Present Day…
I can’t believe I’m in Houston after Mother said we were to never come back here. I don’t remember living in Texas, but Mother always said whatever I do, never go to Houston. She never said why, but I knew she meant it. That’s why her letter that the lawyer gave me at the reading of her will was so strange. I look down at the strange letter again, wondering for the hundredth time if mother was crazy before she passed. Reading through it again, I hear her voice as if she is speaking to me.
My dearest Layla,
It saddens my heart that you are reading this letter. It means I’m gone from this world. I want you to know I will always love you, but there are some things you must know. I have kept many secrets from you, and I fear that I waited too long to let you know them. You were not born to me. The man I told you about, the love of my life, was not your father.
The reason I kept this from you is for fear you would not understand why I had you. You would then ask questions I could not answer, for you were too young to understand. You, my dear child, are the Elemental. You have within you all the powers of the elements. You may not believe me right now, but soon you will. You were born to a great witch. One who I betrayed when I stole you away from her. I’m saddened by this, as I’m gone and can not tell her how sorry I am for doing this terrible thing.
Our coven was under attack and I saw the devastation that these creatures were causing. I saw all the men of the coven fall to their deaths and knew they were coming for you next. For if you had fallen into their hands, our world would be no more. There is a prophecy about you and others like you, special with amazing powers, who will make this world a better place. But if evil was to take a hold of you, then all would be lost. For all of you must come together to bring the light upon this earth.
I’m truly sorry I’m telling you this in a letter and not being there to hold you and tell you it was all for the greater good. But alas, I am not there and you must find the others and find your powers that are buried deep inside of you. You have to get my grimoire; this book is very big and leather bound, with the words Magicae Mundi scrolled on the front. There is a page that does not belong in the book. This page is newer than the others. It holds the spell to unlocking your memories and powers.
But I ask that you not read the spell until you return to Houston. This is key to having your full powers returned. My dear, I’m terribly sorry I am not there to be with you, to tell you face to face. But you have your mother’s blood running through your veins. You will be just fine, my dear, for you are the Elemental.
Goodbye, my dear, until we meet again.
Laying the letter down on the little table in the fancy hotel room, I pull out the paper the letter referred to. This notebook paper with mother’s elegant handwriting scrolled over the page. At the top the Latin words, Memoria Incantatores, meaning Memory Spell in English. The grimoire of mother’s is filled with more pages all with Latin words throughout the whole book. The ancient leather book is heavy and filled with old pages along with newer ones. I’m still very skeptical of all this magic stuff, but this book looks pretty authentic.
After arriving in Houston from San Diego, I found myself a hotel for the night. Last night was a night of fitful sleep, doubt pledged my mind all night. Still wondering if I’m doing the right thing, I pull out the candles the spell calls for. One white, one green, one blue, one red, and one purple, placing them in the proper positions. Each candle representing an element, as the English translation states. If not for the English translations of this spell, I would be so lost. I took French in school and I admit I don’t remember much. I read the next part of the instructions.
Taking a deep breath, I clear my mind of everything. “I call upon the element of air. I call to you to come to me, blow the winds from the past,” I say as I light the white candle. I move around the small table to the next candle.
“I call upon the element of the earth. I call to you to come to me, shake the walls blocking my memories,” I say as I light the green candle. Moving to the next candle, I begin again.
“I call upon the element of water. I call you to come to me, flood me with the knowledge that has been locked away from me.” I light the blue candle.
“I call upon the element of fire. I call to you to come to me, light the flame of knowledge, show me the light,” I say, lighting the red candle. As I move to the purple candle, the last to be lit, I look around the small table and see what looks like a thin light shining. This thin line of light travels between the lit candles.
Taking a deep breath, I begin the next part of the spell. “I call upon the element of spirit. I call you to come to me, fill my soul, make me complete. Fill me with the power of spirit,” I say lighting the purple candle. The line of light expands, completing the circle around the table. Feeling the air change in the room, the hair on my arms and on the back of my neck stand on end. I pick up the paper with shaky hands, very nervous now.
Needing to finish the spell, I continue on. “I call upon all of the elements to aid me in opening the closed off memories and the powers that have been locked away. Please come back to me. I am the Elemental,” I say as I throw the locket mother had given me when I was really young into the middle of the table.
