by T J Green
“Yes, we feel it, too. But by Friday it will all be over. You need to stay away from the place on Halloween. Well away.”
He walked up to her, challenging her. “Why? Have you found out what’s going on there?”
Avery wanted to tell him, but feared it would be too much. “We have, and we can stop it.” Or at least try. “It will be a very dangerous place, so you must promise me you’ll stay away.”
“It’s my church. I should be there.”
Avery’s blood ran cold. “No. You shouldn’t. You won’t like what you’ll see.”
“Why? Do you plan to desecrate the place further?”
“Of course not!” she said, recoiling at his suggestion. “We plan to free it from the magic that possesses it now. Will you stay away?”
“I think I need to understand more about you and magic, and White Haven’s weird happenings, not less.”
“Not by going there,” Avery insisted.
“What are you hiding?” He watched her for a moment as she schooled her expression to neutral. “You said magic was good. That was a lie.”
“Like anything, it can be subverted. The person behind all of this has carried revenge with her for a long time. Suspicion and hatred of others who do not understand her and who have betrayed her family have led to this. Don’t perpetuate it.”
“How can I do anything else when you still keep things hidden from me?”
He was right, and a war raged inside her as to how much to tell him. So far, his knowledge of what they were and what they did was not really working in their favour. “Once this is over, I will share some more. But until then, please listen to me. Stay away from Old Haven.”
He shook his head. “I can’t promise anything. You should go now, Avery. I’ll see you soon. “
She took one long look at him and then turned and left. Maybe they should glamour him on Thursday, too.
25
All Hallows’ Eve arrived all too quickly. The sky was a brittle blue and a chill wind sliced down the streets, reaching inside coats, slapping cheeks, and biting fingers and noses.
Avery looked out of the window and shivered, despite the warmth of the shop and her cheery surroundings. This should be a day of harmless fun, trick or treating, and scary stories, not worrying about the battle they would face that night.
Sally nudged her. “You’re miles away. Cheer up.”
Avery hadn’t told her much about the threat they faced. She hadn’t wanted to scare Sally or Dan. She’d contemplated glamouring them and trying to make them leave, but had decided against it. It wasn’t fair to make someone do something against their will. Glamouring Stan had been a last resort because they knew he was directly involved. Sally and Dan were not.
She smiled. “Sorry. Just thinking of tonight.”
“Ah. The coven meeting and the grove. I know you’re keeping stuff back, Avery.”
“Not really. I’m looking forward to meeting the whole coven. It’s long overdue.”
And it was true. She wasn’t lying about that.
“Well, at least you’re wearing your costume today. Thank you.”
“Of course I am! It is Halloween.”
Sally grinned. “I’m making hot chocolate. Want one?”
“Yes. Sounds fantastic.” She headed back to the till while Sally went to the back room. Dan was somewhere in the shop, probably setting up for the storytelling event later. There would be two. One in the mid-afternoon, and one at six as it was late-night opening. But not for her. She’d be at Reuben’s by six, waiting for the covens to arrive.
Her phone rang—Alex. “Hey, how are you?”
“I’ve got bad news.”
Her heart skipped a beat. “What?” When they left the house together this morning, everything was fine.
“I can’t get hold of Newton. He’s not answering his phone, and he called in sick at work.”
Relief rushed through her. “There you are, then. He’s probably in bed, sleeping.”
“You know Newton. He’s reliable, a workhorse. His colleagues are worried, I could tell—although they didn’t tell me anything. I just wanted you to know I’m heading round to his place to look for him.”
“You shouldn’t go alone,” she said, immediately worried. “I’ll come with you.” She looked down at her witch costume and groaned. She’d have to get changed.
“No. Stay there. I’m going with Hunter. I want to know if she’s been there. And if he answers the door, grumpy, then at least I know he’s okay.”
Avery’s mouth was suddenly dry. “You’re kidding me. You think Suzanna has something to do with this?”
