Palindrome

The two elders waited eagerly for my reaction, but I was damned if I gave them the pleasure of seeing me react in a bad way. William and Belinda didn’t say anything, I refused to look at William, knowing it would break me.

“Well, it`s such a shame. All those dead witches and you still haven’t gotten what you wanted. Did you ever stop to wonder why?”

I directed my question to George, but it was Jafet who answered.

“Oh, one day, child. We`ll stumble upon one who knows.”

He met George`s eyes briefly and took one step closer to me.

“You wanted to talk to me? Well, since you seem to be such a good…friend to William and Belinda, we`ll talk. Do you mind if George come with us?”

I straightened my back, tried to banish all fear by pulling an invisible armour around me.

“That will be fine.”

Was I really going to go willingly with two known witch-killers? If there was a hope I could end the murders, then yes. A warm hand grabbed mine, creating a jolt through my whole body.

“Hannah… Are you sure?”

William was pleading me with his eyes, but I had to try. If he was so certain his father and grandfather was going to hurt me, shouldn’t he have said anything? Especially if he truly did love me, like he claimed. Guess that didn’t trump his obedience to his father then. If George had ordered him to kill me, would he have done it?

I pulled my hand out of his grip gently.

“William, I have to try.”

Jafet opened a door to a dark room, and I walked in, the sound of the door closing behind me way too high.

Jafet lighted a lamp, showing the surroundings. It was another small library-type room, the smell dusty and mouldy. George came up behind me, put a hand gently to the small of my back and pointed to a seating area with a chair and a sofa around a round table. Jafet had placed his lamp on the shelf and its flickering light gave the room a disturbing feel. Standing in the shadow, the two looked like nothing else than centuries old killers. I breathed in deeply in an effort to calm myself, why hadn`t I told anyone I was going here? Stupid.

I sat down on the edge of the chair, didn’t want any of them beside me, I wanted to see them all the time. George sat down, adjusting his trousers and leaned back, resting an arm on the back of the sofa. Jafet remained standing, gloomy in the darkness of the corner.

“So, Hannah. What did you want to talk to us about?”

My heart sank, William was right, they would never believe me. I could hear my heart in the stillness before my answer.

“William told me what you wanted. I just want to try to convince you that we DO NOT have a spell or potion like that. Don`t you think one of us would have broken through all the years you`ve tortured us?”

My voice cracked at the end, a dent in my armour.

George smirked, but Jafet spoke first.

“How well enlightened are you about our joined history, Hannah?”

I was confused, Adam being Lilith`s lover could hardly count as a common history. Jafet could see my frown and continued without me answering.

“As you know, Adam and Eve was cast out of Eden, Cain killed Abel and Eve was gifted Seth as a replacement, if we can call it that. When she found out about the curse of the Beast, she and Adam turned to Eve`s sister, who was a well-known sorcerer.”

The name popped up in my head before he said it. Lilith. Was she really Eve`s sister?

He saw the question in my eyes and nodded. George took over.

“Lil and Eve were sisters, one created by magic and one of man and earth. Michael, the archangel, refused to help with the cure, even though Eve begged him. Adam got mad of course, as they had to get older and older, and their son remained the same. Eve couldn’t bear to leave her last son, so she turned to her sister for a spell to keep her alive longer. Lil denied her, even when Adam tried his best to…persuade her. At first, we tried keeping it all in the family, but we found that genetics didn’t take good to so close relations. And the heart wants what it wants.”

I knew how he`d tried to persuade her — I had seen it, on the night of the full moon. He`d beat her to a pulp. Just like his sons continued to do with witches.

“She never said she didn’t know how to, she just claimed it would be wrong, against the law of nature...”

George leaned forward and fixed his gaze on me.

“We can feel you; your bones vibrate, your smell invades our mind. It breaks our hearts when you die in front of us, SO WHY DON`T YOU JUST TELL US THE FUCKING SPELL???”

His eyes glowed and I could see canines forming as he roared, if he was to change here, I was dead. The room was so small, his wings would certainly reach the walls when extended. George sneered and Jafet stood perfectly still, proof that this was common procedure. I darted my eyes towards the door, could William hear his father? Why didn’t he come in?

A strange calmness came over me, I didn’t need him. My legs were steady when I stood and tapped George in his hard chest, I could feel the warmth radiating from him.

“I can give you a spell. Go fuck yourself.”

