Story Time! - Dark Ordained

Chapter One

When I woke up it was as if I’d been really ill for a long time. I was weak and groggy. I managed to roll myself up into an almost sitting position, my head was throbbing. I was on a sofa surrounded by cushions and covered in a soft blanket. My coat had been removed, there was a large fire burning at the other end of the room, which was behind me. 

The room I was in was unfamiliar. It was long and narrow with the ceiling steeply slanted on one side. Which was the same side the sofa was on; I could comfortably sit upright without hitting the ceiling but I was short. The wall by my feet had a window that was covered by thick curtains but sun light was streaming through from underneath. Behind me was a well-worn wooden table covered in pots and jars of things I didn’t recognise. On the other side of the table where the wall protruded slightly, was the fire. It was a large, old fashioned, deep, brick fire place. I probably could have walked in straight and stood inside. Then beside the fire was another short corridor that ended in a door. I swung my legs off the sofa, my shoes had also been removed. 

The floor beneath my feet was solid wood worn soft by lots of foot traffic. I cautiously got to my feet and the room spun. My legs were weak as I stood and I wobbled staggering into the table. The jars on it clinked together and I bumped the wooden chair that was tucked in. The noise brought footsteps up to the door and with a soft click it opened. By that point I was back on the sofa.

In bustled a woman with dark, curly hair piled haphazardly on top of her head, tendrils had fallen loose around her face. Her face was slim with high cheek bones and naturally pursed lips. Her cheeks were rosy against her pale face. Strangely I recognised her, it was Nancy, she was my mother’s best friend and was now a friend of my grandmothers. She smiled as she approached me and pressed a hand to my forehead. I was so taken aback by seeing her that it took me a moment before I pulled away from her hand.

“I’m just checking your temperature,” Nancy lent back in and this time she placed her hand against my cheek.

“You’re still a little cold,” she pulled the blanket up around me, I hadn’t noticed I was shivering.

“What’s going on?” I asked as Nancy began searching through the jars.

“Eve, relax for a moment, will you?” Nancy took a purple looking teabag from a jar and dropped it into a teapot. She rolled up her cardigan sleeves and moved over to a bookshelf I hadn’t seen because it was hidden behind a curtain. She pulled a book from a shelf and set it on the table.

“Where am I?”

“In my spare room,” Nancy put on a pair of glasses and began pouring over the book.

“Where is that?” I rubbed my temple where a headache was brewing. I hadn’t ever visited Nancy’s home, she came by to see my grandmother Mariette regularly, she brought herbal remedies to help my grandparents with their aches and pains. 

“Above my shop.” Tired of her vague answers I got up off the sofa and made it part way to the door before Nancy caught me by my elbow. I wasn’t sure if I was feeling weaker than I thought or if she was really strong but I couldn’t pull myself free of her grip.

“Let me go,” I tried to sound tougher than I felt but my voice sounded feeble even to me.

“You need to sit. Your body has expended too much energy, you’re sick and if you don’t rest you won’t recover,” Nancy steered me back to the sofa and wrapped me back in the blanket to subdue the shivering.

“What?”

“The ghosts. They use your energy to manifest. I’m surprised you were able to do what you did with no training. You should be dead.”

“What?” I was very confused and the headache wasn’t helping.

“Hold on a second,” Nancy left the room and returned a minute later with a steaming kettle. She poured the water into the teapot she had added the teabag to. She let it sit for a few second before pouring it into two mugs. Carefully she handed it to me then moved the chair so that she was sat opposite the sofa.

“Drink up. You’ll feel better.”

“What is it?” I asked, the liquid was the colour of wild berries.

“Just tea,” Nancy had her own cup and took an obvious sip. I figured tea couldn’t really hurt and took a tentative sip of my own. Immediately my headache disappeared. I took another and I did feel better.

“Tea, sure,” I said quietly, Nancy just smiled. Then I remembered that she had mentioned the ghosts.

“What do you know about ghosts?” I looked up expecting to see Nancy looking confused but she was still smiling.

“Ghosts are the spirits of those who have died,” Nancy was looking at me expectantly. She had answers, but I needed to ask the right questions.

“What happened to me?”

“You tell me,” Nancy set her cup on her arm rest.

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” I took another sip of the tea and felt warmer.

“Try me. You might be surprised,” I looked up at her, I needed to talk to someone. I decided to tell her. I explained my dream and the house and what had happened in the garden. The whole time Nancy sat and listened in silence.

“How old are you?”

“Twenty-seven,” I finished my tea.

“Talents such as yours are normally picked up on sooner but I expect your grandmother has been slipping you her herbs which have dulled your power. You moved out of your grandparents recently didn’t you?” I had lived with my older brother and my grandparents since I was six. A few months ago I had moved out of their home.

“Anyway, I’ve never met anyone who can do a passing like you did even with training or support at your age, let alone without.”

“Talents like mine?” I knew I should have been concerned about what Nancy was about to say but I couldn’t make myself. My thoughts were sluggish.

