Through the Woods

by Cassandra Johnson

  “You’ll figure it out Moonie, you’re just thinking about it too hard.” Jean Louise offered as she brushed her fingertips against a knot in the tree's bark. Instantly the air around the tree began to shimmer. Golden stardust swirled around the tree like thousands of lightning bugs dancing on the night breeze as the door to the witches dwelling presented itself. Leaves and vines sparkling in the reflection of the moonlight decorated it’s carved surface as Jean Louise turned the golden doorknob and the delicious scent of supper cooking from inside wafted out to greet them.

  The door itself was merely a portal, allowing the witches to come and go as they pleased from one place to another while anchoring them to one solid plane. When they looked out of the windows, they could see Elle’s house, the lights from the windows brightening her darkened yard, but for anyone outside, they wouldn’t know where the witches were. All they saw was the tree line in the dark, the tree itself shielding their camp from sight.

  “You’re right.” Moonie sighed going about those simple everyday tasks that usually worked when the witch was trying to focus. “Does anyone want some tea? I’m going to put the kettle on.” She told her family, pushing the sleeves of her sweater up to her elbows.

  Inside, the portal opened to the kitchen, it’s inviting warmth beckoning those who entered its safety to leave their troubles at the door. Moonie filled the kettle from the sink spout and placed it on the stove, it’s fire-lighting automatically.

  “No thank you, I’m going to have a bath before supper.” Jean Louise told Moonie, disappearing upstairs to the second story while Charlotte stayed behind, setting the table and lighting their candles.

  “I wish there was more we could do for them.” Moonie murmured, the faint tilt of her head indicating her thoughts.

  “You know we can’t use our magic to manipulate them into a happily ever after scenario. We have to allow them to grow and learn on their own.” Charlotte said intruding on her nieces’ thoughts.

  “I know, I know.” Moonie gripped softly. “It just makes me sad is all. We have all this power, and we aren’t even allowed to make it better. We can’t interfere with the natural order.” Frowning softly, she took out the silverware and napkin’s, setting the plates down around the table set for three.

  “Sweetheart, I know that it has been difficult for you especially after losing your mother, but if there was something that you were meant to do for her, you already did it. Life is often cruel to us, and we can’t see why it must be that way. Magic can’t fix everything and those who’ve tried only created a bigger mess by doing so.” Charlotte told her, touching Moonie’s arm gently. “You’re a good daughter, you did everything you were supposed to, but it was her time whether we can see or understand it. Moira taking her life had nothing to do with you, she made a choice to be with your father, and I would like to think she knew you would be okay, otherwise she wouldn’t have done what she did.”

  “I can’t help wanting to do more though when I look at Elle and her wolves? All I want to do is find a way to fix it, so no one else is hurt.” Moonie explained.

  “And you will, that’s why we started calling you Moonie.” Charlotte smiled.

  “Because I used to run around Grandma’s garden naked when I was little?” Moonie’s brows slightly quirked a moment looking at her aunt in confusion.

  Charlotte immediately laughed pulling Moonie into her arms, holding her there.

  “Well, besides that. It’s because you have a gift for always finding a light in the darkness. You can’t fix the world’s problems by magic, but you can help by touching every single life you meet and being there for those people. Magic can be simple like that.”

  Exhaling Moonie shuddered softly, holding her aunt tighter for a moment longer letting those words sink in. Knowing and understanding were two entirely different things, Moonie knew that she could use magic to change the outcome of people’s lives, but she understood that using it would not change fate. They were put on a specific path in life, and they were meant to travel it. The destination itself was almost never as important as the journey.

  “Thank you,” Moonie said pulling away.

  “You’re welcome.” Charlotte smiled as the kettle began to whistle in the background and both women turned to look at the steam pouring from its spout.

