The Witchdoctor's Son Chapter 6
Chapter 6
White Witches
I hold two flowers in my hands. The others are watching me. It’s been another week since Blanco showed me the Bloody Scrolls. It’s been a week that I’ve been learning on my own. It’s slow going but it’s working.
“We’ve moved on from that lesson,” Micko Boss badgers me, “You can’t keep disrupting the class with your ---”
“Wait look,” Jagger cuts off the instructor, “He’s doing it…”
See the thing about blood magic is we can see our ancestors. There were generations that came on before us. And people like me, people like my coven can communicate with those people. They always tried to communicate with me but I wasn’t listening in the right way. Once you stop being afraid of the voices you realize these people were like you. They wanted to be remembered. If only by a moment. So you would sacrifice to them. And to honor you they would help you make things happen. There were no limits to sacrificial magic. You got the right ancestor on the right day and you can flood an entire city. Another ancestor might only flood your kitchen sink.
And today I’m talking to a woman. Her name was Raina Bah. She was my great grandmother. She was there with me in the room, promising me in her silent way to give her a sacrifice.
The flower in my left hand begins to whither. It causes the other flower in my right hand to whither as well.
Micko shakes his head, “The purpose of this activity was to make the one flower flourish. Not to kill them both.”
“I didn’t kill it,” I state showing him what became of the flower in my right hand.
It was a seed. How life began. I go outside into the hallway and find a window. I throw the seed out into the courtyard. The others follow me wondering what the hell was going on with me. Even Micko was there studying me with his squared glasses as though looking for any reason to tear me apart.
“Is this supposed to impress us, Mr. Bah?”
“Wait look…” Aviva points out to the others.
Something was happening outside. The seed that I had thrown out on the ground has begun to grow. It whisks and warps like molding dough textured with what looks like bark. And finally, the huge figure settles into its final shape and there was now a tree in the courtyard. A willow tree that appeared out of nowhere shocking a few people who were walking by.
I look behind me and see Blanco. I smile at him hoping he’d smile back but he doesn’t. He just stares at me, then stares at the tree outside then turns and walks away.
I owed him. It was Blanco who showed me that room.
“Who taught him this?” Micko Boss losses it at that moment turning to the others, “C`mon. WHO taught him how to do all of this? I made you guys promise not to show him how to do any magic.”
I look at Micko, my head spinning from his obvious confession. What is even more surprising is the reaction that the group had. All of them were avoiding eye contact with me as I scan the room looking for answer.
“He told you guys not to teach me magic?” I ask, “And you let him?
No one answered. Everyone acted like I was just there losing my mind or something. There was no way in hell I was letting this go. I find myself walking off at that moment shocked and disappointed with all of them.
~
I don’t see them again until lunch when they join me, all sitting down with their trays. The food here was garbage. Most of it was stale. The lightning was awful. Everyone here stared at me like I was some sort of walking bad omen. I wasn’t enjoying myself. And now I had to find out that my teacher and my entire coven had been working against me learning magic.
“You shouldn’t have come in here alone,” Jagger states sitting next to me, “These people get vicious before the Witch Trials. Threats to them winning start suddenly disappearing…”
I roll my eyes, “Well I guess you should all just let them know you’re OK with losing. You're a bunch of fucking losers.”
“I’m not a loser.”
“Prove it.”
That’s when Notch interrupts. Maybe I was making too much sense because all of a sudden it's one of those rare moments Mr. Cool decides to show an ounce of real emotion.
“Have you ever thought that maybe Micko Boss is protecting us?” he asks, “You weren’t around when your father was around. Word is he had this coven fighting...all the time. We’d lost so many because of your father. You didn’t have to deal with it. The rest of us have family members that bare those scars.”
Notch was protecting Micko. Maybe it was because they both had the last name Boss. Maybe it was because the Boss family was known for being somewhat anti-magic. Notch was damn sure more interested in being the school plug then blood magic.
“I don’t know those scars,” I admit, sighing, “I’m sorry. But you guys want to twiddle your thumbs...do you. Just don’t try to stop me.”
I get up and start walking away. I am so mad that I admit I’m being somewhat reckless. I’m searching for a free seat and don’t even realize these sparkling blue eyes looking at me.
