I take a deep breath, nodding. “Yeah, that’s an understatement. And I’d have to agree—”
“Ms. Blackwood,” he begins slowly, his eyebrows tugging down.
“Autumn,” I repeat.
His warm brown eyes lift to meet mine and he nods. “Autumn, I am concerned for your father. Do talk to him. Make sure he’s okay.”
Alarm bells suddenly ring in my head and I step forward. “Did he get hurt?”
“No, he appeared in fine condition when we spoke, but…he just seemed a bit more agitated than normal.” James shrugs, considering. “Granted, the house’s state was quite enough to be upset over.”
“Okay, of course. I’ll see if I can find him and have a word,” I say, nodding.
“Excellent,” James says, smiling. He reaches again for the mop and pulls it in close.
“Wade and I are actually here to reset some of the wards. With any luck, things will be better after today,” I say, trying to sound more sure than I feel. It’s the first time I’ve done any such spellcasting, and, in all honesty, it’s still theoretical in my mind.
“Very good,” he says, tipping his head.
I take a few steps toward the doorway and turn back to him. “Thanks for telling me. About my dad, that is. I appreciate it.”
“Of course.”
I shoot him a final smile and walk out. Making my way past the flurry of activity in the rest of the house, my thoughts are drawn back to my dad. I’ve been worried about him for a while and now James is, too. It makes me uneasy.
When I get to my bedroom, I find Wade organizing the contents of our stash across the foot of my bed.
He looks up at me as I walk in. “Everything okay?”
I screw up my face with my conflicting thoughts. “Yes? No? Ugh, I don’t know.” I sit on the edge of the bed. “James said he’s concerned about my dad and it’s got me even more worried about him now.”
“What did James say?” Wade asks, stepping around the bed and taking a seat beside me.
“Well, besides the obvious concern about the house—he said my dad’s been off. Agitated. Well, we knew that already. I’m worried… Do you think he’s upset that we’re together? I mean, your dad is. Maybe mine is too,” I say, voicing a concern I hadn’t realized was there until it slipped from my mouth.
Wade’s forehead crumples and he shakes his head. “I doubt that’s it. As far as I’m aware, the issue is one-sided.”
“Hmmm…”
“What did James say about the house?” Wade asks, placing a hand on my knee.
I take a deep breath and exhale. “He said he’s never seen this level of destruction before. The house is a magnet for ghosts, for obvious reasons, but it should be warded. He’s concerned the wards are failing.”
“All the more reason to get these castings done,” Wade says, nodding to himself and standing back up. “I have everything laid out to do the banishing first. Then, we’ll need to set runes at strategic locations of the house. I have a compass in there that should help us map those out. Unless of course, you want to get your dad involved. He might be able to help us cut down the time it’ll take to locate them.”
I consider his words, weighing them heavily. On one hand, it makes sense, but after the reaction he had to Wade the last time, the last thing I want to do is upset him further.
“No, I think we can handle this ourselves. Let’s give him some time to get centered. This has been a weird couple of days,” I say, reaching for the sage. “If we run into him, we can reassess based on how he reacts. Otherwise, let’s give him some space.”
“If that’s what you want,” Wade says, nodding. He gathers up the conch shell, mortar and pestle, and the herbs we retrieved. Setting them on my desk, he places the sage, lemongrass, and lavender in the mortar and begins to mash it together. Under his breath, he mutters words I can’t quite make out.
From the bed, I grab the coarse-grain salt and the small, ornate metal bowl. I pour some of the salt into my hand, blessing it with white light before dropping it into the bowl. The granules hit the metal, ringing out in a magical sound that makes the hair on my arms rise. Next, I open the small bottle of purified water we picked up and pour it into the bowl. With a swish of the bowl, the water dissolves the salt before my eyes. I grab the bowl of water and the white pillar candle still waiting for its purpose, and walk over to Wade.
“Don’t forget to word things carefully. You don’t want to kick Abigail out by accident,” Wade warns, stepping aside.
