Later that same evening, Raven sat in her room with her legs crossed on her yoga mat. Her back was impeccably straight, the only time she ever sat with perfect posture. Her hands rested palm up on her knees, her chin extended to the ceiling as she inhaled in the sweet smell of lavender and sandalwood.
The incense burned a lovely haze around the room, barely visible by the moonlight. All around the room she had lit her endless array of cream candles, with a single colored candle at each of the four Cardinal Directions, yellow in the East, red in the South, blue in the West, and green in the North.
As she took in another deep breath of incense, she visualized herself drawing from the earth's energy, cleansing her soul, and filling her with its presence. A small smile lit her face as her hair lifted slightly in an unseen wind. The smell of saltwater and sweet grass replaced the smell of her incense while her skin tingled all over from the warmth of a summer sun. When she opened her eyes, she was no longer in her room.
Laughing in delight, she stood, twirling around in a childish like way. Her lavender sun dress billowed out around her, shimmering as it replaced the yoga pants and tank top that her earthly self still wore. In this realm, she was much more lively, her pale skin radiant, her dark hair in naturally unruly curls around her shoulders. Her astral projection was the essence of her and her magic, must prettier than her earthly form.
She skipped to the water, leaning down to cup some in her hands. Raven lifted it to her lips, blowing slightly across the surface as she whispered a chant.A breeze stirred the water and her hair, indicating the spell's success. She whirled around with a wide grin and kneeled before the beautiful woman before her.
The goddess' hair was the color of moonlight, a pool of light around her maiden face. A dress the color of pine trees flowed over her body, moving with an unseen wind. She radiated light and power, a pure smile lighting her stormy eyes.
"Blessed be, my sweet child," her voice carried to Raven's ears, a soft melody that was unforgettable.
"Blessed be, my goddess," she replied, down-casting her eyes in respect.
"Now, Ravensara, you needn't address me as such. Goddess is my title, but Diana is my name. There is no need for formality, daughter." A hand gently lifted her chin so that she would look the maiden in the face. "No more kneeling."
Obediently, she rose to her feet, placing a hand in Diana's as she extended it.
This Goddess was the Mother of all Light Witches, the keeper of the moon and protector of virtue. With any questions, Raven never hesitated to ask her.
"Diana, I had an encounter today. What happened? What did I do?" She asked, a frightened expression crossing her face. She knew the goddess had seen all things and knew what had occurred in the park.
Diana guided the young witch to the edge of the water once more, sweeping her arm out over the shimmering surface. "Tell me, child, what do you know of our history?" The goddess asked in her melodious voice.
"I know of you, Diana, and your opposite, Hekate. I know that the two of you represent the opposite sides of the yin-yang, you the Light and Hekate the Shadows." Raven spoke softly, watching as the surface rippled before producing an image of a young Diana and Hekate. Both were incredibly beautiful women, even in their early years.
"Yes, we represent the two realms. That is true. Witches have been practicing for as long as mankind had existed. From Shamans to fortune tellers, witches are everywhere. But you knew that already, didn't you?" Raven nodded, so the goddess continued. "No other supernatural beings existed. Lycanthropes had not yet been created by Artemis, my Greek sister, and the veil between the realm of the living and the realm of the dead was impenetrable by all except Persephone, Hekate, and Hades himself. Any spirits that crossed over were unable to return to the living.
"There was a young woman in a village who worshipped Hekate. She did not practice light magic. She wanted to raise the dead. It was from her that the art of necromancy was brought to earth. But beyond that, this maiden witch wanted a spell that would prevent her from ever dying. She wanted immortality."
"Immortality?" Raven repeated, "So like vampires?" The man from earlier came to mind. She wondered what immortality had to do with witches, a mortal creature much like humans. The only difference between witches and humans was a witch's sensitivity to the energies.
Diana nodded, her moonlight hair tickling Raven's arm. "Yes, like vampires. It was from her that vampires originated. She didn't become one but by using her witch's blood and a variety of highly dangerous herb combinations, she managed to revive one of her suitors, transforming him into the first child of the night. She wanted to become one herself but her blood resisted it. Her aim was to find a spell that would give her everlasting life so she could live alongside her beloved vampire. She weakened the veil between realms with her tampering, allowing some spirits to remain on earth, and some creatures to pass over from the spirit realm that were supposed to remain there."