“Yes. You’re a necromancer.”

“Necromancer, like raising the dead?” I had read my fair share of fantasy books, enough to have an idea as to what a necromancer was at least.

“Yes, but only the most advanced will raise the dead and not very often. Mostly you deal with ghosts, helping spirits to pass onto the other side and banishing the not so nice spirits.”

“Is that what happened today?”

“Yes. You released the spirits. The dreams you’ve had aren’t specific to necromancy though. You’re just lucky I guess. Spirits draw on the energy of the living. The female spirit –“

“-Emily.”

“Emily, used your energy to connect with the male spirit. Jeremy?” I nodded and Nancy continued.

“This drained you of energy and then helping them pass pushed you too far. You would have died if you hadn’t been brought to me. Your energy comes from your own spirit, use too much before you’re strong enough and you lose your spirit. Lose your spirit and you become a Shade. A soul with no spirit and you are essentially dead. Luckily for you Luc was nearby and found you. He brought you to me and I managed to pull you back.”

“With tea,” I gestured with my cup.

“Magic tea. You seem to be taking this well?” Nancy got up from her chair and collected the book from the table.

“After what I experienced it seems plausible. I’d rather not be crazy. It’s also pretty close to what I would have come up with,” Nancy handed me the book. It was bound in a deep purple leather, so dark it appeared black. Stamped into the front was a full moon with an eye at its centre.

“That is a book of necromancy. No incantations, more of a text book. Explanations. More tea?” Nancy was still on her feet.

“Yes please,” I handed Nancy my cup and opened the front cover of the book. Before I could start reading Nancy handed me a fresh cup of the berry tea.

“Wait, you said my grandmother has been slipping me her herbs? Do mean the supplements she takes?” for the first time Nancy looked uncomfortable.

“I provide her with certain herbs that help her with certain … problems she has,” Nancy wouldn’t meet my eye.

“What do the herbs do and why would they dull my power?” I was nearly done with my second cup of tea. It was easier to drink now it was cooler.

“You’ll have to ask your grandmother about that,” there was a banging sound of a door from downstairs and Nancy walked over to the fire place.

“Nancy why do my grandparents get herbs from you? How do you know all this?”

“I’m a witch,” Nancy looked back to me and with a wave of her hand my empty tea cup lifted from my lap and set itself on the table. 

Before I could really process what had happened there were heavy footsteps coming up a set of stairs that must have been just outside the door. Nancy went over to the door and leant around the frame and spoke to whoever was there.

“There you are! She’s feeling well enough to go home. I need you to drop her off to her apartment please,” then she turned and walked back into the room. Behind her followed a man, at a guess he was maybe a few years older than me and a foot or so taller which would make him six foot-ish. His hair was jet black and was a little grown out on top so that the ends were starting to curl, the back and sides were slightly shorter. Dressed in dark jeans, black t-shirt, dark hoodie and a dark jacket over the top I couldn’t clearly see his physique but he looked in good shape. I realised I was staring when he smiled at me.

“Luc, Eve. Eve, Luc,” Nancy introduced us then went and pulled a few of the teabags from the jar on the table and put them in my hand as she helped me up off the sofa with a small smile. I felt stronger now so I made my own way across the room. Luc gestured for me to go ahead of him out of the room. 

Outside was another short corridor, there were three more doors, I presumed a bathroom and a couple of bedrooms. There was also the set of stairs. Once I got to the bottom I noticed the coat rack which held my coat and to one side were my shoes. Luc told me he would wait outside and left through a side door. I was just buttoning up my coat when Nancy came down the stairs.

“Here’s my number. Call me if you need anything and take this with you. It should answer some questions. Just so you know I’m going to call Mariette and let her know what happened, alright?” 

Nancy handed me a slip of paper with a number written on it and the purple book I had left on the sofa upstairs.

“Thank you,” I managed a smile for her, I felt better but I was still tired.

“Go home, sleep, and be careful. No more ghost stuff for a while. You’re not up to it,” Nancy pulled me into a quick hug.

“Thank you. Really,” I turned and left through the side door. I emerged into a little back room that had a round table draped in a velvet cover. On the other side of the table was a beaded curtain. I headed through and found myself in a herbal remedy shop. I recognised it as the ‘Brew and Beauty’ that was situated amongst the other boutiques on the edge of the main town centre. Only a ten minute drive from where I had experienced the ghosts and fifteen from my apartment. Nancy walked out behind me.

“I had no idea this was yours. It’s fitting,” I looked at her as she stepped around me to assist a customer that was beckoning her over.

“Isn’t it?” she winked at me then busied herself with her customers. I waved to her as I left the shop which she returned. Outside it was freezing, the wind was stronger and icy. I spotted Luc leaning against a dark car, he’d pulled his hood up and had his ankles crossed as he waited. He looked up as I approached.

“Ready to go?” I nodded in reply and he opened the passenger side door for me.

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