Casters

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

Salem

I was lying in a hotel room bed staring up at the ceiling above me. Thoughts of home and my friends ran through my mind. I hadn’t spoken to Erin or James in over six months and I missed them so much. If only I could speak to them and tell them I’m okay, but I knew I couldn’t. If I did I’d just be putting them in danger. That was part of the reason I left in the first place, to get help so I could protect them and all the other people in the world.

“You know you can’t contact them Carmen.” Amelia said to me gently.

“I know Amelia but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt not seeing them.”

“Be strong child. Go to Salem, convince the Casters and then go home to them.” That was the last thing Amelia said to me before she went to speak to the witches on the other side. I knew she was doing all she could to help us and spread the word all over the world.

The water in the shower stopped and Robert walked out of the bathroom in his towel. I quickly wiped the tears from my face which I’d shred over my friends. I didn’t want him to see me like that again so I got off the bed and walked into the bathroom ignoring his words, “What’s wrong?”

Before he could catch me I was on the bathroom floor crying again. When would it all end? And when would my life go back to the way it was?

“Carmen, talk to me.” Robert said against the door. I ignored him once again and continued to feel sorry for myself. “Can I get you anything?” He asked through the door again. Then his phone rang and he left me alone. I could hear him mumbling down the phone obviously trying to not let me hear his conversation. For this reason I wanted to hear more so I opened the door and came out the bathroom. When I did I could feel Robert’s eyes on me but I didn’t look back and just went into my backpack and pulled out a clean top I’d brought the day before and changed into it.

“I’ve got to go out. I’ll be back in half an hour.” Robert said as he put his phone back in his pocket. I nodded in reply and pulled my hair up into a pony tail. I heard the door shut as Robert left the hotel suite. This was the first chance I’d had to go out when Robert wasn’t with me so I grabbed my jacket, put on my shoes, picked up my bag and headed out the room and got the elevator to the hotel lobby. Robert had taken the car so I had to walk wherever I was heading. I wasn’t really sure where I was going but I needed some time to clear my head.

I’d been walking for at least an hour when I’d realised I had gotten myself completely lost. It didn’t really bother me as all I really want to do was to carry on walking. It had dawned on whilst I was walking that I couldn’t take Robert to Salem. They’d kill him as soon as he stepped foot into their territory. I had to leave him again. And even though I knew it was a horrible thing to do I had to make sure he didn’t get hurt. So I left him.

“Excuse me. Do you know where a car dealership or something is?” I asked a boy that looked around my age leaning against a building wall. I watched as he glanced over my body and met my eyes a few seconds after.

“Yeah, carry on down this street and then turn left. There’s a second hand dealership down there.” He grinned. I thanked him and walked at a quick pace away. It turned out the boy had actually given me correct directions and within ten minutes I was in a car lot trying to find one that looked like it would actually run. The best looking car there was a light red ford convertible which was exactly my type of car. I headed over to the middle aged man in a grey suit.

“Well hello young lady, what can I do for ya’?” The man was a proper dealer. He had a look about him that made me a little nervous.

“How much for the Ford Thunderbird?” I asked.

“That 1957 Ford Thunderbird classic is $15,000 for you to take away right now.”

“I’ll give you ten.” I said nonchalantly.

“No way young lady, do I look like a fool?” ‘Yes.’ I thought to myself.

“Twelve.”

“Twelve and a half and we have a deal.” The dealer said rubbing his hands together.

“Sold.” I said shaking his hand and following him into the little building on the lot. I knew I had Robert’s credit card in my bag and I also knew it was a really bad thing to do but I would pay him back. When I won the lottery.

****

I was just outside of Salem when I left Robert a voicemail saying I went home and I’d pay him back for the money. I had money left from my Dad before he left. He had put twenty thousand dollars into an account for me. But I’d forgotten my card so I had to use Robert’s. I also told Robert I’d be at Erin’s when he got home. I know I lied to him and I felt awful for it but the Casters in Salem would kill him as soon as they set their eyes on him. I had to be quick before Robert came after me and got himself killed. On my way here I’d stopped several times to read as much of Amelia’s spell book as I could.

Once I was in Salem it was close to midnight so I went straight to Howard Street Cemetery. The cemetery looked really scary once I pulled up outside of it. I didn’t have a good feeling about what I was about to face but I assumed it was because there was also dark Casters just a few yards away from me. I got out of the car and held Amelia’s spell book close to my chest as I walked the tall iron gates that separated the dead from the living. As I walked down the small path surrounded by weeping angel statues I could hear the chants of the witches ahead. A shiver ran up my back as I approached the cloaked figures ahead. Green sparks were jumping from the flames of a fire in the centre of the cemetery. The word, “resurgemus” was being chanted over and over again. As I stepped in reach of one of the hooded silhouettes Amelia screamed through our connection, “CARMEN RUN IT’S HAPPENING!”

I gasped at her words and the figures fell silent and snapped their heads in my direction. Within seconds a cloaked man had his arm around my neck holding me close against his body. Slowly an old woman with a hunched back approached me. She ran her black fingernails across my cheek and laughed a cruel chuckle.

“Such a pretty thing.” The old hag laughed. “It’s a shame Amelia chose you. You could’ve become one of us one day. Oh where are my manners, my name is Deyanira.” I said nothing as I wriggled in the mountain of a man’s arms. “Now, you must know by now what we’re going to do with you.”  I remained silent. “Well, if you’ve forgotten please let me remind you. We dark Casters as you call us have recently allied with a different kind of immortals. Vampires. And for some reason this Vampire we have made a deal with wants Amelia back. I personally never liked the traitor. You’d think us being cousins and all she would never turn on me but she did. Anyway, he wants her and we want the light Casters gone. This is where you come in. If you give Gybon what he wants by you releasing Amelia in a very ancient and painful ritual she will come back from the other side. Then we will kill her and Gybon. Now you know when the leader of the light is gone they’ll have no other choice than to come over to our side. And finally we will rise and rule this pathetic world.”

“All along you knew I’d come here eventually.” I mumbled.

“Not everyone on your side can be trusted.” She laughed again in that harsh cackle. All the other hooded figures around us joined her in a terrifying joke. “Now where is my beloved daughter?”

“Here Mother.” A female voice answered. As this person walked towards us she removed the hood from her head. It didn’t shock me the slightest bit that under that cloak was Bethany. Her black lips smiled a wicked smile at me.

“She’s all yours darling. Get her ready for the ritual tomorrow night.” Bethany nodded in reply and pulled me across the floor by hair towards a decaying tomb. The stone door was open and the thousands of Casters behind us cheered in joy.

“We’re going to die.”  I cried to Amelia, before being locked in a candle lit tomb.