by Jayne Faith
“ . . . protected within this space . . .”
I watched in fascination as magic streamed from the point of the wand down just inside the salt line of the circle, the elemental colors twining around each other like little arcs of electricity.
She passed around a third time, and as she did, the magic circle spread upward forming a half-dome that enclosed us, and I realized the two steps forward were to make sure our heads would be within the ritual space. The protective orb also extended down into the earth to form a complete sphere.
Back at the altar, Lynnette began the classic directional blessings, asking each direction and the associated elements for their presence. North for earth. East for wind. South for fire. West for water. But in addition to the usual four, she added another.
“Guardians of the place that kisses the space between planes, and the mystical element, I call upon your presence. Join us now and bless this circle.”
The torches flared, and the pulse of the reaper banged against the inside of my forehead. I squeezed my eyelids closed in a wince, but not before I saw the beginnings of a jagged vertical line of blood-red magic. When I opened my eyes, my jaw dropped. The line had widened into a huge crack and maroon magic was leaking from it like mist. And there was something there, standing in the dull light of the opening. It was the silhouette of a giant winged form towering behind Lynnette, the orbs of its eyes bright with blood-red magic.
I didn’t just see it, I felt it—the connection between my mind and the hulking demon’s springing into existence out of nowhere. But this was no small-brained pest like the minor demons I’d linked with and controlled.
This one was intelligent.
I knew because it greeted me by my own name.
You are known, Ella Grey.
Chapter 21
MY HEART HAMMERED as I sucked in an alarmed breath, ready to scream a warning to the others. Deb was close enough for me to clutch at her forearm. My eyes flicked to her and then to Lynnette.
Surely Deb saw it, too. Surely Lynnette sensed the creature looming twenty feet high at her back.
But when I blinked several times, all I saw behind Lynnette was an expanse of lawn leading to a border with a low hedge and the stucco wall beyond.
Squinting into the darkness, trying to see past the flare of the torches, I searched for the enormous demonic shape.
“What’s wrong?” Deb whispered without moving her lips.
I strained to find the thing, my glance darting around the yard, but I couldn’t feel its presence anymore. Whatever had been there was gone.
I gave my head a slight shake.
“Nothing,” I whispered under my breath.
But the creature had been there, I was sure of it. And if any question about the danger of Lynnette’s dabblings with rip magic had lingered in my mind before, it dissolved into certainty that she was messing with something better left alone. She’d added that mystical element to the ceremony. That wasn’t normal, even I knew that. And after, the giant creature had appeared and greeted me inside my own mind.
I shuddered. Maybe Jacob was right. Not about murdering witches, but about keeping some types of magic restricted.
Lynnette had moved on to talking about the official formation of the coven.
“Tonight each of you will pledge yourselves to the coven as the first step toward official membership,” she said. Her gaze had been sweeping the group, but now it trained on me, and she gave me a pointed look.
I shifted my weight, suddenly wishing I could spring away, escape the circle, and disappear into the night. An invisible weight seemed to descend across my shoulders, and when I tried to lift one boot, it was as if gravity reached up through the earth to hold me tighter. For a second I thought it was Lynnette using her magic on me, but I recognized the same stir of energy that I’d felt when she had forced me to make good on our trade by agreeing to join her coven. She wasn’t using any power on me, not directly. It was the bind of the promise I’d made that prevented me from fleeing.
A narrow, satisfied smile touched her lips.
Frustration flared hot in my chest, but I forced my fists to unclench.
She reached for something on the altar and then faced us with a long chain dangling from one hand. It had some sort of pendant on it.
“Now, to seal the pledge, we will each contribute magic to this charm.” She raised the necklace. “Our energies will mingle, in a literal and symbolic manifestation of our collective magic.”
An unpleasant shiver passed through me as I eyed the object she held. She turned to face the woman to her immediate left, a petite brunette with a sweet, round face, and presented the necklace.
“Repeat after me,” Lynnette said. “I swear this oath of loyalty to my coven, trust in and transparency to my coven sisters, and protection of the coven’s secrets. I freely open myself to the bond between us and hereby bind myself to this coven.”
I felt none of the joy that radiated from the woman’s eyes as she repeated the oath and then sent a tendril of magic into Lynnette’s hands.
The exorcist witch moved on to the next woman, and the next, and then it was Deb’s turn. I felt sick as I listened to my best friend swear herself to the coven.
When Lynnette stood before me, I saw that the object in her hands was indeed a locket, open and glowing with the magic that had been contributed so far.
My lips twisted with distaste, but I knew I couldn’t get out of it.
Hating every second, I said the oath and added my tendril of green earth magic. I stared at the ground as Lynnette finished taking the locket around the circle. When she got back to where she’d started, she put the chain around her neck and lifted the locket so she could look down into it. She repeated the oath and then sent an arc of blue water magic into the locket. She snapped it closed and let it hang.
She said a few closing words, and then the women around me burst into happy chatter. They hugged, a few even cried a little.
Deb touched my shoulder. “I know you didn’t want this, but I can’t say I’m sorry we’re doing it together.”