Alex’s voice was grim. “All morning I’ve been feeling this creeping dread steal over me. My neck is prickling, and something is happening at the corner of my vision. It’s what triggered me to call him in the first place.”
“Oh, no.” She slumped against the wall, thinking. “Did we protect his place, or him?”
“No—not recently, anyway.”
“Bollocks. Let’s hope he’s sick… As horrible as that is.”
He sighed. “I hope so too, but I don’t think he will be. I’ll let you know, okay?”
“Okay. Stay safe, Alex.” It had been on the tip of her tongue to say, I love you, but she couldn’t. Ever since that journey in the car, she’d been meaning to bring up that conversation with him, but she’d shied away, terrified she’d misunderstood and he’d look at her like she was mad. He hadn’t said a word about it, either. Instead, she repeated, “I mean it. Don’t do anything stupid. I’m already worried sick.”
She heard the smile in his voice. “I’ll be fine. Be careful yourself.” And then he hung up.
She could feel her nervous energy starting to build and the air began to eddy, teasing her hair. She caught a customer’s double-take, and she quickly quelled it, taking deep, calming breaths. Half of her wanted to race through the day so they could get tonight over with, and half of her wanted the day to last forever.
Sally headed over, precariously carrying three cups. She handed one to Avery. “What else has happened?”
“Newton has disappeared.”
“That nice policeman?”
“Yes. Crap! We should have protected him. Of course she’d target him!”
“Slow down!” Sally remonstrated. “Explain.”
“I can’t. I need to speak to Helena.”
Avery headed up to her flat, leaving her drink behind. Once inside, she shouted, “Helena! Where are you?”
Silence.
She missed her flat. Reuben’s estate was great, and she’d really enjoyed spending more time with the others, especially Alex. But it wasn’t home. Tomorrow, all being well, she would be back here.
“Helena!”
Still silence.
She marched up to the attic where Helena was more likely to appear and sent out her magic and a summons. “Helena. I command you to come to me right now! I mean it!”
With a faint stir of air, Helena manifested, a challenge in her eyes.
Avery glared at her. “You know who’s behind all this, don’t you?”
Helena’s gaze was coolly calculating. She was shockingly tangible. Was that Suzanna’s doing, or Samhain, or both?
“Helena, I know that what happened to you was terrible, but that was a long time ago, and the people in White Haven now are not responsible. You have to stop Suzanna. You are the only one she will listen to.”
Helena’s gaze gave nothing away.
“One of my friends, a very good friend, is in danger. If you’re helping her and he dies, I shall do my utmost to banish you forever!” She stepped closer so that they were almost nose to nose. “I will do it. This freedom to move between planes will go. You will be locked away forever.”
Helena leaned forward, her mouth brushing Avery’s ear, and she whispered, “Trust me.”
Avery stumbled back in shock, but Helena had already vanished. She held her hand to her ear, still feeling Helena’s icy touc
h.
She headed to her table, ready to start a banishing spell straight away, and then she hesitated. Newton. The grove. The Wild Hunt. There were so many uncertainties, and Helena’s part was not clear. If she banished her now, would that benefit them, or harm them?
Damn it! She had to wait.
***
Avery was on the verge of calling Alex when he finally phoned her. “Have you found him?”
“No. His place is a mess. There was a fight, so he didn’t go quietly, but her scent is all over the place, as is the strong stench of magic.”
Avery felt tears prick her eyes and headed to a quiet corner of the shop, facing the wall. “We have to find him. If he dies, I will never forgive myself. We should have protected him. He should have been at Reuben’s with us.”
“We won’t find him, you know we won’t. Hunter’s been all over that place, and there’s not one single scent outside of his house.”
“There must be something we can do.”
“We can do nothing until tonight. She’ll keep him alive. He’ll be her sacrifice.”
“If she kills him, I will kill her.”
Alex’s voice was grim. “We’ll find a way. Stay safe.”
As soon as he rang off, Avery called Ben. “I hope you’re planning to stay away from Old Haven tonight.”
“Actually, we were planning to come. It’s Samhain, Avery, and the biggest event in Cornwall will be at Old Haven. Of course we want to be there.”