"Did she die?" Raven asked in a quiet voice, watching her goddess carefully. She wasn't sure of the connection this had but knew that if her goddess was telling her this, it was important to listen.
"Yes, my daughter, she did. But she still lives in the spirit realm. She is waiting for her chance to cross back over and revive herself as an immortal. Many Dark witches are still looking for the key to gain immortality without the same side effects as becoming a vampire. She's awaiting her chance." Raven shivered in fear at the dark tone the goddess' voice took.
"Why are you telling me this?" Raven blanched. "I mean, not to be disrespectful, my goddess. What does this have to do with the man I met?"
Diana waved her hand at her, smiling softly. "It is simply information you must know. It is time for you to go, my sweet daughter." She turned to Raven with a serious face. "As for the man you met, he is born of light, turned to darkness. He fights the darkness that threatens to consume him daily but has only recently begun to give up the fight. You, my dear, just created a bond that ensures he is not alone in his fight. It may sound scary now, daughter, but you will soon understand. Have no fear. I am always with you. Do you understand?"
Raven's eyebrows wrinkled together. "Yes, but-"
"You must go back to your realm. Your friend is awaiting you. Rest easily, my child, for I am always with you, and soon enough, your vampire will be by your side as well. Welcome him, daughter. Blessed be." The goddess cupped Raven's face in her hands and pressed a soft kiss to her forward.
Raven shut her eyes as the light consumed her, the warmth of her goddess surrounding her.
When she opened her eyes again, she was lying on her yoga mat, panting heavily. Her goddess rarely gave her messages. Usually they discussed spells or they danced, but she had given her a premonition. She bound herself to someone of the darkness? The idea terrified Raven.
She sighed and stood to get dressed and ready for work. The sun shone its rays in through the window, the candles all burned out.
An unsettling feeling nestled itself in her gut, twisting her stomach and unnerving her. She had a distant feeling that life was about to take an unexpected turn and she wasn't sure if she was prepared for it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Raven fought to ignore his smothering presence.
He was seated in the same corner booth, watching her with a different glint in his eyes than the day before. His lean hands fiddled with the mug he had placed in front of him. Instead of looking terrifying and brooding like he had the day before, he just looked nervous. Like a boy who had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar, but was determined to plead his case.
The man knew he had frightened her. But if he was honest with himself, she had frightened him as well. Whatever she had done in that moment before her body had lost every drop of blood caged the beast that he had never been able to control. Instead of it usually clawing at the back of his mind, distracting him incessantly no matter his activity, it was silent, a heavy, smothering weight in the back of his mind.
He knew he was making her uncomfortable. But he also knew that he needed to try and get her alone to talk to her. Unfortunately, she served a different section, meaning that he was unable to force her to talk to him.
She was thankful that she didn't have to deal with him during her shift. The little answers her goddess had given her left her nervous. Raven wasn't sure how she was expected to protect this man when he had attacked her.Once again, her shift drew on, though this time, she made it through without any unnecessary hindrances.
She made it home in record time, and up into the shower without any run-ins with the mingling guests of the already roaring party. It never failed to unnerve her, having her house filled with complete strangers.
Mila had picked out a dark violet dress for her to wear. It was off the shoulder with a swirling skirt that tickled the tops of her knees. She paired it with a simple pair of sparkly black flats and tamed her wildly curly hair with a matching headband. Besides pulling it from her face, she let it curl around her arms and shoulders, brushing over the skin lightly enough to raise goosebumps.
Raven slipped out her door, locking it securely behind her. Her room was always the only off-limits part of the house. She couldn't risk some drunken idiot stumbling in and messing with her carefully manipulated energies. She had already made that mistake.
As she turned around to join the party, she let out a shriek at the sight of a dirty blonde head way too close to hers.
The boy in front of her stumbled back, green eyes widening in concern.
"I'm so sorry!" He exclaimed, reaching out to her. He was completely unfamiliar. She quickly took a step around him, walking down the hallway.
"Why aren't you with the rest of the party?" She asked, slightly breathless from the fright.
"I was looking for the bathroom." He spoke sheepishly, trotting beside her like a puppy. He made her incredibly uncomfortable. She wanted to find Mila so she could hurry and suffer through the socialization.
"The guest bathroom is right next to the kitchen." She griped. "It's nearly impossible to miss."
"Yeah," he drawled out, running a hand through his hair. He didn't even bother to defend himself, instead just agreeing with her. Raven whirled to face him, effectively stopping him in his tracks.
