The Black Witch

  THE BLACK WITCH

  Anasta Chronicles

  Book Two

  JENNY MCKANE

  Copyright © 2018

  All rights reserved.

  This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter One

  The Outer Limits

  She awoke suddenly and strangely. It seemed that—one minute—sleep had her under a heavy cloak of darkness, so dark that it seemed to consume her mind. The next, she sat straight up, drawing breath into her lungs with a sharp hiss. Yes. She had somehow forgotten how to breathe, but now the knowledge returned instinctively.

  She squinted up into the sky. It was a dome of pure, unsullied blue. The sun was high, a yellow orb seeming to shimmer slightly as she stared at it. She had never seen a sky such as this. It seemed to draw her into it. She saw her own hand reach up, towards it, as if she could touch it.

  She blinked twice. Her eyes focused on the landscape around her—slowly.

  As far as she could see, it was red sand, undulating and unending. The red of the land contrasted sharply with the blue of the sky, almost as if it had been painted. The sand swirled and rippled in a dry wind that blew her hair around her face. She turned around. It was the same in that direction as well.

  A never-ending desert stretched out as far as the eye could see. Where was she? How had she gotten here?

  She stumbled to her feet, swaying slightly. Her mind was foggy, so foggy that she could barely grasp at thought. I am Avalon, she thought. Even realizing her name was hard, like she was fighting for awareness. She knew that she was here for a reason, that she had to get somewhere urgently, but she could not seem to remember what that reason was, or where she had to go.

  Had she been with people? Her head started to throb, trying to remember. Yes. She had been with people. Two men, who were her companions. She stared around at the vast desert.

  She was alone. Whoever her companions were, they were not with her now. And it seemed as if they had not been with her for a long time.

  There was movement in the sand. Instinctively, she drew her sword. How had she known to do that? And yet, she had. The handle of the sword felt natural and right in her hand, as if it belonged there. This was something that she was familiar with.

  She crouched, her sword drawn, ready to pounce. Suddenly, she saw a black creature, scuttling along the sand towards her. She crouched lower, her eyes wide. What was it? She had never seen anything like it in her life.

  It came closer, then stopped. It had large pincers, which snapped at her, and an antenna that moved quickly in the wind. What was it doing? Was it about to attack her?

  Suddenly, the creature lunged. She quickly speared it with her sword. It collapsed, into the red sand. A strange, greenish-colored liquid seeped out of it, and then, before her very eyes, it started to melt into the sand. It was gone, seemingly swallowed.

  Avalon blinked twice. This was a strange place indeed. Fear suddenly overwhelmed her. Why couldn’t she remember? She had been on a journey…she knew that much. She knew that she had been travelling with people, but who they were and why she had been travelling with them, she had no idea.

  A shadow swept over the sky so suddenly that she shivered.

  She was exposed out here in this endless desert. She had to find a place to hide, where she could sit and try to think what was happening. Make sense of everything. But what direction should she go in? She was suddenly conscious of the heat. It was so intense.

  She glanced down. She was wearing a light tunic with leggings. They were dark with strange geometric patterns embroidered on them. The clothes were obviously designed for this climate; the material was light and didn’t stick to her skin. But where had she gotten them from?

  She had a brown pouch slung over her shoulder. She opened it and took out an old map. Her heart started to beat a little faster. At last! A clue as to where she was and what she was doing. She squatted down and spread it out before her on the sand.

  It was old—so old that the paper split a little as she spread it. At the top of the map was written: The Outlying Zone. She could see territories within it and a boundary line. Beyond the boundary line was written: The Realm of Agnoria.

  That sparked a shiver of memory. Agnoria. Is that where she was heading, or where she had come from?

  She studied the map carefully. There seemed to be three distinct territories within the Zone. One was to the side and colored lighter. It was called: The Safe Zone. Beyond that, almost circling the entire area, was a darker-colored area. She could see that it had few landmarks within it, and it seemed to be open landscape. This was called: The Outer Limits.

  She looked up, staring around her. There was no real reason for her to believe it, but she just knew that this was where she was, somewhere in The Outer Limits.

  She stared down at the map. In the middle of it, with The Outer Limits surrounding it, was another area. It was small, compared to what surrounded it. This was called: The Interior.

  She could see markings now. Someone had taken a red pen and plotted a route. The journey started in The Safe Zone, travelling through The Outer Limits, and ended at a spot in The Interior.

  Avalon sat back, frowning. This was where she was heading, she just knew it. This was where she needed to go. But how to get there?

  She stared down at the map, seeking answers. There were a few landmarks in The Outer Limits, and one was circled in the red pen. She squinted at it, trying to make out its feature or name. It seemed to be a large rock formation. She had seen something like this in the distance.

