Chapter 9 ~ Blood Oath

The next morning didn't start well. Thanks to the physical contact with that mysterious stranger during their sleep, Lilia had felt it immediately when his body began to change. The sunrays hadn't quite reached her bed when she shook off the sleep and placed her hand soothingly on his upper arm.

But this gesture couldn't give him succor or comfort for long. His skin began to shimmer and move everywhere almost simultaneously, as if scarabs were chasing themselves through his body like in the movie The Mummy! Admittedly, Lilia liked the movie, but this sight and feeling under her hand gave her goose bumps, and when she turned her gaze to his face, ice cold spikes ran down her spine. His face was contorted with pain and his mouth was half open for a cry, but not a single sound crossed his lips.

"Hey, I'm here, how can I help you?" Lilia whispered as she carefully put her right arm around him to continue offering him security. But at her touch he flinched and his eyes suddenly opened wide. Lilia almost rejoiced at this. Irises like storm-tossed paintings stared back at her, but there was no real life in them. Emptiness as if kissed by death gazed at her. And then, within seconds, his eyes morphed into the golden speckles within green she had already looked into so many times in the last two days. His arms and legs stiffened in that moment and she knew he wouldn't be lying next to her as a human for much longer.

How could she help him? Lilia didn't delude herself into thinking that she would be able to stop this transformation as if by magic. But maybe she could ease his pain a little?

"Great Mother, look at this creature before my eyes and help me ease the agony of his torment. He cannot deserve such pain!"

When she heard something crack in his body and he jerked his head back, squeezing his mouth and eyes shut, she thought no longer. Carefully, so as not to cause him more pain, yet without hesitation, she approached his face. And while gently embracing the back of his head with her hand, she touched his lips with hers, first lightly and then a little more firmly, when she sensed that he didn't flinch.

She didn't know how long she lay with him in that embrace, but eventually a tiny bit of the tension seemed to leave his features and she felt his lips open under hers.

"Lilia..." she heard him breathe infinitely softly and then the transformation ended very quickly. It took only three of her breaths before the shrinking of his limbs, the blurring and melting of his tortured features and the cracking in his body stopped and her little friend was back in her arms. And although she witnessed it, Lilia wouldn't be able to recount the exact details, for when she heard him whisper her name, her vision blurred and she found no strength within to wipe away her tears.

It took quite a while before the pain Lilia felt for her friend subsided and she sat up in bed. Through her closed bedroom door, she could hear her brother's muffled voice in the living room, apparently talking to someone on the phone, but she didn't care in those minutes. Her little friend shook like a leaf disturbed by a storm and tried in vain to get up. Apparently, the nerve pathways that had just been shifted weren't yet working properly, and Lilia fervently hoped that this would subside.

But apparently, the attempt was so debilitating that he soon gave it up and let himself sink completely back onto the bed with a frustrated meow.

"Get some rest," Lilia whispered, gently stroking his head to calm him. "Sleep, dear, I'll be here to watch over you in the meantime."

When those beautiful eyes then looked at her in an unfathomable way, Lilia clearly noticed the thinking and feeling soul of this being, and for a brief moment it was as if she heard the breath of a faint "thank you" in her mind.

Then, faintness overcame the animal and all tension drained from his body as he closed his eyes and fell asleep again.

Don't worry, I'll do my best to help you.

Carefully, Lilia built a nest around him with her blanket and then slid off the bed and threw on her comfortable Sunday clothes that she always wore when she had something planned for that special day of the week. Tiptoeing, she left her room and disappeared briefly in the bathroom. After freshening up a bit and getting ready for the day, she almost bumped into her brother, who was eating a cookie and was going to put the phone back in the charging station in the hallway.

"Woah, sis... What crazy idea do you have in mind this time? I haven't seen that look on your face since Momma grounded you for insisting on going to that temple alone."

The memory his words automatically triggered made the corners of Lilia's mouth twitch.