"Why were you outside my room? I know you knew where the bathroom was. Are you a friend of Mila's?" Suddenly, it hit her like a ton of bricks, causing her to let out a groan. "She set you up to this, didn't she? That girl is always trying to pair me with someone!"
Before he could utter a word, she stormed into the kitchen, where Mila was already pulling a coke out of the fridge for her.
"You-"
"Just, give it a chance. Please?" Mila interrupted, handing her the drink. The ginger's eyes were set, stubborn.
"Mila, you know how I feel about relationships." Raven said, setting the beverage on the counter and crossing her arms.
"I do know. I see the looks you give Michael and I. I know that you want a relationship like ours. You're just scared of the process to get to it." Mila's words cut deep but Raven forced her face to stay blank. Maybe she was afraid of the pain she would have to go through to find love. But she wasn't going to get over her fear if Mila kept pushing her before she was ready.
"I'm not going out with him." Raven said stubbornly.
"Fine." Mila said. "Don't go out with him. But you could at least talk to him and not act like every male that falls at your feet is an insect you need to squish." Without another word, Mila stalked off. The girl was as sweet as she was vicious. It's what made the two so close.
Raven huffed, flustered and frustrated, but completely seeing her friend's point. "Damn you, Mila, you terribly wonderful girl." She muttered, grabbing her coke and opening the kitchen door to see the boy from earlier, looking sheepish. He looked as if he'd heard the argument.
"I'm sorry," he said. "She told me you'd be happy to see me."
Raven sighed. "Yeah, well, sometimes she doesn't quite know what she's talking about."
He chuckled at that before sticking out his hand. "I'm Ethan."
"Raven," she replied, shaking his hand lightly. A strange feeling settled into the pit of her stomach, and she frowned, taking a sip of the coke.
"Wanna step outside? Mila did wonders to your guys' yard. It looks beautiful." He offered, holding the back door open for her.
She followed him out, gaping at the mystical decorations Mila had used to create a gorgeous oasis in the backyard. Softer music played, and around the yard were couples, chatting and laughing. It was like the yard had been overrun with dates.
Raven groaned, turning to go back inside, when Ethan grabbed her arm. "Look, hey, where are you going?"
"Inside. I'm not interested in the lovey dovey crap." She spoke harshly, trying to jerk her arm out of his grip. His hold tightened, and his eyes flashed.
"Now wait just a minute-"
"She said let go." Raven felt his presence before she heard his voice but she stiffened, raising her chin. She didn't need another boy to fuss about her.
Abruptly, Ethan let go of her arm.
"I had it handled." She growled out, not looking at the man behind her. She was glaring at Ethan, who was locked onto the brooding figure behind her.
"Who are you?" Ethan asked, his eyes narrowing.
"Her boyfriend. Now go." She felt the man jerk his chin in the direction of the door, a hand lightly resting on her shoulder.
Ethan sputtered, before turning on his heel and storming into the house.
Raven spun to face the man, hands on her hips, knocking his hand off her shoulder in distaste.
"Where the hell do you get off, mister?" She spat. She wanted to call him a great many names, none of them being 'mister', but the curious glances forced her to stay semi-polite.
His crimson eyes widened. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me!" She hollered. "My boyfriend? I don't think so! I don't even know your name, let alone anything beyond the fact that you attacked me-"
He cut her off, yanking her around the house into a quiet, underpopulated area near the edge of the woods. "Did you really think it was a good idea to start yelling that with all those people around?"
"You do not get to scold me! You attacked me! I shouldn't even be standing here talking to you right now!" Raven snapped, though she made no attempt to walk away. "You shouldn't be here, hell I don't know how you got here. But I think you should get off my property." She raised her chin, glaring at him.
His stern demeanor slumped. "Elijah." He said with a sigh.
She froze. "What?"
"My name is Elijah. You said you didn't know my name. Now you do." His tone was slightly condescending, but she forced herself to ignore it.
"I don't care what your name is." She lied.
"Yes you do. You care because you somehow managed to manipulate our spirits and form a bond. I have no idea how, and frankly, I don't want to know, but I want to thank you." His words shocked her.
"Thank me? For what? I didn't even know what I was doing. I just didn't want to die!" Her voice had gone up several pitches. A bond? She had managed to create a bond? Sure, the goddess had told her, but it never quite registered exactly what that meant. Hearing the words from Elijah made it that much more real.
