Remember Me

Chapter 9: The five-point Pentagram

When I opened my eyes next, I was standing in an unknown grassy area. It was dark and a corporeal figure stood in front of me. The angular planes of her face, sharp and shrewd as if everything she did was a calculating gesture. Right now, she was smiling at me. Her ethereal body was levitating off the ground.

I looked around with wide eyes. Where was I? 

“Hello Hannah.” She spoke with a warm smile. Extending her hands towards me, she beckoned me closer to her. “It seems you tried to tap into the stores of magic lying dormant inside you. It isn’t the right time.”

“Time?” I asked her blankly. “Who are you? Where am I?”

The figure laughed, extending her arms to motion around her. “We are on the Spirit Plane. I am glad I got a chance to be able to speak to you here.”

“Why am I here?” I kept grilling her for information.

The lady gave me a Cheshire cat smile. “You’re here because I willed it. Your defenses are down. Your spirit is weak after trying to break through the barrier of your dormant powers. I was able to pull you here. Come my child, we have much to talk about.” She held her hands towards me again, expecting me to grasp them.

My eyes registered the five-point pentagram on the palms of her hands extended towards me. I took a step back in awe. The waist long hair, the sharp eyes… the pentagram etched into both palms…

“I’ve seen you being burned!” I exclaimed thinking back to the images that had assailed me a few minutes ago. 

The lady looked at me sadly with a nodding head. “A small price I had to pay to keep my children safe. Humans burned me during my time on Earth. Alas, I had finished what I set out to do. It was time to caste off the yoke of the oppressors from my children. They may have burned me but the art of witchcraft did not die with me.” 

Understanding dawned on me and I fell to my knees. “Aradia!” I gasped, bowing my head in submission. This was our goddess… the daughter of Diana!

The goddess laughed at me, kneeling down to grab my shoulders. Despite being corporeal, she was able to firmly grip my shoulders, coaxing me up.

“Me bowing to myself.” She whispered in an amused voice which confused me further.

“Why have you called me here?” I murmured reverently.

“Hannah, only when you let yourself go can you truly tap into your powers. You must fall in order to fly. Let go Hannah and you will understand.”

“My powers?” I looked at her blankly. “What are you talking about?”

“Your emotional ties in your world will hold you back. Don’t risk one person for the lives of many.” She warningly stated.

I kept looking at her utterly confused. “I love my family and friends.” I reinforced, looking at her disbelievingly. What was she asking me to do?

Her peaceful face contorted into an irritated scowl. “There is a war brewing. Wake up Hannah!” she snapped. She opened her mouth to keep speaking but no words came out. I began to hear a mantra in a different voice.

 “Wake up! Hannah! Hannah! Wake up!” Joseph’s frantic voice resounded throughout the clearing.

I looked around me, trying to find where the voice was coming from. It was slowly pulling me towards itself. I felt myself becoming disoriented. 

“No!” I heard Aradia shriek as if from far away even though she was right in front of me. She beckoned for me to fight the voice. “Stay!”

I couldn’t fight it. I didn’t want to fight it. His voice belied a frantic concern and I did not want him to worry about me. Willing myself to succumb to the pull of his voice, I felt a brief floating sensation before suddenly opening my eyes to a dusky red sky. Joseph was peering at me anxiously, his arms encasing me. Inhaling his familiar scent of pine trees, I looked up at him a little dazedly. Had it all been just a dream? But I couldn’t delve on my surreal dream any longer because he had crushed me against his chest, allowing his hands to roam up and down my back as if to assure him I was all right. Tentatively, I allowed my arms to snake around him in reassurance. He pulled back ever so slightly to look at me.

“I’m fine.” I managed to croak out. His proximity was making my heart rate go a mile a minute.

“I’m taking you to the nurse. I have never ever seen that happen. I pushed you too hard.” He sounded regretful.

“No! I’m fine! I’m just not used to exerting my powers.” I gave him a shaky smile. I could barely think straight with him half on top of me as I leaned against a tree. My arms were loosely around him as if we were lovers whispering endearments to each other. He leaned his forehead against mine.

“You scared me.” He whispered, his breath was hot against me. Darn even his breath smelled nice. Like a spearmint. What would it feel like to kiss him? “Not much can scare me.” He admitted, pulling his head back to look at me but not budging his muscular body an inch away from me. My breathing was becoming a little erratic. I felt warm all over. Oh no… was I aroused by him? My heartbeat sped up a little more and I felt a novel ache between my legs. Unconsciously, I arched into him.