  For the rest of the night, Moonie thought of all the emotions that she felt in Elle’s living room. Even going so far as to making a list of each individual person there and listing what she felt, but when she looked at the page, idly tapping her pen against the table waiting for her eureka moment to arrive each sensation she’d picked up on made sense except for one. Malice but where it came from Moonie didn’t know nor understand. It didn’t make logical sense, more so as she inspected her thoughts, placing them all into different categories and boxes within her mind, she found that the malice she sensed was directed solely towards the Chaliceman’s. Could it be that this gentleman in Connecticut was responsible, that his hatred was that far-reaching? Moonie had never experienced anything of that magnitude before, and she couldn’t say whether that was the case or not.

  Through the evening and well into the night Moonie stayed awake searching for the answer, but none came.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  As the morning sun peeked over the treetops Elle was reminded of the song, ‘Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked.’ It seemed fitting, she thought, being as she hadn’t slept at all the night before. Every hour or so she got up to look outside just to make sure the wolves Lucas left to guard them through the night were still there.

  Reaching the kitchen Elle found herself being the first person in the house to leave their room so far, it was the first time that had happened.

  Pouring the old coffee from the pot, Elle poured fresh water inside before she tossed the dirty filter and replaced it, performing the mundane tasks on autopilot.

  “What am I going to do about this, Gran?” Elle muttered as she filled the tank and punched the red button on the old Bunn coffee maker.

  “If I told you not to worry, would you listen?” A voice from the past spoke directly behind her.

  Elle’s lungs froze as she stood with her back to the voice, it was familiar, it felt so real, but it couldn’t have been. Clinging to the counter, her mind racing Elle didn’t know if she was losing her mind, but she was sure that she heard the voice of her dead grandmother.

  “Grandma?” Elle’s eyes widened staring in disbelief at the woman who raised her, sitting right across the table from her. One leg crossed over the other with that coffee mug that was literally never more than two feet away from her. Elle swore she could even smell the smoke from the menthol cigarette in her lips.

  “Is it really you?” Elle asked, her eyes beginning to tear up. “Like, you’re really here?”

  The specter nodded gently as Elle looked at her, tears spilling down her cheeks. Watching the woman, Elle realized that she saw Grace as she looked in the pictures she’d seen of her grandmother as a little girl before Elle was born.

  “How is this possible?” Elle sniffed trying to compose herself.

  “How do werewolves exist?” Grace replied, apparently being a part of the spirit world hadn’t taken any of Grace’s spunk.

  “Please help me, Gran. I don’t know what I’m doing.” Elle swallowed, using the back of her hand to wipe fallen tears from her chin.

  A whirl of cigarette smoke escaped Grace’s lips as she motioned for Elle to come take a seat next to her at the table.

  Obliging the specter Elle was close enough to touch her, but her hands hesitated where they sat on the table until the faint mist surrounding Grace’s form moved, and she covered Elle’s hands with her own, tenderly caressing them. The warmth of Grace’s hands traveled, enveloping Elle’s body.

  “What’s going to happen to us, Gran?” Elle asked, letting the peace that radiated from her grandmothers’ spirit wash over her.

  “I couldn’t tell you, the future is determined by the actions y
ou take, sweetheart.” Grace explained stroking her thumb over Elle’s knuckles.

  “What can you tell me?” Seeing her grandma, Elle just assumed that the specter was there to tell her something that would completely change the course that they were currently on. How to stop it, or at the very least how to prepare for it.

  “Trust your instincts, they have brought you this far. You’re a smart girl, Ellie. You’ve always known how to turn a bad situation around, and this is no different. When people didn’t believe that you could write a book, you went ahead and did it anyway. Trust the witches, they can help you if you are willing to listen.”

  “But yesterday I wasn’t strong enough to do anything. The Chalicemans could have been killed, and I was powerless to stop it. I don’t care what Charlotte said about lending them my powers. I didn’t feel powerful at all in that moment.” Elle confessed, feeling ashamed.

