*Luca*
I am not ready to wake up yet, but some very annoying birds insist on singing right outside my window extremely loud. Reluctantly I open my eyes, doesn't sound like the little shite out there is about to shut up. I manage to sit halfway up, before I have to give up and with a groan I fall back on the pillow. Every fiber in my body is protesting, like I have worked out for hours yesterday. I suddenly realise that I am naked…like totally naked.
I mean how big is the chance that I decide to sleep naked in a house full of men ? Yup zero, nil, nada ! Where the fuck are my clothes ?
The clothes aren't on the chair and it's not on the floor either. It's not really my style getting naked outside and strolling through the house showing off my arse before getting int
*Luca*"You want a beer ?" Martin asks from the refrigerator.I make a disgusted face and shake my head."Well what the fuck, it has to be 5 o'clock somewhere right ?" He says as he grabs three beers anyway."I am not going to drink any more of that shit". I glare at them, sitting down with my arms crossed on my chest."Come on ! We are pulling Your leg. We haven't slipped you anything. Everything that is happening to you, has happened to us when we turned sixteen". Martin says, opening a beer.Jonas shakes his head no, when Martin offers him a beer. Then he looks at me for a long time, asking very seriously. "You don't remember anything at all from last night ?"Opposite Martin who possesses the maturity of a ten year old Jon
*Davina*It is a normal Friday night in the Grotto, Well it is until one of the royals suddenly stands beside me and Mark. She looks at us, her face void of emotions. "Hi Mark, can I borrow your friend for a moment ?""Sure Celine". Mark answers and quickly disappears."Follow me". The beautiful vamp queen says and turns, walking away.All my friends stare after me as I hesitantly follow her. When we reach the infamous stair Celine stops. "In a moment you will follow me up there. You will be discrete and you won't speak unless spoken to. Whatever happens you are not to tell anyone what happens up there. Got it ?"I nod, feeling totally speechless."Follow me". Celine says, walking up the stairs. I can't believe this. I am really on my way to the balcony. I mean I
*Soleil*I lay in the bed, staring at the ceiling. What is this place ? Trolls and elves and monsters out to get me. Women with wings.I get up, starting to pack my few belongings in my bag, while trying to figure out which way to run to get away without getting lost in the wilderness. I stop when my imagination tells me how I will fall down a ravine and break my leg ending up dying alone. My body will rot away and never be found. I mumble annoyed, pushing my hair behind my ears. I didn't think that through. And Siri has told me I can leave if I want to, so I can just ask her to drive me home.But then the memories hit me, the ones the trolls and elves showed me. I look sadly at my bag. This is where I belong. My dreams have come true here. The stone circle, the little hill, I can't tell myself it isn't true anymore. The balance. The vaetter. The hamram. Yeah it is scary.
*Soleil*We walk in the opposite direction from when Siri had taken me to the stone circle. In this direction, the forest quickly becomes dense and the air is damp. There is a smell of still water, and the underground starts to get swampy and slick, the farther we get away from the cabin."Stop here". Gudrun puts a hand on my arm, when we can't walk any further on the soft ground. "From here you have to walk in my footsteps. There are some very deep swamp holes, if you step into one of them, it can become very dangerous".I nod feeling nervous. We keep walking for another couple of metres, before the mud turns into a dark murky lake. Gudrun stops taking off her cape and sitting down on it. I sit down next to her."Why are you wearing those old-fashioned capes and carrying the sticks". I ask."It's t
*Soleil*It is dark out now and the sun is setting, as we are on our way to the circle. We are so high up north that the night is pretty short at this time of year. But still we need flash lights to find our way. When we reach the circle the full moon has just come up over the treetops and we can turn off the lights."Marta is going to light a fire, and then we are all going to prepare our senses for the sitting out. These herbs help us clean our mind and focus". Siri shows me two leather pouches.When the fire is roaring, we all step up to it and Siri opens one of the pouches, handing it to Marta. "The first handful of herbs we throw to clean our mind. Your worries will disappear and you are present in the moment. Just do as we do".Marta reaches inside, pulling out some herbs, before leaning over the fire, throwing them into the flam
*Soleil*When they are both gone, Siri goes to one of the small stones in the circle, putting her hands on it. "Stone in circle, shield to vǫlur. I loosen the ring the earth is protecting". She pushes the stone away, making a hole in the circle and coming back to me. "We have to hurry. The others are unprotected while we are gone". She takes out the little jar of ointment. "This is a flying ointment. There are a lot of versions out there, but only a true vǫlur can use it". She explains. "To meet with a Jötnar we need to let go of our inhibitions. Even I who have seen most are still bound by what I believe to be reality and superstition in our world. "The ointment is a potent mix of plants that makes you hallucinate, so you might feel a bit… drunk before we fly. Do you understand so far ?"I nod, watching curiously as Siri opens the jar."We rub ourselves with
warning: by the end of the chapter a human will be killed and partially eaten*Luca*I need to rest for a bit. Exhausted I fall to my knees in front of a small brook, splashing the cool water in my face. After having a bit to drink, I sit down, staring downstream, feeling lost. I have been running for hours. How far have I gone ? Where am I to go ? It doesn't seem like a good idea to go home. They will probably just wait for me there.I hold my breath, listening if they are anywhere near. I remember some old movie where the bad guy had lost the police dogs by running through the water. So I decide to try. Right now I just need to get far away, then I can find out where to go later.My body is protesting when I get on my feet and jump into the water. Even with my legs tired from many kilometers of running, the memory of Martin's yellow eyes and the bloo
*Davina*Lefu had called me already this Saturday morning, asking me out for dinner. And now I am hurrying down the stairs to meet him. When I spot him I stop in my track, staring at him in surprise. As he stands there in jeans and a loose, button up shirt, his hair styled fashionably instead of slicked back like I am used to, he looks even more handsome. If it hadn't been for those hypnotic blue eyes I would hardly have recognised him.Luckily I had decided at the last minute to wear the blue dress I made for Soleil's birthday and we are matching nicely..We drive to a restaurant much closer to London. When I ask why we are driving so far, he shrugs. "I want to eat in peace. Here are less chances of meeting any of my friends or the clientele from the Grotto''.Even if it isn't one of the VIP places in London, It is still a much nicer