The locket explodes and I’m thrown across the room onto the bed. I feel my body jolting back and forth, but my mind is being flooded with so much information that I don’t feel anything aside of my body moving. All this power flowing into me, the knowledge from the spirits of the past also filling my body. Suddenly I lift into the air, my body engulfed in a ball of light. I see so much that I can’t begin to decipher it all. Then, just as fast as it comes, the ball of light disappears and I land back on the bed. I sit up slowly, testing my limbs, feeling the immense power coursing through my veins. I stand carefully and walk back to the table, knowing there is more to the spell.
I read aloud. “Thank you for aiding me spirit, I now release you from my circle.” I blow out the purple candle and walk around the table to the next one.
“Thank you for aiding me fire, I now release you from my circle.” I blow out the red candle, and move to the next.
“Thank you water for aiding me, I now release you from my circle.” I blow out the blue candle.
“Thank you for aiding me earth, I now release you from my circle,” I say, blowing out the green candle.
“Thank you for aiding me air, I now release you from my circle.” As I blow out the white candle, I feel the power of the circle release completely.
Before starting the spell, I didn’t think magic was real. Now with my memories of when I was younger, I remember everything that happened before the spell was cast, I know it’s real. I remember that the woman I have called mother all these years is actually Miss Ruby, who was my real mother’s helper. I remember her taking me from the garden that night. I wish I could ask her why she never told me, or why she put a spell on me. I need to find my real mother, if she still lives. I would think that is why mother wanted me to come back to Houston.
Now I have to figure out how to find the old house with the magical garden. Walking back to the grimoire, I open it, looking through the massive book. I search for something to help me. There has to be something in here to help me find it. My fingers tingle as I flip through the many pages. Coming to land on one page, my fingers spark, sending a jolt. Looking at the words on the page, I notice the elegant scroll at the top saying Locator Incantatores, meaning locator spell in Latin. I quickly read through the instructions, placing the purple candle in the middle of the table.
Clearing my mind and taking a deep breath, “I call upon the power of the element of spirit. I call you to come to me and help me locate the place I seek,” I say as I light the candle. Turning, I grab the map of Houston off the chair where I placed it. I use my mind to think of the magical garden and the house that I now know was my true home. Seeing the place in my mind, I pick up the candle and hold it over the map.
“Spirit help me find my home,” I say as I drip some of the wax onto the map. Right before my eyes the wax moves across the map on its own. It settles in the area called Greater East End.
I look at the map a little longer, determined that this is the right thing to do. I need to find my mother, if she still lives. Turning back to the purple candle, “Thank you for aiding me spirit. I now release you from the spell,” I say as I blow out the flame. I place all the candles and the grimoire back into the carry-on bag, closing it and strapping it onto the top of my suitcases. I grab my purse from the bed and going back to the table, I pick up the map, putting it into my purse. Grabbing my suitcase handle, I leave the room. Walking to the elevator, I press the down button. As a man walks up next to me, I feel his presence without looking at him. My hair stands up, a creepy feeling crawling along my skin.
The elevator doors open and I step and turn, the man is right in front of me. I’m looking at the floor, not wanting to look at this man, knowing I will regret it. I slow down my pulse, taking calming breaths. This man seems hostile toward me, and I don’t know why. I feel my power lessen inside of me like it is trying to hide. The man clears his throat, drawing my eyes to his. As I look into his dark, almost black eyes, I see his confusion. I take a step back away from him, I don’t like him being in my personal space. A smile spreads across his face, and it seems as if he’s trying to calm me, it isn’t working.
“I’m very sorry, miss. I thought you were someone else. My mistake,” he says to me. His voice is husky sounding, something that would usually intrigue me, but his presence unnerves me.
“It’s okay, I get that a lot,” I say to him, hearing my own voice quiver. I look quickly away. This big man moves out of my space toward the wall of the elevator. I breath a sigh of relief, but I pull my suitcases and purse closer to my body, just in case. This man is a threat to me. I don’t know how I know, but he is. As I stand in the elevator waiting to reach the lobby floor, I smell what I can only describe as a sulfuric smell in the small space. I look around, trying to see if there is maybe a rotten egg in here with us. Very weird to smell that in an elevator. I shrug it off, not knowing the cause, deciding to focus on the task at hand. Get away from this man as fast as I can and make it to the garden. I will be safe there.