"I know, and I apologize for that. My beast, he tends to get the better of me. I hadn't fed and you smelled so good; he took over before I could tell myself it was a bad idea. But then you did your mojo thing, and now, now he's quiet. He's never been quiet before. I feel like I have control over my hunger now." While he was giving his speech, his eyes, locked onto hers, held an indescribable emotion that sent butterflies fluttering in her stomach. They were no longer the terrifying crimson that they were, instead, they shone like rubies. The dark edges had faded, and if she looked hard enough, she could make out a faint tint of green around his pupils.
"I-I... You don't need to thank me." She stammered out. "Like I said, I just didn't want to die. You were... Well, you were beastly in that moment." She admitted, internally groaning as she realized that she was going to have to accept his explanation and forgive him. She wouldn't forget, but she could forgive. Her goddess had already given her the role she was meant to play, she couldn't ignore destiny.
"Well, I thank you anyway. I have never felt so liberated, not since the day that psycho forced this curse onto me. I have my life again." He took a step towards her, and her heart leapt. She had never been thanked for her witchcraft before. It gave her a strange feeling.
"Now, now, don't make me out to be this savior. That's just ridiculous." Raven was nervous, her hands off of her hips.
"So, what exactly does the mojo thing you do entail?" He asked curiously, studying her.
She rolled her eyes. "It's not a mojo thing, Mr. Vampire, it is witchcraft. Tell me in all the years you've probably been alive that you know what that is." Her tone was mocking, easily sardonic to cover up the strange thing he was causing her heart to do.
"Elijah," he said again. "Not Mr. Vampire. That's just ridiculous."
"Fine," she rolled her eyes yet again. "Elijah, then. I told you already, I don't know what exactly I did, but apparently it's some kind of bond. So now, instead of me dying, I kind of tied our life forces together or something, and it brought me back." She had done a little bit of research during her lunch break, and found that there was a very extensive ritual that could bind two people's spirits together, similar to the way a witch bonded to her familiar. The only thing different about this ritual was that if something happened to one of the bond-mates, it happened to the other as well. Which explained why he had a cut on his hand after she came back to the world of the conscious, and why her cut had healed so quickly. Some of his vampiric powers, like the speedy healing, had transferred to her in the bond. She also knew that the ritual wasn't any run of the mill practice. It took serious power and a lot of very careful circumstances. How she had even managed the bond in the first place baffled her.
"Bond? Does that mean...?" He trailed off nervously.
She sighed again, feeling a headache come on. "Yes, yes, you're stuck with me, I'm stuck with you, we are gonna have to learn to get along. Goddess this is all so cliché." Raven muttered, rubbing her temples furiously. Her patience was wearing thin, her anxiety was heightened, and she was slowly losing her grip on herself. She needed to go to her room, and meditate, perform some cleansing rituals on herself and the house, and get some much needed sleep.
"Stuck, huh? That could get interesting." His smirk could be heard in his voice, and she fixed him with a deadly glare, recognizing the implicating grin on his face.
"Typical male." She scoffed.
"What's your name, anyway? You never said." He asked out of the blue.
"Raven," she said. "It's Raven. I guess. Do you want to come in for a drink and talk it out? We can find privacy in my room. It's the only off-limits section of the house." She grimaced. Perhaps she could convince him to help her perform a cleansing ritual before she got into the details of the bond with him.
"Sounds great." He said, motioning for her to lead the way.
She turned and began to walk before she stopped and tossed a look over her shoulder. "You're not going to attack me again, are you?" The question was asked like a joke, but the look in her violet eyes suggested seriousness.
"Cross my undead heart." He lifted a hand up like he was swearing and used the other to cross his heart.
She rolled her eyes again, before leading him into the house. She was surprised at his laid back attitude. For a vampire, she expected him to be stuck up, pompous, or at least a little old fashioned, but he seemed to be like a modern young adult, conquering the world. Only this one survived on the blood of unsuspecting victims.
She coughed to cover up her laugh at the thought. Elijah gave her an odd look, but didn't ask any questions. Once inside the house, Raven grabbed his wrist to keep from getting separated in the crowd of dancing bodies. She shook her head at the ridiculousness of the complete strangers and reached into her dress pocket for the key, only to find it wasn't there. She thought of who was close enough to get her key, when it dawned on her.
"What the hell," she groaned, dropping Elijah's wrist and barging into her partially open door. "Listen here, buddy!" She started.