Dad had taught me this spell when I got in my teens, if I ever was assaulted by someone.

Goddess of protection hear my plea

Get this person away from me

If they come near, they will feel pure pain

Help me now, make the feeling rain.

George doubled over, clutching his abdomen while he grimaced, making his beast-face pop out in a disturbing way. Jafet straightened, but like all men sure of themselves, he didn’t think I was a real threat. George growled more than he spoke, I didn’t have much time. I repeated the spell and pushed my hands forward to amplify my intend, and watched George fall down on one knee, clawing at his stomach. I turned fast and ran, hoping no one was outside the door, I didn’t trust Belinda or William right now, sadly. The doorhandle complained when I yanked in it, the rusty old metal hadn`t been used much. Could I outrun them? I risked a glance back as I tore the door open, Jafet stood hovering over George who wiped drool away from his halfway transformed face, eyes glowing madly. He reached for me with a clawed hand, laughing manically.

“Just run away, witch. Enjoy your little triumph, I`m sure we`ll meet again.”

I walked fast out of there, thinking that if I ran, I would be more likely to be stopped. I turned the corner to get to the entrance hall and bumped into someone carrying flowers. I apologised quickly, hoping it wasn’t William, I couldn’t meet him now.

“Hannah!?”

The doctor`s melodic voice chimed in my ear and made me smile even though I was scared and wanted out.

“Doctor Devon?”

Didn’t she hate the Adamson`s?

“Are you invited to the birthday-party?”

She blinked and looked almost embarrassed.

“I was told to, our… families go way back. And I need to keep track on the development as well. I do find them fascinating though, so vibrant!”

She was dressed in an all-white dress, her hair loose and golden, like straight out of a renaissance painting.

Her eyes flickered up and down my body.

“Are you all right, love? You know they are not the best companions of witches?”

Something caught her attention behind me, and she smiled ever so slightly.

“Well, well. I see, that happened a lot faster than I thought it would. To be honest, you aren`t the weirdest match in history.” The doctor touched my arm lightly, but I could still feel the current on my skin.

“Just be careful, you still have a role to play.”

With that, she walked briskly away, nodding to the person coming up to us but kept her distance to him.

“Please. Just please, let me… Let me walk you home at least?” His voice was low and pleading, and I had to shelter my heart.

“Won`t your family miss you at the party? Can`t let old daddy-o down now, can we?”

William looked back at the hall, resignation in his eyes. I gave an internal sigh, he looked so beautiful in the black suit, he wore it with such ease. I wafted the feelings away and put up a stern face.

“You were right, they weren`t inclined to listen to me. I hope you realise I can`t let this go, we have to do something about it. It`s time you choose if you want to follow your Father`s way, or just come to terms with your curse, or whatever.”

Anger flickered over his features for a second, and he took a step towards me.

“It IS a curse. I have to know you`ll get older, frailer and die from sickness or old age, knowing I can`t do shit about it. If it had been the other way around, wouldn`t you have wanted to save me?”

I flapped out with my arms, rolling my eyes. “THIS isn’t about you and me, this is about all the people — the innocent people, who have died.”

William was still angry. “I told you, I told you he was dangerous, that we didn’t like witches. You can`t come now and act surprised.”

I shut my eyes, feeling tears sting and threaten to fall.

“Yeah, you did. You told me you didn’t like witches, so what the hell are you doing with me?”

He got close to me, the smell of him made me dizzy. I could see his pupils dilating, and the vein on his neck pulsated to the same rhythm as mine. I longed to wind my fingers through his perfectly unruly hair, yank the silky strands and kiss him hard until he surrendered to me. He spoke low and menacing.

“What am I doing with YOU? I think about you every second, when I sleep, I dream about you, when I`m not with you my body longs for you, the taste of your skin and your blood. Do you know I can feel your blood inside me? After I taste it, I can feel the vibrations, it sings inside me. The Beast isn’t a curse, you`re the curse.”

I opened my mouth to reply, but before I got to say anything, his lips devoured mine. Hot and eager, raw and heartbreakingly, I tried not to respond but I was too weak. His tongue slipped in when I moaned and played with mine, I could feel his hands on my back, travelling down till they grabbed my ass and pressed my body even closer to his. They continued up to my shoulders where they stilled for a moment before he pushed me away, both of us gasping for air. Sadness was in his voice when he finally calmed down enough to speak, leaning his forehead into mine.

“Seems we are both cursed.”