Freak Away!

By May Koliander

Happiness is a journey and the wise endeavour to enjoy every moment along the way.
For the unfortunate, happiness is something one remembers.

Our choices reveal us to ourselves...

Ivan, the man Athalinda loves, has vanished without even a good-bye. Heartbroken, she sets out to seek him in the Carpathian Mountains. Eugene offers to assist her find the Dark Castle they believe Ivan is headed for. Can she trust Ivan's brother in arms to help her claim her lover back or does he too have a secret agenda ? And what has come over Anghel since falling for Sasha ?

Meanwhile, back home, the dwindling Nufreak community is rejoicing as new blood lines have been found and babies are on the way, but that is before the mysterious plague brought back from the Thar desert breaks out, threatening the whole community.
Upon her return, Athalinda finds herself once again in the eye of the hurricane, having to face yet another adversary who covets the Pearl. Crucial decisions loom as the world around her changes. Which way will her choices lead her ? Will she be wise enough to realise that her journey has already begun ?

• Language: English
• Publisher: May Koliander
• Release date: Jan 2, 2018
• ISBN: 9782970088240

May Koliander

I was born in the States, the outcome of an Oklahoma - Pennsylvania love story, but bred in Europe. My taste for stories started a long time ago with Mom reading to us every evening for hours and giving us free access to the stash of Classics Illustrated a mile high she had thrown into the great ocean liner trunks along with other artefacts, such as vegetable peelers and pie tins, when she decided to cross the seas with her brood. As we grew in years, we graduated from Uncle Wiggly, Uncle Remus and Pogo to the great epics and then on to the world's classics. I still remember my brother's laughter when we got to The Pickwick Papers and must confess I fell asleep during most of The Brothers Karamazov, but was totally enthralled by War and Peace. I sometimes try to draw up a list of my most loved books, something like a top ten. It would read - today - like this : Lolita by V. Nabokov War With The Newts by K. Capek God's Grace by B. Malamud Anna Karenin by L. Tolstoy La Soif et Autres Nouvelles by Ivo Andritch Ferdydurke by W. Gombrowicz The Barsoom Novels by Edgar Rice Burroughs The Things They Carried by T. O'Brien Le Testament Français by Andreï Makine A Good Man is Hard to find and Other Stories by F. O'Connor Us by E. Zamiatine Frankenstein by Mary Shelley Of course, it's easy to remember the works that have marked generations. However, we don't only feed on 'literature' - there are myriads of other books out there of a less lofty nature that we have read and thoroughly enjoyed, but whose titles or authors have faded from our memory. So, the big blank space in the middle of the list is for all those writers whose work has given me countless hours of excitement and pleasure - writers of genre fiction. One day, however, the unthinkable happens - you reach for a book and after a few pages, you let if fall back down. It's not what you wanted - the shoe doesn't fit - so you pick up another and it happens again... Then there's only one thing left to do - sit down at your computer and start writing...

Book preview

The Dragon's Pearl

Book III

FREAK AWAY !

May Koliander

Copyright © 2013 by May Koliander

Smashwords Edition

Cover design : CoverMint Design

All rights reserved

ISBN 978-2-9700882-4-0

Also by May Koliander

Welcome to Freakdom

Freaky Pearl

Love Code

Quicksands

The Cave of Treasures

Genewise

Contact : [e-mail]

www.koliander.ch

Choices are the hinges of destiny

Pythagoras

Contents

1 Witchcraft

2 Sasha

3 Foreboding

4 Fiasco

5 Lucky Charms

6 Odds…

7 …And Ends

8 The Old Gentleman

9 The Thar

10 The Dark Castle

11 The Well Under the Eucalyptus Trees

12 Going Up In Smoke

13 Farewell

14 Disappearing Act

15 Back Home

16 The Wheel of Fate

17 Davy

18 The Fruits of the Earth and Some More

19 Bogged Down

20 Down to Business

21 The Siren

22 The Nursery

23 Cleansing

24 More Anghel

25 The Blues

26 The Plea for Help

27 Bare Facts

28 Decisions

29 Hieros Gamos

30 The End of Days

31 Epilogue

1  Witchcraft

Wake up, wake up ! Anghel had crept back into the tent they all shared in the clearing. It was early evening and time to hit the trail. Athalinda was whimpering and thrashing around in her sleeping bag and when he caught her shoulder she fended him off vigorously, moans increasing. Finally, her lids flew open, revealing gleaming tiger-stone eyes, but her tense expression relaxed when she beheld Anghel's long, gaunt face and toothy smile.

