by T J Green
At Caspian’s nod, she released Air through her fingers and into El’s, feeling it course through them both, invigorating El’s senses. She felt Fire from Caspian and Water from Reuben, and lastly the lightest touch of Earth from Briar, carefully so as not to overwhelm.
And then the battle began. Slowly, as if from the darkest depths of the ocean, a heavy swell of icy cold started to lift, wrapping its weight around all of them. For a second, Avery felt herself panic as its dense fingers started to envelop her, and dread filled her thoughts. Nothing would work. They would all die. It was pointless, why even try?
But Air cleansed her thoughts, and the scent of the energising spell reinforced her will. The curse was trying to undermine them, seeking their weaknesses.
Caspian was calling it to him, opening his body to it, but it struggled, resisting his call, clinging on to El like a fungus. All the elements were mingling now, and although Avery’s eyes were open, watching El’s immovable form, her mind battled beneath the surface of her skin.
Their battle to banish the curse lasted for a long time. They gained and then lost as the curse ebbed and flowed, its strength waxing and waning, until finally the weirdest thing happened. The Earth curse reared up like a cobra, straight out of her body, a dark surging mass of brown and toxic green, streaming out of El’s pores as the other elements gained strength. Caspian called it once more and it headed into the rune on his chest. Caspian cried out like a wild animal as the rune blazed with a fiery light.
Caspian still held El’s foot tightly, and Avery felt his connection. She raced through El’s body, joining her power with his, and felt Reuben and Briar do the same. All of his runes blazed, and she saw the curse swirl around the blazing marks as Caspian herded it down his arm to the water at his side. He plunged his left hand into the jar, his features screwed up with tension and concentration—and pain. He roared again and drew on all of them.
He was right. The curse was like a wild animal, and it kicked and surged and battled beneath Caspian’s skin, the runes barely containing it.
Part of Avery’s awareness was still with El, and she felt her stir, life creeping back into her limbs. Alex was there, a faint presence, but he was concentrating only on El’s mind.
Caspian’s hand was fully immersed in the water and he pushed the now thrashing curse out. It clung on desperately, wriggling like a giant eel beneath Caspian’s skin. With one final act of will, he cast it out of his body. The water churned like it contained a maelstrom, and Avery lifted its lid with a jet of air, and slapped it on the jar with a resounding smack.
Silence fell and Caspian sprawled backwards on the floor, his chest heaving, the runes glowing with a dirty red light.
Reuben and Briar deflated like balloons, falling forward over their knees. Avery could barely breathe. Her ribs ached again, her head thudded, and stars swam before her eyes. The cloying feel of the curse seemed to hang around, but El stirred like a cat after a long nap.
Alex opened his eyes and called softly, “El, can you hear me?”
For a second she said nothing, and his voice became more urgent. “I feel you, El, you’re here. Open your eyes.”
And then she groaned. “What the hell just happened? And why am I starving?”
Alex laughed with relief. “Welcome back.”
Reuben let out a weak cry of delight and shuffled forward to hold her, pulling her into his lap, and Avery reached for Alex’s hand. “Well done. Are you all right?”
“Exhausted, but okay. You?”
“Same.” She looked over at Caspian and Briar. “Are you both okay?”
“I guess so,” Briar said, shuddering. “That was horrible, just horrible. I feel tainted. For a long while there, I felt we were doomed to fail.”
“I think that’s the effect of the curse,” Alex said. “It was designed to crush you, mentally and physically.”
Caspian was still silent, and Avery shuffled over to him. “Caspian, speak to me. Are you okay?” The runes had smeared off his skin, but they had scarred his body; she could see red welts starting to blister. She looked at Alex and Briar anxiously. “Guys, I think something’s wrong.”
But then he opened his eyes and croaked, “I’m okay. Barely. Someone seal that jar before the damn thing gets out again.” And then he closed his eyes tightly again.