“You can sit with us…”
I turn and see them. The White witches. The Salem witches. I’d remember them being the ones that riled up Stellan the other day. I specifically set my eyes on the main one. He’s a tall white boy with pale skin, pink lips, and eyes that looked like they were frosted over. As he approached I noticed the clear difference of our skin tones. We were opposites.
“Excuse me?”
He reaches a handout, “I’m Northcliff. You may not know me but I studied our father. Very interesting man.”
“I didn’t know him.”
I turn to walk away but I see this Northcliff man quickly whisper on the back of my neck, “They say he had the power to control minds. That seems like something a white witch should know how to do. Doesn’t it? You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that----would you?”
Sure I wasn’t beholden to Leon Staten any longer but the truth is I still didn’t want anyone know that I had acquired a form of my father’s secret skill.
“Like I said,” I repeat this time with more assertion, “I didn’t know him.”
“But you can get to know me,” He states, “They say I’m the next Genesis Bah. Because I have a certain skill too. “
For some reason as I’m walking, I get this urge to stop. I get this urge to turn around. I look over at Northcliff. He’s not saying anything. He just has this stare that lets me know that somehow whatever is happening to me right now is his doing. But what is happening to me right now?
I realize that I am ridiculously horny for him. I find myself immediately attracted to this boy to the point that I’m touching his chest feeling him upright in front of everyone. I move my hands desperately down his abdomen. I feel up his long torso making my way to his crotch area. The whole time he looks at me. His eyes merging into mine. He’s enjoying every moment of this. And I can’t help myself. My emotions are out of control. I just want to FUCK and I want to do it right now.
I squeeze his dick, right there in the cafeteria, right in front of everyone and when I am about to go further I feel a hand grabbing me, pulling me back.
“That’s enough Northcliff,” Blanco interrupts.
Blanco jerking me seems to snap me out of it. I’m standing there wondering what the hell just happened. I almost creamed my pants over Northcliff. Blanco is standing there with Fatima right there by his side. I was unsure of what had just happened to me but the look on Blanco’s face said he had a clue.
“First time I heard you say a word...Blanco Ferris. Things were just getting interesting,” Northcliff says, “I was showing your friend that I was an empath.”
I”m confused, “A what?”
Blanco looks over to me and tells me, “Some time ago white witches started evolving. They started showing signs of being able to sense and manipulate emotions, including feelings, moods, and their effects.”
Emotions. He was fucking with my emotions. That’s when I realize why Northcliff has this superior expression on his face. I watch the others in his coven in white watching the whole scene and being amused by it. This wasn’t the first time they had messed with me. It’s just the first time they’d decided to do it themselves.
It was clear I was being bullied.
“You were fucking with my emotions?” I ask.
“Let’s go,” Blanco Ferris says to me.
I don’t want to leave. I want to sit there and deal with these people, but Blanco isn’t the kind of guy you say no too. I’m shocked when he damn near scoops me up. He begins to drag me away.
And that’s when I hear Northcliff say, “I didn’t have to work hard to manipulate them. You’re a whore...just like the rest of your family.”
I didn’t know what came over at me at that moment. All I knew was that I wasn’t going to let him talk to me like that. I wasn’t going to let him get away with it.
“You’re under my control. You’re under my control. You’re under my control,” I find myself saying in that moment.
~
“That kind of blood magic should be outlawed,” a man is screaming at the top of his lungs, “That attack...that attack was uncalled for!”
I recognized the face. I was sent to the office of the Headmistress. Angelica was sitting there listening to the man who was defending Northcliff. Northcliff just stares at me. He doesn’t say a word. I had done something to him in that cafeteria that had embarrassed him beyond measure. It was something he wouldn’t recover from anytime soon. And I didn’t give a fuck.
“Salazar Brothers, please,” the Headmistress argues, “Sit down and let's have a civilized discussion. I’m sure there was a reason for this.”
“He has no excuse,” Micko Boss interrupts.
I think Micko was supposed to be there to defend me in the same way that Salazar Brothers has been defending his nephew Northcliff Brothers for the past 30 minutes. That wasn’t happening. Not in the least. Micko just fucking SITS there.