  “You don’t believe in yourself enough. It’s not something that happens overnight. You’ve always struggled to make a success of yourself, and this is no different. You must keep fighting with whatever power that you have whether it’s physically or mentally. Keep trying Elle, even if you fail ninety-nine times. The Chalicemans were brought back into your life for a reason, and I know that you aren’t willing to see that be for nothing. Listen to the witches, they will teach you what you need to know.”

  “I’m afraid that we don’t have that kind of time, Gran.” Elle pressed her, unable to emphasize how desperate she felt.

  “Of course, you do,” Grace chuckled softly, bringing the cigarette up to her lips. “Never underestimate what a remarkable mind you have. If you can’t beat them at their own game, you will re-write the rules –when you’re backed into a corner find yourself an equalizer.”

  “An equalizer?” Elle stared at the specter of her grandmother in confusion. She didn’t understand why she was feeding her all this self-confidence talk when what they actually needed here was a miracle of biblical proportions.

  “Don’t give me that look,” Grace said, the mist around her shifting, and her face stiffened somewhat as her form began to dissipate growing fainter. “Trust yourself and be careful of,”

  A sharp rap of knuckles came to the door, forcing Elle to jump in her seat as she looked around the empty kitchen though she could still smell the scent of Grace’s cigarettes. Bitter confusion filled her as she tried to decipher if she’d been dreaming or her grandmother really was trying to tell her something important. It had to be otherwise she wouldn’t have made a special appearance from the great beyond just to see her.

  Be careful of what? Elle got up, moving to the kitchen door and pushing the curtain back softly, peering out at Lucas looking back in on her. Something in her stomach twisted, but she pushed the feeling aside as she unlocked the door.

  “You’re up early,” Elle told him, noticing that the wolves from last night had already left, probably sent away by Lucas when he arrived.

  “Couldn’t sleep, we have a lot of ground to cover today,” Lucas told Elle going straight to the cabinet and taking out a cup and filling it with black coffee.

  Elle blinked, staring at Lucas confused. Grace’s voice still in her head, what was she trying to tell her?

  “Elle, you okay?” Lucas set the cup on the counter inspecting Elle’s pale face.

  “What?” Elle inhaled sharply, the sound of Grace’s words still tumbling around inside her head and already becoming faint. Just hearing her voice again brought up so many emotions, seeing her, smelling her. Grace was right here only moments ago, and Elle couldn’t help experiencing the broken-hearted ache that she’d felt when her grandmother passed away. It was like losing her all over again. Elle knew that Grace was trying to tell her something important and then suddenly she was just gone.

  “Are you okay, you’re really pale.” Lucas continued, studying her with concern.

  “Yeah, I’m fine.” Elle murmured, shaking off his words of concern. “I think we all had a pretty rough night considering the circumstances.” She explained further. Elle didn’t want to share the experience she had with her grandmother before he showed up, it was something too personal and Elle wanted to keep that moment to herself.

  Lucas seemed to understand as he picked up his coffee cup once more and took a big gulp not paying any attention to the way that it burned all the way down his throat.

  “Good morning,” Gallen was puffy-eyed from lack of sleep as he crept into the kitchen looking for caffeine.

  Honestly, Elle was glad for Gallen’s arrival, she didn’t feel comfortable alone with Lucas, not since he’d entered the picture –something about the way that he and Gaerik had bonded over war stories was very off-putting. Lucas had a bloodlust, and that put Elle on edge and since her encounter with Jamal, Elle knew how dangerous wolves could be, especially the kind that liked killing and Lucas was just the type. You could see it in his eyes when he told his tales, but he was the Alpha around here, and she was grateful for his help, but it didn’t mean she had to be best friends with him anymore. Not like they had been as kids. That gap had stretched out in front of them a long time ago.

  “I’m sure everyone is going to be starving when they come down. I’ll start getting some breakfast on the table,” Elle told the two wolves, it was an excellent means to keep herself busy, and soon the kitchen was filling up with people and the smell of biscuits in the oven, and all four burners on the stove had been fired up.

