Lily thought briefly of Kathy. "How can you be sure? Maybe your collective energies got out of hand? Or maybe one of you has an axe to grind?"
Blossom picked up the book Lily had dropped, glancing warily over her shoulder before she turned to face her. "I have felt a certain negativity lately, an antagonistic energy. It's hard to believe it would come from one of us." She lowered her voice. "I suspect it's related to Mandy's accident."
Sage shivered. "I've felt it too."
"Who in your coven would harbor such hostility?" Lily asked, knowing full well what Blossom's answer would be.
Again, Blossom glanced around the store. "Kathy."
"Do the others feel the same way?"
Blossom walked over to the jewelry counter and idly rearranged earrings and necklaces and bracelets. It was almost as if she needed to be doing something, anything. "Most of the ones I've talked to. I haven't spoken with Gwendolyn or Lucy yet, but I suspect they will agree. Only Cara voiced reservations, but I think that's mostly because she doesn't like to think ill of anyone. Plus, she and Kathy had a brief fling last summer."
"Something needs to be done, don't you think?" Lily asked.
Sage nodded, then spoke. "Other than Kathy, Mandy is the most powerful witch in our coven. She's still in that mysterious coma, despite all our healing spells and magick cords. She could handle Kathy on her own."
Lily didn't agree with Sage's statement. She remembered her conversation with Mandy, and how she too had said she thought Kathy was getting too powerful. But she decided not to say anything. At least, not yet.
The bell over the door chimed. Blossom looked startled, then scared, relaxing only when she saw Ruth. Mandy's black and white tabby followed her in. Lily felt a shiver of unease when she saw the animal, remembering that day in Mandy's garden. Normally, she loved all animals, but this particular cat gave her the creeps. She couldn't exactly say when that had happened. She watched as it settled on a rug in the middle of the room and began grooming itself.
"No change," Ruth said. "The doctors are at a loss."
"We were discussing it." Blossom looked over at Lily and Sage. "I think we all believe Kathy is somehow involved. Either she caused the accident, the coma, or both."
A slight movement caught Lily's eye. Did the cat appear to be listening to their conversation? It had stopped grooming and was staring at them intently, its ears and tail twitching. She shook her head. She was letting her imagination run wild. Still, she knew about witches and their familiars. It was not impossible.
"I think we need to take matters into our own hands," Sage was saying. "If Kathy's magick is becoming dangerous, she has to be stopped."
Lily realized if she shared her conviction that Kathy had been responsible for the horrible dream, Sage would be even more convinced it was time to act. She started to speak, but the cat abruptly moved toward her. Lily stepped toward the cat, intending to shoo him out of the store. He stood on all fours, the fur raised on his back, and hissed a warning. Lily glanced behind her, thinking the cat might be seeing something or someone threatening. No one was there. She moved closer, wary now. Intent on their conversation, the other three women paid her no heed. The cat seemed to grow three times his size. His ears flattened as he crouched into a predatory stance, his tail slashing back and forth.
With a snarl he leapt at Lily, his claws and teeth digging deep into her leg. She shrieked and instinctively hit the creature with all her might. He fell off of her, momentarily stunned, then readied for another attack.
With a shout, Sage smacked him with a straw broom. Hissing and growling, he ran for the door Blossom had opened. She slammed the door shut.
"Oh my god, what happened?" Sage exclaimed as she brought gauze and first-aid cream. "I've never seen him act that way. Did you scare him?"
Wincing in pain, Lily shook her head. "I only wanted to get him out of the store. I don't like or trust that cat."
Sage knelt down and cleaned the blood from Lily's leg with iodine. Lily groaned at the sting of it. "I think you need to go to the emergency room. Cat bites can be highly infectious. When was your last tetanus shot?"
"Never mind that now," Lily said, feeling the tears in her eyes. Sage slathered on salve and wrapped the leg in gauze. "This may sound crazy, but I think that cat is Kathy's spy."
Sage and Blossom and Ruth all looked at each other. "It was Kathy's cat at one time," Ruth said. "She said she had her hands full with five of them, so Mandy said she would take him."
"When?"
"I'd say no longer than six months."
"I know I sound like some ignorant curiosity seeker, but can't witches inhabit the bodies of their familiars?"
"Well, yes, they're inhabited by spirit. The familiar helps the witch with her magick."
Lily shook her head. "This is going to take time to sink in. But right now our priority has to be Mandy and to, if need be, expel Kathy from the coven." Lily saw their looks of surprise. "I guess Judith hasn't told you yet."
"Told us what?" Sage asked.
"That she has accepted me as a dedicant. I will be part of your coven."
