The women in the room wore silken robes in colors that ranged from gold, to burnt umber, to scarlet, to plum. Perhaps it was the lighting, but they appeared to glow, and the air in between us sparkled, as though it were heavy with something.
Out of the crowd a woman came forward. “Welcome Gabrielle Fiori, daughter of Celeste.” I physically started at the name. Were they talking about my biological mother? I quickly shrugged off my excitement. Celeste was probably someone associated with the ritual. Still, I made a point of remembering the name.
The matriarch took my hand and led me into the group of women. They gathered around me, some touching my hair, others my robe.
“You are here, daughter, sister, mother, because you are a link in the great chain of extraordinary women. Do you accept your heritage?”
Silence. I cleared my throat. “Um, yes.”
“Very well.”
A goblet of some sort changed hands.
“Gabrielle Fiori, we have chosen you. You are exceptional, not only for being a product of your forefathers and mothers, but also for your inner strength, empathetic nature, and honorable character.
“Join our ranks. These walls have centuries of women’s names etched into them.” And heads. These walls had centuries of women’s heads. They forgot to mention that. I guess once you joined, you never left.
“Allow us to Awaken your birthright, handed down to you by your noble ancestors.”
A woman holding the goblet stepped forward. She held the goblet out to me. “I, Anastasia, offer you the wine of the enchanted. Drink and Awaken.”
She extended the goblet to me. For a moment, I could do nothing. The phrase “don’t drink the Kool-Aid” came to mind. But I wanted answers.
I took the goblet and drank from it. The substance was rich and cloying. It had to be laced with something, but the dominant flavor was irresistible, and I couldn’t stop drinking. Without consciously realizing it, I had finished the goblet.
I blinked a few times. Why had I finished off the entire glass?
The goblet slipped from my hands. Distantly I heard it clatter on the ground. Someone took my hand and led me forward. I looked at her. The contours of her silhouette were indistinct; they reached out from her like rays, then retracted, expanding and contracting to the pounding of my heart. The chanting began again, and the women moved, becoming bright blurs.
The light from the candles flickered like a silver screen projection, one moment blindingly bright, the next moment dim and dark. The room tilted slightly.
I tried to focus on individual women, but my eyes wouldn’t adjust. I stumbled a little, but someone was there to catch me. It was hard to walk; I couldn’t feel anything. My eyelids closed, and I let myself fade away.
***
The girl began to fall as the wine took effect. The matriarchs nearest her caught her slumbering form and together arranged her on the altar. This was where the true magic began.
They joined hands, and the chanting increased in volume. The witches in the room focused the magic, coaxing it from the depths of the unconscious girl. Slowly, it blossomed, taking on a golden hue and illuminating the girl from within. It concentrated in the bloodstream before moving outward, towards the skin’s surface.
The moment the magic broke through the surface, the girl’s skin rippled. A thousand feathers—or maybe they were scales—ruffled along her skin before resettling. Invisible once again.
“We welcome you, siren,” a matriarch proclaimed.
But the magic was still thrumming through the girl. She had more to Awaken. Golden particles coalesced over the girl’s heart. They thinned and stretched upwards, creating a fine golden cord.
“A soulmate,” someone breathed.
“We welcome you, soulmate,” another matriarch proclaimed.
The golden cord receded into the girl’s heart. Still the magic would not settle.
“Strange indeed,” someone murmured.
A sudden gust of wind tore through the cavernous room, blowing out the candles and torches. Someone screamed.
Something evil had entered, but the matriarchs knew not what presence joined them. The only light source was the girl’s magic.
The matriarchs waited, holding their breath.
Suddenly the girl’s body began to convulse. Her back arched. There were more screams as women ran to her.
Blood oozed from the girl’s eyes and ears, and her lips pulled back. The matriarchs watched as two long, sharp canines extended themselves. Blood dripped from her teeth as her gums ripped.
As quick as the convulsions came on, they ended. The girl’s body dropped back onto the altar, limp like a doll. The magic receded back into her.
“Let’s get some light in here,” a woman said.
A few candles were lit, and the matriarchs slowly approached the girl. A brave woman put her fingers to the girl’s neck.
After a moment she turned to the others. “Call an ambulance!”
***
I woke up to darkness. I blinked in an effort to make out my surroundings, but I could not see anything. As I tried to sit up my head hit a solid surface.
“Ow.” I reached up to rub my head, and my elbow banged against a metal wall, making a tinny, reverberating sound.