Briar had already prepared a spell to seal the jar, and she rose wearily to her feet and cast it. The water within was murky, and reminded Avery of the binding spell Helena and the other witches had cast that sealed Caspian’s ancestor, Octavia, within it. She presumed he would remember this, too. She looked at him lying on the floor, his chest rising and falling in shallow breaths. He had risked much to help them, more than she had initially realised. More than she had herself, she felt ashamed to admit. She hadn’t realised the effects of the curse would be so serious until it was almost too late. What did this do to their relationship with him?
As if he sensed her staring, he opened his eyes. “Something on your mind, Avery?”
“Many things. You could have died then. And your runes seem to be baked in.”
He held his arms up and laughed dryly. “So it seems. They will fade in time.”
“I have a balm that will help,” Briar said, her expression serious. “That was incredibly brave, Caspian. I’ll be honest, we couldn’t have done it without you. I had no idea how to break that curse.”
Alex spoke from behind them, his tone suspicious. “Most unlike you, Caspian. What’s going on?”
Caspian sat up slowly and looked at them one by one, considering his words. “Time has proven to me that you are not my enemy.”
“You’re still responsible for my brother’s death, and you tried to kill me once,” Reuben said, still holding El in his lap, and Caspian’s head fell. “But, you’ve saved El, and while Gil’s death can never be forgotten, this is a start. Thank you.”
Caspian considered him for a moment in silence, and then nodded. “Good. Then I guess I should go.”
“Not yet, you won’t,” Briar said. “You have injuries I need to heal.”
El croaked, “Can you all stop talking and get me some food!”
Briar leapt to her feet and headed to her box of healing balms and potions. “No food for you yet, El. It’s too soon. You haven’t had food in your stomach for almost 48 hours. I have a healing potion for you to drink first, and then plenty of water.”
“Then food?” El lifted her pale face and squinted at them.
“Soup only,” Briar chided.
Avery laughed. "Good to have you back, El! Nice to see nothing much has changed.” She looked at her watch. “That took ages!”
“I told you it would take time,” Caspian explained. “It was a deep curse, well thought out, well executed. Our mysterious witch has impressive powers. We need to decide what to do now.”
Avery smiled. He seemed to have involved himself in their fight, which was unexpected.
But let’s face it. We need all the help we can get.
Alex must have shared the same thought. “She’s attacked three of us, admittedly one by default. Are you sure you want to involve yourself in this?”
“With luck, she won’t know about me yet. That gives us an advantage.”
Alex stretched and rose to his feet. “We’d better plan our next steps.”
***
El still looked pale, but Briar’s potions and soup had restored some of her colour. She sat curled up next to Reuben on the sofa, her head on his lap, covered by a blanket.
The blinds were open, but the day was still dark with thick clouds and pouring rain. They had cleared the pentagram and circle, and cleansed the air of negative energies, and now they sat around drinking tea and eating biscuits.
“So,” Reuben summarised, “El has been cursed, you were attacked, Alex, in your sleep, your protection spells were shattered, and Avery was battered like a ragdoll. Have I missed anything?”
Avery was affronted. “We did get the better of
her, eventually.”
“Only because you were there,” Caspian pointed out. “Who knows what may have happened to Alex if you weren’t.”
“Maybe we need safety in numbers,” Briar suggested. She was sitting on the floor, leaning back against the armchair, her feet curled under her. “She’s seems to be singling us out for attack.”
Caspian agreed. “As it gets closer to Samhain, it might get worse. Whatever she’s planning must coincide with that night. She does not want you interfering.”
“You should all move in with me,” Reuben said decisively. “I have plenty of room.”
“But what about my shop?” Avery asked.
“I’m not suggesting we don’t go out. Everyone still goes to work, but at night we’re vulnerable. There are too many people around in the day to attack.”
Alex nodded. “You’re right. It would be safest, and then we could ward your house with our combined magic.”
“Can I bring my cats? I’m not leaving them behind,” Avery pleaded.
Reuben smiled at her. “Of course you can.”
“All right then. From when? Tonight?”