The others crowded around her, taking turns to hug her. "Oh, that's wonderful. We are pleased to welcome you," Ruth said.
Blossom sighed. "But that still leaves unfinished business. I will call a meeting together. We'll meet at Lucy's tomorrow night at nine-thirty. At ten, Mars will be in planetary rulership, and it is then we will conduct our ritual. You will need to be there as well, Lily."
Lily clenched her jaw, seething anew at what she knew was Kathy's second attack on her. Maybe even the third if she was responsible for the fire. "Oh, you can bet I'll be there," she said, knowing the time had come for her own reckoning with Kathy.
Chapter 9
"I have to be at Lucy's tonight at nine-thirty," Lily told Jany as they cleaned up after dinner. "Why didn't you say something this morning?"
"No real reason."
Jany scooped decaf coffee into the coffeemaker. "Is that why you've been on edge all day?"
"Yes, I'm sorry," Lily said as she threw down the dish towel. "I have a feeling it's not going to be pleasant. We're kicking Kathy out of the coven."
"Is that a serious thing?"
"Yes, but it's necessary. We suspect she is behind Mandy's accident and continuing coma. She brings an unhealthy negativity to the coven, to the town." She didn't add that Kathy had attacked her twice—another time she would tell Jany about it. The last thing she wanted was Jany deciding to do something macho. It was a crime of magick, and the coven had to deal with it.
Jany looked at Lily, her surprise obvious. "Are you planning on exiling her from Rehoboth? This is sounding more and more like some medieval ritual." She did a backward wave with her hand. "Banishment and all that."
"I know it all seems so melodramatic, but Kathy's witchcraft is dangerous."
Jany smiled, then quickly sobered when she saw the frown on Lily's face. "I'm sorry, I know this is serious to you. As a lawyer I just can't help but think the 'innocent until proven guilty' thing."
Lily snorted. "Oh come on, you're a prosecutor. You never believe anyone is innocent."
"All right, you've got me there." She poured them both a mug of coffee. "Do you want me to come with you? I know I can't join the gathering, but I could wait outside in the car." She took a sip of coffee. "Just in case things get ugly."
Lily kissed her. "Thank you, but I think everything will be fine."
"Okay, but if you're not home by three a.m., I'm calling in the cavalry. I think I'll head back to the office then and do some preparation for my closing arguments."
She was nearly out the door when she hurried back, all in a rush, and kissed Lily soundly. "Congratulations on beating the Navy. You were wonderful."
Lily watched her go out the door. She couldn't help but grin at the sight of Jany's backside in the tight black jeans she liked to wear, even in the heat of summer. The sight of J
any's body, clothed or unclothed, still gave her a thrill. And it seemed Jany still felt the same way about Lily. She giggled out loud as she remembered Jany's most recent gift—a trio of thong underwear from Victoria's Secret. She'd had fun modeling them, and the last pair had not stayed on but a few seconds. Nothing Kathy could do would change how they felt about each other.
With a sigh, Lily put the last of the dishes away and went upstairs to prepare for the gathering tonight. She hadn't had much time to work with Judith, which made her feel more anxious than she'd like. She knew tonight she'd be only an observer because she wasn't yet a member of the coven. She picked up the photo of her mother that she kept on the dresser. It was yet another item she'd found only after the death of her father. Though she had loved him dearly, she couldn't help but resent him at times for having kept so much of her life hidden.
"Watch over me tonight, Rebekah," Lily said, remembering the vivid dream she'd had of her mother. She retrieved the silver necklace from her jewelry box and placed it around her neck. The pentacle charm glinted in the mirror. Lily touched it reverently, feeling safe yet again as a warm presence encircled her.
Right at nine o'clock, Lily left her house with much trepidation. She had no idea what to expect tonight. Would Kathy already know what they were planning? What would she do? Or more importantly, what could she do? Was her power stronger than all of theirs combined? Mandy had seemed to think so.
When she got to Lucy's, the others had already arrived. Only Kathy was missing. Come to think of it, Lily wasn't certain Kathy had even been told of the meeting. The eleven women had already gathered round the pentacle burnt into the floor. In its center stood a lighted black candle.
Judith looked up as Lily entered. "We don't have much time," she said.
Surprised, Lily quickly donned her white robe and accepted the stick of burning incense Judith handed to her. She hadn't expected to be a participant. The incense, she knew, represented the elements of air and fire. The others already had theirs. It took Lily a minute to identify the smell—frankincense.
They walked clockwise in a circle, reciting the words Judith had taught Lily. "I walk the circle once around to cleanse and consecrate this ground."
Next, they each picked up a small bowl of water, which represented the element of water. Again, in a clockwise circle they chanted, "I walk the circle once again. Between the worlds all time can bend."