Thank God it was a nightmare ! she gasped, convulsively clenching her pearl and crystal necklace. A dim, faceless creature was kneeling on my chest, crushing me. It had got my hair wrapped around one of its bony claws, pinning my head down while its other hand crawled all over my body, seeking the Pearl. I couldn't draw a breath, the ghoul was sucking up all the air there was ! Her heart was racing and her pupils were large and black,

When I see the state you're in, I'm happy I don't spend a lot of time dozing like you, Anghel commented in his high, hushed voice as he patted her hand.

They had been traveling for two days already in the Maramure Mountains, riding through quaint Romanian villages on bony, bow-legged horses. She had taken plenty of pictures of the black, white and ochre geometrical patterns decorating the walls of thatched cottages and would have liked to dream time away in the lush, grassy alleys shaded by clouds of plum blossoms among the gabby swarms of ducks and geese. But this was no holiday ; she was on a recovery mission with Eugene, Anghel and Sasha, Anghel's new romantic interest. Ivan had vanished, abandoning all his possessions in the Poconos, and the place he had repaired to was no fairyland. Indeed, the heavy garlands of garlic festooning the cottage windows, along with the wooden crosses painted blue planted at each crossroads served to remind the traveler that here vigilance was all important and that one mustn't be lured into a false sense of security by the luscious beauty of the secluded valleys – evil lurked all around.

It's at these crossroads that the villagers used to deal with the undead such as us, Anghel told them somberly, blue is the color of hope and freedom for the people in these districts.

The crosses were not the only harbingers of the dangers that lay ahead. Tall, top-heavy haystacks stood in the flower-decked meadows like glum sentinels guarding a flock against an invisible enemy.

So far, their progress had been rather pleasant although the day before, after toiling up a particularly steep incline through the forest, they had come upon a derelict medieval church with a funny mushroom-like roof, surrounded by thick brambles, pine and a few gnarled oaks. The church's walls were stained lapis-lazuli blue and covered from ground to roof with vivid religious frescoes. Anghel and Sasha had stood for long minutes, fascinated by a scene depicting the Opening of the Graves in which throngs of the dead were laboriously climbing out of their tombs, some missing a leg, others an arm or a hand, while wild animals approached, bearing back to their owners the various body parts they had feasted on. They were about to enter what Anghel and his friend Marica called the Zone – drippy-weird forests echoing with the rumble of wild torrents, and dense mists rising within seconds to waylay unwary travelers. The naive scenes of horror on the church wall added to Athalinda’s uneasiness – they didn't bode well for awaited them.

I just don't know how you manage to stay awake for as long as you wish, Athalinda told Anghel, rubbing her eyes and then regretting it. They were gritty as if the sand man had been heavy-handed ; she was probably reacting to the pollens floating out of the small flowers dotting the forest floor. And please move away, your breath reeks of fresh blood !

A guy has to keep his strength up… Anghel replied with a smirk, inordinately proud of the muscle he had put on lately in the hopes of impressing Sasha, his new boyfriend. When she had first met Anghel, he was tall and lanky – all brain and no brawn, but falling for Sacha had changed that. She had never thought to see her flippant friend flounder around in the quick sands of love, spending countless hours at the gym…

It wasn't yet dark outside but it was certainly getting damp. The tethered horses were snorting and pawing the earth, eager to go. The little group had decided to start traveling by night and rest during the day as there was little chance of being set upon by vampires in broad daylight. The potion Athalinda had helped Elsinore perfect, and which allowed vampires to roam around unharmed in the sun, had not yet reached this part of the world and never would, if she had anything to do with it. These were Anghel 's childhood woods and he claimed to know the region like the back of his hand, but that was a couple of centuries ago and the forest had evolved since then. Fortunately, he had come ahead to buy horses and scout the country with his old friend, Marica, the vampire who turned him, and who had been living perfectly happily in these wild forests for centuries.

Athalinda pulled on her clothes, looking around the tent. The men hadn't so much as touched their sleeping bags, not that it surprised her. She crept out, coming upon a touching domestic scene ; Anghel was busy making coffee, while Sacha relaxed on a stump, looking gorgeous as usual. The young man had a rather square face and large eyes shining under dark locks which fell down to the corners of his voluptuous mouth. Never had a dancer looked more like a well-groomed thug. She guessed that was the attraction and Anghel was not his usual languorous, cranky self when around his boy toy. But Sacha probably didn't buy into the Indiana Jones act Anghel put on ; the young man looked like a total cad and although he was younger by far than Anghel, she didn't think he missed much. Right now he was contemplating her with a superior smile as she extracted herself from the tent, disheveled and bleary eyed – Beauty mocking the Beast … Let Pretty Boy laugh on… She loved Anghel too much to give Sacha a piece of her mind on the spot. Good things almost always come to those who know how wait…

She sipped the scalding coffee Anghel handed her and sighed. They were in this godforsaken part of the world to try to recover Ivan, the man she loved, and she was furious with herself for not seeing it coming ; the worm had been in the apple ever since Ivan set eyes on the witch they had conjured up for their friend Marlène the year before.