The elevator dings, indicating we’ve arrived at the lobby floor. I quickly make my way out of the elevator before the man can try to stop me again. As I rush to the front desk, I hand my room key to the clerk and thank them for the service. I turn and see the man standing by the front door talking to another man. This man seems even bigger than the first one. His eyes seem reptilian looking to me. The man from the elevator turns and I see horns sticking out of his forehead. I look quickly down at the floor and make my exit out the doors. I hale a taxi from the curb. As the taxi pulls up a large hand claps my shoulder, I jump and turn, looking the man from the elevator in the eyes.
“I thought it was you, so you are The Elemental. You almost tricked me, but my friend could smell you and your magic here.” He puts his hand under my chin. His long nails scrape my skin, causing me to flinch. “Look at her eyes. They’re mesmerizing, aren’t they?” he asks over his shoulder. The tall man is right behind him staring at me from there. His eyes are boring into me, making me even more scared than I ever remember being. This is a creature who loves destruction, who loves death. As I’m looking at him, I see smoke coming out of his nostrils.
I see a spell flash in my mind as I’m looking at this massive man/beast. A protection spell, but I can’t let them know I’m casting it. How do I do that? Then, as if a light bulb goes off in my mind, I realize I can say a spell in my mind and make it happen. Here goes nothing, I just need to get away.
I call upon my powers over the elements. Come to me, help me get away to safety. Protect me from these creatures who mean me harm, I say in my mind, and I instantly am filled with power. I throw my hands out in front of me, sending both men flying into the wall of the hotel. I stand there stunned for a second, but see the men moving, I need to get out of here fast. I turn, seeing someone step out of a cab so I quickly get in.
“Take me to Greater East End, please,” I say to the cabbie.
He takes off as I see the huge man standing up shaking himself. The man looks me in the eyes, and even at this distance, I see his eyes change. His body begins to change and seem to grow bigger. His body expands and black covers his skin as he grows. His face grows longer, forming a huge snout. His fingers grow longer and end with sharp talons. The man turns into something huge and evil, he looks like the dragon from sleeping beauty. But this evil dragon is after me, and looking straight at me. I look around and watch as people just walk past this huge beast as if he is not a fifty-foot tall dragon. The man next to the huge beast is the man from the elevator, but he doesn’t look the same either. His skin is green and his face is twisted looking and he has horns, huge ones.
The green man climbs onto the dragons back and the dragon launches himself into the air. No one paid them any attention, not anyone on the busy streets of Houston. Must be magic, flittered through my mind. That explains it all, how they could seem human but not be. How they could change without anyone seeing them, it makes sense. The cab suddenly lurched forward, stopping completely while the tires were still moving. The cabbie pushes the peddle trying to go faster, trying to move forward. The windows shatter as talons pull at the top of the cab. The cabbie starts screaming like a woman, as the roof of the cab comes open like a can opener opened it. I look straight into the eyes of the dragon, standing over the top of the cab.
I do the first thing that comes to my mind, flinging my hands in front of me. “BE GONE YOU EVIL CREATURE. BY MY POWER, HELP WITH ITS DEPARTURE!” I scream, feeling my power flowing from me toward the dragon. The roar from the dragon is almost deafening. His scales begin to sizzle like it’s burning from the inside out. The wind begins to blow, pushing the dragon away from me and the cab. I quickly grab my bags and scramble out of the cab and race down the street, not looking back to see the dragon. I feel no one following me as I make my way farther away from the attack. I know I’m completely lost in this huge city. I look for a street sign and see Fannin Street ahead a block. I decide its safe enough to get back into a cab and make my way to my destination from here.
I wonder if anyone is going to question what happened to the cab I had been riding in? Or will the magic cover that up too? So many questions running through my mind as I stop and raise my hand, hailing a taxi. I wait for a few moments, wondering if any of them would stop. Finally, one pulls up in front of me. I thank God one finally stopped, I have no idea how long I could stand here waiting. I pull the door open and slide my bags in before I slide myself into the seat.
