Blood and Fire (17 page)

“If we were in Europe, they would do all of that and more. The elders fight with their minds, not their bodies.”

“You think they can really reach this far with just their minds?”

“I am afraid so. Probably less effectively than in Europe.” He sighed. “But it could be more than enough against the defenses we could raise.”

“There’s got to be something we can do.”

“I welcome any suggestions.”

“What about this mind thingy we have? Could we do something with that?”

“
Mio Dio
, Arianna. We are just learning to use the gateway. You cannot expect to take on the O-Seven in that manner.”

Since she didn’t have other immediate ideas, they moved on to talk about his uneventful plane trip and the current status of things in Riverdale. Long after the phone call ended, she thought about the frightening abilities of the O-Seven. Maybe there was something she—as a witch—could do. After all, the O-Seven had failed to wipe out the witches in Europe. The time had definitely come for her to approach Zylla, the wise woman living in the caverns. Nothing like talking to a firsthand historian.

Ari glanced at the clock on her dresser. Midnight. Perfect time to chat with an eight-hundred-year-old vampire.

Chapter Twelve

Once Ari explained Zylla had approved a meeting, Gabriel readily agreed to lead the way into the caverns.

“Consider yourself privileged.” Gabriel carried a lantern through the narrow pathways connecting the caverns. “Zylla doesn’t talk to many.”

Loose pebbles stirred occasionally under their feet, but most of the path was worn smooth. The bouncing light of the lantern made the caves even more mysterious. The musty scent from the damp walls and the presence of vampiric energy blocked any ability for Ari’s magic to give accurate readings on where she was and what dangers might be surrounding her. It made her edgy, and she noted every dark recess along the way.

“What’s she like?” Ari’s voice echoed in the tunnel. “Andreas never said much about her, except she’s old.”

“She was a soothsayer before her transformation.”

“Yeah, I guess he mentioned she was a wise woman. Did he mean witch?”

“I don’t know. Maybe. She has powers beyond those of a vampire, but I haven’t heard what they are. I didn’t meet her until I came to Riverdale, but it’s rumored she’s been in America since the first settlers came. Perhaps she’ll tell you more, if you ask.” He ducked into a smaller tunnel. “We’re almost there.”

As he spoke they turned another corner, and the path opened into a small chamber. Ari took in the sight before her. A woman with white hair falling to her waist sat next to a wood fire, stirring a pot of boiling liquid. Or so it seemed. The fire wasn’t real; it was a very realistic illusion. The pot emitted a faint smell of root beer that tickled Ari’s nose. Sassafras oil. What would a vampire do with that particular witches’ brew?

Finally, Ari took in the old-fashioned, multicolored skirt, the black top, and matching shawl draped over the woman’s arms. It all seemed like a carefully staged scene from the past.

Zylla looked up, her eyes glinting with interest at sight of Gabriel. “Ah, I had not expected to see you tonight. You honor an old woman.”

Gabriel bowed to her. “As if I could keep my distance from a beautiful woman.” He gave a flirtatious grin. “I have brought someone who is most anxious to meet you.”

“The Guardian.” Zylla turned her head to study Ari. “Andreas says you have many questions for me.”

“Yes, I do. If you don’t mind.” Ari stood a little awkwardly, not knowing what she was supposed to do. How did you greet an eight-hundred-year-old vampire who looked about as scary as your grandmother? “My name is Arianna, and I’m honored that you agreed to see me.”

The old vampiress laughed. “How could I resist Andreas’s request? I am old, but I still have a weakness for the flattery of handsome young men. He spoke fondly of you.”

Ari blushed, wondering what he’d said. Did this woman know they were lovers? Would she care?

“I had heard of you before he came and was curious.” Zylla peered at her. “You are a witch.”

Relieved the woman had steered the conversation onto safe grounds, Ari answered readily enough. “Yes. From the Calin bloodline.”

“I knew Talaitha. Lovely woman.”

Ari immediately warmed toward the vampiress. “My great-grandmother. She raised me, and I still miss her.”

“Very proper that you should. Come, sit, child. I once had some of your skills. Not many, for my witch blood was sadly thinned, but I had some ability to see the future and for healing. I can still make a comforting illusion and a useful potion or two.” She pointed her wooden spoon at the pot. “A dwarf I know suffers from rheumatism.”