“Yes. We’ve saved El. If the witch knows, she could try again.” He looked at the others. “Agreed?”
“Agreed,” they all murmured.
“Before I go,” Caspian said, “may I ask what you’ve found about Old Haven’s site? The grove?”
Reuben shrugged. “Sure. Not much as yet, unfortunately. But, I’ve been doing a bit of reading around the Druids of ancient Britain. They revered trees and developed a whole system of belief and the Ogham alphabet around them. The oak was the tree they revered the most, but the yew is considered the link to the spiritual world through our ancestors, and are the guardians to the Otherworld. It has particular significance at Samhain, when the gateways between worlds are at their thinnest. And Samhain is also the night of the Crone. That grove behind Old Haven is probably a remnant of one of many old groves revered by the Druids. And we all know that because of the pagan beliefs about the yew, churches were built next to them. Old Haven is no different. The groves are power centres if used in the right way, and this witch is clearly manipulating it.”
“To open a gateway to the dead?” Briar asked.
“Or Faerie,” Reuben said, looking amused. “It sounds ridiculous, but…”
“When me and Alex were there yesterday morning,” Avery said, “I could feel the wild magic there. It felt different, ancient, as if anything could happen.”
Alex added, “We spirit walked last night. There was a strange light within the yew tree’s hollow trunk, as if a portal or a doorway was already starting to build.”
Caspian nodded. “Any sign of the witch?”
“None. She has disguised herself well.”
Caspian rose to his feet. “If you find anything else, let me know, and I’ll do the same. The repercussions of opening this portal could be big. I mean, is she planning on closing it again, or is it to remain open forever, allowing passage back and forth? That could be disastrous. Such a portal between the worlds of Fey and man hasn’t existed for years—if that’s what it is.” He frowned. “Are you all planning to attend the Samhain celebrations for the Witches Council?”
“I said we would,” Avery said. “But this could change everything.”
“Genevieve would not be happy if you failed to attend again.”
“She’d also be furious if we allowed a doorway to open to another world. Maybe we could come for a short time and try to do both,” Avery suggested.
Caspian laughed as he headed out the door. “Good luck with that!”
14
Avery was exhausted. She needed a good sleep, but she still had a few hours’ worth of work to finish first. And then she’d have to let Hunter and the other Shifters know about the Devices’ visit.
She sighed as she entered Happenstance Books. It was a hive of activity; Sally and Dan were both busy at the till, serving a line of customers.
Avery busied herself helping out the many kids with their parents who were looking for spooky reads. The children’s section, like the rest of the shop, was fully decorated for Halloween, and Dan had prepared the reading area for the storytelling that would start the next night, which marked one week until Halloween. Late night Thursday shopping would continue until Christmas, a request disguised as an order by the Town Council.
Avery inwardly sighed, as part of her wished it were already over. This time of the year was so busy, but she couldn’t complain. Business meant money. If only she didn’t have a rogue witch, the Devices, and Shifters to deal with. As soon as Sally and Dan were free from customers, she updated them on El and everything else.
They looked horrified. “I didn’t know about El!” Dan said, perched on the stool behind the counter. “Why didn’t you say something?”
“Sorry, the last couple of days have been so busy, I guess I didn’t want to worry you. But look, you both need to be vigilant. Anything strange happens, let me know. I’m increasing my protection on the shop, and I’ll be sleeping at Reuben’s until this is over—all of us will be there. And I’ll take the cats.”
Sally frowned, and pointed at her chin. “Is that bruise from last night?”
Avery nodded, feeling gently to see if it had swollen. “Unfortunately. This woman frightens me. She has no boundaries.”
“And the Devices? That pair were insufferable,” Sally complained.
“They’ve hopefully gone by now, but it’s not over. Far from it. But that battle is for another time.” She mulled on the fact that once they got through Samhain, there was a whole other problem to deal with in Cumbria, and she had no idea how that would go. “I just wish we weren’t staying open so late on Thursday. I don’t like the idea of you leaving here at that time of night.”
