CALLIBRA: THE CURSED EYE OF ARAK

CHAPTER ELEVEN

C A S T L E   O F   I V Á D I A

 

 

 

Nika sat on the chair before the mirror as Althea brushed her hair in preparation for the ceremony. 

 

"You know, Amaia used to do this for me. She never let me brush my own hair whenever she was around me. She would have been glad to prepare me for this ceremony if she were to be alive now. I really miss, she died last night, but she'll forever live in my heart," Nika said to Althea and she sighed.

 

"Don't worry about your hair sister, I'll make it as beautiful as Amaia used to make it for you. Besides, you are already beautiful. Even without making your hair, you still look like a princess," Amaia said and Nika smiled.

 

"Thank you sister," Nika said. 

 

They both turned towards the door at the creaking sound they heard. Someone just opened the door and was about to walk in. 

 

"Cayetana! What a pleasant surprise," Nika said as she hurried up from her chair and walked to her.

 

She grabbed her head and made their foreheads touch slightly as a sign of greeting. 

 

"Sister!" Althea said with a grin as she walked over to Cayetana and did the same.

 

"What brought you to the north after spending such a long time in Vocí?" Nika asked and she chuckled.

 

"I heard what happened to my sister, your mother, and I thought of coming over to see my niece. Is that a bad thing to do?" Cayetana said, and Nika knitted her brows.

 

"Surprised I know about my sister's death?" She asked, and Nika nodded.

 

"Well, Althea here sent me a message last night, and told me how shattered you were after losing your mother," Cayetana said, and she turned to Althea.

 

"You should have informed me before taking this decision," Nika whispered to Althea, and she sighed.

 

"Would you have me do it?" Althea asked, and Nika realised that she really wouldn't have allowed her to proceed with it, as she wouldn't like for her Aunt Cayetana to know about what happened last night.

 

"Althea, you can leave now. I'll take it from here," Cayetana said to Althea, and Althea gave her the hair brush and walked out of the room. 

 

"Sit, I'll do your hair," she said, and Nika sat back on the chair. 

 

"Why didn't you want me to know about what happened last night?" She asked, and Nika remained quiet for a count of seconds.

 

"I thought that you coming here to this place all the way from Vocí would be a dangerous thing to do at this time," Nika said to her as she stared at Cayetana’s reflection in the mirror in front of her. 

 

She stopped brushing Nika’s hair and said to her, "you were afraid that the dragons might hurt me on my way to this place. I know your fear, but as you know, I rode on the figan. The wisest and most discreet bird in the grasslands and beyond. I began the journey last night, and here I'm just in time for the ceremony," she said with a grin, and Nika returned the smile.

 

"What a beautiful niece Isidora blessed me with, gorgeous and elegant," she said and Nika grinned again as she finished brushing her hair. 

 

"Show me her spirit," she said as she walked to sit on the bed. Nika got up from the chair and walked towards the black box which was on the table. She unlocked it and dipped her hands into it -bringing out the bottle of spirits. 

 

"Oh! Sister," Cayetana said as Nika walked to her with the bottle in her hands. Nika handed her aunt the bottle, and she received it cautiously. 

 

"We will make them pay for your death, dear Isidora. We shall spill their blood and call on your name," she said as she handed Nika the bottle. She got back to the box and put back the bottle cautiously. 

 

"Oh! Isidora, you remind me of my sister when she was as young as you and had no wrinkles," she said to Nika.

 

"She was 30 years of age when she was called up by sister Caieta. Sister Caieta had no child of her own to pass on her spirit to, and after she found your mother's worth of bearing her spirit, she passed on her last breath on to her," she said and Nika sighed.

 

"Do you think I'll be able to handle things around here as mother did before she died?" Nika asked her and she placed her left hand on her check, affectionately.

 

"I think you'll handle things even better. Look at everyone around here, I think there all will cherish your leadership. Yes, I know you are two years younger than your mom when she was chosen to become the coven leader, but you've learnt a lot from her over the years, and I really believe you'll make can great leader for our sisters here in Livádia," She said and Nika grinned.

 

"I have something for you," she said to Nika -removing her hand from her cheek and sliding her hand right into the pocket of her cloak. 

 

"This is for you," she said -handing her a crescent shaped wooden pendant, which had a black lace attached to it. 

 

"What is this?" Nika asked as she stared at the necklace she held in her hand.

 

"It has a spirit of its own. One out of many things it can do is to keep me informed about your welfare. I already lost my sister. I don't want to lose my niece as well. I have the second half of it, which makes it a circle if fused," she said as she brought out an replica of the necklace she gave to Nika.

 

"If you keep it on always, it will alert me when you're in danger, and I'll try my best to get to you as quickly as possible," she said, and Nika looked at her. 

 

"Thank you so much," Nika said in gratitude, and she nodded with a grin.

 

Althea walked in...

 

"Sister, the blood has been drained out of the vultures, and our sisters have assembled in the ceremony hall and they all await your arrival," Althea said, and she nodded.

 

"I'll be on my way soon," Nika said to her, and she nodded. Althea walked out quickly, leaving Nika behind in the room with Cayetana. 

 

"Do you need my help in getting you ready?" Aunt Cayetana says and I reply, "No, I'll take it from here. Thank you so much. You may join our sisters at the ceremony hall now," Nika said to her, and she nodded. . .