Astral journey
~
Morning came finally, and Riya was the last to wake up. Elijah stood in front of the living room window watching the activities on the street while Voleth Meir was on her phone. Rick woke Riya up and then went to his room to take a shower.
"Good morning." Riya said as she sat beside Voleth Meir on the sofa.
"Good morning." Voleth Meir answered smiling.
"We should have our baths and start the day." Riya said, turning to look at her.
"Are you ready?" Voleth asked
"Yes, definitely." Riya replied.
Voleth Meir stood up and Riya took her to the guest room where they had their baths and changed.
"You look good in just anything." Riya complimented her.
"Thank you sweetie." Voleth Meir answered as she turned in front of the mirror.
Riya stood for a while still admiring her, she hadn't thought that her clothes would fit Voleth Meir perfectly. The woman was just too perfect, just completely perfect like a goddess. She was just wearing jean pants and a strapless corset Riya had purchased recently.
" We should go shopping when we have the time." Voleth Meir commented.
"I agree." Riya replied.
Riya remembered the first time she met Voleth Meir in Egypt, she always admired the woman from the beginning with her perfect curves, clear skin and forest green eyes, her hair was down to earth black, she literally looked like a fairytale you'd tell your friends you came across, and get your head checked for months.
"You know I can literally hear your thoughts right?" Voleth Meir said as she smiled.
"So embarrassing." Riya muttered.
Voleth Meir laughed and went to stand in front of the mirror while Riya continued to stare at her in admiration.
"Let's go, I'm set." Riya said as she tried to smooth out the creases on the shirt she was wearing. She wore a simple shirt, rolling up the sleeves, and blue jean shorts.
"Alright." Voleth Meir said.
They both walked out of the room, each smiling and admiring one another. By the time they came out, Rick had already made coffee and ordered pizza too. Elijah was nowhere to be found.
"Where's Elijah?" Voleth Meir asked Rick.
"I don't know, he went poof on me." Rick replied.
Voleth Meir closed her eyes for a moment and then opened them again before going to sit down.
"Any ideas?" Riya asked.
"He's in Tartarus." Voleth Meir answered.
" How convenient." Riya muttered.
Voleth Meir laughed softly hearing this. She picked up her phone and started to text someone, while Riya went on to help Rick serve breakfast before Elijah got back.
When Elijah got back some moments later, they ate together in silence. After eating, Voleth Meir brought double blankets and made a makeshift bed on the floor with a pillow.
"Shall we begin?" She asked everyone.
"Okay." Riya answered.
Riya laid down upwards with her hands knotted on top of her chest as she faced the ceiling.
"So how does this work?." She asked Voleth Meir.
"Just let the magic lead you, and it will answer every question about your identity that lays deep in your heart." Voleth Meir said and started to chant something inaudibly.
She touched Riya's head and chest and Riya immediately became unconscious. Elijah sat on the sofa close to her while Rick knelt down close to her.
Riya woke up on the floor laying down and facing the sky. She immediately got up and saw that she was laying down on soft grass, she got up and scanned her environment, she seemed to be in a small garden as there were different types of flowers around her.
After looking around a bit, she heard footsteps coming closer, she immediately hid amongst the flowers not sure if they could see her or not in her astral form
Not long, a man walked into the garden and sat on the grass, Riya's eyes shone in recognition as she saw him, it was her father. Nephele picked two lilies and placed it in his palm, the flowers immediately disappeared.
After sometime, a young child came running into the garden and into the man's arms. The child had white long flowing hair and silver eyes, her skin was clear and as beautiful as a newborn. She was wearing a small black dress. Nephele carried her and spun around with her as she giggled.
"How are you my princess?." Nephele asked the child.
"I'm fine papa" The child replied.
"I can't find uncle Elijah papa." The child said with a hint of sadness.
"Elijah?" Riya whispered to herself.
She then remembered the memory that flashed in her head the other day when she was with Elijah, and this child's voice is the same as the one in that memory too.
Could Elijah be someone important to her from her past Life? She pondered.
Could that be the reason he sounded hurt when he told her she'll remember him when she regained her memory?.
Her thoughts were immediately cut short as the child started to laugh and run around with Nephele chasing her playfully. After a while, they faded away. Riya came out from the flowers and started to dust her body.
Suddenly, Riya heard someone laughing some distance away, she ran towards the sound until she came to a small wooden house in a clearing where she saw a girl in her teenage years with white hair and silver eyes sitting down and conversing with Nephele as she laughed.
Riya hid behind a tree and continued to watch them quietly as they discussed on and on. After watching them for a while Riya left and continued to walk around the forest. From time to time, she met some other witches on her stroll, some young girls were singing and dancing in groups while others were simply practicing spells on bunnies.
Riya kept on walking through the forest till nightfall until something caught her eyes, she was about to find somewhere to sit and stay till dawn but kept on walking instinctively.
In the middle of the forest, there was a big fire, like a bon fire, and around the fire were witches around their teenage years standing naked and coated in blood except their hair was exempted. Riya came closer and hid close to some brushes.
In the middle of the circle and close to the fire was a woman that seemed to be in her 80s, she also had the same features of a witch from the white forest. Taking a close look, Riya thought that the woman seemed familiar but brushed off the thought
"Tonight, you all will finally be initiated into the circle, and we shall finally become sisters." The woman suddenly said smiling.
She took the stone plate in her hands and went to the girls one by one to draw a marking on their head, each having a different type and different shape.
"Now, let the chaos begin." The woman said as she let out a chilling laugh that made the night seem colder.
"How creepy." Riya muttered.
"Whoever you are, come out." The woman suddenly said, pointing in her direction.
Every hair on Riya's neck stood at that moment, fear suddenly started to sip into her, paralyzing her completely. She began to take careful steps backwards until she heard footsteps behind her, she immediately turned and saw the same teenage girl laughing this afternoon with Nephele come out from a brush behind her and walked past her towards the fire.
"How did I not notice her?" Riya muttered with a sigh.
"Meridith, what brings you here?." The old woman asked in a harsh tone.
"It's also my initiation night, why don't I get to attend too like every other witch." The teenager asked with defiance.
"You should know your place child." Another elder in the circle spoke this time.
"My place is here with my fellow witches." She replied
" We cannot initiate an abomination into the circle." The woman fired back.
Enough!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. The old woman who had first spoken to the teenager finally spoke up again.
It then dawned on Riya that the woman was indeed familiar, she was her grandmother and the leader of the circle. The first time and only time Riya had seen her was her last astral journey in Voleth Meir's library.
"I'm not an abomination." Meridith said angrily and the ground started to shake like a stampede was close.
Riya gasped as she saw the girl's eyes, they blazed red like hot coals and there was also a silver marking on her forehead that also shone. The others around the fire had started to keep a safe distance by stepping back.
The young Meridith spread her hands and black little winged creatures came from nowhere and started attacking everyone. She slowly started to ascend from the ground and to the middle of the now ruined circle. She stayed above them in the middle and jammed her hands, and the creatures immediately fell into the fire one by one till they were all ash remains.
She then descended and the marking on her forehead disappeared, leaving her eyes still blazing like the pits of hell.
"I will not continue to be treated like an outcast, if you don't find me worthy then kick me out." She said as her eyes became silver again.
"You dare interrupt an initiation." The other elder said with a sneer.
"Apologize to everyone here that you just disregarded and take a spot in the circle." Her grandmother said, ignoring the other elder.