Heart and Soul

Cosmina had started working for my Father shortly after my mom died. At the time I was only seven, I was still mourning her and Cosmina knew that. She also knew that my Father had no idea what to do with me, whatsoever. My Father had been a different man when he was younger, he’d been kind and caring and open, however after my Mom was killed he changed. He became closed off, paranoid and generally mean.

Cosmina had been the only person to show me the affection that I’d so desired. She hadn’t replaced my Mom, nothing ever could, but she’d done a good job of raising me since.

From Romania, she hadn’t spoken great English when she’d come to work for us. The daughter of a Sprite, she had inherited only some of her powers, but not enough to set herself up as a spell-worker like my parents had. If you had the power, there were endless queues of people waiting to hire you.

As a sprite she had a natural affinity for all things nature, from animals to plants to the sun, Cosmina had a way of bringing out the best in everything. She was also a very good healer, this was not the first time that I’d gotten myself in trouble.

After my Mom died, I got a little ‘rebellious’ as my Father puts it. It’s not like I’m dangerous, I just lost all respect that I’d had for his stupid rules. I began sneaking out at night, normally to meet my best friend Toni and we’d go to Rev’s Bar up the road. It was a hangout frequented by mainly humans, but a few witches hung there too.

I’d met one witch called Blaire, she’s one of the most powerful around here, but she’s not like my Father, surrounded by rules and authority and only helping those that pay. Blaire understands people more than that. Working out of a back room in Rev’s, she’ll help anyone who’s willing to trade something. You don’t need money, but a favour, good memory or day of your life will do.

I’d already decided to join Blaire’s coven. It’s a pretty tough coven to get into, some of her other witches can be a bit scary, but I wasn’t fazed. I’d done a few small favours for her a couple of months ago, mainly involving breaking into a few places or casting various transformation spells on people who’d wronged her, I’d loved it, but admittedly it had gotten me injured every time.

When Cosmina would see me stumble in the back door, she’d patch me up and look after me, but she never really told me off, sure she scolded me sometimes, but no more than that. But then Blaire had disappeared about two weeks ago, no one knew where she was, but some said that she’d gone to work for some important King or something, her coven were now in tatters, so it looks like I won’t be able to join it. Something didn’t sit right with me though, her disappearance seemed weird, but it was a witch’s prerogative to move around a lot.

Or at least that’s what I’d always been told, for our family were always moving. We’d settled since my mom had died, we moved out of the house where it happened, had moved here and that’s when my Father had insisted that I was taught how to use my magic properly, before then he hadn’t really encouraged it. My mom had, a little, but my father wanted me to be human.

It hadn’t worked well.

Case in point was my latest drama, and I still wasn’t sure what had happened. , Just before I hit the floor I hoped that as I whispered ‘help’ in the small amount of Romanian that Cosmina had taught me, that she would hear me. She’d always told me that she would hear me, no matter where I was. And as I blinked awake, sunlight momentarily blinding me, I knew she had. Stretching my palm I could feel it was healed, I no longer felt any pain and I didn’t feel as tired either.

I turned my head slowly, my eyes struggling to focus on her strained face. Her eyes were wide with worry and red ringed from tears. I tried to speak, but my throat cracked, before I could do anything Cosmina passed me a glass of water and I carefully took a few sips.

“Your father’s out of his mind with worry about you.” She announced in her harsh accent.

I raised an eye brow at her. “Don’t give me that look, he is worried.”

“Probably only because someone made it past his magic barrier.” I croaked.

“Annika” She chastised, “he is sick with worry for your safety, we already knew there was an intruder, but when I found you….I thought….Well, I thought- Never mind what I thought, my point is, he’s worried so I’d better let him know that you’re awake.”

I rolled my eyes and eased myself back onto my pillows as she carefully stood up and made her way out of the room. I was back in my room now, I noticed she’d tidied slightly. Obilix was now asleep by the window, or at least pretending to be. I could see his ears twitching and his tail wagging.

I looked down at myself, the skin on my arms was nearly back to a normal colour, yet it still had a grey tinge.