The cabbie turns to look at me, “Where to miss?” he asks through the small opening in the glass separating the back seat from the front seat.
“The Greater East End, please,” I say to him and lean back into the seat. Today has turned out totally different than I thought it would.
I thought I would perform the spell and it wouldn’t have changed anything because it was all made up. I thought maybe mother had been delusional in her last moments. But boy was I wrong, everything in my life is forever changed today. Maybe I’ll wake up and this will be all a weird dream, one my mother’s letter cooked up in my brain. Taking a deep breath, I clear my head and think of all the things that have changed. I can never go back to San Diego. I can never go back to my life that is there. I will be hunted for the rest of my life for what I am. How can anything want to hurt me? I’m a nobody. I just now found my powers again. Before today, I was just a normal twenty-five-year old, with a boring home life. Nothing special about me at all.
I let my eyes close as I think of all the many things going through my mind. My mind drifts from one thing to the next, letting myself drift after all that just happened. A man’s face flashes before my closed eyes. His eyes are hypnotizing to look at, a swirl of the colors purple, red, brownish green, light blue, and dark blue. The colors swirl around in his eyes like a storm. His face is chiseled with slight stubble peppering his chin. His hair is a sandy blond mess, falling into his eyes. His body is on the slender side, nothing like the men I’ve dated before. His hands reach out to me, caressing my face, sending shock waves through my body. How can I feel his touch when it’s all in my head and he isn’t here? I feel his muscular arms wrap around me, pulling me to his body. I feel his slender frame is all muscle, even if he looks skinny.
He is too skinny for my size eighteen waist. He is way taller than me. I’m only about five-five, he looks to be at least a foot taller. His lips meet mine in a heated kiss. I feel the heat throughout my body as his lips conquer mine. I melt into his body, falling into the kiss. His tongue parts my lips and tangles with mine, fighting for dominance. The heat going through me sends liquid down to my womanhood. Shivers run up my body as I start to pant, it’s getting hard to breath. I’m so turned on by this man I don’t even know, never even seen before.
I hear a cough come from in front of me, breaking my erotic spell. My eyes fly open to look at the cabbie staring at me in the rear view, his eyes are watching me. I look down, my cheeks heating with embarrassment. My hands are fisted in my lap. I see my knuckles are white from straining. I smooth my slacks and sit with my back straight as I pull my phone out of my purse. I turn it on and see I missed ten calls from my best friend, Tammy Ross. She also texted me a couple dozen times, all saying she is worried about me. She even left a voice message for me. I push to listen to her message, her voice sounds so frantic.
“Layla, what were you thinking? You can’t just run off and not tell me. You have me so worried. I showed up at your work and they tell me you took some personal time off. Not telling me is jacked up, you know that right? You are lucky I found out your mom wanted you to go to Houston. How can I be there for you when you won’t tell me things?”
I hear her sigh into the phone.
“I’m coming down there and so help me you better not ignore me when I call. You are my sister even if we are not related. We have been through so much together, more than most people can handle. I love you, sis. Talk to you when I get there.”
The call disconnects and I delete her message, and quickly type a message to her.
Hey honey, sorry I worried you. Mom wanted me to come here, it was her final wish. There are some things I have to work out. If you are not on your way yet, please wait. I’m not sure, but something is going on here and I have to figure it out, and what to do next. I love you and miss you terribly.
I read it over again and hit the send button. There is no need to bring her in to what’s going on with me. I don’t want her to be in any danger, she is like a sister to me. If anything happened to her because of me I wouldn’t know what to do.
I close out my phone just in time to see the cab pull over in front of this huge old Victorian mansion type house. I say mansion because the place is huge, along with a huge wrought iron fence surrounding the place. I pay the cabbie my fare and jump out. Steeling myself, I walk closer to the fence. I can feel the power of this place. Feel the protection spell surrounding the fence. I close my eyes and feel with my mind, the protection spell is strong and was cast by more than one person. I walk closer and feel the power push back at me and stop me from moving any closer to the house. I feel with my mind and push past the spell and reach out for anyone who is close. There are so many different energies within the spells boundaries. I send out a message through this projection.
‘I’m here,’ is all I send and pull myself back to outside the fence.
Now all I have to do is wait, and see what happens next…