“He attacked me,” I argue raising my voice, “Matter of fact this man...this Salazar I overheard specifically plotting against the Moreen Coven. I’m assuming he put his nephew up to this because he wants your JOB, Headmistress.”
“That’s nonsense,” Salazar Brothers states, “I won’t be disrespected. My family helped build the Witchtowers. Headmistress, this student should be expelled.”
“I agree,” Micko states.
I turn to Micko, “Excuse me.”
“If you use forbidden magic then you should be expelled. Or did you think you’d get special treatment because of who your father is?” Micko Boss asks me.
I felt so betrayed by him. He was so ready to turn his back on a member of his own coven at this moment without the bat of an eye. Micko had no loyalty to me and that was showing. And I have to admit it kind of hurt. For some reason, I still had the idea of a coven like some sort of extended family. I guess that was a lie.
“Why are his empath abilities legal but mine are illegal?” I ask.
“Because he’s not a monster,” Micko responds.
The way he calls me a monster hits me deep. It toils in my chest. He has a way of hurting me that many others don’t.
Angelica sighs, “Perhaps there is some other way besides expelling him.”
“Don’t expel him,” a voice states.
I turn and notice Northcliff Brothers. His eyes still set on me. There was anger behind those eyes. Deep, rooted anger. The kind of anger that I hadn’t seen in a very long time. It was as though he wanted to strangle me with his eyes. It was as though he wanted to end me.
Salazar seems confused, “You don’t know what you’re saying.”
“I’m saying the Witch Trials are for the most powerful witches. If they want to compete then we should let them. If they can make it that far…”
I’m shocked that Northcliff comes to my defense but truthfully as Salazar agrees to those terms I have a feeling that these people didn’t want me expelled. The Brothers have an eye on me when they walk out. I can tell that they wanted me more then expelled.
They wanted much, much more.
~
I get back to the dorm room later that day. Jagger sweeps me up in that moment, “Holy shit. Boy! I didn’t know you had it in you.”
“I have to admit. As far as magic goes...that was pretty dope,” Notch adds in.
Hearing Notch of all people say something good about magic definitely meant something. The common room has a new energy to it after what happened in the cafeteria. I had a feeling that the Moreen coven wasn’t really accustomed to moments of triumph and displays of power.
There were flowers in the middle of the table. Circe seems like she is in her room. Something tells me that perhaps she wasn’t too happy to be celebrating the fact that I just made this coven look good for the first time in forever. Aviva is already reaching over for the bottle handing it to me.
“Here you deserve this.”
“I didn’t do much.”
“You made Northcliff Brothers strip all his clothes off and finger fuck himself in front of the entire student body.”
I throw my hand over my face shocked that I was so upset that I manage to coerce him to do that as well. I loved the fact that my coven felt like I wasn’t just going to be a punching bag but the truth was I used so much power to fight him off.
“What he did was put an unnecessary target on our back,” a voice states.
I turn and see Blanco. He didn’t look happy. He’s standing at the doorway specifically looking at me with Fatima next to him.
“Blanco don’t…” she pleads.
“No, what you did was foolish,” Blanco states walking over to us, “Now we are target number 1 when they realize Gene Bah has the same power that made his father infamous.”
“It’s not the same,” I state, “I have more...limits…”
“Forget Blanco,” Jagger jumps in somehow finding an excuse to grab me up again, “You showed those bitches not to fuck with red witches.”
Aviva nods looking at Blanco, “Yeah, what’s your problem. You’re always so pissed about us not living up to your expectations Ferris. Someone finally does and you’re having a fit?”
Jagger grunts teasing, “Whose weak witchdoctor now?”
For some reason, I’m not as hype as the others. For some reason when I look at Blanco I just have the feeling that something is wrong and Blanco seems to know all about it.
“They’ll want to get rid of us. If you had that sort of power you should have told US, your coven. You don’t go around revealing something like that before the Witch Trials. We could have used that to our advantage.”
All of a sudden it makes sense what Blanco was saying right now. I was being reckless. I shouldn’t have exposed something like that in that way.
“I’m sorry.”
I don’t know why I care what he thinks about me. I don’t know why it matters but when I see Blanco Ferris barely able to look at me it feels like a blow to my stomach. The disappointment is so obvious.
Blanco seems more interested in the flower in the middle of the table, “Who sent flowers?”