“No. I’m serious. Stay away. All of you. I will tell Gabe to keep you away, and you know he will.”
Avery heard resignation in Ben’s voice. “From a distance, then?”
“Like the moon?”
“Funny, Avery. All right, we’ll avoid Old Haven, but we’ll be in the town. Our spookometer’s been picking up some enhanced readings over the last couple of days. If we can’t be in Old Haven, the town is the next best place.”
“Your spookometer? What enhanced readings?”
“My EMF meter, obviously. The town’s reading is rising.”
She was incredulous. “You’ve been wafting that thing around town?”
“Discreetly, yes.”
She sighed heavily. “Please try not to rile the locals.”
“Trust me. We’re all about discretion.” He paused. “You sound stressed. I’ve not heard you sound like this before.”
“We’ve not encountered this amount of crazy before. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
I hope.
***
The White Haven witches were at Reuben’s house and pacing the large front sitting room in nervous anticipation by half past five. They were all dressed in black, much as when they broke into The Witch Museum a few months before.
Briar was far more upset than Avery expected. She stood stock-still and glared. “What do you mean? She’s kidnapped Newton?”
Alex nodded, watching her carefully. “I’m afraid so. We should have protected him. I’ve been thinking on it all day long.”
Briar’s hands shook. “Yes, we should have. But that’s our entire fault. I’ve been so mad with him lately that I…” She broke off. “I should have put it behind me.”
“Well, tonight,” Alex reassured her, “he’s our first priority.”
They were interrupted by the arrival of Genevieve, and Reuben escorted her into the room. She looked calm and commanding, far calmer than any of them. She took one look at them and said, “What else?”
They updated her on Newton’s disappearance, and she swore profoundly. “It doesn’t matter. I knew she’d have someone. I’m just sorry it’s him. I’ve already decided we need two teams. An inner team, and the witches who will form the main outer circle.”
“What do you mean?” El asked. “Why two teams?”
“The bulk of the coven will support me. We’ll form a circle around the entire grove. I’ve decided that the simplest option is the best. Our intention tonight, and the one that we will focus on collectively, is to stop the Wild Hunt escaping from the grove and running riot. The spell will be for that alone. Containment, and then sending them back where they came from. “
Avery was horrified. “So you’re anticipating that they will break through into our reality?”
Genevieve nodded. “Yes, unless we can stop Suzanna. But at this stage, she’s far too prepared and clever for that to happen. I’m taking the broad approach.”
“But what about her final blood sacrifice?” Briar asked, squaring up to her. “Are you saying we just let her kill Newton? I won’t do it!” Her voice rose in fury.
“Of course not!” Genevieve snapped. “The second, smaller team will be in the grove. You will have to rescue him, but as I said, I don’t anticipate that saving him will stop the spell. She will spill her own blood, or any other if she has to. It could well be that at midnight the magic is so great that the Wild Hunt can break through on their own. Once you have him, you need to get back to us, on the perimeter. But it won’t be easy.”
Reuben nodded. “We’re the second team, right?”
“Right. Can you handle it?”
“Of course we can,” El said, flexing her hands in anticipation. “If the boundaries between worlds fall, how long before the Wild Hunt arrive?”
Genevieve shrugged. “A second? A minute? An hour? I have no idea. No one in our lifetime has seen anything like this, ever! But if they break through quickly, you’ll be in there when they arrive. You could all be killed, you must know that.”
They fell silent, glancing at each other, and Avery slid her hand into Alex’s, squeezing it gently. He squeezed back, and said, “We know. We’re prepared to take that risk.”
“And where is the poppet, Avery?”
Avery had told her about it after she’d spoken to Caspian, and she pulled it from her jeans pocket and gave it to her. “How do you plan to use it?”
“I have a few options, so I’ll see what the occasion needs.” She tucked it into her bag.
Briar was still annoyed. “Why don’t we use it now? Bind her tongue, paralyse her—kill her, even. She then can’t kill Newton, or complete the spell.”
