight." I sport a half-hearted smile.

"I understand. I can't get the image out of my head."

"Hey at least you weren't up in the front like we were. It scared me half to death when the man fell from the trees. And then I saw the teeth marks up close! Talk about creepy." Molley interrupts. I stand up to leave, I'm tired of listening them talk about tonight.

"Clara, are you sure you're alright? Do you want me to go with you to your hut?" Agatha offers, but I turn her down.

"No, I think I'll be okay. I just need some time alone. Good night."

Agatha gives a sympathetic smile and turns back to Molley and Leesi. I walk out the door and to my place, two huts down. I enter and set down my sack on the table by the door. I take a deep breath and run my hands through my dark hair. I'm having a bad day. I feel stressed and anxious, but then it comes to me. I know exactly what to do make to make me feel better.

I walk over to my herb cabinet to try and find some herbs that will relax me. I shuffle through my cups of herbs and find some dried lavender and dried sage. I take them out and start to crush them with a mortar and pestle. Then, I walk over to my stove and set aside a pot of water to boil. While I wait for the water to finish boiling, I continue to crush the herbs, until I notice I'm almost out of some of my herbs. It's important to keep a good stock of herbs for our classes. We are usually required to bring our own, unless it is an herb that can't be found within a small radius of the village. Tomorrow, I know I will need several of the herbs I am missing. I'll go pick some more after I finish making this, I think to myself. The pot of water comes to a boil and I place the herbs inside. The smell of lavender and sage is very relaxing, and I feel better almost instantly. The aroma fills the room, and I inhale its sweetness.

I decide to ask Adriana if I can go pick herbs, even though I know the answer will probably be no. There's too much danger, especially after the vampire incident. But there's no harm in asking.

I walk outside and towards the entrance to the village where Adriana's hut is located. I knock on the door. Adriana opens the door slightly so that I cannot see inside. She stares at me, waiting for me to speak.

"Good evening, Adriana," I bow my head with respect, "I am almost out of herbs for my classes tomorrow, and I was wondering if I could go out to collect some more. I won't venture far, just far enough to get the herbs I need. May I be allowed to go?" She ponders my question, and then answers.