Jane nodded. “Let’s do this.”
Magnus leaned over and hugged her. “You’ll be fine. I know because my daughter told me so.”
“Then I know this will work. I’ll see you all tonight.”
Galen stood and together he and Jane walked from Zoey’s house hand in hand. She had an evil witch to show that she wasn’t going to be pushed around anymore.
Zoey swallowed hard as her house began to empty out. “Wait,” she said when just Slade, her father, Vilma, and Agnes were left. “I had a vision about tonight and someone dies.”
“Could you tell who?” Vilma asked.
Zoey shook her head. Her heart was breaking in two. She’d been beating herself up trying to figure out who it was. “I got it when I touched Lauren and Linus yesterday.”
Agnes sighed. “I’m sorry, but it could be anyone under them. As you know the Grand Master and Grand Mistress get their power from their people and you could be picking up anyone’s future.”
“Did you get the feeling you could stop it?” Vilma asked her and it seemed she already knew what Zoey was going to say.
“No. That’s what’s killing me. I can’t see who it is, and I can’t stop it. I know I can’t.” Zoey fought back tears. “Because what accompanied the vision was a feeling of such heartbreak I knew it would be true no matter what I did.”
The room was solemn as they listened to her tell them of her vision.
“All we can do is protect each other. If the Goddess calls any one of us home, we must go,” her father said to her as he cupped her face with his hands and kissed her forehead just as he’d done when she was a child. “I’m going to set things in motion. Be safe, Jellybean.”
Agnes handed her a power shake. “Drink this right before tonight. It’ll help.”
Vilma hugged her tight. “It’s not your fault if someone dies, Zoey. Maybe it’s Ian who dies. Your visions don’t make you responsible for them.”
Zoey nodded but as they left she knew someone she cared about wasn’t coming home from the fight.
Jane tried to go about her day as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening. It was probably her imagination, but she felt as if she could feel Ian’s eyes on her. She stood outside of her office calling out to people to enjoy the nice day while it lasted. The sun was out and people were filling the hiking trails to enjoy the practically spring like day in December.
“I’m closing the bridge tonight since we have a storm warning. Make sure you’re back by nightfall!” Jane shouted out to every new group of hikers.
Witches were already in position near the bridge. Galen was with them, but even knowing there were at least five witches within a hundred feet of her, Jane still felt jumpy.
Jane couldn’t tell if it happened too fast or too slow, but the sun began to set and people began to leave. As darkness fell, the last car pulled out of the lot and the wind began to pick up. It was time.
Zoey stood next to her father at the lookout on Earnest Mountain. He held up his hands and his eyed glazed over as he pulled energy from the heavens. Storm clouds built, thunder rolled, the wind picked up, and blue lightning streaked across the night sky.
Zoey watched in awe, as did every other witch around them.
“He’s here,” Slade said as he pointed to the figure approaching the bridge. Jane was pretending to close it as Ian pushed back his hoodie and smirked at her back, thinking he’d ambushed her.
In a blink of Zoey’s eye, they were all within ten feet of Ian, undetected under the cover of the storm. Jane stood and as she slowly turned to face him, Zoey saw the determination in her face.
“Do you feel that?” Zoey whispered frantically.
Linus and Lauren nodded. No one else did though.
“We’re not alone,” Linus said.
“It’s an evil unlike any I’ve ever felt,” Lauren whispered. “Even worse than Alexander.”
“Is it Ian? Has he grown that strong?” Slade asked.
“I don’t think so,” Linus said as he and Lauren looked at each other.
“Slade, Zoey, take care of Jane and end Ian. We’ll be back,” Lauren ordered.
Zoey nodded as she continued to look around. “I don’t know what it is, but it’s foul. A stench of decay that seems to be sticking to everything around us.”
“I don’t care what it is, you swore to protect Jane!” Galen whispered harshly.
“And I will,” Zoey swore.
“Then kill him!”
