Another Way To Bleed (Midnight Assassin) (10 page)

Chapter Seventeen

“Cassie... Cassie... Cassandra Marie Murphy! If you do not get yourself out of that pit and ready for school, I swear by the Goddess I will come up the
re and drag you down myself!”

The familiar voice jerked Cassie awake. She guessed she must be dead if her mother's voice was enough to snap her back to consciousness. Had she dreamed it all? Had the last five years of her life been nothing but a terrible nightmare?
A product of an overactive imagination? As she looked around the once familiar bedroom that had been her sanctuary when she lived with her coven, she grimaced at the abundance of pink that adorned the room. Her mother had decorated it with the hopes that the calming influence would have some effect on her hyper, troublesome daughter. Cassie always preferred black, but her mother had informed her that her taste in clothes and music was an acquired taste. Swinging her legs out of bed, she caught sight of herself in the mirror. She must be dreaming because the face staring back at her was that of her former self, a scrawny, pale fifteen year old who couldn't fight her way out of a paper bag. Her black hair hung in loose knots over her face and hollow, lonely black eyes blinked at her. Maybe, just maybe... She didn't dare hope that none of the horrible things she had been through were nothing more than a bad night’s sleep.

Flinging open her bedroom door, she walked down the buzzing corridors as the members of her coven hurried round organising themselves for their day. Cassie smiled to herself as the rich aromas of thyme, sage, cinnamon, poppy and other scents that label each witch, danced through her. As she descended the stairs that led to their shared kitchen, she paused.
I'm supposed to be remembering something. I'm sure of it... I'm not supposed to be here.

The thought evaporated almost immediately as her mother poked her head round the door. “There you are, come on, you’re late as it is.” She smiled then, the biggest smile Cassie had ever seen; her mother glowed as she did. She was alive and not a vampire. Cassie hadn't killed her. This was real. This was what she wanted.

Taking a step inside, Cassie sat on the nearest vacant chair. All around the table eating breakfast were her family, though not by blood, this was her family. Helena the prophetess, Bridget the warrior, Aine the master of potions and like her, the witches of the future, Siobhan, Aoife, Breanna and baby Aishling, who at just four years old had shown an affinity for music and was sort of like a pied piper of witches. Like a siren, just not with the sea and the ships. Her mother placed a plate full of eggs in front of her and she forked them into her mouth hungrily. As she sat, she stole a glance at her mother. Apart from having the same shaped face and petite build, they looked nothing alike. In contrast to Cassie’s dark shade, her mother was light, long golden waves of hair that cascaded down her back. Where Cassie was pale, she was tanned and had eyes of royal blue that shone so bright Cassie wished her own eyes had even the faintest of colour.

“
Neasa, I want to up Cassie's training if possible. She has shown good skill with a sword, and she can handle herself in unarmed combat also.” Bridget spoke directly to her mother whose beautiful face looked wrong as she frowned at her fellow witch.

“Bridget, I understand that you feel it would be of more use to Cassie, but she needs to concentrate more on her spell casting and other duties rather than just her affinity for violence.”

Her mother’s voice was stern yet not harsh as she looked sideways at her daughter. Cassie raised her eyebrow in slight protest. Okay, so she had almost taken the head off of Siobhan when she had gotten angry in training, but when she danced around the gym in combat, she felt alive. Everything in her soul told her she was meant to fight.

“Come on, mom please?
Please?
I promise I'll work harder on my spells, but I'm not like the other girls. I'm like Bridget. I can feel it in my bones.”

The room was suddenly silent and all eyes darted between me and my mother. The unspoken elephant was most certainly in the room. She was not like all of them - she was half demon, but Neasa refused to say who her dad was and there was no convincing her otherwise. After a brief staring contest, Cassie dropped her gaze and looke
d at her hands.

“I will speak to Bridget about the matter and let you know my decision when I have made it. Now off you go with Helena, you and Siobhan. And you two, do not cause any mischief or no party on Friday with
the warlock boys, got it?”