Not knowing what else to do or say, I gave her a hug. I silently swore to myself that I’d get us out of this, even if it meant I had to rip that chain from Lynnette’s neck and battle her to the death. There was no way in hell I’d spend the rest of my life under her control.
Lynnette passed around a plate of crescent-moon shaped cookies and a large ornate tumbler of wine, from which all the women sipped.
I went up to the coven leader. “We need to talk about the new moon and the Baelman,” I said, not bothering to conjure up a fake smile.
She nodded, her mouth pressing into a grim line. “Let’s give them a moment to celebrate, and then I’ll open the circle and we can go inside.”
She spoke to me with an equality I didn’t expect, which silenced me long enough for her to step away. She knew how to shift her mood and tone to disarm people, and I needed to stop letting her manipulate me so easily.
“So how’s it feel, witch?” Jen appeared next to me.
I gave her a wry, narrow-eyed look, and she let out her throaty laugh.
“Not much of a fan of group activities, are you?” she asked, turning serious. She flipped a glance at Lynnette.
“Uh, that would be a resounding no,” I said.
I suddenly wondered if Jen had guessed that I’d been compelled into the coven. She was eyeing me, and as I returned her gaze, I couldn’t be completely sure, but I thought I saw a flicker of understanding there. Maybe she could be an ally.
When another woman got Jen’s attention, I quickly pulled out my phone, turning partially away from the group to shield what I was doing, and sent a text to Damien.
I need to know everything about verbal binding magic. Help, please?
When I glanced around guiltily, one of the women was shooting me a disapproving look. She tilted her gaze pointedly at my phone. I jammed it back in my pocket, gave her an apologetic half-shrug, and felt my
expression sour when she looked away.
For the love of my sanity, I needed to get the hell out of here.
I dropped my hold on the earth magic I’d drawn. Keeping a small tendril of it for the past half hour, or however long we’d been gathered was enough, to make me feel the beginnings of magical drain. I pressed my fingertips into my closed eyelids, trying to ward off the cranky fatigue that seemed to be seeping into my bones.
Lynnette got everyone’s attention, and we assumed our positions around the circle as we had before.
She said some ceremonial words, thanking the directions and elements, and then walked counter-clockwise around the circle, releasing the sphere as she went. The third time around, she used a long, rustic broom to sweep at the salt, marking the circumference of the circle. It was more symbolic than a gesture of actual cleaning-up.
My relief was palpable as the group began to head back inside. I was chilled from holding onto my magic for so long and glad to be done with witchy ceremony.
We gathered in the kitchen again, and this time I was actually grateful for a warm mug of mulled wine in my hands.
Lynnette stood at the island, waiting for the room to settle a little. When she had the group’s attention, she drew in a slow breath, her face sober.
“Though we are only at the very beginning of the process of binding to each other, we must draw together quickly. We must trust each other deeply. Unfortunately, the threat to our membership will reemerge soon. We don’t have the luxury of time.”
Ugh, we were only at the beginning of the witchy kumbayas? I wanted to groan at the thought of more magic circles, but I appreciated her gravity. We didn’t have much time. You could have heard a pin drop in the silence of her pause.
“Our newest sister, Ella, killed the creature that took Amanda’s life,” she continued. Several gazes swung my way. “Another creature will come forth with the new moon. We assume that this one, too, will target us. Ella is working with Supernatural Crimes, but they have less to go on than we do, and she and I have realized that our best hope with this threat is our own collective magic. So, sisters, we will begin practicing tomorrow night, and we’ll practice every night until the new moon. I, for one, will be asking the universe for strength.”
She turned to me, and I realized she expected me to say something.
I cleared my throat. “Uh, thank you for welcoming me into your coven. I realize I’m taking the place of someone you cared about, and I wish the circumstances were . . . different.” I shot a significant look at Lynnette. “I’ll tell you everything I know about the creature, the Baelman. I know there’s great power in this group. Come Samhain and the new moon, we’re going to kick this Baelman’s ass.”
There were a few determined nods, and Jennifer even let out a little whoop.
Everyone turned back to Lynnette.
“We will be putting ourselves in danger, but I believe in facing an adversary head-on. We’ll have Ella, who killed the Baelman that murdered Amanda, and we’ll have each other.”
I had to admit to myself that even I was getting a little bit pumped up by Lynnette’s speeches. Maybe the collective magic thing wouldn’t be so horrible.
“So,” she said, businesslike. “We’ll meet here at five every evening, work for a couple of hours, and then take a quick meal break, and then go until ten.”
My face pulled into a grimace. Five hours? Every night?
“See you tomorrow night.”
Chapter 22
AFTER THE COVEN dispersed, I tried to get Deb to talk to me about Keith, but she begged off, saying she was too exhausted and needed to get a full night’s rest if she had any hope of putting in the long hours Lynnette was demanding.
I didn’t push it, knowing that her pregnancy, the stress of recent events, and her personal life were putting a very real strain on her. Besides, I knew her well enough to be patient—she’d talk when she was ready.