Immediately, his brows snapped together as he finally registered the intimate position we were in. For a minute, just a minute, I thought he would kiss me. Instead, with a resigned sigh, he untangled himself from around me, pulling back. My eyes didn’t hide the hurt I felt.

“Red-“ he began, running a hand through his hair agitatedly.

“No it’s OK.” I rushed, getting up as if the floor was on fire. I grabbed my messenger bag with renewed vigor. “You-you have a girlfriend and—“

“For the last time, Laura’s not my girlfriend.” He bit out.

 If possible, I felt even a little more crushed. At least if he had had a girlfriend, it meant I might have had a chance if he was available. He really wasn’t helping my ego here. I looked at him a little bitterly. As if realizing his mistake, he quickly went on…

“I’m not looking for anything serious. And you…”

“I’m not asking for marriage, Joe.” I snapped, clutching the straps of my bag. For goddesses’ sake, he acted as if I was asking for his everlasting devotion.

He looked at me as if deciding on his next words carefully. Finally, he spoke. “You’re worth more than a quick hookup in the gardener’s shed.”

Maybe it was because everyone knew how hotheaded Griffin was but no boy had ever talked to me so frankly before. Sure, I had had a few boyfriends but Griffin had been very successful in scaring them off. Nobody wanted to be with Hannah, the witch with a werewolf brother who would beat any boy into a bloody pulp caught making out with her. I felt a little embarrassed at my inexperience in that department and Joseph was making it quite clear that he wanted someone with experience.

“What if that’s what I want?” I finally challenged him with a raised eyebrow.

Joseph looked at me skeptically and his words were harsh. “Don’t be stupid Hannah. Stop trying to be something you’re not.”

“Oh and you know me?”

“I’ve known you ever since you started attending the Institute.” He countered. “I’ve been friends with you for the past two months. I’ve observed you. You-“ he stopped talking suddenly as if he didn’t want to say too much.

“Well if you can’t give me what I want—“ I huffed wanting to prove him wrong. “—I’ll just have to find someone who can.” I turned on my heel to walk away from him.

“Like hell you will.” I heard him growl from behind and, in an instant, he pulled me into him. His lips crashed onto mine as I opened my mouth in protest at his manhandling. Now I had been kissed before but this was… this was completely different. His lips slowly assaulted mine, coaxing me to open for him. Giving him entry caused him to groan into my mouth, pulling me closer. His hands moved down to grip my lower back to pull me more intimately against him. I was completely lost in the touch and feel of him. His hands roved up and down my sides hesitantly caressing the sides of my breasts before trailing down to squeeze my butt. The need inside me intensified at his touch and a warmth I had never felt before enveloped my being. Shyly, I allowed my tongue to move against his in a hypnotizing rhythm. I melded myself further against him as if we were trying to fuse together and he grunted approval against my mouth. His strong muscular arms were gripping my butt, lifting me slightly to wrap my legs around his waist. I was a little clumsy in my attempts to lift my legs in the appropriate manner; he swiftly gripped my thigh, gently pulling me up higher. He guided me carefully so that I was able to wrap my legs around his waist. His groan was hot against my mouth and he aggressively slammed me against the tree which, for some reason, turned me on even more causing me to grip my legs tightly around his waist. I had never been in such an intimate position before. It was a heady feeling, being touched as if I was his lifeline.

 I adjusted myself against him, trying to ease the ache between my legs, unintentionally seeking more. He experimentally moved against me, pushing the proof of his want for me against my core. I groaned at the contact and he began to move against me with such an urgency that I panicked and instinctively began to pull back. This was too fast too soon. As if I was on fire, he let me go. His eyes looked incredulous as if he couldn’t believe what he’d just done. I didn’t release my grip from him. I wanted to tell him to give me a minute. That his assault on my senses had left me flustered. Before I could do either of those things, he had extracted himself form me and began walking away as if the devil himself was after him.

I couldn’t help the tears streaming down my face as I watched him leave. Rejection was a b***h. Sinking to the ground, I pulled my knees against my chest. I needed a minute to process what had just happened. Was the thought of being with me so repulsive that he ran away? Did he like me or was that just lust spurring him on?

As I had come to expect by now, I felt someone approaching me from behind.

“Here to check in on me?” I asked morosely.

“Actually—“ Rafe’ began coming to sit next to me. “—I was studying near the fountains. Joseph saw me and told me to come check up on you. What happened? Did-did he do something?” Rafe’ asking fearfully.

I shook my head. “It’s not his fault.” She whispered and put her head on her knees. Why did every boy I like not like me back? First Rafe’ and now Joseph.

Not pushing the matter, Rafe put his arm around me comfortingly.