"She just didn't want to realize that it had been immensely important."

"Dad is still disappointed today that you didn't want to go to law school. Anyone who is that passionate about a cause belongs in the courtroom, daughter," Leo mimicked their father's voice, laughing as he shook his head.

"Yes, well, I'm going to need that same determination now again, Leo." With a serious expression, she looked at him and grabbed the long scarf, which she once more had to misuse. "And I'll need your help, too."

With a frown, he shoved the last bite of the cookie into his mouth and followed his sister, who was already going back into her room. There, he watched for a while as she nestled the cat with the scarf against her chest again, as if in a sling. He would have understood that the animal would have put up with it without complaint, having already seen that a bond of trust had been formed between the two. But the cat didn't move at all.

"Has he gotten worse again? Did the spell not work as expected? Do you want to take him to a clinic?" Leo asked worriedly.

"No," Lilia answered quietly, with no sign of panic in her voice. That calmed Leo down a bit.

But then she stood in front of him and raised her right arm so that he could see her wrist. He frowned at this sudden and unusually serious gesture of his sister. But then he understood; it wasn't her wrist that he should see. No. With her next words, she confirmed to him that it was about the faded scar that nestled over her vein.

"Honesty and helpfulness we once swore to each other, brother. The former I want to give you and the other I need from you. Will you stand by my side?"

A warm feeling spread through his chest. It had been a long time since Lilia had allowed him to help her in any way he could with his magic. Just as she had at some point simply accepted not being blessed by the Great Mother with the ability to weave magic, he had stopped mentioning to their family how much he wanted a magical second half. And as a second half he had always considered Lilia. Many hadn't wanted or been able to understand it. Well, how could they? As far back as the chronology of their bloodline went they were the only twins that had ever been in the Blake family.

Now, as adults, they liked to hide their hurt childhood feelings behind humor and sarcastic banter, but his joy had been genuine when Lilia had told him that she had had something like a vision. He wanted it so much and wished it for her with all his heart. Because then she would finally see herself as a full member in her family full of witches.

All the more his heart warmed that she still knew about their blood oath.

"My ears and help are yours, sister. I stand by your side. Tell me about it," he solemnly spoke the words they had pondered together when as a child he had been introduced to the secrets of the family after his ordination and told her about them.

With a thoughtful gesture, Lilia first ran a finger across his scar, then hers. "Back then, we were both grounded. Mom's hair had turned all kinds of colors because she was so mad at us."

"Oh yeah, I remember. But admittedly, it had been justified. They should have started teaching the healing spells. If Aunt Amber hadn't been in the house, we might have bled to death. But the pro is that since then covens have included the instruction in the first lesson for all kids that under no circumstances should they perform oath spells as eight years old, or only in the presence of an experienced healer."

"Yeah..." Lilia smiled, still not sure why she hadn't felt any fear back then, despite all the blood. There weren't many moments of her early life that she remembered in sharp focus, as if they were captured on a photograph, but that day had burned itself into her memory.

"Have you ever regretted it?" Lilia asked and went to the kitchen, where she poured herself a glass of water.

"Regretted it? Why should I?" Amused, Leo shook his head and leaned slightly against the sideboard after crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Granted, today I'd be much more careful with those wretchedly sharp ritual knives and make a smaller cut. But how can I regret something that I know for a fact Mother wanted me to do. Wanted us to do."

Lilia sighed at his words. "It must be nice to feel her... To feel her will like that..."

"It is."

With a small smile, he watched as his sister protectively held her hand over the bundle she had strapped around herself while she took another sip. "And I have still hope that you will be granted the same. Are you aware that you had your vision with him? I don't think he's an ordinary cat. I haven't really been interested in it until now, but last night I've resumed my research - werewolves aren't the only creatures out there besides vampires. Your behavior also makes me think that you wanted to talk to me about him, right? What did you find out about him, sis?"