Back home, I called Damien to see if he could tell me anything about verbal binding magic. Also, I really needed to vent to someone.
“It went on forever,” I said. “And I really don’t like the fact that I put some of my magic into that locket. How the hell am I going to get out of this coven?”
“I’m sorry you got roped into this,” he said, his voice genuinely sympathetic.
“No, I’m literally asking you. How do I get out of it?”
I’d been lying on my back across my bed with my legs dangling off, staring up at the ceiling. Now I sat up, cross-legged.
“The magic promise thing is killing me, Damien. When we were in the circle, I started thinking about running, and it was like gravity reached up and locked me down.”
“Well, the most obvious answer is finding a loophole in the promise,” he said. “You’ve already discovered that when you try to go against it head-on, it butts back. You’ve got to find a different way around it.”
“Yeah, that makes sense.” I plucked at a loose thread in the quilt folded at the foot of my bed. “I’ll have to figure out where she might have made a mistake.”
I wasn’t feeling optimistic about outsmarting Lynnette. She seemed experienced with verbal binding magic and just very skilled at manipulation in general.
“I’ll keep looking into it, maybe I’ll find something.” His words dissolved into a yawn.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I’m treating you like my own personal research department and keeping you up half the night. I owe you. Like ten times over.”
“Don’t worry about it. I came to Boise so I could independently continue my inquiries. I couldn’t have met a better person to provide me with ample opportunities to study unusual supernatural phenomena.”
A grin tugged at the corners of my lips. “Well, that’s very generous of you. I’m lucky you’re here. And I will make it up to you, somehow.”
“You’d better rest up for your group magic rehearsals,” he said with a snicker. “Oh, and Barnes wants us to come in to the SC precinct at ten in the morning.”
I sighed, remembering that I’d gotten a text from Lagatuda saying something along those lines. “Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow. ’Night.”
“Goodnight.”
I got ready for bed and climbed in with Loki already curled on the quilt, forcing my legs off to one side.
“Bed hog,” I said affectionately.
He exhaled a contented doggy sigh.
I was exhausted, but instead of sleeping I tossed from side to side. My brother Evan was on my mind. It’d been too long since I’d seen any visions of him, and I didn’t even know if he was still in that vampire feeder den somewhere in the desert. Or if he was still alive at all. I had to believe he was, though, and since I’d become more skilled at driving minor demons I intended to use them to help me search for him.
My conversation with Jacob Gregori and his macabre confession about aiming to eliminate Lynnette’s coven also resurfaced in my thoughts. I was part of the coven now. Did that mean he would try to kill me, too? I wasn’t naïve enough to believe he held any true familial affection for me, not enough to outweigh his other goals, anyway, but . . . was he cold-hearted enough to try to murder his own niece? He almost had, when I’d posed as Deb. Atriul’s intervention might have been the only thing that saved me.
After the coven took care of the next Baelman, we had to find a way to prove that the creatures were sent by Gregori Industries. A witch was dead, and Jacob should be held accountable.
My phone lit up on the bedside table, drawing my attention. I rolled over and pulled it onto the pillow. There was a text from Johnny.
Hey sugar, been thinking about you. I hope you’re behaving yourself and things are staying nice and boring. Looking forward to some uninterrupted time after I get into town.
The message ended with a winky face.
I typed a reply: Not as boring as I’d like, but I’m still in one piece so that’s something. Uninterrupted time sounds perfect. When are you coming back?
I missed
him but realized that any swoony feelings I might have had were getting buried under the distraction of everything I was facing. It was probably a good thing Johnny had a lot going on, too.
I stared at my phone for a few seconds, but when he didn’t respond, I set it back on its charger. I turned over and burrowed deeper into the covers.
A normal date with no supernatural disruptions, no emergency calls from work? I didn’t quite believe it was possible, but a girl could hope.
The next morning, my alarm was followed a couple of minutes later by a call. I was sitting on the edge of the bed, trying to muster up some enthusiasm for a morning run, and the name on the caller ID made me straighten in surprise.
“Atriul?” I answered.
“Hello, Ella.”
“I’ve been meaning to get in touch with you. Is everything okay?”
There was a rustling noise, as if he was holding the phone against his face. “I’ve heard some news, and it’s not good. The new moon isn’t going to bring just a Baelman. Apparently Gregori has something in the works that’s potentially much worse.”
I frowned. “What is it?” I found myself tensing, as if readying for a blow.
“For one, I think he’s found a way to leverage the thinning of the veil at Samhain to allow more than one Baelman into our dimension.”
“That’s bad,” I said. “If he’s going to send a whole slew of those creatures, it could be very, very bad.”
“I’m sorry I don’t have more to tell you.”
I squeezed my eyes closed and rolled my head to each side. I’d been up for ten minutes, and I was already wound tight. It didn’t bode well for the day.
“No need to apologize, I appreciate the heads up. We’ve still got a few days, so if you could do your damnedest to discover more details about what Jacob has up his sleeve, well, you’ll save lives.” I gave a short, humorless laugh. “Not to put a dramatic spin on it or anything.”