“Yes, ma’am,” they both chimed in and followed th
e aging witch out of the room. As they walked out into the city’s streets that Cassie loved so much, her friend linked her arm and bumped her hip. Giggling as they skipped down the street, a passerby smiled at the two young girls so full of life. They stopped at little shops in the market, picking up herbs and spell ingredients along the way. They were heading for the park to convene with nature, which Cassie was useless at, but Siobhan could make a withering flower spring back to life, or a winter's tree sprout fresh leaves.

You’re not really here, Cassie ... think... think... focus... this is not real....

The old witch looked at her then, gave her a crooked smile before handing Siobhan all her shopping. “Go back home, Siobhan dear. I only need Cassie to help me with everything else. Neasa will need the sage for a spell in half an hour so do not dawdle girl. Go now.”

You never argued with a prophetess. If Helena said her mother would be casting a spell in half an hour, then she would. Her visions were legendary and never wrong.
Her age nor the extent of her power was not commonly known, but Cassie felt the waves of magic roll off the woman even when she slept. Siobhan kissed Cassie on her cheek and was gone. Helena continued to move gracefully down the busy streets, whereas Cassie bumped into a few people to catch up with the woman. Cassie wished she had been sent home instead of Siobhan, so she could try and talk her mother round about training with Bridget, but there was no way she was going to try and convince Helena that she needed to be elsewhere.

“You may feel as you young liked to say 'pissed' that you’re stuck with the old biddy again today, Cassie, but one day you will be thankful I dragged you with me.” The woman grinned back at her, displaying
that one missing tooth.

“Hey, no fair reading me, Lena.
Come on, where are we going?” Cassie pleaded.

Light bubbly laughter filled the air. “Your lack of patience will be your downfall, my dear, but you are
amusing to have around.”

“That's 'cause when I try to cast spells things seem to blow up and you like wh
en things go boom!”

“That could be it
as well,” she chuckled.

They walked down a darkened street that Cassie had never been down before; it
reeked something rotten. The elder witch knocked on a side door three times then paused and knocked again. The hairs on the back of her neck stood to attention.

You’re not meant to be here... It’s all an illusion, Cassie. Snap out of it....

The heavy door groaned as it opened and Helena ushered her inside. Taking her by the crook of her arm, Cassie was lead down a dark hallway, the only light seeping out from underneath a closed door. Fear coursed through her entire body as unfamiliar scents invaded her nose. Her fingers trembled as they neared the closed door. Grasping Helena's hand, she opened her mouth to speak, the words catching in her throat. “Helena, I don't like it here, there’s something not quite right in this place. Can we go please? It smells all wrong.” But her companion kept moving, ignoring her pleas.

Memory, memory, memory...

Heart pounding in her chest, she prayed to the Goddess to keep her safe as the door opened, a light temporarily blinding her. When Cassie's eyes regained focus, she took in a breath. Before her stood the most gorgeous man she had ever laid eyes on. He was movie-star hot with chiselled features, raven black hair, muscles she could see hiding underneath his short sleeved t-shirt and the most amazing green eyes known to man. Siobhan would never believe her in a million years. The man took Helena's hand in his and raised it to meet his lips. She pushed him back into the room before grabbing Cassie's arm and pulling her along. Cassie took in the room, simple and minimalistic, with just a table and two chairs. He motioned for them to sit and Cassie obeyed while cursing herself for sitting open-mouthed, staring at him.

Goddess, he’s yummy,
she thought. When she caught his eye and he was smirking at her, she shrieked. “You’re a mind reader! Damn it!”

He
laughed, a rich baritone laugh that sent shivers up her spine. Helena shook her head in dismay and proceeded to apologise on her behalf. “Forgive the child, Luka; she has yet to learn to think before she speaks.”