I nod, placing the candle on the desk beside the mixture. I light it quickly, then recite the incantation, still fresh in my memory from one of my course books.
“As this candle burns, its flame purifies our home. It acts as our cage, binding and banishing unwelcome spirits and energies from Blackwood Manor. When the flame is spent, and the smudging is done, they will be cast from this space. Now and forever.”
As I finish, the flame reacts, rising higher into the air.
Wade nods, bending down and releasing the contents from the mortar into the abalone shell. Lighting the smudge, it crackles as flames consume the leaves. He blows it out and instantly, it fills the room with the heavy aroma of sage, lavender, and sweetgrass. “It’s begun. Okay, you take the smudge and I’ll take the salt. We need to smudge every room in this place, so this could take a while.”
I pick up the conch shell and a large feather, guiding the smoke to the four corners of the room. “By the four elements, I banish any unwelcome spirits or energies from this space.” I walk the room counter-clockwise, the motion of banishment, to help dislodge the unwelcome energies and spirits.
Wade walks behind me, dipping his fingertips in the water and spritzing it into the four corners. As we finish this one space, the room feels lighter—brighter, even.
We continue from my bedroom to the resurrection chamber, then throughout the rest of the house. One by one, we banish any unwanted energies from the house. The whole process takes nearly an hour to complete, but by the time we make it back to where we started—my bedroom—the house feels like a heavy burden has been lifted. Even some of the workers seem to have noticed, because two of them even said hello and smiled. But throughout the experience, we didn’t have a single sighting of my dad.
The embers of the smudging contents are nearly completely burnt out as I place the shell on my desk.
Wade holds the water bowl close and nods to the candle. “Now, it’s time to release any of the energies it trapped. Then we can set up the wards.”
I exhale slowly, staring at the candle. Its flame flickers back and forth, dancing as if it’s any other ordinary flame. Bending in, I blow out the candle.
A shockwave of energy escapes with it as whatever unwelcome energies are cast out of the house and beyond its border.
“Okay, now we’re on the clock. We’ve got an hour to reset the wards,” I mutter, gathering four stones from the bed and heading for the doorway.
“And if we miss it, we get to wait a whole month until the next full moon,” Wade says, shifting his eyebrows up. He keeps hold of the saltwater and follows me.
I continue down the hallway to the doorway we used last winter when his grandpa had become a revenant. It’s the last time I used it, and instantly I’m reminded of the terrifying moments of that day.
When we walk outside, we’re greeted by the sweet smell of rain filtering through dying leaves. Drizzle lingers in the air, blanketing us as soon as we walk beyond the shielding of the house.
Glancing down, Wade takes the compass out from his pocket. “Okay, we’ll want to start in the north and work clockwise from there.” He finds north and starts walking. “I don’t suppose you have any idea where the boundary of the property is?”
I shake my head. “Not even the remotest. We’ll just need to wing it and do our best.” Unfortunately, our property is vast, so finding the four corners to place the stones could prove difficult. Especially if we only have an hour to do it in.
F
inding north takes a little bit of time, but we finally walk as far out into the woods as I dare.
“Let’s place the ward here. We still have the other three to maintain,” I say, dropping to my knees and inscribing the first stone with the Nordic runes for protection and calling upon the element of earth.
As I place the stone on the ground, Wade sprinkles the saltwater across it.
“By the element of earth, I ward thee. Guard this space from all ill will and any unwelcome energies that may wish to bring us harm,” I say, still touching the stone. When the words are done, the runes light up, glowing like hot embers.
Pleased by the result, I stand up and brush off my knees.
I shoot a sideways smile to Wade, who returns the sentiment. “On to east,” he says, sweeping his hand out in front of him.
Nodding, I walk in the direction he pointed. We walk in silence, keeping the manor in eyeshot as best we can while we find our next corner. The rainy weather seeps into my clothing, making me shiver in the chill of the fall air. It certainly helps with urging us along to finish this quickly, so we can get back inside.
