AUGUST TO JANUARY THE FULL MOONS. ZACHARIAH KIDNAPS RED. Chapter 8
Sweet child. You will thank me.
She thinks the cage is to protect me from her, but I am protecting the child from its inner wild self. She will come to understand that I am a pious man with goodness in my heart. I shall not slay my granddaughter tonight, no, I shall purge the evil out of her. If my Lord His Eminence wishes, she lives. If not...
such necessary sadness.
I have a long dead witch to thank for her silver insulation of this forgotten mausoleum. It took little preparation on my part. Wolves cannot communicate from here. Her penultimate spell to stop her enemies from burning her body, the final spell to preserve her still perfect beauty from decomposing. The evil trapped forever under glass. She bothers me not.
"NO! do not call me by that name, vile, vile creature. I am not your grandfather while the evil whore that I called daughter, flows through your veins, while the beast poisons and rots in your soul. The shadow of my Lord casts far. I am his devout servant. I am your saviour."
She restlessly circles the cage. She trembles? The wolf fears my beliefs. I have been spared for this moment. I have narrowly escaped death at the fangs of her monstrous mentors. I slay so that humanity remains pure. I am the Lords champion.
Her grandmother will come to me on bended knees and thank me and we shall sing the praises of the Lord His Eminence and our ballads will travel far and wide whilst the people rejoice and one by one the villages willl be rid of this plague.
The candles almost lit.
The incense prepared.
I can feel the power of my Lord at my back.
This is not my granddaughter. This is evil incarnate.
"I cast thee out unclean spirit, festering spirit.
Every attack of this wicked opponent, every army, every diabolical wolf pack.
In the name of my Lord His Eminence I command you, begone from the land and hearts of the righteousness,
From the moral standards laid down by His Eminence and compensated by the pure blood of those sacrificed in the name of all that's good.
May the suffering of my own blood be my guide. May the filth of the wolf never influence.
Begone repugnant animal. The desires of the beast must be driven out in the name of the higher ideals.
What you offer me is bestiality, drink the muddy waters yourself and choke.
Give my Lord His Eminence the child.
Give my Lord His Eminence the child."
Ruby dare not move. He remained slumped forward on his knees breathing heavily. She hoped that his hysterics tired him to the point of sleeping. She felt stupid that when he caught her in town and offered a walk and catch up that she readily agreed. The park seemed a pleasant place to talk. He offered her a sip of coffee from his flask. It seemed rude to say no. Granny said stay away, and here she was.
Behind the flicker of candles a crossbow hung. She had no illusions about that.
She concentrated on Mulan. Hard. Tears upon her cheek betrayed her hopes.
"She isn't picking up"
Mulan had rung Red countless times.
"Why isn't she answering Eugenia?"
Granny feared the worse.
"We will find her Mulan, patience."
She had searched til dusk. Zach was obviously involved.
Cora got back from out of town business as soon as she heard.
The three of them paced the diner thinking out loud.
"I can't make contact with my telepathy. I can't even find her scent. "
Mulan looked to the two older women. She wanted so much to cry.
"Cora my sweet, can you reach out?"
Eugenia had hoped Cora's magic might help.
"No. I can't feel her presence either darling"
Cora as usual was calm. Bad things happen. She had no expectations therefore no surprises. Her talent was her response to such situations.
Granny was still gripping her crossbow. The fury flowed through her.
She needed to think. Clear her head of fear and anger. Zachariah will pay dearly for his actions.
"If neither of you can touch her mind, then magic must be involved. Where in hell would Zach get his hands on that? He despises such practice."
Cora raised an approving eyebrow at Eugenia. All these years, the drunkenness, the lust for power which sucked her into being an unemotionally witch, all for what? Despised by the people you should love? So many bridges to be mended some were irretrievable, and always, always that niggling doubt, why did she put ambition over Eugenia. Why didn't she take her along ? Eugenia was her anchor.
No point in throwing self pitiful tears at the past. There are no grudges here. Live for the now.
"Then magic dear, I can look for"
Her daughters vault is strongly felt. It's a rush of pride.
She casts her search wider. On the periphery of her senses a weak but extremely old magic pulsates.
"The cemetery! Of course. The old part where is that?"
Granny immediately reaches under the counter and pulls out a box. As she removes the lid dust wafts out. Cora dabs her nose with an embroidered handkerchief. Eugenia will tease her later.
"Ahhh, here, this one"
Granny unrolls a large grubby scroll. A map of the whole area.
"Shit!" Mulan rushes to the door, urging the two women to follow.
"Red and I have run there, it's all woods now, I have never noticed the old graveyard. I will go ahead, I am faster"
Another raised eyebrow from Cora, a disapproving one this time.
"Hold on young lady, hold on. Time is of the essence. I can detect the magic more precisely when we are in the woods plus dear girl I can take us all there now-"
Zachariah wakes.
He dreamt that he shared a chariot in the sky with his Lord. The wars are being won.
He cannot yet be sure if the exorcism cleansed the girl.
"Look at me girl"
"LOOK AT ME!"
Red raises her head, she fears the worse. Her golden eyes look back at him.
He is disappointed.
"You are forever damned and must be put down as a diseased animal. This hurts me more than you know."
She doubted that very much.
"See my tears, I have compassion unlike your kind. It is a difficult decision I make but my Lord His Eminence shall reward his champions. He will welcome you with opened arms and death will bring you purity."
In a puff of smoke the three women appeared in the woods.
Granny has her crossbow loaded, Mulan's sword is at the ready. They look to Cora in awe.
"It's close darlings"
Cora refuses to run in any situation (especially in these heels), but picks up a fair bit of speed walking.
"I cannot go further. Sorry. The vault is protected by an old spell that's too strong even for me. Look there the canopy of trees, there lies your vault."
Granny and Mulan find a heavy stone door entrance surrounded by an elaborate variety of gargoyles. Without a word they start pushing, pulling, twisting the grotesque faces.
Ruby is frozen with fear. Her grandfather stands the other side of the cage bars with a crossbow in his hands. He is ranting to his Lord and saying sorry over and over through tears whilst snot runs down his beard.
He points the crossbow at her.
"Join my Lord, His Eminence, I am envious of you, I have much to do before I meet him-"
"Why no, Zachariah let me introduce you to him now"
Granny's first shot hits him in the arm. He drops the crossbow, his bow bounces off the vault wall.
She reloads and tells Mulan she has this. Ruby bursts into tears, the two girls are at the bars hugging.
"Granny NO"
Eugenia pauses, her bow aimed at Zachariah.
"He will never stop his crusade Ruby. We end this now"
"Please Granny. I don't want his blood on your hands"
She looks at Mulan.
"Nor on yours"
Zachariah sees his chance
"I will leave today and never return. I give you my word"
Granny doesn't believe that for one second, but Ruby is giving her such pupper eyes.
"Please Granny, the killing has to stop. Find the strength, you did it once before now find that strength again, please. Don't make him a martyr."
Cora has hardly any nails left. What in lizards tails are they doing in there? Building an extension?
The two girls exit first and run into Cora's arms. Over their heads she sees Eugenia with her bow at Zachariah's back.
"You let him live?"
Ruby tells Cora why. Cora is not convinced but says nothing more.
Granny throws a small black suitcase at Zachariah, it hits his injured arm.
"I hope for your sake you are a man of your word"
At the diner the girls won't let go of each other.
Granny smiles and decides it's time they ate, somehow.
Cora will join her later as she had cut short her business trip.
It's been a long day.