Zoey shook her head. “I’m sorry, Galen. Jane made me promise not to step in until she has her say. She wants to handle Ian. It’s her right after everything he’s put her through. Don’t worry. There are people all around to help her. No harm will come to her.”
Zoey took one last glance around as Ian made his move. Now she had a promise to keep and couldn’t be distracted.
17
“I’ve been waiting for you.”
Jane looked up from where she’d been pretending to mess with the lock on the bridge’s gate and slowly turned around. “Ian!” Jane almost laughed at how pleased he seemed to be for supposedly catching her off guard.
“My dear betrothed,” he called out over the rising winds. “I have one final proposal for you.”
“You never proposed the first time,” Jane pointed out as she turned fully to face him. She was done running. One of them wasn’t going to make it out of the woods that night, and it wasn’t going to be her.
“Then take this proposal as the only one you’ll ever get. Option one: Marry me and give me your powers—all of them. I’ve waited too long and you owe them to me. You do that and I’ll let you live. Or—” Ian smiled evilly, “—option two, I take your powers and kill you where you stand.”
“Hmm.” Jane called her powers to her, ready for action. She felt the power of the earth rising from the soles of her feet and racing toward her fingers. “I’ll go with option three.”
“You never were the brightest, Jane. I was never marrying you for your smarts, though. I just want your powers. The ones no one ever taught you to use. Wasn’t that nice of your father?”
“If I’m not that smart, how have I evaded you for four hundred years? Gee Ian, what does that say about you?”
Red sparks sputtered in the rain around Ian as he tried to control his anger. “Option one or two, which one is it to be Jane?”
Jane took a deep breath and planted her feet wide. “Option three.”
“There is no—”
Jane raised her hands and let her powers burst free. The first hit knocked Ian back several feet as he tried to block her power. “I will never be under your control, Ian!” Jane yelled as she drew power from the trees, the plants, the grass, and the very earth itself. “No longer do you have any claim to me. I am done being afraid of you!”
The storm suddenly stopped, and as the clouds parted, the moon shown down on the battle. Ian was strong. Strong enough that Jane questioned her power. But then she saw Galen and felt his power of determination. She saw Slade, Zoey, Polly, and Neferu. She felt witches moving into place all around them until they were fully encircled.
“We are here for you,” Jane heard Magnus say calmly behind her as Ian began to look about frantically.
“What are the chances of all of us meeting you here?” Slade asked from directly behind Ian. They were cousins, and while Jane had a strong reason to hate Ian, so did Slade.
The moment of surprise cost Ian as it gave Jane the chance to hit him with a power burst. Ian dropped to his knees. Blood poured from his nose and ears as he depleted more and more of his power.
“You’re taking my powers and will become just like me,” he accused.
“I’m showing you that you lost. I’m showing you I have always been stronger than you. And I’m showing you that your reign of terror is at an end. But I’m not going to take your powers. No one wants powers tainted with evil. Good bye, Ian.”
Jane looked up at Zoey and nodded.
Zoey concent
rated her powers into the palm of her hand. As the fifth element she had the power to simply end life and send it into a void of nothingness. When Jane nodded at her, Zoey sent the white light flying at Ian. It looked like a halo of light circling around a black center. When it hit Ian he simply disappeared into nothingness, his evil powers along with him.
“No!” A booming voice echoed through the valley as the clouds reformed and opened up again. Zoey felt the warmth of rain on her body as people began to scream. They weren’t being deluged with rain, but with blood.
Blood showered down on them as she looked around for the source of the voice. It hadn’t been Ian. Ian was already gone.
The smell of rotting flesh filled the air as the blood rain covered them all. Slade wrapped a protective arm around her, but she shook him off. Her powers of protection were in full control.
“Polly, Samuel, take Galen and Jane to the safe house. Now!” Zoey yelled before turning to Slade. “Where are Linus and Lauren?”
