Write To Rank 2

Round 6 : The Enchanted Circle

Annamarie's long purple cape grazed the cobble stone streets as she scurried into a dark alleyway. She could hear the crackling snaps of dueling magic from the battle front nearly three miles away.

Approaching a wooden door nuzzled in the side of a brick Alchemy shop, Annamarie pulled back her hood and knocked four times. She whispered at the door, "Coven for one, coven for all."

In response to her spoken password, the wooden door slid sideways to grant her passage. She ducked her head under the doorway to enter the empty stairwell. The door slid shut and locked behind her. Annamarie descended the stone staircase to the underground sanctuary of the Sapphire Coven, for which she was the leader.

"Ah, I see you have made it before me," Annamarie greeted Clarice who stood in front of the altar filled with various witchcraft ritual paraphernalia.

Clarice, dressed in black robe, smiled, "Why, yes. I thought I might grow old waiting for you." She added a light chuckle to release the tension in the atmosphere.

"No need to fret. Better down here than out there, eh? On my way here, I could still hear them at it." Annamarie shivered at the growing chill in her body.

Clarice ignored the disturbed expression on Annamarie's face. "Well, hopefully what we have planned tonight will help. Once we terminate the mole feeding information to the Obsidian Tyrants, we will have a real fighting chance." Clarice patted Annamarie on the shoulder before lighting the candles on the alter with a box of matches from her handbag.

"I heard the reports this morning of the fallen from Onyx Coven, as your fellow leader, I mourn with you." Annamarie consoled as she fetched supplies from an embellished trunk under the alter. "We are the two strongest leaders of covens in the Enchanted Circle and since there is a full moon on the night of an eclipse, there will not be another chance for our strength to unite."

"Agreed. We must hurry along then. As you can imagine, I have duties to attend to after this." Clarice added.

Annamarie revealed the key element for their pending ritual to Clarice, a small handcrafted replica of a person. Clarice studied Annamarie as she placed the doll on a pedestal in the center of the altar surrounded by candles, various herb braids and bellowing incense.

"And you are sure that this doll is for Rhani, the mole in your coven?" Clarice hesitatingly questioned as she felt something oddly familiar about the doll.

"Of course, Clarice." Annamarie smirked.

"Good. I made it in time." Ezekiel, the leader of the Enchanted Circle, stood at the bottom of the stairwell in a fitted tux. His eyes studied the two coven leaders as he approached the alter.

"Ezek! I'm glad you made it. I wouldn't want to do this with out you." Clarice bounced like a schoolgirl.

"What we are about to do will change the tide in our war. I wouldn't miss it." Ezekiel gave Clarice a peck on the forehead and peered over the alter. "Looks like you are all set. Let's begin."

Annamarie's smile grew as her tongue grazed her upper teeth, "Yes. Since the mole is in my coven, I would like to do the honors. That is if you don't mind." She batted her eyes at Ezekiel.

He cleared this throat before responding, "No, not at all."

Annamarie stood at the middle of the alter and hovered her hands over the doll. She bowed her head and begun whispering a chant to link the wiccan spirit to the doll.

Just as her chant was ending her voice grew louder. Snaps of electricity connected the doll to the palm of her hands as she snapped her head up. Annamarie's body wavered slightly before lowering her arms and assuring, "It is finished."

Entranced by Annamarie's aura, Clarice and Ezekiel stood in silence as they watched her select a sharp needle point pin. Without hesitation, Annamarie drove the pin into the doll's abdomen.

Clarice's mouth dropped open as she pulled back her black robe to reveal a pool of blood seeping through her corset. Unable to form sentences, Clarice's gaping mouth grew dry as she stared at Annamarie in horror.

"My, love!" Ezekiel became enraged at the sight of his bleeding mistress. "What the hell have you done!" He snapped at Annamarie as he charged towards her.

Before he could get his hands around her throat, Annamarie laughed as she used dark forces to fling Ezekiel against the brick wall.

"You bitch!" Ezekiel spit out.

"ENOUGH!" Annamarie snapped as she flicked her finger in the air a zipper appeared over Ezekiel's mouth and zipped it shut.

"Why?" Clarice's horse voice cracked as she gripped her abdomen. "I... I.. I just don't understand."

"You filthy imbecile." Annamarie hissed at Clarice. "You think Rhani could be a mole! Ha! She can't even cast a simple self defense spell, let alone partner with the leader of Obsidian Tyrants. It is me! I am the mole you fools!"

"But... why?" Clarice blinked away the tears welling in her eyes.

"Oh, shut up. You know why, you filthy whore. The Enchanted Circle is due for a couple's leadership. You knew that, didn't you. That's why you sucked up to Ezekiel, just to take that from me."

Annamarie paced back and forth while shouting, "Leading the circle is in my blood. My DNA. My heritage. Ezekiel was supposed to be mine. This kingdom is supposed to be mine! BUT NO! That filthy warlock thought he could go against tradition and replace me with you." Annamarie flipped her scorching red hair behind her shoulders and stood tall.

Clarice, unable to stand any longer, stumbled to the floor. "Why be a mole? Why not just kill me?"

Annamarie exploded with laughter. "Silly child. This is why you are not fit to rule! Once I made my way into the Obsidian Tyrants bedchambers, I spelled Reynold, their leader, to be my servant. Now I won't have just the Enchanted Circle, but I will rule over all of Obsidian." Annamarie licked her lips and the taste of power.

While Clarice was distracting Annemarie, Ezekiel was able to break free of her hold. He charged full speed at her from behind, taking her down to the floor.

A mixture of energy snaps and punches exploded between the rolling bodies on the floor. Annamarie struggled to break free, and if she couldn't, she would be sure to do one last thing.

She crawled on her knees towards the altar as Ezekiel gripped her robe in his fist. He twisted and pulled the rope tightly against her throat.

Despite the decreased in oxygen, Annamarie reached on the alter and picked up another needle point pin.

"No!" Ezekiel loosened his grip to swat her hand holding the needle.

Annamarie snapped her jaw onto his arm and gnawed a chuck of flesh from it.

Screaming in pain, Ezekiel lost his grip as Annamarie broke free.

"It's time you get the death you deserve." Her voice slithered out of her bloody mouth and through the air as she drove the sharp pin into the doll's head.