Circe lit a cigarette and began, “Before I get caught up in studying for finals, I want to see how much you know about your bloodline. From what you said today, I’m guessing it is nothing. I’m not surprised. I will tell you what I know and you can follow up on the information if you want to.”
“I sat dumb-founded. ‘How could this Greek girl know anything about my family?’
‘Your ancestors on your father’s side of the family, the Valravens, carried powerful magick in their blood. Through many generations the family used their magick and power to amass a great fortune. The secret of their bloodline was held close. The Valraven’s were recognized, in the wider community, not for magick, but for philanthropy. They donated money to schools, libraries, hospitals and charities. By the late nineteen thirties, the family began to fray along the edges as the older generations passed away. The family fortune, tucked away in secure investments and stabilized by the family’s vast gold collection, was safe and continued to grow. The Valraven reputation for philanthropy, kindness and generosity faded. The younger generation, undisciplined in the greater mysteries and workings of magick, replaced the family honor with self-entitlement, disregard for community and, sometimes, cruelty.
‘A distant, but powerful branch of the Valraven family had settled near Lake Tahoe. Three Valraven brothers, their grandfather and two great uncles carried the power and wisdom of the true Valraven bloodline. They began to hear tales of the debauchery and destruction wrought by the young egotistical Valravens living in a grand mansion in Santa Cruz. The three brothers argued among themselves, the uncles could not agree to a plan and the Grandfather was dead set against any plan, but the annihilation of the self-entitled Valraven youth. After weeks of heated debate, the brothers, uncles and grandfather agreed to wage war on the Valraven estate, not through violence, but through an exorcism by the Catholic church. When the young Valraven’s crossed the pond and began gambling their way through Europe, the exorcism began.
‘The walls, rafters, mantels and curved stairways of the main house were filled with intricately carved symbols and grounded the magick of the Valraven blood to the physical plain. The Catholic bishop, hired by the Lake Tahoe Valraven’s, was denied permission to burn the house to the ground. Instead, the bishop, carrying a crucifix mounted atop an ornate silver staff, walked with intention through the house. A half dozen priests followed behind him, twisting, defying and creating an invisible barrier to the magick in the Valraven estate. Chanting their own incantations in Latin, the posse of destruction set about burning the large library filled with the history of the Valraven family. They carefully packed the ancient grimoires they found, the powerful artifacts and magickal implements. The boxes containing an inestimable value and power were sent to the Vatican to be stored in the below ground vaults. My blood boils when I think of the power and knowledge they stole and locked away for their own use.
‘Lacking the vision to see the house as a potent cauldron of magick and the patience to reverse the spells of corrupted religious control, the infuriated young Valraven’s gathered their belongings and abandoned the last vestige of their inherited power.
‘Returning to Europe, the youths began to feed off the ancient bloodlines of Europe. They exhausted their welcome in Italy and France, then traveled down the Mediterranean coast to befriend a family in Malta. This was a mistake as the magickal families of Malta recognized the youths as the blood sucking, energy hungry miscreants they were. Warnings went out through the eastern countries and Europe. The young Valraven’s, labeled as energy vampires were, turned away from the powerful families the Valraven’s had been friends with for generations.’
I turned to look Circe in the eyes. “Is this true? Is this why my parents travel the planet? Are they looking for a way to restore their magick? Have you heard they are vampires? Tell me!” I pleaded.
Circe flipped the butt of her cigarette over the edge of the roof and shifted her position. ‘Your parents lived on the Estate, at least that is where you were lodged. Possibly they travel as they have a hard time being in the house. I have heard nothing of them being vampires, at least not blood drinking vampires. They may be energy vampires, preying on the powerful and ritually syphoning off their magic.’ Shrugging her shoulders Circe continued, ‘I don’t know why they travel or what they are seeking. I swear I don’t.’
“Circe’s revelations turned my world upside down. My parents sent me to Ireland, a particularly Catholic country, and enrolled me in a Catholic school. Did this indicate they were comfortable with Catholicism? Another twist entered my mind, possibly, they were using the Catholic church as a smoke screen.
“After two semesters in the midst of the Papal loving nuns at Saint Mary’s, I hated my parents. My blood ran cold when I thought of them. Were they comfortable with the loss of the Valraven magick, or were they seeking to restore it? Regardless of what they were doing, I vowed to reclaim and restore the Valraven magick in my blood.” Regina blinked her eyes, shook her head, and roused herself from her stoned monologue. Realizing she had been talking, revealing who knows what, her eyes flew to Lilly who smiled with compassion and understanding.
“I’m sorry to bore you with tales of the distant pass. Let’s get back to work,” Regina said, not sure how much of her past she had revealed.
Lilly took Regina’s hand and squeezed it gently, “You can count on me if you need any help.”
Regina slipped her hand from Lilly’s, stood, pocketed her pipe and, again, suggested they return to work.
~
By late afternoon the store room was full and a shelf in the shop was ready for the antique books and grimoires Claude was sure to bring