Ari nodded. A logical use of sassafras. She sat down cross-legged next to the fire and immediately noticed there was no heat radiating from it. If she placed her hand in it, she’d feel nothing. That meant the pot was being warmed by a separate spell and Zylla had retained more tricks than she’d implied. Gabriel perched on a rocky ledge, a smile tugging at his lips as he watched the two women assess each other.

“I have no talent for prophecy,” Ari confessed. “My witch mentor, Moriana, is very good at practical prophecy involving the near future. Visitors coming, phones ringing. That sort of thing. I never could get the hang of it, even though I tried several times.” She stopped, realizing she was babbling. The old witch made her nervous. Ari took a steadying breath. “Did Andreas tell you about our problems with the O-Seven?”

Zylla waggled her white head. “He mentioned it. Don’t take them lightly, my dear.”

“I’m not. That’s why I’m so interested in the vampire-witch war back in 1329. How did the witches survive? Is there a spell or enchantment that will protect us from the elders?”

The old woman pursed her lips in thought. “Nothing is foolproof. And the witches never won that war. The conflict continues today, carried on by the Witches’ League. I will tell you what I know, but I cannot predict if it will help you. My gift of prophecy was changed by the vampiric transformation. I no longer see the future with clarity.” She grinned, showing yellowed fangs. “Nothing wrong with my memory though. I can tell you about the past as if it was yesterday. How much do you know of that time in history?”

“Almost nothing, except humans call it the Middle Ages.”

Zylla nodded vaguely as she stirred her pot again. “By 1329 the crusades were over. So was the famine. The Knights Templar had been murdered, and the plague was not yet upon us. Europe was in turmoil; the Hundred Years’ War was brewing. In that atmosphere, it is not surprising that Otherworlders would begin their own quests for power. The vampires began to extend their influence beyond the forests of Germany into territories that had long belonged to the witches. Clashes were inevitable.” The old woman stopped and gave Ari a questioning look. “But perhaps you do not want to hear the details of this ancient history.”

“Oh, please, go on. Were you directly involved in any of the fights?”

“My coven was. I was not a warrior witch, but I lent whatever power I had to our cause.” Zylla picked up a thick cloth, wound it around her hand and arm to protect them from splashes of hot liquid, and moved the pot from the fire to a flat stone to cool. She put out the fire with a flick of her hand and pulled the shawl around her shoulders. “No, I do not feel the cold, child,” she said in response to Ari’s quick look. “It is nothing but a comforting habit.” Zylla’s hand went up to touch the deep crow’s feet near her temples. “I was an old woman before I became a vampire. I still enjoy the familiarity of the life I once lived.”

Which explained the clothes and the fake fire.

“Now where was I? Oh, yes. The beginning of the war. At first the witches did not object to the vampires’ expansion. As long as the vampires were discreet, they didn’t bother us much.” She settled her colorful skirt around her. “The war started over a pig.”

“A pig?” Ari couldn’t quite stifle her disbelief.

“Well, I suppose it was really the boy who owned the pig. The creature had gotten loose and the young child was chasing it. A vampire, whose name escapes me, thought the boy would make a tasty drink. The village witch, who by some quirk of fate was present, took exception to the vampire’s intentions. When she raised an energy barrier to protect the boy, the vampire turned on the witch and ripped out her throat. The coven reacted by bringing in a fire witch to burn out the local vampire nest. I imagine you can see where it went from there.”

Ari nodded. “Retaliation, back and forth—all the way to the O-Seven, I assume. And they declared war on all witches?”

“Eventually. It took a while, but it was merely an excuse. The vampire elders did not want to share control of the land with the witches. They wanted it for themselves. I doubt if they cared about the fate of the local vampire nest.”

The corner of Ari’s mouth twitched at the old woman’s cynicism. Even after eight hundred years as a vampire, it was obvious where Zylla’s loyalties still lay. “You felt the vampires were in the wrong.”

“I do not favor aggression by either side, but the witches did not welcome it. Nor did they try to exterminate the entire vampire world.” Zylla’s fangs flashed in the firelight.

“So how did the witches survive? Then and still today?”

“By forming the Witches’ League, using their combined powers to set up barriers, improve wards against vampires. They perfected teleportation spells for quick in-and-out attacks, and they recruited at least one fire witch into every coven.”