“I don’t know, but we have to protect our people.”
Zoey and Slade began issuing orders. As she scanned the area, blood ran in rivulets down her face. She wiped it away as she saw Jane with Galen, Polly, and Samuel. “Zoey!” Jane yelled.
“Go!” Zoey yelled back and even as Jane fought, Polly placed her hand on hers and then they were gone.
“Did you do this?” Zoey yelled over the thunder at her father.
“No!” he paused and looked up river. “Zoey, look!”
Zoey turned and saw a tsunami of blood rushing down the creek straight for them. “Everyone out. Now!”
Zoey and Slade issued the order and the witches were only too happy to comply.
“I haven’t seen such black magic since the evil of Apep in ancient Egypt,” Neferu screamed. Zoey turned to see the woman was completely covered in blood.
“Get out of here,” Zoey yelled.
“Not without Lauren and Linus.”
“They’re not here,” Zoey told her as Slade grabbed her hand.
Zoey.
“Wait!” Zoey closed her eyes and heard it again. “I hear them.”
Her father kissed her and then ran for the bridge.
“Dad, no!”
Blue light, neither the color of air nor the color of the water shot from his fingers and straight into the swelling red wave that was swallowing up trees, boulders, and everything in its path.
“Find them!” Zoey yelled at Slade and Neferu. “I can hear someone calling me.”
They each ran in a different direction. Zoey closed her eyes and opened her senses.
Zoey.
She ran toward the voice, finding that when she climbed higher the voice got louder.
“Here!” she yelled over her shoulder as raced up a small path. Above her was a rock overhang. “Slade, Neferu, here!”
Zoey glanced back at her father once more. He was holding the giant wave back in a effort that left him shaking. Even from here she could see his arms shaking from the strain.
She heard Slade yell and then she heard him helping Neferu up the steep mountainside. Zoey reached up, dug her blood covered fingers into the crevasse of the overhang and pulled herself up.
“Zoey!”
“Grand mistress!” Zoey screamed as she dragged her body onto the top of the rock. “Linus!”
Zoey looked down as blood poured from Linus’s body. The way Lauren was pressing her hands against his chest and her ashen face, Zoey knew it wasn’t the blood rain, but Linus’s own blood that was pooling on the rock under him.
“Take him to the clinic.”
Lauren shook her head “I’m using all my power to keep him alive.” Her tears flowed freely and converged with the blood rain until they dripped from her nose and cheeks.
Zoey spun around and looked down at Neferu and Slade. “Neferu, get Galen and meet us in the clinic now!” Neferu must have seen the look on Zoey’s face because she poofed away instantly. “Slade, go to my dad and when you see my signal, I want you to get him to the clinic too.”
Having a visual on the bridge, Slade disappeared a second later and poofed next to her father. Slade placed a hand on her father’s shoulder and looked over at the ridge he knew she was on.
“Zoey, hurry.” Lauren shook, her whole body looking as if she were going to pass out.
Zoey reached a hand to Lauren and with the other hand shot a bolt of white energy up into the sky a second before she lowered her hand to Linus and transported them.
18
Slade saw the burst of white light in the sky. “Time to go, sir,” he yelled into Magnus’s ear. The sound of his power battling with the churning blood wave was nearly deafening. Slade had them in the clinic as soon as Magnus nodded and broke off his defensive barrage of power.
What met Slade was worse than what he’d anticipated. Galen was pulling back the torn edges of Linus’s sweater. Grand Mistress Lauren looked near death. Zoey’s hands were over Linus’s heart as she worked to save him with magic.
Silent tears ran down Neferu’s face as witches began to fill the waiting room. News traveled fast.
“Galen, do something!” Zoey yelled. Slade and Magnus stepped closer as he saw that Zoey’s hands were literally holding Linus’s heart that was encased in a black oil-like substance. Her white power glowed around the organ helping it beat.