With a slightly furrowed brow, Lilia set her glass down on the counter and began to walk, swaying slightly, up to the couch and back. But before she could say anything, Leo beat her to it.

"He's really important to you, am I right?"

"What do you mean?" Lilia asked, feeling slightly caught.

Grinning, her brother pointed at her with both hands. "Well, you walk like you really want to rock a baby to sleep. But since he hasn't made a sound yet, I assume he is asleep and you want to make him that sling carriage thingy as comfortable as possible."

"Yes..." Lilia sighed, looking dreamily down at the bundle of fluffy fur hidden in the scarf. "Okay, um, maybe you should sit down?" She looked at her brother questioningly and with a shrug of his shoulders, he sat down on the couch expectantly.

"Where do I start..." she mumbled almost inaudibly, glancing briefly out the window where a bird was squawking as it flew by. "I don't think he's a were-creature. Everything I've observed about him and experienced with him so far leads me to believe he's a human made into an animal by a curse. And yes I know that sounds weird," she quickly added when she saw Leo's skeptical face. "But listen, last night he shifted."

"What?"

"Yes! I'm- I don't know what time it was, but when I woke up there was a young man in my arms like the cat had fallen asleep and he had scars in the same places where the kids had hurt the little one here! I didn't have the heart to wake him up and this morning-" As her voice threatened to break, Lilia stopped and quickly reached for her water glass to catch herself. "This morning, with immense pain, he changed back into that cat body. He was so drained afterwards that he couldn't even stand up, and when I told him he could rest and I'd watch over him, I heard his voice thanking me. I mean, the voice was in my head but it was crystal clear. Even though it was more of a whisper because he didn't have any strength. And-"

"Okay, stop for a second," Leo interrupted her, looking at her thoughtfully. "I'll just go along and accept that you didn't come to me right away when you woke up next to a strange man you didn't know! We'll definitely talk about that later, little sister! Wait… he was unknown to you, right?"

When Lilia nodded without hesitation, he continued.

"Noted. How do you know that the transformation was painful for him? Maybe he's just without a pack or only recently learned he's a were and just can't control it yet when he shifts from human to animal?"

"Trust me, this was absolutely not a voluntary transformation. The look on his face and the cracking of his bones before they shrank will haunt me for a long time." Lilia sighed, settling down next to her brother with wobbly legs thanks to the images in her head that were brought up again. "I was able, at least I hope I was, to distract him a little from his pain."

"I suppose that's to be wished on him, then. What did you do to help him? It might be useful in further transformations."

"Um..." she stuttered, feeling her cheeks flush slightly, "I kissed him."

"I'm sorry, what?"

Leo leaned forward jerkily, noticing how his muscles tightened automatically and he knew that his protective instinct got just kicked from zero to a hundred. But then he saw his sister still stroking the animal through the scarf protectively and how her eyes had a glazed absent look. Apparently, she too had ramped up her protective instinct. That was nothing new with her, Leo already knew that from Lilia. But if it really was a human being, then things looked a little different. As a cat, he might cuddle with her as much as he wanted and worm his way into her heart, but if he managed to change back into his original form at night despite the assumed curse, Leo had a problem with that.

"You do realize that no normal person would be associated with a curse? So there is definitely something wrong with him! Maybe he was cruel to a witch, or he's a greedy treasure hunter who triggered some ancient curse, or-"

"No," Lilia replied calmly, smiling. Leo could have pulled his hair out at that sight. As a knot formed in his stomach he jumped up and now it was him pacing back and forth restlessly.

"Leo, I can understand how this sounds to you. Remember when I brought that injured lizard in to nurse it?"

"Don't remind me..."

Still smiling, she looked at her brother solemnly. "Yes, that was a disaster. But the point is, back then I too had a sinking feeling in my stomach about the animal and that was before it bit me several times. Here, with him, I feel safe. I don't know if it was intended by Mother for me to find him or it's all just a coincidence. But, never before have I been so sure of anything. It's not just any absence of an uneasy feeling, but... You're right, you know? She gave me a vision in his presence, Leo. I was able to see into his soul through it and how would a person with an impure soul be able to connect with another soul? I heard his voice and the more I think about it, this morning was not the first time I perceived him."

