Witches and Devils

Anastasia

Myrtle and I get everything set up for Mallory to attend this gift, while Cordelia runs some water in the bath. "February 1913, St. Petersburg." Myrtle turns to Mallory as Cordelia shuts off the water, "the tricentennial celebration of a Russia united under the Romanovs. A family that, to my mind, marked the historical height of grandeur. There were feasts, operas. Fireworks lit up the night sky. Oh, to be a fly on the wall of the Winter Palace when Olga danced the polonaise with Prince Saltykov. Five years later, the history of the world changed forever. The family was drag from their beds in the middle of the night and forced into the wine cellar. That night, the czar's youngest daughter tried to stop with a protection spell. As it turns out, little Anastasia was one of us. A witch. However, her power was not great enough to defy her fate. Perhaps yours is."

Mallory shakes her head, "you want to send Rose and I a hundred years into the past to thwart the Bolshevik Revolution?"

"We don't know if Rose will truly go back with you or if her help is truly needed at all." Cordelia nods, "and we need a few dry runs to see if it will work with one or both of you. To test your powers without the possibility that Michael will learn of it." she takes a deep breath, "he's too powerful."

Myrtle nods, "Besides, the Bolsheviks had already won, dear. Young Anastasia's survival will be proof of your success." Myrtle opens her hand to show us Anastaia's necklace, handing it to Mallory, "hold it close." Mallory looks down at the necklace before looks over to me. I nod and the two of us step over to the tub. Mallory sits in the tub and I sit beside the tub. "Bare with me, my dears. This is an unfortunate case of the blind leading the blind. Which I'm sure is of no comfort to either of you, considering the risk of failure is death, but here we are. Take each other's hand. Close your eyes. Take a deep breath. Let my voice guide you." Mallory and I do as we are told, taking the other's hand, holding the necklace between our hands. "In order to achieve this feat, you must place yourselves in a different state of mind, so shed you egos, disengage from this realm. Focus your energy on the jewel and on each other. Use it to place yourself in the night. See the cellar."

As Mallory and I take deep breaths, Cordelia and Myrtle begin the spell, "Balneum infinitum. Dona salui conductus. Balneum infinitum. Dona salui conductus."

As the two chant I can feel a wind in the room, swirling around us. I hear Cordelia whisper, "it's working."

I hear and feel the water begin to bubble before it feels like I am sucked under, pulled into the water. As if I had jumped in headfirst after Mallory. The only thing I can feel is Mallory's hand in mine and the necklace between us. When I open my eyes, I can hear Mallory speaking, after Anastasia yelps, "Shh... I'm here to help you." I try to look around, but if I try to turn my head, I see blackness. I try to move, but I cannot, and I try to speak, but no words come out. As I focus more on the imagine in front of me I realize I'm seeing what Mallory is seeing. "Do you understand me?" I see Anastasia nod, "these men are going to kill you and your family. I know what you're trying to do, but you can't do it alone. Here, take my hands." I feel Anastasia's hands in mine. "Don't you want to live?"

"Yes." Anastasia nods.

"You're gonna live, okay?"

I can hear the two of them begin a chant, "Repellendum malum minatur, ut nobis." repeating the spell over and over. Feeling helpless that I can't help them, only repeating the spell over and over again in my head. "Repellundum malum minatur, ut nobis." I hear a gunshot and Anastasia yelps, but the two continue the chant.

Mallory looks over and there is a purple wall between the soldier's and the family. "I'm gonna try and create a way out of here. Come on."

'No! Someone has to continue the spell.' I think to myself, but I don't think Mallory can hear me, so I do what I can and repeat the spell over and over again in my head, "Repellundum malum minatur, ut nobis." I hear Anastasia speaking in Russia and as Mallory looks over the purple wall falls. The soldiers gunning down the family. The last thing I see is a man running at us with a bainate. Then I am able to scream and I hear Mallory screaming as well. I fall back as Cordelia and Myrtle pull her from the tub.

"No! No! No!" she screams. "I have to go back! I have to go!"

"Shh... " Cordelia tries to console her, "look at me."

"I have to go back! I have to go back!"

"Shhh... sh...." Cordelia places her mouth next to Mallory's ear, "you're here. You're both here. You are with us. You are safe. It's me. It's me."

"I have to go back."

"Keep breathing. Keep breathing. Sh... it's okay."

When I look up to Mallory I see blood is running down her face, it looks as though she's been crying blood. Cordelia and Myrtle get Mallory dried off and speak to the two of us briefly before they lay the two of us down. We are both exhausted and quickly fall asleep.