  She stood up, her heart thudding. Yes. It was a large formation, jutting out of the landscape. Again, she knew that this was what she had been looking for. Before whatever happened to her had happened, that is. As hard as she tried, she could not seem to penetrate it. It was like a fog hanging over her mind.

  Well. She had little choice. She could not seem to remember why she was here, or what had happened to those travelling with her, but she seemed to know where she had been heading. She would set out for it, and hopefully her memory would return.

  She carefully folded the map, putting it back in her bag, and then she set out for the rocks that were looming ominously in the distance.

  ***

  Finally, she could see the rocks looming above her. She collapsed onto the sand, panting heavily. Her throat was parched.

  She had trudged through the sand for what seemed like hours. Her feet burned through the thin shoes she was wearing. Sweat was running in rivulets down her back, and yet, she had kept on—relentlessly. Her mind was vacant; few thoughts came to her.

  She scrambled up onto the rocks, peering out over the landscape. Yes. That was the way into The Interior. She could see that it was different – where endless sand stretched behind her, the terrain beyond the rocks was craggy and darkened. It was as if
a thin line separated the two landscapes.

  It was as alien to her as everything else, and yet she somehow knew that it was where she was meant to go.

  A strange screeching noise suddenly permeated her mind. It was growing louder. What was making the noise?

  She crouched down and crept over the rocks towards the source of it. Her heart started thudding. Why was she going towards it? Instinct told her she should run in the opposite direction, and yet something was drawing her closer.

  In the heart of the rocks, there was a large nest. She could see two large eggs, sitting amongst straw and twigs. Her skin prickled, and she automatically turned her eyes to the sky. A large creature was hovering there, seemingly suspended in motion. It had huge, webbed wings that appeared to span half the sky.

  Avalon froze. She couldn’t run away now. The creature would see her and pursue her. She took in every detail of its form. It was a mottled red and orange, with skin so thick it seemed impenetrable. Its wings were connected by webbing, and a fan of orange skin framed its face. Huge, black claws hovered over the nest. Was it about to descend onto the nest, or would it suddenly see her?

  She held her breath. Suddenly, the creature opened its mouth, and she was beset by flames, which seemed to fill the air around her. She crouched lower, feeling the heat of it searing against her skin. She was about to die, all alone, out in this unknown place, with no idea of why she was here, or where she was going.

  She shut her eyes tightly, waiting for the creature to see her. It could rip her apart with one light scraping of its claws.

  However, the shadow never fell over her. She dared to open her eyes, just a fraction. The creature had turned around and was flying through the sky—away from her.

  The relief was so intense she fell against the rocks. She had to get away from here. Whatever the creature was, it would return—and soon. Those eggs obviously belonged to it. She had stumbled into the creature’s lair. And who was to say that there wasn’t more of them out there, flying around and observing the terrain?

  She would have to monitor the sky and look out for it. The landscape was so open with few places to hide. No trees to hide behind, or ditches to crawl into. It was not ideal, but she had no choice.

  She turned to scurry away, back down the rocks, when a slight cracking noise arrested her. Sickeningly, she looked back at the eggs. One of them was moving, shaking violently from side to side. It was hatching. She had to get away, but her feet refused to move.

  She watched, spellbound, as the shell finally gave way and a black claw emerged. A wing suddenly appeared, slick with membrane, and then a head popped out. Its eyes were the color of coal and seemed to stare straight at her.

  It opened its mouth, and a thin flame emerged, almost reaching her.

  She stared into the creature’s black eyes, unable to move. The shell fell away from it in a shuddering jolt, almost like a robe falling from someone’s shoulders onto the ground.

  Avalon knew that she had to run. She would die; the creature was just born, but it was obviously a predator, and although it was much smaller than its parent, its size was still formidable. She tried to break her gaze away from it, but it was if it had ensnared her, as if its mind was trying to reach out to hers.

  With a huge effort, she broke the contact, panting heavily. The strange spell it seemed to be casting over her broke suddenly, like a glass shattering.

  She ran down the rocks, not looking behind her.

  She was almost to the bottom when she looked up suddenly.

  A figure was standing in the distance. It was large and wore a black cape, with a hood pulled up over its head. The hood drooped so low, she could not make out a face. Red sand swirled around it, almost obscuring it from vision. It raised one hand and beckoned to her.

  Avalon froze again—for an instant—but this time…she knew. Something told her that she had to turn away from the figure and run. Her instincts were screaming at her, and she knew that she had to do it now before she stared at it any longer.

  She turned and fled, her heart beating wildly.

  ***

  Her lungs heaved. She was so thirsty, she couldn’t go another step.

  That was when she saw it, hovering in the distance. A small lake. Was it real? Or was her mind playing tricks on her again?

  It had happened twice since she had fled from the strange figure and the clawed creatures. The first time she had sworn that there was a pond ahead of her. She had broken into a run toward it, only to find that she was clawing at sand. The second time, she had heard water trickling from somewhere. Was it a waterfall or a stream? But even though she searched desperately, she could not find it.