  Molly, Shaye, and Alex, as well as the witches all showed up once the sun had risen to an acceptable place in the morning sky, no one looked like they had gotten a good night’s sleep and Elle herself was being fueled by anxiety and caffeine. Elle called her publicist the night before to ask for her help gathering whatever information that she could on William Levins, but it had to be done discreetly.

  “Julie said that someone from New Haven called her asking about me.” She said as they gathered around the table, filling their plates with food, though Elle wasn’t sure how anyone could eat at a time like this. Her stomach was in too many knots to even consider putting food on top of it.

  “Yeah?” Gaerik looked up at her from his plate, he was peppering his eggs with Tabasco sauce, the bitter red spice of the liquid getting up her nose.

  “She said that he was asking about me coming to his store for book signings, but she told him that I was out of town, she told him where I was. It could just be a coincidence, but it could have been someone working for Levins.” Elle concluded, feeling in her gut that she was right.

  Gaerik’s full attention was on Elle now as was everyone else’s.

  “Did Julie say if he left a name?” Marik asked, his brows drawing together with interest.

  “Jack Carlisle, at the Trinity Bookstore. I already did some googling, and there is no Trinity bookstore in New Haven, but there is a Trinity bar and grill though on Orange street, great clam chowder special during the winter. I’m guessing that he looked at his surroundings and chose something familiar to him.” Elle sighed shaking her head. “I hope Julie is safe, I don’t want anyone else pulled into our situation.”

  “I’m sure she’s okay,” Moonie spoke, her voice was so soft that Elle almost didn’t hear her, but the witch’s blue eyes were trained on her, offering serenity in those deep pools.

  “If you would like, we can send someone to keep an eye out for her, just to help your feelings. We won’t let anyone get near her.” Charlotte said, placing her teacup down on the table.

  “Do you know if anyone in the area?” Elle asked, pushing her plate away. She couldn’t eat, and there was no sense in putting up a front.

  “As a matter of fact, yes, she won’t even know she’s being watched, and if anything happens, they can divert the danger away from her.” Charlotte smiled. “Whenever you can spare a moment I will take down her information and let the coven know.”

  “Thank you, I really appreciate it.” Elle smiled, feeling at least a small amount of her fears and anxiety lifting from her shou
lders and remembering what her grandmother told her earlier that morning, trust the witches.

  “While we’re on the subject of watching people,” Gaerik began, putting his fork down on his plate signaling that he was finished eating and wiping his mouth with a napkin. “I heard back from my contacts last night, we've got William under surveillance as well as the rest of his crew.” He informed the table, taking a big gulp of his coffee. “I also asked my guy if he could start running some background checks, see who associates with who. I wouldn’t put it past William to reach out to others who might help him further his cause or buying his own supporters.”

  Gallen snorted nodding his agreement from behind his coffee cup, having been on the Council with William for years he knew exactly what kind of man he was, and had rejected far too many of William Levins ideas and agendas.

  “That will be helpful, at least we can get an idea of who is on his side.” Marik nodded standing and gathering plates from the table.

  “What I can’t believe is that William would be able to swing so many people, yes certain things need to change as time goes on, we all have to find new ways of adapting, but William has always had this us against them mentality that I’ve never understood,” Gallen said shaking his head.

  “Has anyone given any thought to what needs to be done with the bodies out in the woods?” Jean Louise asked, gathering the conversation back to what had to be done today.

  “Yeah, we need to get on that.” Gaerik agreed. “We had more than we could handle yesterday, the last thing we need is someone stumbling upon those bodies and calling the cops.”

  “I can help with that,” Lucas smiled standing from his seat. “Elle do you have an ax or a chainsaw out in that old storage shed?”

  “Yeah, Gran always kept some tools out there.” Grace was one of those jacks of all trades, Elle always marveled at how she did anything that she set her mind to and nine times out of ten it was a success. She sat her coffee cup down and went to one of the canisters on the counter and took out the keys handing them to Lucas.