Aviva reaches over, “I don’t see a note…”
“Don’t touch them, idiot!”
It’s too late. Aviva touches the flowers and all of a sudden she seems like she wants to sit down. It’s been several hours since we’d been in the room. Most of the day we’d spent celebrating the fact that we put Northcliff and the White Witches in their place. Or so we thought. The way that Aviva lands on the couch makes me realize that something was incredibly wrong. I turn to see Blanco who around.
“Where’d these flowers come from?”
“Circe must have brought them in,” Notch states, “She was here before the rest of us.”
We all immediately race towards Circe’s room. Her room was the one all the way opposite of mine. She sleeps in this hallway with Aviva and Notch. When we get to her room we realize she hadn’t even made it to her room. She was knocked out on the floor. Notch runs over and tries to wake her but she grunts a couple of times, shuffling attempts to open her eyes but closes them right back.
Then she lays there and begins to snore.
“She’s knocked out. Looks like she’s having some horrible dream…”
“It’s was sleeping dust on those flowers,” Blanco explains, “I know the smell anywhere. This was an attack. The White Witches wanted immediate revenge.”
“Why the fuck would they want us asleep?” I ask.
“Because that’s where they can attack us…”
All of a sudden Aviva looks afraid. Her face gets flushed with white, “This is all your fault, Bah. Circe said not to trust you. Circe said that you’re going to be the death of us all of us. Now, look. We are getting attacked.”
I’m not surprised Circe has been talking shit about me to her sister. I’m not surprised her sister would be the first one to shift tone now that the attack had been on her and she wasn’t some innocent bystander.
“These people aren’t playing,” I state, “So I’m tired of playing too. Maybe it’s time we did something about it.”
Notch and Jagger both look at each other. They look at me. It’s Jagger who raises an eyebrow and says, “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying maybe we need a new teacher…” I state, “Micko Boss ain’t cutting it.”
Notch shakes his head, “I won’t let you disrespect him.”
“He’s saying the truth,” Blanco backs me up, “Micko has been ineffective for years.”
“Thank you…” I say to Blanco.
“But what you are proposing is dangerous,” Blanco states.
Notch, Aviva, Fatima, and Jagger look at Blanco and I. It’s Notch who surprisingly says, “What are you two talking about?”
“Bringing back Genesis Bah,” I state.
Notch immediately loses it, “Hell no. You’ve lost your mind. You don’t even know what kind of magic that sort of thing would take. To bring a dead person back.”
“What if he’s not dead. What if he’s stuck somewhere,” I state.
Aviva looks at Jagger, “You’re been kissing Gene’s ass this whole time. I knew he would lead you straight down a dead end.”
I look over at Jagger. Out of all the other ones he seemed to have the softest spot for me. But even Jagger just shakes his head a little bit and disagrees.
“It’s way too dangerous to bring him back.”
“What’s dangerous is what’s going to happen to us if we don’t…” I realize.
They ignore me. But I knew I had put myself at odds with the White Witches. And I didn’t know what this night was going to bring now that we know they wanted revenge by putting an enchanted flower in our dorm. But I knew they wouldn’t stop until we were no longer a threat.
~
“I couldn’t find anything…”
Jagger sits down next to me. His eyes are barely open. He’s been searching through books all day for a spell that can counteract what is happening to us. The truth is we are being put into a deep sleep by some sort of sleep witch.
“It’s OK,” I state, “It’ll only tire you out if you keep looking.”
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you. I’m going to kill Northcliff Brothers for doing this to you.”
“He didn’t do it just to me,” I tell Jagger, “He did it to all of us.”
He wanted to hurt me. He could have just tried to get revenge on me but he wanted to prove a point. This was more than me for Northcliff. This was about blood. This was about pedigree. This was about bloodline.
“It isn’t just Northcliff,” Blanco interrupts, “This kind of magic takes an entire coven.”
“Which is why we need to stick together,” I explain to them, “We are stronger together.”
“We can’t sleep together,” Jagger says before smiling and adding, “Well maybe we actually can….”
He tries to flirt but falls forward. He can’t stay up much longer. I grab onto his head shaking it as hard as I can.
“Don’t fall asleep,” I whisper to Jagger.