Genevieve held Briar’s gaze. “Do you know where she lives, or where Newton is?”
Briar faltered. “No.”
“If I maim her now, she could kill Newton this instant out of spite. Or she’ll be so incapacitated that if Newton is trapped by a spell, or locked somewhere inaccessible, we may never find him, and he’ll still die. Is that what you want?”
Briar’s shoulders dropped. “No.”
Genevieve patted her arm gently. “And that is why I can’t use the poppet now. Personally, I find them inaccurate and haphazard to use. I would rather see the effects of my magic firsthand. Now, can someone direct me to the bathroom? I need to change into my ceremonial robes. I always wear them when I lead the coven in magic such as this.”
“Sure, follow me,” Reuben said, leading her out of the room.
Avery looked at the others. “This is going to be far bigger than facing the Mermaids. Maybe just a couple of us should go in to get Newton. I’ll go. Who else?”
“No way,” Alex said firmly, hands on his hips. “We all go together. We’re a coven now, and we work better together. Don’t go all gung-ho on me, Ave!”
“All right.” She smiled weakly. “I do feel stronger with you guys around.”
Outside, cars were starting to pull up, and she saw the familiar figures of Eve and Nate exit the first one. “Awesome. The troops have arrived. I’ll go and get them.”
For the next couple of hours witches arrived from all over Cornwall, and as each coven showed up, they filled each other in on the events of the last weeks and the plans for the night. There were young and old witches in the covens, and Avery understood what Genevieve had meant by some of them being nervous. They were eager to help, but Avery sensed their inexperience.
Some of the witches wore formal robes—long-sleeved gowns or cloaks. Others wore their normal clothes, wrapped
up in thick coats with sturdy boots and hats. Claudia wore a sweeping gown and cloak, and she looked regal and imposing, her magic rising to the occasion. Eve and Nate wore their usual clothes, and the White Haven group spent time chatting to them privately and filling them in on the details.
Jasper greeted them warmly, a long thick cloak over his jeans and boots, and Avery was pleased to introduce him to Alex, El, and Briar. “You guys are certainly shaking up our quiet existence,” he said, smiling.
“I’m sorry,” Avery said. “We really didn’t mean to.”
He reassured her. “As big as tonight will be, and maybe deadly, for us to practise together is a good thing. Other than celebratory rites, we haven’t done anything like this for years.”
Oswald and Ulysses arrived together, Ulysses dwarfing everyone. He wore combat gear and a thick coat, but Oswald, like Jasper, wore a thick cloak over normal clothes. The last to arrive was Caspian and his family, and they drove up in two cars. Caspian was the only one to greet them; the others ignored their presence, but like them they wore their regular clothes.
Genevieve was undoubtedly the High Priestess. She looked stunning. Her hair was elaborately bound on her head, and she wore a long, dark green dress with a tight bodice and flowing skirt, and a long black cloak over it. All heads naturally gravitated towards her and she walked around the room, having private chats with everyone.
Reuben had organised platters of food that had been dropped off earlier that afternoon, and Avery and El helped bring them in. They all needed to eat, but heavy food was not advised before magic of this magnitude. Some of the witches refused to eat entirely, preferring an empty stomach and purification.
At length Genevieve addressed them all and the room fell silent, the tension palpable. “Tonight will be a test of our strength. We will see something that people have not seen for hundreds of years. Some of you may doubt that this will happen. I do not. The Wild Hunt will arrive. I have seen the grove at Old Haven and sensed the blood magic there. It is an old place of worship that sits atop a crossroad of Ley Lines—a gateway to the Other, not used in centuries. The yew tree at its heart guards that gateway, and the power is building. The boundaries between worlds will crack tonight. The Wild Hunt is vicious and bloodthirsty, and I believe that Suzanna Grayling has channelled the Crone to make this spell so effective. As to who will lead the Hunt—” She shrugged. “We will see. The myths suggest many leaders. But if they break free of the grove, many souls will be lost.”