“It’s not me I’m worried about,” Sally said. “And between all you witches, there are lots of staff to target. She can’t be everywhere at once. Besides, it sounds like she’s too busy at Old Haven.”
Avery nodded, slightly comforted by Sally’s logic. “True. Come on. Let’s lock up. Tomorrow’s going to be a long day, so I think we need a good night’s rest.”
“Pub for me,” Dan said with a grin. “I’ll try not to overdo it. Coming for a quick one?”
Sally shook her head. “I better get back for the kids. And I‘ll bake a cake for us to keep us going tomorrow,” she added with a smile.
“Yes!” Dan said, punching the air. “I love your baking, Sally.”
She looked at him with a warning in her eye. “And I’ll be bringing in cupcakes for the kids. They are not for you! Not one!”
“Spoilsport,” Dan grumbled as he shrugged his jacket on.
“And I’m going to pack and reinforce my protection spells on the shop,” Avery said.
“Okay,” Dan called with a spring in his step as he headed towards the door. “Don’t forget, it’s dress-up day tomorrow. Halloween week is here! Your costume is in the back.”
“Bollocks!” Avery said with feeling.
***
Avery locked up the shop, picked up the box containing her costume from the back room, turned the lights off, and wandered up to her flat.
The cats greeted her by rubbing her legs and yowling for food. She tickled their ears and fed them, locked the cat flap that led to the garden so they couldn’t make a bolt for freedom, and then pulled their carry cages out of the cupboard. Then she headed up to her bedroom to pack. In the end she decided to take only a few clothing items for the night and evening, since she could change for work when she arrived back in the morning. She grimaced at the box. Damn it. She had to dress up.
She held up the costume to the light. It was a long dress with a bodice, the skirt made of panels of black and green, and there was a thick belt with a silver buckle to wrap around her waist. A full-length, dark green cloak and black witch’s hat finished it off, along with lace-up calf-height boots that languished in the box. She had to giggle. It was her
own fault; she shouldn’t have let Sally go and choose it for her.
Leaving the costume on her bed, she checked her shelves for useful books to pack with her grimoires, and also gathered her own spell casting equipment—her Athame, chalice, and silver bowl. She felt naked without them close by. A prickle at her neck alerted her to Helena’s arrival, her ghostly ancestor, and she turned slowly, always unnerved at her appearance.
Helena stood stock-still in the middle of the room, watching Avery. As always, she wore a long black dress, over which was draped a long cloak, and her dark hair fell across her shoulders and down her back. A faint whiff of violets wafted across the room, and her pretty face creased into a frown.
Avery nodded to her, noticing that she was more corporeal than she had appeared for months. Was this the effect of Samhain? “You look worried, Helena. Don’t be. I’ll be back. A rogue witch is making life difficult.”
In the blink of an eye, Helena reappeared inches from Avery, and Avery stepped back, startled. “Bloody Hell, Helena, what are you doing?”
Helena leaned forward and lifted her hand, as if to brush Avery’s face. Avery’s heart was thudding in her chest. Helena hadn’t been this close to her in a long time, and it reminded her of when she’d possessed her body and her mind. What if she wanted to do that now? What if she was stronger now, and could do it without being invited? She’d wanted to kill her then, and it was for that reason that Avery had warded her bedroom against her. But, she reminded herself, Helena had helped her find the spell to unveil the Mermaids during the summer. I have nothing to fear.
Helena opened her mouth and started to speak, but Avery couldn’t hear anything. “I can’t hear you, I’m sorry.”
Helena gestured again towards Avery’s bruise and frowned. Avery never ceased to be astonished by Helena’s awareness, and it was definitely stronger than usual. “I don’t know who she is! She’s trying to open a portal at Old Haven Church. We don’t know why or for what purpose. But she’s strong. I’m not safe here at night.”
Helena stepped back and moved towards the town map that Avery still had pinned to her wall, the map that marked the old pentagram over the town based on the houses where all of the witches’ ancestors lived. She pointed to Old Haven Church on the map.