Slowly Leo sat down again next to his sister and took her hands into his. Looking into her eyes, he nodded.

"You'll have to forgive me for keeping a close eye on him from now on. But I believe you. What do you want to do now, and how can I help you?"

Lovingly, Lilia stroked Leo's scar once more that adorned his wrist. "Thank you, brother. I was going to start by looking in our family grimoire for curses like this? It's just a straw, but I have to start somewhere. When he wakes up I will also try to communicate with him, but for the grimoire I need your help. I don't know who has it, and even if I did, it would be weird if I went and got it. And I don't want to tell the family about him either. At least not yet. And without the knowledge about him, in their eyes, I have no reason to ask for the book at all."

"I see." Thoughtfully, he ran his fingers over the stubble on his chin and organized his thoughts for a few moments. "Last month Rosemary got it from Momma for an extension. Our great aunt has a soft spot for me, so that shouldn't be a problem getting it from her, even if our parents are out of town right now."

Joyfully, Lilia nodded. "Rosemary doesn't live that far away either."

"I just have to tease it out of her. She's also, regrettably, the most eccentric witch of our living relatives." Leo shook his head and laughed softly. "But today is the day I'm going to find out exactly where between Eastwood and Fillmore she resides. Even if I have to swear to let her cast a spell of silence on me to get the grimoire."

"Leo-" Lilia began, but the brotherly affection she felt for him anyway and was now increased with gratitude made her feel sentimental and her voice broke.

"I know, sis." He gave her a sincere smile and also stroked the animal's scarf-covered back once briefly. "You can count on me. This oath is exactly for situations like that, so you'll always know that I mean business and that you can count on me. No matter how often we argue about trifles. At the end of the day, part of you is always with me and part of me is with you."

"Do you really think I could... finally learn how to weave, too? I wish it so much!"

"I know, Lilia. And even if Mother didn't mean for you to learn magic weaving, there's something of her energy inside you. And don't forget, we're surrounded by magic everywhere, and whatever access you find, it will be beautiful."

Lovingly, he stroked the single tear from her cheek that had fought its way to the surface.

"Okay, I'll be off to contact Rosemary in a bit. But until I get back, I'll have something else for you to pass the time until he wakes up."

Full of vigor, Leo jumped up, leaving Lilia sitting on the couch in surprise. But only a minute later he came storming out of his room again and showed her with an almost solemn grin a book bound in old leather, which was closed with a buckle. When Lilia wanted to reach for it, her brother held it back, winked at her and bent close to the book.

"Revelare te," Leo murmured, and not only did the buckle spring open, but letters appeared on the hitherto blank cover.

"What the... What is this? The Creatures of the In-Between - A Record started by Esmeralda Blake," Lilia read the title and her eyes widened. "Is that-?"

"Yes. The unofficial grimoire of our family. It's the reason Magdalena knew about the vampires back when she met the two night creatures, and the story has had to be endured as a bedtime story by every generation ever since, so that we don't ever forget what we owe them."

When Lilia saw his face contort sourly, it elicited a short laugh. Carefully, she stood up and kissed her brother on the cheek.

"Thank you, Leo. I'm honored that you entrust it to me. I'll take good care of it."

"I'm sure you will, sis. So now though, the day is still young, I'll be on my way. After all, Caleb is coming tonight too and the pizza isn't going to buy itself either..."

Nodding, Lilia said goodbye to her brother for the moment and went back to her room with the book in her hand. When she fluffed up her pillow and then let herself sink comfortably against it on her bed, she heard the apartment door open and close.

"Well, my little friend. Let us read what the generations of witches before my time have found out about the creatures of the in-between..."