Page 71 of Scorned

Within seconds, the large snake melted into her skin, turning into a golden tattoo wrapping around her arm from bicep to wrist. Me and pretty much every human around sucked in a gasp.

“What was that?” Nellie asked.

“Winston is frightened of Archibald, so I dismissed him for now.”

Before any of us had a chance to ask more questions about the amazing magic we saw, Shayla clapped her hands twice, getting our attention. “It’s time to begin.”

She strolled up to the bonfire and waved her hand over it. The flames crackled, spitting higher, and a proud smile spread across her face. She waved her hand again and the fire went back to normal.

“The year was 1642 when vampires were scarce and unknown to the world. An apothecary in a small town had a patient with a rare blood disorder and technology wasn’t advanced enough at the time for any proper testing. One day, this man attended his weekly visit with normal coloring and an abundance of energy. He seemed completely cured, stupefying the doctor. During an examination, the physician found a bite mark on his neck. Which you know, Sagelynn, fades with swiftness.”

Everyone’s eyes stared in my direction, knowing Luka had fed from me, and my insides shriveled. But no matter how embarrassing, I was grateful for the knowledge because I had noticed the bites fade within hours when we were in Vegas. When I asked Luka about it on the car ride home, he said it had something to do with vampire venom, but he didn’t elaborate on it. He wasn’t much of a talker when it came to certain topics.

“Do not feel embarrassed, my silver. Without the lover’s light, none of us would be sitting here.”

“What happened next, Shayla?” Drag asked, taking the attention off of me.

“When the doctor questioned the man about the mark, he told him he was newly married and his wife had gotten overzealous in the bedroom. The truth is the woman was a vampire who had fed from the man only an hour prior to the visit. Unbeknownst to the doctor, vampires everywhere were feeding off humans to survive, unaware they were bloodletting, in a way. When they feed through the vein, it purifies human blood and temporarily eases blood-related illnesses. This doctor began his investigation and eventually discovered the secret vampires and their magical properties. With the help of his patient’s wife, the doctor’s research progressed. It eventually led him to discover the healing properties of blood for common abrasions, later finding it could even heal fatal wounds.

“The townsfolk inevitably discovered what the doctor was doing, causing one man to start a society called the Vampire Eradicating Men. VEM for short. His name was William Argentum and your ancestral grandfather seven generations ago. He called vampires an abomination and ordered them to be executed, along with the doctor. Thankfully, the doctor, his patient, and his vampire wife skipped town, never to be heard from again.

“William was still angry over the existence of vampires and with his new group formed, they were ready to kill them all. A woman named Hester, who’s your seventh generation grandmother, was his wife. Being the most powerful witch, with one of the brightest lights ever to be seen, she was called upon by William and some elders to cast a spell to protect humans. Together, Hester and her coven mastered the incantation for wards, sealing the small town with the invisible ring. The town remained visible, and humans could come and go as they pleased, but vampires, wolven, and witches, amongst other beings, were now barred from entering.”

I wondered what other creatures could possibly exist when movement caught my eye. Jimmy had his hand raised.

“Do you have a question?” Shayla asked.

“If the wards keep supernaturals out, then how are these guys here?” Jimmy asked, pointing to the vampires and wolven sitting around.

“That’s a great question. There are many types of incantations and some are more intricate than others,” Shayla said as she circled the fire pit, stopping next to Drag before placing her hand on his shoulder. “The one my sisters and I used for this camp has multiple effects. The first part is a cloaking spell. It prevents anyone, supernatural or human, from seeing the existence of the camp, and Drag is the only one who can sanction newcomers since he is the land owner.” Shayla removed her hand and continued circling. “We enhanced the barrier to include a danger spell. If a non-resident comes near the wards, which are set far and wide, they will feel a sense of dread, making them want to run as far away as possible. The wards will also allow anyone living here to leave and reenter naturally, including supernaturals, unless Drag says otherwise.”

“So, witches are supernatural?” Jimmy asked.

“Technically, no. Although witches are mere humans who possess magical abilities, the wards perceive us as dangerous, so we cannot enter. Not unless our magic is used to cast the spell or we receive an invitation from a permanent resident or land owner, depending on the incantation used. However, witches are able to feel warding spells from miles away.”

Jimmy’s eyes widened under his glasses. “That’s really cool!”

“Wards of many, wards of plenty,” Cece chanted. “It’s cool. It’s cool.”

“Indeed, sister.” Shayla gave Cece a seemingly loving look before returning to her story. “With the town now safe, the group went out on their first hunting mission. An unsuccessful one. They realized the vampires healed too rapidly to be killed with any normal weapon, so once again, they turned to Hester for guidance. Steel and iron were common materials used in weaponry, so the coven infused magic with it during the forging process, binding it to a sword. The members of VEM tried slaying a vampire and failed once more. After more manipulation, Hester realized the spell bonded best to pure silver. They made another sword and managed to terminate a vampire using it.

“During the altercation, they realized the silver hadn’t harmed the vampires to the touch. The swords only injured or killed the vampires when they penetrated their bodies. They forged more weapons, like daggers and short swords because they were easier to wield. Since the heart seemed to be the swiftest way to kill them, eventually stakes became the common defense for hunters. The only complication they had with the silver was the spells would eventually wear off. But with a coven of strong witches by their side, it hadn’t become a problem yet. These new advanced weapons eliminated many vampires, leading the rest to conceal themselves from the world. Over time, the humans stopped believing in what they could not see and vampires became folklore.

“In 1717, the society renamed itself as the Vampire Eradicating National Organization of Malice and shortened your surname to Argent. Everyone believes that was the year when the society had formed. A few decades ago, the master blacksmith of Venom had limited access to witches, because most of us didn’t want to be involved in the war against vampires. With the spells wearing off and no casters to help, it left them in a challenging situation. Hoping it would prolong the magic, a distant relative of yours helped with the process of making Argentium silver. It’s close to your original surname but with the letter I in it.”

“Yeah, I kind of figured that out,” I mumbled sarcastically.

Shayla cocked a brow, an amused smile pulling at her cheeks as she glanced toward the other two witches. “The silver is snarky.”

“Snarky silver, snarky silver,” Cece rambled. “The light still shines bright, so do not let it deter us, Shayla.”

“I shall not, sister. I find it rather refreshing that someone other than you speaks their mind so freely.”

Winnie snickered, side eyeing me. “Shit. Sage always says what she wants. It makes me want to punch her most days.”

Shayla’s gaze wandered to Winnie, a whimsical expression beautifying her face. “Winston Javier Rodriguez, as a fanged friend of mine for many lunar years, you shouldn’t comment on the loose lips of others when yours are never tightly wound.”

Giggles and stifled laughs came from everyone’s mouth but Winnie’s. The look on his face said he wanted to retort with something evil, but wouldn’t.

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