“So many fire witches?” Ari shifted forward in interest. “I’ve always thought it was a rare gift.”

“It is now, child. The vampires concentrated their wrath on the fire witches as their most feared enemy, and many wonderful bloodlines were extinguished. Over the centuries, the O-Seven has continued to hunt them, forcing many into hiding. Some, like your family, eventually escaped to the New World.” Her gaze sharpened. “Andreas tells me they do not know you have the gift of fire. Guard your secret well. If you do not, instead of providing those you love with protection, your gift could bring the wrath of the elders to Riverdale.”

Ari’s magic spiked with alarm. Her witch fire could be a liability?

“I do not mean to frighten you, but you, and those around you,” Zylla’s gaze drifted to Gabriel, “must prepare for the day the elders learn the truth. Strengthen your magic, learn to control the fire spirits, and keep your coven close. You will need the power of many to withstand them, and Andreas must eventually seek out his own roots.”

“His roots? What are you talking about?”

Zylla folded her hands in her lap. “It is not important now, but I will talk with Andreas when the time comes. For the present, you and he should strengthen the bond you share.”

“Have you seen something? A piece of the future? Can you be more specific?”

Zylla’s smile was unreadable. “You will figure out your path. I have seen no more than hazy images.” She drew the shawl tightly around her shoulders. “I grow weary as dawn nears. The sun weighs heavy on me these days.”

Ari uncrossed her legs and stood to go. She understood a dismissal when she heard one. “Thank you for talking with me. I hope I may visit again.”

“That would be nice, my dear. You too, Gabriel.”

The vampire rose to follow Ari back into the tunnels. “Count on it,” he said with a wink.

Ari suddenly turned back. “I almost forgot. I have a last question, if you will allow it.”

“By all means. You must be quick.” But Zylla looked intrigued.

“The place you call Spirit Cave. Can you tell me when and why it was unsealed?”

Zylla’s face cracked into a grin. “I wondered if you would ask about the lines of life. The cave was opened before my time, but there is an Indian legend regarding the Ancient Ones, who once lived here. It is said that when the time came for them to leave this world they retreated into another dimension. If they were the ones who opened the cave in order to use the ancient power, it was many centuries ago.”

“So, it wasn’t opened by Blackhawk,” Ari said, more to herself than anyone. She looked at the wise woman. “A powerful amulet may be hidden there.”

“Ah, Blackhawk’s bloodstone.”

“Yes. You know of it.” Ari’s tone revealed her great interest. “Do you know where it is?”

“Have you found the symbol?” The vampiress waited for Ari to nod. “And have you spoken with his descendants? He said he would leave instructions.”

“But they weren’t clear at all,” Ari protested. “More like a riddle.”

Zylla frowned. “Blackhawk spoke with me before he departed. He wanted his people to have the stone if he did not return. He was most definite he would give them its exact location.”

“Can you tell me where it is?”

“I cannot.” The old woman’s face pinched in regret. “I asked him not to tell me. I did not want to interfere with fate, as it was Blackhawk’s secret, not mine. He must lead you to it in his own way or it shall remain hidden forever.” She smiled and held out her hand to Gabriel, who kissed it and bowed.

Frustrated, but knowing she wouldn’t learn more tonight, Ari thanked the vampiress again and joined Gabriel to head back into the cavern maze.

“Do you think she knew more?” Ari spoke the moment they were out of hearing.

Gabriel shrugged. “Does it matter? She isn’t going to tell you. Surely this isn’t your first introduction to the vampiric respect for secrecy.” Gabriel seemed taken aback. “If so, I really must talk with Andreas about his loose tongue.”

“Oh, Goddess, don’t do that. He hardly tells me anything as it is. And, yes, I have heard that sentiment before about protecting somebody else’s secret. It’s freakin’ frustrating every time it crops up.”

Instead of his usual lighthearted comeback, Gabriel slipped into silence. They were almost to the outer cave entrance when Ari pulled out of her thoughts long enough to notice his mood. “Worrying about your missing vamps?”

“We’re almost into the second sleep cycle since they vanished. If they’re alive somewhere, I hope they’ve found cover. Dying from exposure to the sun is extremely painful.”