“Hey! I can say sorry for myself if needs be, Lena... and I'm not a child.” She smiled at the woman to show that it was all in jest, almost forgetting the man leaning against the wall that had his eyes fixed on her. Cassie closed her eyes and inhaled. Her eyes went wide and she began to shake her head in disbelief. Both of the adults stared at her, but Cassie couldn't find the words to a
rticulate anything.

“It is quite alright, Cassie, tell us what you scented.”

After Cassie hesitated, Helena nodded reassuringly. “It’s okay, you’re safe here, I swear to the Goddess.”

Cassie took a deep breath and the words erupted from her mouth. “He smells like lavender, sweet calming lavender laced with death. He is extremely powerful, almost on par with you, but not quite. It flows from him in waves. Like you, I can't really tell how old he is, but I know he's not alive... if I'm not going mad, I’d say he was a vampire. But they don't
exist. Not in real life.”

The dead man looked at her in wild amazement, and he opened his mouth to speak, closed it and tried again. “Remarkable, Helena, she is just as you described. She is most unique, like a piece of fine art. I didn't believe you when you told me, but she could be of much use if what you say you
saw is almost upon us.”

“It is, old friend. I have seen a lot in the past few weeks, all of which comes down to this abrupt, stubborn and strong-willed
girl, so the Goddess help us.”

Cassie clenched her fist. “Hey, could you people stop talking about me like I'm not here, 'cause like hello, here I am... complete mind-fuck over here, people... vampires are real, you’re talking about me like I’m the Goddess reincarnated and then ins
ulting me... can I just go?”

She stood up quickly, her chair scraping along the floor. Helena stood with her, but did not move toward the door yet. “Cassie, we are leaving soon, I promise. You may not understand, but one day, in the not so distant future, you will remember that I brought you here and you were safe. Luka will look out for you when we are gone, and you will be fierce and strong.”

The woman sighed, her face turning sorrowful as she added a final part. “And when you do remember, I hope you can forgive me for my deceit.”

“Helena? What are you talking about? Have you been smoking some weird wacky herbal shit? What do you mean when I remember? What deceit? I want to go right now!”

The last few words came out in a desperate sob. She wanted to go home, feel safe in her mother's arms, yet there was a nagging feeling she was supposed to be doing something else, something not here. The cool, calm vampire appeared in front of her, placing his strong hands on her shaking shoulders. She looked up and held his gaze, her face stern and lips tight. He leaned in and Cassie felt his ice cold lips brush against her forehead. When he looked back into her eyes, she felt as though she could get lost in a sea of green and she wouldn't care.

“I am very sorry for your distress, Cassandra, but it was essential I meet you just this once before all hell breaks loose. When I do come for you, however, you won't remember me or who I am. When you leave this building, you will forget you were ever here. Instead, you will believe that you were in a coffee shop with Helena... that is all. Do y
ou understand me, Cassandra?”

She fought the compulsion and he had to repeat himself, but in the end, she nodded, her brain already beginning to feel fuzzy. The elders nodded at each other and the meeting was over. When Cassie stepped back out into the Irish sunshine, the memory of meeting Luka was erased f
rom her mind, for now.              Cassie felt strange very quickly, the edges of her vision blurred and her stomach rolled. She grasped the side of the wall as she sank down, her forehead placed on the cool wall. Her inner voice screamed at her,
IT'S NOT REAL!!!!

As the scene around her turned black, she heard a sadistic laugh and words crawling in her head like an insect.
Cassandra, I can take all your memories, even hidden ones from you. One by one, until you come of your own will to me. I will break you, you can be sure of that. You will be mine. I will make you think it's real and then rip it all apart.....if you don't join me, you'll go mad. I will feast on your fears, your hopes and your memories and love every minute of it. So we've had a memory, now let’s see what your worst memory of being afraid is, shall we, my dear? Yummy, I can taste it already. I hope you’re ready to scream 'cause I'm all ears.

Cassie let off a scream as she tumbled into darkness with nothing but laughter for company.