“The blood of ancient sorceresses runs through your veins. Surely you knew that, child.” Miranda laid a comforting hand on Rhea-Anne’s shoulder. Rhea-Anne could feel the tips of the woman’s claws biting into her shoulder.
“I didn’t know.” The words came out as a squeak. Rhea-Anne looked around the circle. The glowing creatures stared at her with varying degrees of dislike. Of all the fantastical stories that her Grammy had told her in her childhood, Rhea-Anne could have never imagined this. “ I swear I didn’t know.”
“I’m not sure that I can believe you, princess.” Lucas’s voice was raspy with disuse. Rhea-Anne looked down at her flexed toes. “Your kind has deceived us before.” He stroked down the side of her cheek with a claw. Her skin prickled with awareness. She sucked in a deep breath and almost choked on the water.
“I’m not a liar.” She said it when she caught her breath. The pressure in her chest eased.
“We believe you, sweetheart.” Miranda squeezed Rhea Anne’s shoulder and looked pointedly at Lucas. “If you would let me finish the story……”
Lucas backed away. Rhea Anne looked up. The blue eyes that slammed into her with the force of an oncoming freight train were decidedly human. She let out a loud gasp.
“Yes, my dear. We were once human.” Miranda’s voice grew louder so the other creatures could hear the story being told. “In 1588, we lived on Roanoke Island eking out a living. It was a hard winter and some of our men went out hunting and well they captured young Indian maiden.” Miranda paused as if lost in memory. ” We won’t speak of what they did to her, but suffice it to say that they paid with their lives. The Indian maiden was a powerful shaman. She found us, came into the town that we had built, and cursed us all to become this.” She gestured to the creatures surrounding them. “It was an instant transformation. For twenty years there was open war between us and we killed many of her tribe. When the new colonists came, we struck a bargain, a bargain that has been honored by your family for 400 years. “
A cacophony of voices rose up around them, the glow emanating from each one seemed to get brighter. Rhea-Anne gulped. These creatures hated her and she still didn’t know why.
Lucas growled and held up his hand. The creatures quieted. “The bargain demanded a blood sacrifice to be made by her descendants every 40 years for 400 years. You are the last sacrifice.” He stepped closer and his voice softened until only she could hear. “It must be done princess.”
“No, I can’t be. “ Rhea-Anne pushed the words past her lips. “I’m not Native American. I can’t be the descendant of this shaman lady.” Her lips tightened into a firm line.
“Then why are you here tonight, princess?”
Rhea-Anne had no answer.
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