“Annika. What happened?” My father asked, in his usual business like tone as he stepped into my room, wrinkling his nose at the state of it. His jacket, a deep blue was offset by the pale silver tie that hung around his neck. His shoes, polished until they gleamed, as always, were just poking out of the bottom of his blue suit. His hair, a natural grey looked vaguely dishevelled and his usual vibrant eyes had dullness to them today. ‘What had happened?’ A very good question, I thought to myself.

“I-I remember eyes. Dead like a sharks. My eyes?” I asked in puzzlement as I placed my hands on my cheeks and rubbed at the corner of my eyes in a circling motion, trying to remember what happened. “Are my eyes a different colour?” I asked as I looked my father straight in the eye. His eyes flickered in surprise. Running a hand through his cropped hair he looked to his left, sharing a look with Cosmina.

“Well, are they?” I insisted, annoyed by their ominous glances.

“Yes. They’re grey. You were attacked by a Vampire, I’ve seen this before. You’re lucky you’re not dead or comatose!” He finished on a shout, but even I could see the genuine concern written into his tall, wrinkling features.

“I don’t understand, why would a vampire attack me? And I have no bite marks!” I argued back as I sat up, Cosmina running to my side as I swung my legs off of my bed, my feet landing softly on the carpet.

“Not a blood-vampire, a soul-stealer. Nasty creatures they are. Normally hired too. I bet this has something to do with Leonard, he’s been angling for my job for years. Cosmina, expect a ransom request, I’m going to pay Leonard a visit. Annika, you stay here. Rest. I’ll tell Gordon to watch over you.” With that he turned and left the room, Cosmina giving me a small shrug as he went.

“Do you think he’s right, Cos’? Have I really lost my soul? Is that even possible? I don’t understand and what’s Uncle Leonard got to do with it?”

“This wasn’t the work of Leo,” she promised, her voice taking on a serious tone, though I’d always wondered if there was something between those two. When they looked at each other, it’s like they were transported somewhere else, “this was the work of something darker. That creature came from the Underlands, I can feel his darkness radiating through here. He took your soul Annika, probably because he knew you are a powerful witch. Without your soul you probably won’t be able to use your magic and eventually your body will die. A soul is life’s blood, without it you are just a beating heart and a working brain. I don’t know though, how you’re still conscious. I’m guessing it’s that darned protection spell that your mother cast over you when you were little. You’re a lucky child, Annika. Very lucky, but I worry what’s going to happen next. You need that soul little Annika, you really do need it.”

“Well then I’m going to have to get it back, aren’t I? The Underlands you said, yes? Well I’ll go there, find this creature and take back my soul. Simple as that!” I promised with a smile as I laid a reassuring hand over hers. Her face looked older to me, than it had moments before. I could tell she was worried sick about me and that scared me a whole lot more than any vampire talk my Father could come up with.

“I have the protection spell after all, Cos’. Nothing can harm me.” I reminded her, suddenly glad for the necklace that had been firmly locked around my neck for the past twenty two years. I touched it now, its cool metal sitting comfortably in my hot palm. I always seemed to hold it in times of trouble, subconsciously. Shaped like a silver eye, with a deep, red ruby in the centre, it vaguely resembled the Eye of Horus. An all-seeing, ‘protective, but watchful’, eye.

“Annika, don’t speak so rashly, do you want to die? You will if you go to the Underlands, especially like this! You have no magic, Annika, none, you are hopeless.”

“No I’m not.”

“Yes, you are and I don’t say that to be mean. Look, I’ll go and fetch you some food, you probably need to eat and then you need to rest. Leave it to your Father, I’m sure he’ll work something out. He should be able to come up with a spell or something that will tide you over for now.”

“No, but-“

“No ‘but’s’ Annika. Rest.”

She stood and left the room and I humphed in annoyance. I could cope in the Underlands, it can’t be as bad as they say, surely? Cosmina said I had to get my soul back or die, so I need to get it back. Standing up, I swayed slightly, before regaining my balance.

I’m going to go get my soul back.