Blast that witch ! she let out suddenly, nearly spilling coffee all over her jeans. Eugene, Ivan's tall dark-haired companion-in-arms, looked around from where he was busy saddling the horses. She noticed his green eyes travel over her chest and linger on her erect nipples under her thin t-shirt. There definitely was something cat-like and unsettling about him. She quickly buttoned up her shirt as he came over. His stare more often than not made her feel uneasy, but it was refreshing to know that at least one guy on the camp realized she was a woman. For Anghel she was a pal and as to Sasha, he tended to eye her as she were his next snack…

Thomas did his best to get Bessy to put Ivan off, he owed you that much, Eugene said, drawing out a small flask of vodka and taking a swig. It was his last stash of Kievan Prinz, Ivan's brand ; and very soon he would have to rely on the local plum brandy.

That witch had no business giving in to Ivan ! We all know his darling sister is rotten to the core – and that he is pursuing an illusion. Athalinda’s sigh sounded like a groan.

When Ivan and I were in the Cossack detachment he didn't know she had died and turned into some kind of demon. Before we all got buried in the tunnels in Kazakhstan, the possibility of their not being reunited some day never once crossed his mind.

But look at you, Eugene ! You lost everything too and yet, you are living in the present, not in the past !

You mustn't forget that Ivana is his twin. He feels incomplete without her ; they belong together.

Then when we find him we have to pry him away from her ! Not only did she love Ivan, she owed him her life ; he had come to the rescue more than once. Would her love and the bond that existed between the two Cossacks be enough to break him free from his sister’s grasp ? The idea of failure made her begin to bite her nails, but she let her hand drop under Eugene's gaze.

What do you think made Bessy finally give in to Ivan ? Anghel, who had strolled up, inquired.

The Destiny baby craze, of course ! Ever since Joe and Kaci came back from the Thar Desert and the doctors solved the Nufreak infertility problem, people in Destiny have been talking about nothing but babies, babies and babies ! Athalinda spat out.

Is this Bessy you're so concerned about a Nufreak ? Angel asked.

No, she's just a witch – but I'm sure the baby craze stimulated her reproductive powers too, because right after she broke the spell which kept Thomas prisoner in Marlène's body, she lured him into her bed and got knocked up in a flash ! Athalinda's eyes were flashing.

Hey, wait a minute – wasn't this Thomas the man Bessy cast a spell on ?

Yes, she turned him into a woman, Marlène.

So what happened – some kind of Stockholm syndrome ? Did he fall for his tormentor, or what ?

That's about it. He spent so much time hating her that when he saw her again, the attraction was irresistible. Athalinda still hadn't gotten over her amazement. As she chewed on the homemade dumpling filled with plum marmalade Anghel had pulled out of one of the saddle bags, her mind wandered back to that fateful evening, last autumn.

Her friend Marlène had managed to remain chaste for the requisite thirty days before the ceremony could be carried out and was rearing at the bit to call up the witch who could release her from the spell she was under. As the weather was still mild, they decided to perform the ceremony one evening under the great ash tree next to Bear's healing tent in Chayton. Chepy, Bear's old aunt, gave them the loan of a large metal basin and Bear filled it with water from the nearby stream. Frank arrived last with a bag of mandrake leaves.

That day, Marlène was dressed in a strict black pant suit. She wore no make up and her hair was tied back tightly. She was taught and stiff as if sculpted out of ebony.

Athalinda, drank some more coffee, shook her curls and brushed a strand of hair out of her face as she looked up at Eugene, eyes suddenly dreamy. You know, when Marlène came up to our little group, I couldn't help feeling it would be a pity to see her disappear – she was such a gorgeous woman.

You've never really told us what happened and Ivan refused to broach the subject. Eugene's eyes were shinning brightly ; he was clearly interested.

If Anghel finds something with cheese in that bag of his, I'll comply. Plums were ubiquitous in this country and she didn't think she could face another plum dumpling, ever. Not surprisingly, Anghel was back in a flash, bearing a hunk of cheese wrapped in vine leaves.

I was keeping this for a rainy day, but you look like you need it right now, and he handed it to her with a flourish. Nothing was too much for a juicy piece of gossip.

She took a nibble, made a face and started, "Bear was master of ceremonies. His long black hair was braided and he had a set of rough crystal stones around his neck. His features were set, jaws clenched. We all held hands in a circle around the basin. Then Bear cast the mandrake leaves onto the water and uttered the spell. There was a hushed silence as we peered at the tranquil surface, barely daring to breathe. For about a minute nothing happened, when suddenly a slight ripple troubled the water as if it an invisible wing had glided over it, and a woman's face slowly swam up from the depths, eyes closed.

'It's Bessy !' Marlène shouted wildly, 'we have summoned her !'