Finding the east and south corners takes longer than I anticipated, mostly because I wanted to get us as wide a circumference around the manor as possible. By the time we’re on the last corner, Wade and I are practically running through the trees to get to the western corner to seal the circle.
“We’ve got about ten minutes to drop the last stone or we’ll have to wait until the next full moon,” Wade says, picking up speed.
“Ugh,” I groan, rushing forward to keep up. My feet slosh inside my Nikes and I’m already daydreaming about a nice, hot bath.
A sudden flash of movement in the underbrush to my left catches my eye. At first, it looks animalistic, like perhaps a bear making its way through the dense trees. That alone is enough to pull me up short. But the more I focus on it, the more human it becomes. It stands upright on two legs, then turns to face me as if it senses my presence.
“Wade, stop. Don’t move,” I say, crouching down and freezing.
Wade rushes back, dropping down beside me. “What is it?” he says, his eyes wide as he looks over my shoulder. “What do you see?”
“There’s someone out there,” I say, standing to a low crouch and weaving my way in and out of trees.
“Autumn, the wards—” Wade says, rushing after me. “This is not the time. It might be out on that side of the circle for a reason.”
I look down as Wade tugs on my sleeve, trying to get me to stop. Blinking back my surprise, I shake my head. “Of course, you’re right. Let’s finish this.”
Looking back over my shoulder, the dark figure is gone, anyway.
Strengthening my resolve, I turn back around to hunt for the western corner. However, I find myself stumbling backward as the dark figure comes barreling toward us at an unnatural speed. Its features are half human, half something else. And one-hundred percent pissed off.
Its voice is a strange disturbance in the air, like it speaks across different dimensions, each one slightly out of sync. “GET OUT!” it wails.
Chapter 15
Against the Clock
I land hard on my backside and the final stone for the ward tumbles from my hand. Somehow, Wade holds his ground, managing to stay on his feet as the creature looms directly in front of us.
A disturbingly oppressive energy commands the space, pulling away any sense of peace and tranquility held in my body. Instead, it feels as though dread is the fuel that feeds it, making it stronger. Or perhaps, it’s all it knows. Regardless, it crushes down on me, making it incredibly difficult to breathe.
Wade rushes to my side, bending down and reaching for the stone. When he has it, he extends his arm and holds out a hand for me to grab onto.
“Come on, Autumn, we need to finish this,” he commands with a strange level of authority and calmness I can’t even muster.
How is he not scared out of his mind?
I take his hand, pulling myself up, but I can’t remove my gaze from the creature’s grotesque features. Its skin is a flakey, opaque gray, and its eyes are bottomless black pools, lacking any sense of empathy. My legs tremble and it takes an enormous amount of effort just to stay upright. The creature’s fury slams against me, as it circles the two of us, not even touching the ground.
“She thinks she can defy it. Thinks she can escape fate. The audacity,” it spits in the same strange, distorted way.
“What is it? What can you see?” Wade asks as I press myself against him, following the movements of the creature as it continues around us.
Understanding sweeps through me. He can’t see it.
“It’s a…” My voice quivers and I can’t seem to get my brain to form words. And even if I could, I have no words to describe what it is. I’ve never seen anything like it before.
“Get out,” the creature repeats, continuing its circumference around us.
The hairs all over my body stand on end as absolute terror takes hold of me. What will it do to us? Can it hurt us? I freeze, unable to make any movement, even if I wanted to.
“You cannot stop this,” it says, lunging forward at me. “It can never be stopped. Should have known. Should always have known.”
Shaking uncontrollably, I squeak, “What can’t be stopped? Wh-why are you doing this?”
As if the simple question itself infuriates it, the creature’s fists close and its arms tighten against its body. All around us, tree branches snap from their source and fly through the air as if caught in a tornado’s current.
“Cursed. Damned…it is her fate,” the creature mocks. “It has always been her fate. She cannot escape it.”