Galen’s hands dropped as Slade got the full view. There was a slight shake of Galen’s head that told Slade what they already knew.
“Son,” Linus murmured. The barely whispered words could be heard as if he were screaming since everyone surrounding him was shocked and silent.
Slade rushed forward and took Linus’s hand as Galen stepped back and wrapped one arm around Lauren and the other around Jane.
“In all ways that matter, you are my son and I’m so proud of the man you’ve become.”
Slade shook his head. “I’m the man I am because of you. Only because of you. You believed in me when no on else did. I love you.”
“I knew you were special when you saved Magnus. And you’re not done saving people. Magnus, come here.”
Zoey’s father came forward to stand next to Slade.
“You two are the future of the Tenebris. Magnus will lead you all into the future as your new grand master, for I’ve felt the power of the Goddess inside of him. Slade and Zoey will make sure there’s a future to be led into. The greatest battle is yet to come. What attacked me is pure black magic and must be defeated. There will be happiness. There will be love. There will be new life. You must go forward together—Tenebris and Claritase. You must allow the Goddess to share these gifts even when the darkness comes. That is how you will win.”
“No,” Slade said strongly. “We can save you. Zoey can save you.”
“The Goddess herself is welcoming me, son. It’s my destiny.” Linus smiled calmly at Slade.
Slade felt Linus’s hand tighten on his as Zoey’s white light began to dim around his heart. It was like the black substance was choking the life from him. “Helena is here with the Goddess. They all are. Ah, it’s so beautiful.”
“Mom,” Slade said with surprise.
“She’s as proud of you as I am. She always knew you were filled with goodness. She says now is the time to embrace it. Embrace everything you feel flowing inside and let your powers free. The Goddess agrees. We’ll be watching and loving each and every one of you as you start the rebirth of the Tenebris and the Claritase. The world needs kindness. It needs goodness. It needs healing. And you, my dear witches, will heal the world even as you fight for your existence. Just don’t forget—together. Live together. Love together. Stand together.”
Linus squeezed Slade’s hand one last time.
His hand went limp in Slade’s grasp. Zoey’s light went out around his heart. Lauren cried out, dropping to her knees praying to the Goddess to bring her friend back to her.
Niles and Raiden came forward silently. With a wave of Niles’s fingers, a bowl of warm water and sev
eral cloths appeared.
Slade had to pull Zoey from where she collapsed over Linus, weeping. “I should have been able to save him.”
“As powerful as you are my love, you’re not more powerful than the Goddess. She called him home. Take care of your grand mistress. We’ll prepare Linus’s body for his return to the Goddess.”
Zoey nodded sadly as she turned to find Neferu with her hand on Lauren’s shoulder. Tears streamed down their faces as Zoey joined them.
“Together,” Zoey said, repeating the prophecy Linus left for them.
Hand in hand, the women walked from the room and the door closed.
“His service needs to be at the stones,” Galen said, as he picked up a cloth and began helping the Tenebris council wipe the blood from Linus’s body.
One by one, each councilmember bowed their head in agreement as they prepared for a funeral.
It seemed a lifetime ago they’d gathered as Tenebris and Claritase for the first time in centuries for a wedding. But there they were, less than a day later, in the dark side of the morning at the Standing Stones of Stenness.
Linus had been dressed in a white robe and lay on a large table in the center of the stones. Tenebris and Claritase came from all over the world to place a flower or a candle around the body of the grand master.
Magnus had refused to be voted into the position until after the ceremony, but he stood at the head of the table with Grand Mistress Lauren as the people mourned the loss of their beloved leader.
Slade stood off to the side with the council of both the Tenebris and the Claritase. In the past, they had stood apart. Now they stood together. Zoey slipped her hand into his as they stood for hours as respects were paid.
Then as the sun began to break the horizon and shine onto Linus, the Goddess took his body, leaving behind only memories of him.
Moonshine & Mischief: Moonshine Hollow #4 Page 10