Unholy Alliance
Gia
I found myself in a cavernous space. Mournful organ music accompanied by a droning nasal voice singing in Latin played in the background. It was like something out of a serial killer movie, except there were no clowns or torture devices present.
I was seated on a soft velvet couch with a bronze bowl in my lap and I had on an off-shoulder white dress. It was edged with lace and had a scooped neckline that revealed the upper swells of my breasts.
Everything felt so real and yet off, like I'd walked into a TV channel with low resolution and a bad picture quality.
"I underestimated you Gia." Someone said,
Not this again, I thought, immediately recognizing the voice. My eyes drifted to the chair opposite me. The woman from the mirror that had instructed me to kill Zach was back again. There was a mysterious and eerie aura about her, it left me deeply unsettled.
Her long golden hair was done up in an elegant and complex hairdo, and interwoven with pearls and diamond tear drops. This time around she was in a black dress,
"I must say I'm very impressed." She said, she pronounced each word slowly and deliberately. "Everything's going according to plan. You'll need an army of witches to protect you when you kill Zachary Abbot,"
I glared at her, "I'm not killing him or anyone for that matter, stop bothering me lady,"
The woman only smiled more, as if she found my defiance cute. Beside her was the gramophone that played the music. She cradled an identical bronze bowl in her lap. When I looked down at mine, the liquid inside was clear like water, and I saw my duel with Kayla Cohen replaying across the surface like a movie reel.
"You don't even know what you are do you?" The woman spoke up. "How do you think you won that duel?"
I looked up to meet her astute gaze. My voice was desperate, "What am I?"
She opened her mouth to speak, "You're a-"
I didn't get to hear her, because another force dragged me out of that dream.
* * *
My eyes sprang open and I blinked repeatedly, squinting against florescent lights that shone from stark white ceiling tiles. Someone was wiping my face with a wet cloth. It felt cool against my burning skin causing me to release a sigh of pleasure.
"I close my eyes for two minutes and you go and start picking fights," Zach's voice said.
I jerked like I'd been stung by an electric eel and sat up. I shoved his hand away from my face and he took a surprised step back,
"You two faced liar," I snarled. "Get the hell away from me!"
"Two faced liar? That's new, I thought you'd be happier to see my face," He said. That annoying self-serving smile was on his face. I was certain he was enjoying my reaction.
"You didn't think to tell me that your father's the High Septon?" I fired back, refusing to be deterred.
To my annoyance, he merely shrugged, "I didn't think it was important,"
He wasn't in school uniform and instead wore a black shirt and blue jeans, there was a leather bracelet around his wrist with runes etched into the material. He looked fine but pale,
I folded my arms, and fixed him with a baleful stare, "It would've been helpful information to have seeing as your father was very hell bent on having me put to death,"
He shrugged again,
"That had nothing to do with me, in case you've forgotten I was also on trial so what's got your pants all up in a twist? Or should I say skirt?"
He cocked an eyebrow and I followed the direction of his stare. The hem of my uniform skirt had ridden up my thighs and he was smirking at the exposed skin. I scowled at him and adjusted my clothing. In the blink of an eye, he was back to looking bored.
I looked around the room, taking note of the white curtains and potted plants on every window.
"You're in the infirmary," Zach explained.
"How long was I out?"
"About ten minutes,"
"Is Kayla…?" I couldn't bring myself to complete the sentence. I swallowed.
"You didn't kill her." He reassured me, "Although I must admit that was some impressive magic there. Good news is that you're the unchallenged head of the St Gordon's coven."
He made a face and scratched the back of his neck, "Bad news is everyone thinks you used black magic so you haven't won any new friends, but they're afraid of you so no one will challenge you,"
My chest tightened. I still didn't fully understand how I'd won that duel. And thinking about it made my stomach twist. But at least now I could start finding answers.
"Where are the catacombs?" I asked him, already swinging my feet of the side of the bed, I felt surprisingly fine, save for a dull throb at the base of my skull.
Zach's expression darkened as I stood up, "You talked to Kaius, and I'm guessing he's the one that put this plan in your head,"
I gritted my teeth, he sounded like he was chastising me,
"It's none of your business, you have no right to question me. What happened to you not caring if I lived or died?"
His jaw muscles clenched as he ground his teeth "Kaius isn't someone you should be listening to,"
"He was the only one willing to point me in the right direction," I said, I sounded defensive even to my own ears,
Zach didn't let up, "Let me guess, he didn't give you any straight answers but somehow told you just enough to get you to do what he suggested,"
I blinked, was that what happened? I'd had no choice though, considering my options entering the challenge had been my only option. But Kaius had made it more tantalizing by the promise of the information to be found in the catacombs.
In a way, he'd hooked me in. But why?
"I can access the catacombs now so I'm still getting what I want, you don't know anything about me or my situation." I replied hotly.
Zach scoffed, "Catacombs? There's nothing down there but dust and wraiths,"
"Wraiths?"
He shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose while swearing under his breath,
"Wraiths are spirits of the undead." He answered, "I'm guessing your precious Kaius didn't tell you that the graves of the founders are down there, and there are wards to keep the things down there exactly where they are. If you try to enter you'll be trapped."
I was frozen in place, my face a mask of shock.
Zach just shook his head at my stupefied expression, "Not everything is what it seems in this place, don't be fooled. No one here is your friend. What I don't understand is why he took a special interest in you."
He eyed me suspiciously and then sighed and tossed the rag in his hand onto a nearby bed,
"I don't care what you do, but you don't seem to know what you're doing either way. It's kind of pathetic, and it made me feel sorry for you."
My cheeks heated up.
Pathetic, that word stung like he'd slapped me across the face. I'd thought Kaius was helping me, He'd been so kind and friendly. Was Zach just be lying? But for what reason? So many thoughts rushed through my head. I felt so alone and confused.
"If you're not going to be of help then get lost and stay out of my way," I said angrily, prepared to march past him and storm out of the room.
I'd almost reached the entrance when I felt his hands encircle my wrist.
"Hold on, just relax okay?"
"Let go of me!" I screamed and tugged away from his hold, my voice was trembling with rage, "I might not know what I'm doing but that doesn't mean I won't figure it out if I have to, so damn you!"
I hated him at that moment and never wanted to see him again.
I struggled more against his hold, "Let me go,"
"No I don't, to be honest,"
He looked me deep in my eyes and took a deep breath. I saw him come to a decision.
"Come with me to my room. I need to show you something,"