Ethan dropped the talisman he held in his hand, his head snapping up guiltily. "It's not what it looks like-"
"Shut your mouth." She snapped. "I don't want to hear another word from your mouth. Mila opened this home to you to celebrate her homecoming. She invited you to speak with me, and I declined you. That means you need to go away. I don't care what she told you about ignoring my stubbornness, I said no, and I meant it!" Her voice had reached a shout at the end and she felt the end of her fingers begin to tingle, which was a bad sign. The energies in her room were all messed up, meaning her energies were messed up. Add in her control ebbing away, the anxiety that had her shaking, and the complete realization that she was bonded to a vampire, and she was a recipe for disaster. The only good outcome of this would result if Ethan left in the next five seconds, which she couldn't see happening.
"Listen, Raven, I wasn't sent up here by Mila, I don't really know what I'm doing, just, don't freak out and hear me out okay? There's an explanation for this." He sputtered out, attempting to shrink away from Raven's growing wrath. His eyes darted about, confused and lucid one moment, and glazed the next. If she had her wit about her, she would have known to question it.
"What possible explanation could you have for breaking into my room, and touching my stuff, after sneaking around it already and getting told 'no!' by me repeatedly? Please, enlighten me to such perfect freaking circumstances that could ever justify you breaking into my room!" Raven was getting scarily upset, her whole body shaking with the emotion. Her logical side was screaming at her to get out of the room and get some air before she accidentally broke a bone in the stupid boy's body, but her anger anchored her in place, preventing her from moving. "Wait, I don't want to hear it. Just get out of my room!" She screeched.
"Raven-" He tried.
"Get out!" She screamed, and this time, her mirror shattered with the force of the power coursing through her.
"Shit!" He shouted, leaping away from it. Only the lamp behind him shattered as well. She stalked towards him, her body thrumming with a very dangerous kind of power.
"Stop, Raven, please," he held his hands out in surrender, attempting to look peaceful.
"I don't want to hear another word out of your mouth." Her voice had grown dangerously calm. "I just want you to leave. Five seconds. Or you're mine." The ice in her tone was new to her, as was the darkness she felt pulsing through her. Her eyesight was giving way to a haze of red.
"W-wait, please, just let me explain-" He stammered.
"Four."
"Stop! Just, stop! I can't think, I can't think-"
"Three."
Ethan stood with his hands on either side of his head, his eyes screwed shut.
"Two."
Each count had brought her a step closer to him.
"No, no, no, no, no-"
"One." Her voice was deadly. Raven raised one arm, feeling the power pool in her core, before a force knocked her down from behind.
"Go!" Elijah's gruff voice sounded above her. She watched Ethan scramble out of her room, causing her anger to skyrocket.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" She screamed, shoving him off of her.
"You were going to kill him!" He shouted back, getting in her face.
"Bullshit, I'm not the one who kills out of us, it's you." She spat, toe to toe with him.
"Yes, I know, you witch, but trust me, as a killer, I know the look someone gets in their eyes." He snapped, grabbing her arms.
"Whether you want to admit it or not, you've got some seriously dark mojo going on right now. Snap out of it." His eyes were hard, but she could see the nervousness in them. He had no idea of what she was capable of.
"Snap, snap out of it?" She stared at him, angry and shocked. "You expect me to just be okay with all of this? With all of this, that has successfully turned everything of comfort for me upside down in a span of sixteen hours? I may be a witch but I'm still human! I have my limits! My breaking point! All of this, it's so infuriating, and I just can't deal with it, how am I supposed to deal with this? Why does this have to happen-"
Elijah cut her off by pressing his lips to hers. She wouldn't shut up, he didn't know any other way besides knocking her out. Besides, he couldn't deny the attraction he felt. Her lips beneath his felt right, like they belonged. She jerked away, eyes wide. Her chin trembled, her eyes glassy, before she pushed him away from her, locking herself in the bathroom.
Raven locked the door behind her, sliding down against it, drawing her knees to her chest. She was so lost, confused. Her lips tingled from where his were. She pressed her fingers to them, squeezing her eyes shut as the tears fell. She was so terrified, confused, and overwhelmed.
Sitting on the bathroom floor, amidst the mess that she created with power she had no idea she possessed, she broke down.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Author's Note~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hey guys(:
Hope you enjoyed this chapter! I had originally planned on posting yesterday, but life happened, so you guys got it today. Sorry!
Lemme know what you think(:
~Kennedy