“Let him go,” Blanco explains, “It’s pointless.”
Everyone else has fallen asleep by now. Blanco has Fatima’s head in his lap. She is sweating and shaking in her sleep. Whatever is happening to her in her sleep seems to be terrifying. It seems to be really bad.
“What if they don’t wake up…”
“I’m not worried about them waking up. The White witches won’t kill us in our sleep. I’m just worried about what horrible things are seeing.”
Not too far away Jagger has taken to a whimper in his sleep and Notch was tossing and turning. Aviva and her sister we’d laid together in hopes they can comfort each other but there was no comfort right now. It’s late and my eyes are getting heavy. Really heavy. I’m struggling to stay up afraid of what the White Witches were doing.
“How the fuck can we win against witches that can attack you in your sleep?” I ask.
“Don’t fall asleep,” he shrugs.
“Oh fuck that. I need my beauty sleep.”
Blanco laughs, “At least you make things interesting…”
I don't know where that comes from. It’s a rarity to see Blanco Ferris laugh though. I find myself watching his lips. It keeps me awake wondering how soft they were.
“So I guess you don’t hate me being here?”
“Oh I do,” he responds, “You’re impossible, distracting, and reckless. But you have your heart in the right place. Last year we competed against the other covens at the Witch Trials. I was the only one doing anything. This year at least you got them paying attention to us. Even if they are going to destroy us before the Witch Trials.”
“They really can kill us in our sleep, can’t they?”
He hadn’t said it around the others but I can tell by how he nods quickly and turns away from me that he knew we were all in real danger at this moment. The sleep spell was something that couldn’t have been legal magic. What easier way to get rid of their competition then doing it in our sleep. And after I revealed my coercion ability they probably REALLY wanted to get rid of me.
And my coven was collateral damage.
“They’ll survive this,” I state looking around at my coven, “We all will survive this.”
“You believe in this group?” he asks, “Don’t you?”
I shrug, “I never had a family. I guess it’s the closest thing I’ll ever get to it.”
Ferris sighs a little bit. He leans forward. His eyes squint but I can tell he’s not fully going to sleep just yet, “I’ve always had a family. Not the kind that cared though. The kind that puts weight on you. The kind that forces you to do things you don’t want to do. I had to be the best. Each year we fail I have to go back to my family and deal with it.”
Blanco Ferris never really opened up. Then again we were never really alone together.
“Fuck that family,” I respond moving closer to him, “We can make our own. We’ll teach these guys to be stronger. If we can survive whatever happens when we go to sleep…”
He sighs, “You know they might just listen to you.”
“You think?”
“Jagger is half in love with you and might just change if he thinks it an impress you. Notch looks at you like you are the ultimate good that he wants to smuggle away. Is it your gift? How do you get people to...fall for you like that?”
He gives me a look as though its something he’s had on his mind for quite some time.
“The coercion is separate,” I explain, “I just...I don’t know. I have a way with men. It’s never real, though. It never lasts. It’s always...fleeting.”
That’s the only way I can describe it. I can grab a man’s attention just as easily as I can lose it.
“Maybe it’s because you don’t want it to last,” Blanco states.
I turn to him. The way he says it makes me think he almost is trying to make a point.
“What’s that mean?”
“It means look at you. You’re...fucking gorgeous,” Blanco says out of nowhere.
“You think I’m gorgeous?” I state smiling and leaning into him.
Me leaning in doesn’t have the reaction I think it’s going to have. He pulls away from me, literally sliding away to make sure there was enough room between him and me. It’s sick how he can just turn me down. It doesn’t ever get any less embarrassing.
“There it goes again,” he states, “Do you ever stop flirting? At any moment in your life? You know you’re gorgeous. That isn’t news. Any man would want you but somehow you’re satisfied with meaningless flirting. Where does that get you?”
“I’m sorry it’s just...a habit.”
“Well keep your habits to yourself,” he tells me.
“You’re wrong though. I can’t have any man that I want,” I tell him, “I can’t have you…”
He sighs.
“You don’t want me…”
As attractive as he was you would think a lot of people hit on Blanco Ferris. But that was the thing about Blanco. He was entirely too intimidating. He walked around most of the time without a shirt on and just wore a scowl on his face. He always seemed so strict and wound up. He worked out all the time, ate strict meals, and didn’t participate in many fun activities. He was off-limits in so many ways and for some reason that intrigued the fuck out of me.