The ground beneath our feet rumbles and small shrubbery, trees, rocks, and dirt dislodge themselves. They rise into the air, joining the branches already swimming around us in a wide, undulating circle.
Flecks of sand and stone whiz past us, making their way to the cyclone and peppering my face and body. Wade and I each raise an arm, shielding our eyes.
“We need to finish the ward. Whatever the entity is, it has to be cast out fully,” Wade says, thrusting the stone into the front pocket of my jeans. “It has to be you, Dru. This is your home.”
Terrified, I shake my head. The final location is far on the other side of the creature, at the edge of the pond. There’s no way I could make it without being attacked or hit by the cyclone of trees. Our time is almost up and I have no way to stop this.
The creature is right. I can’t stop this. I’m completely useless.
Reaching around to me, Wade grabs my shoulders and shakes my gaze free from the creature. “Autumn, look. Look at me,” he cries out, his silver eyes wide. “You have to run. Get the stone in place and finish the damn ward. It’s the only way to expel it. We won’t be safe otherwise.”
“I can’t,” I whimper, shaking my head. The level of repugnance coming from the creature is some next-level shit. I’d rather stay right where I am than risk increasing the vehemence of its anger. There’s no telling what it will do to us.
“You have to. We only have minutes left. Run, run,” he says, trying to urge me forward.
My feet, on the other hand, feel like lead weights have replaced them. I barely move a muscle and Wade lets out an exasperated gasp.
“Dammit,” he curses. His hands fly to his hair as he spins in the spot, watching the cyclone of greenery building in intensity.
“She cannot stop what’s coming. No one can,” the creature’s warped speech rings out.
The items caught up in the orchestration of the creature begin to crisscross in front of us, getting closer and closer. Despite the intensity of the vortex, the creature flits in and out of materialization, showing up in one place, then a moment later, in a slightly different location. It’s almost as if it can’t quite maintain its grip on reality.
“She must know, she must understand,” it repeats, as if talking to itself rather than to anyone in particular. “She must learn s
he is not in control. Never in control.”
The level of anger in the creature’s energy rises another notch and the branches and shrubbery are no longer held back in a cyclone. Instead, they hurl themselves in our direction and new additions are wrenched from the trees to join in.
The smaller trees and brambles reach us first, clashing against my skin, cutting open my sleeve and jeans, and assailing my face. I cry out, groping at my arms as one of the enormous tree branches is heaved directly at us.
Wade ducks, groping for my hand to move with him, but my reaction speed is still too slow. I’m struck across the shoulder and face by one of the massive branches. The force of it knocks me backward and the landing claims all the air in my lungs. My vision blurs and bright white and blue stars explode behind my eyelids as I sputter to take in oxygen.
“Autumn, oh my god, Autumn, are you okay?” Wade cries out somewhere to my right. His words seem so far away, but I swear I feel his hand on my face. “Autumn, please, please, be okay.”
My eyes flutter open and blinding pain erupts from the right side of my body and face. Warm, sticky liquid pools in my eye, and I wipe at it, trying to see. When I pull my hand back, it’s covered in crimson.
“Dammit, I’m so sorry, Dru. I should have…” Wade’s voice trails off as the color drains from his face. His face is a smattering of cuts and blood. He ducks another round of branches, dropping his head to my chest.
Momentarily, relief floods through me, and I let my eyes rest.
Yes, this is comfortable. I could stay like this…
Unfortunately, the longer my eyes stay closed, it creates a dizzying effect, as the world is spinning and swirling beneath me. When I open my eyes again, I’m no longer on the ground. Instead, I’m in Wade’s arms, my body draped and dangling from his outstretched grip.
His eyes are locked on the water beyond the creature. I can vaguely remember something significant about it, but I’m not certain what. Oddly enough, behind him, the vortex of tree limbs and shrubbery abruptly stop. Everything drops to the ground, as if simply let go.
The Windhaven Witches Omnibus Edition : Complete Paranormal Suspense Series, Books 1-4 Page 54