  She would not run, this time. She would approach it slowly and see if it was real. Perhaps if she did that, it would not be a trick—this time.

  One foot in front of the other. Yes. It was still there; she was getting closer. Suddenly, she was on its shoreline, staring at the cool, clear water.

  She reached out a hand, toward it, still expecting that it would disappear. Her hand touched it and was suddenly wet.

  Sweet relief flooded through her, so intense that she simply sat staring at it for a moment.

  Then, she cupped her shaking hands, drawing liquid into them. She drank. The cool liquid soothed her parched throat, replenishing her. She cupped her hands again, drinking more until she was satiated. Then she collapsed on the shoreline, staring up at the blue sky.

  All was silent. The figure had disappeared. She scanned the sky but could see no shadows of the creature hovering within it.

  She looked back at the water, so calm. How lovely would it be to feel it enveloping her? She was so dry and tired. Could she simply slip into its folds, just for a minute? The thought was so intoxicating that she stood up, slipping out of her clothes, and waded into it.

  The water felt silky against her skin. Coolness overwhelmed her. She ducked her head and swam underneath, breaking the surface with a harsh intake of breath. Then, she floated on her back, staring up at the sky. She shouldn’t linger. She was refreshed now. She set out toward the shoreline, swimming lazily.

  Suddenly, a bubble popped through the surface of the water. Avalon stilled. Something was in here.

  She felt a quick movement alongside her. It brushed against her. She turned her head to look at it, when suddenly she was dragged under the water.

  She opened her eyes. A huge creature, with scaly skin and small eyes, had enveloped her. It was squeezing her tightly, so tight that she could feel her ribs constrict. It was trying to pull her down toward the bottom of the lake. She pushed against it desperately, but its grip was strong.

  For the second time that day, she knew that she was going to die.

  She managed to break a hand free and pushed forcefully against the creature’s face. Yes. She could feel where its eyes were. She pronged her fingers and pushed them hard into its eyes. Its grip loosened on her, and she swam desperately.

  She could feel it behind her, its jaws snapping at her legs. One if its teeth contacted her thigh, and she felt a sharp pain suddenly tear through her.

  Blood seeped through the water. The creature growled, deep in its throat.

  She had made it to the shore. She stumbled, grabbing her clothes, sword, and bag. Would it pursue her on land? She had no idea what it was. Perhaps it was capable of traversing both water and earth. She was so tired. She tripped over a rock and fell to the ground.

  She gazed behind her. There was nothing. The creature could obviously not come onto land. Breathing a heavy sigh of relief, she looked at the mark on her leg. It was bleeding, but it didn’t seem to be deep. She pressed her hand against it, stemming the bleeding, then dressed quickly.

  What was this place? What were these creatures, and why did they all seem so dangerous?

  Avalon knew it was called The Outer Limits, and it was a part of the Outlying Zone. The map had told her that, but it simply meant nothing to her. Why couldn’t she remember why she was here?
She pressed her hands against her head, hard. The fog that seemed to have settled over her mind would not shift. She had never felt so disoriented in her life.

  What of the two men who had come with her?

  She stared up at the sky. The sun had shifted; it was getting into late afternoon. Soon, it would be dark, and she still had no idea of what she was doing, only that she had to get to The Interior. Desperately. Urgently. Before it was too late. But too late for what?

  With shaking hands, she took out the map, spreading it on the sand. She had passed the rock formation, and the map seemed to indicate that she should head north. She should be almost there anyway. Into The Interior. Wherever that was.

  She peered into the bag. Something was at the bottom of it. She reached deep and pulled it out, turning it over in her hand.

  It was a piece of jewelry, but unlike anything that she had seen before. A large circle, it was made of silver and had a single blue stone at its center. Small symbols were engraved around the blue stone. It was attached to a chain. Was it a necklace?

  She put it over her head, hesitant. It was heavy and hung low on her chest. Too heavy to wear while she was running for her life. Why did she have it? Did it belong to her, or someone else?

  Avalon sighed heavily. There were too many questions and so few answers. Whatever this was, it was precious. She took it off and put it back into the bag. She would keep it safe.

  Time to keep moving. She scanned the horizon, but it seemed to be clear. She had to find a place to hide before the sun set. She had no idea what creatures might come out after dark, and then there was the strange figure in the black cloak. She shivered at the thought of it.

  She was alone in a strange land, and this was the only thing she knew: she was in danger.

  ***

  Avalon woke, as the first rays of dawn fell over the sky. She stretched, staring around her.

  She had crawled into a sand dune, in between two large rocks, just as the moon had risen into the sky the night before. It had been the only shelter that she could see, but it was not as hidden as she would have liked. It had taken her a long time to get to sleep. Strange noises had sprung up all around her.