Bear repeated the spell. The woman's eyes opened and held Marlène in their gaze.

'What do you want, Thomas ? Why have you called me ?' the apparition asked.

'I can't bear to be a woman any longer !' Marlène cried, 'I've paid my debt ! Please change me back !'

'You want to have back what was yours ? I can understand that, but what about me ? Who will give me back my daughter ?'

Marlène hung her head, 'you know I can't bring her back ; she's gone, but I have been punished enough. My life is hell. Have mercy on me !'

Bessy considered us all for a few seconds before her face vanished from the surface of the water. Marlène let out a shrill cry, but then we all turned round sharply. Strange rustlings were coming from behind the big ash tree. And suddenly, there was Bessy, standing right before us, just as curvy and sensual as Marlène had described her. She had on a flimsy black lace baby doll.

A witch in lingerie ? Eugene exclaimed, an amused expression on his face.

"Just as I'm telling you, and tipsy to boot. The woman winked brazenly and said, 'Sorry 'bout my attire, but you people called me up while I was having a nice cool drink with a beau of mine !' Her voice was slurred and she winked again, licking her full lips.

We were too astonished to utter a word while she examined us all in turn before saying, 'I trust I haven't come all this way for nothing… this looks like a very distinguished company. Pray make the introductions, Thomas !'

Athalinda stopped talking. The future was taking shape right there before her eyes and she had been too blunt to catch on ; she shuddered and turned to Eugene again, who put a hand on her shoulder.

I noticed how intently Ivan was staring at Bessy and her skimpy attire or smouldering good looks had nothing to do with it, she went on bitterly, "but no one had been expecting what Bessy said next, 'I'll change you back Thomas if your friend here,' and she raised her shapely arm in my direction, 'knocks a few years off my old carcass – I might look young and saucy but I'm as old as the hills.'

'But that's impossible !' Marlène exclaimed.

'Nothing is impossible, Thomas, as you should know by now,' Bessy retorted. 'I have the spells, all I need is the power.'

'What makes you think Athalinda is a source of power ?' Frank asked. Ivan didn't pronounce a word – he was spellbound, turned into a pillar of salt….

'I can feel it ; it's pulsating in her. I sensed it the very instant you conjured me up… that's why I came so obligingly,' and her smile seemed to mock us.

Her demand puzzled me and I asked her why she wanted to become young again ; the answer, however, was straightforward.

'I want to conceive again. I want a daughter – another one. Mine was wrested away from me by the callousness of this man,' and she pointed at Marlène – 'I want a daughter back.'

Her tone was grim ; there was nothing playful or drunken about her now. We were in the presence of a grieving mother, not a malicious witch and I gave in. What harm could come of this unhappy woman being able to bear a child again ?"

The pull exerted on females by a small, weak, chinless face and large, unblinking eyes should never be underestimated, Sasha, who had rejoined their group suddenly blurted out, adding bitterly, pity they aren't so keen when it comes to looking after the creatures they bring into the world…

Let's not try to understand women, Anghel crooned, seizing his hand, they are way beyond our ken.

So what happened ? Eugene prompted her, paying no attention to the vampires.

Bessy told me to place my hands on her womb while she recited a spell. The power flowing through me would effect the rejuvenation.

And did it ? Sasha wanted to know.

"Well, I told her I would agree only if she changed Thomas back. We could all sense Marlène's despair ; she had fallen to her knees, tears were streaking down her cheeks, her beautiful face resembled a Greek tragedy mask.

Bessy smiled as she put a hand on Marlène's shoulder, closed her eyes and mumbled something in a low voice. Suddenly Marlène swooned and dropped to the ground. Ivan was nearest. He crouched beside her, but gasped and started back when he turned her face towards him : the woman we knew had vanished ; in her place, we beheld a young man who opened his eyes, shook his head and slowly got to his feet. He was brown-haired and rather good-looking. The clothes he was wearing were not his size – Marlène had been quite tall – but that didn't seem to matter to him. The first thing he did was to look at his hands, then he pulled the waistband of his trousers away, peered inside, and letting out a wild howl, cried, 'my pecker is back, I'm whole again !' before dancing around us like a madman. Bessy, however, drew him up short when she shouted, in a resounding voice, 'Thomas, behave yourself.'

He immediately turned round and stood gazing at her, as if petrified."

Like coming to face to face with the gorgon, Sasha suggested.

More like love at first sight, apparently, Anghel sighed.

You are right Anghel, he fell for her, but how could we guess ? Athalinda agreed. "Anyhow, I had to make good my promise. The instant I placed my hands on Bessy’s midriff, waves of heat shot out the Pearl, traveling along my arms like tongues of fire raring to find an outlet. I expected Bessy to cry out in pain, but her face took on a rapturous expression and