I sigh back. I had nothing to lose. I had crossed a white witch who was going to torture me in my dreams throughout the night. I was sleepy as hell and I had no idea the hell that I was going to face. It was now or never.
“I do,” I respond, “I can’t stop thinking about you. I can’t stop wondering how soft those lips are. I can’t stop wanting to taste you.”
He shuffles, clearly uncomfortable, “Stop it. I’m not here for this.”
“If I kiss you...will you stop me?”
You would think by his reaction that I had just threatened his life. He jerks back, throwing all his muscles up and tensing them as though his livelihood was at stake. I find it ridiculously sexy that a man can be as uptight as Blanco Ferris.
“I don’t think you get what I’m saying, Gene. I do not want this. I am not your toy. I’m not one of these boys you can just play with.”
“You aren’t saying you’re going to stop me. I’m going in for the kiss.”
“Don’t come near me, Gene Bah. I’m fucking serious.”
“Here I come. I’m gonna kiss you.”
“I swear to God, Gene.”
I press my lips up against his lips. It’s everything I imagined. He doesn’t kiss me back but I never imagined he would. I imagined I would feel everything and that’s exactly what happened. I feel the warmth from his body. His strong chest when I lay my hands on them. I take in his smell. I take in the masculine wood scent all around me. His hands are outstretched as though he was going to push me back at some point but last minute decided not to. I’m in his space now. I’m grasping at him.
I slowly push my tongue into his mouth and he allows me, not letting his tongue go in my mouth but not stopping me from exploring his mouth eagerly. My body is pressed up against his. My mind is drafted away.
And that’s when I know for sure why this is different.
There was nothing and no one like Blanco Ferris. Not in the world.
“Tell me you felt something when that just happened,” I plead to him, “Please. I might not wake up again…”
I meant it too. The darkness was coming. My heart is racing. I’m terrified. Sweat is dripping all over my body. I find myself leaning on the ground, too tired to sit up any longer. He looks over at me. He notices I’m afraid I think. I think that’s the only reason he sits there. I stare up at his lips. He stares down in my eyes. It’s the most gentle I’d ever seen Blanco Ferris. And it’s a relief he hasn’t hit me in my face for kissing him.
I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer.
He looks down at me. His eyes circle around mine.
“Survive your dreams Gene Bah...and I might just let you know…”
And that’s when he does something else. Or maybe I just dream it. I don’t know. But I could swear Blanco Ferris leans in and kisses me on my lips again, gently, one last time. One last time before I fall asleep.
And with that, I fall fast asleep not knowing what is going to happen next.
~
The White witches walk into the red dormitory. Northcliff Brothers lead the way. The white robes sweep the floors where he sees them all laid out. That is where he finds Gene Bah. Gene Bah is laid out on the floor. Someone has placed a pillow beneath his head and moved a blanket over him. For a moment as he laid down there he thought about taking his knife out and ending Gene Bah right then and there.
He’d even found one of their knives. One of the filthy knives these goat killers used for their sacrifices. He could so easily slit Gene’s throat right here. Perhaps the Headmistress will do an investigation but if she found something she’d easily be removed. It was about time the Red witches were annihilated completely. He’d always been annoyed by the stories of greatness in years passed.
Those years were passed for a reason.
Now was the time for the White Witches as far as he was concerned.
Nina Templeton, his number two settle her eyes on Gene Bah as well, “Northcliff, they are all asleep like we expected them to be.”
“Good,” He responds, “It’s time we create nightmares. I want them to experience the worst thing they could imagine...over and over again…”
“Bring them back?” Nina asks.
“Yes. There won’t be much left to them when they wake up. They’ll know who's in charge when they wake up.”
Nina nods, smiling and finding satisfaction in her boyfriend’s cruelty, “And what about the one that helped us?”
That’s when one of the red witchdoctors wake up. There was only one that wasn’t asleep. One that he knew quite well.
“Good. You pretended to be asleep,” he tells the red witch, “Did they suspect anything?”
The red witchdoctor smiles, “No...they have no idea....”
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