Lastly they picked up shakers of salt, which represented the element of earth. Sprinkling the salt as they circled clockwise yet again, they said, "I walk this circle thrice this time, for the protection of Hecate is mine."
With their sacred space now cleansed, it was time to define and protect their circle. Judith took a gnarled wooden staff and traced the edge of the circle as they walked clockwise around it. Lily, as taught, envisioned herself pulling up a circle. In her mind's eye, it was a circle of lavender light with a burst of golden energy. Once the circle was complete, Lily watched as Judith took vials of almond, black pepper, petitgrain, and clove oils. As she mixed them together, they chanted, "I stand here in your guardian light. Empower this oil with your might. Protection from harm is what I ask, please accept this as your task," to charge the oil with energy. Each woman then dipped a finger into the oil and drew a pentagram on her forehead.
Afterward, they sat together in their circle, all obviously still nervous despite their protection spell. "I think we all know why we're here," Judith said. They all nodded. "I know some of you are uneasy with what we are about to do. With what we need to do." She looked pointedly at Cara and Gwendolyn. "But I think we all know that Kathy can no longer be part of this coven."
"Wouldn't it be easier to just put a binding spell on Kathy to stop her negative behavior?" Cara asked.
Sage looked a bit sheepish. "I already tried. It was soon after her outburst about destroying those Navy ships."
"But maybe if we do it collectively—" Cara argued.
"No!"
They all looked at Judith, surprised at her harsh tone.
"We want her gone from the coven, and gone from Rehoboth."
Gwendolyn answered back. "You say we when you really mean /."
"Do you deny she caused Mandy's accident and that she keeps Mandy in a coma? You know that her mother came first to the coven, watching as one by one all of our mothers died. And now Kathy has taken her place. She defies the very Wiccan Rede we live by—to 'do no harm'."
"There was never any real proof that Adrienne had anything to do with our mothers' deaths," Jacquelyn said, her voice troubled. "And it's not like we have or will have daughters for Kathy to do away with." She looked at Judith. "Well, except for you of course."
Judith looked solemn, yet confident. "You're right about
Adrienne, but what I really believe now is that Kathy killed our mothers and then her own."
A collective gasp filled the room.
Lily spoke then, unsure whether it was allowed. "She's not the only one who feels that way. Mandy spoke to me about the very same thing."
"I had no idea," Clarissa said, shaking her head.
Lucy nervously played with the sash of her robe. "Why didn't she say anything to us?" She looked at Judith. "Or you too, for that matter."
Judith spoke softly, her eyes filled with remembrance. "We were all so young then. Motherless, one by one. Why would any of us have thought a young girl could do such a thing? It is not what our mothers taught us."
A hush fell over the room. One could almost hear the candle flames flickering. Lily felt a shiver go up her spine. To think such evil existed! But she knew from her own experiences just what Kathy was willing to do.
"I too have felt much negativity from Kathy," Tara said, breaking the silence, "but I'm still uncomfortable with this. She frightens me."
Lily knew it was time for her to tell them. She took a deep breath. "I need to tell you about something that happened to me. I think it will help you understand just what Kathy is capable of."
They all looked at her expectantly. She felt her throat tighten. Grasping Rebekah's silver pentacle, she took another deep breath. "A few weeks ago, I was violated in my sleep. The dream was so vivid, I thought it had actually happened." She felt tears in her eyes as she continued. "In the dream, a woman had sex with me." She shook her head. "No, she raped me!"
In the shocked silence, Lily looked round the circle. Judith looked grim, knowing full well what Lily would say next. She couldn't yet tell what the others were thinking. Would they dismiss it as just a bad nightmare?
"Who was it?" Tara asked.
"It was Kathy."
Once again, a collective gasp filled the air. Their voices rose and fell, then blended together. Disbelief. Shock. Anger. Horror. Lily trembled with her own anger. She told them about the second attack, wanting—no, needing—to make them believe.
"Oh, my god," Ruth said. "I remember that attack. It was Mandy's black and white one."
"Which used to belong to Kathy," Judith reminded them.
"Her familiar," Blossom said with conviction.
Judith looked around the room, her expression hard. "You know what we need to do. For Lily. For Mandy. For us."
The electricity went out as a chill wind blew through the room, blowing out the candles. Plunged into sudden darkness, the women shrieked as icy tentacles seemed to curl around their bodies, making them immobile. Lucy's normally placid cats could be heard hissing as they scrambled out of the room.
"Your puny powers can't defeat me!"
Kathy's cold voice sent licks of fear up Lily's spine. She strained her eyes, looking for the source of the voice. It seemed to be all around her. She tried to move, but she felt locked in place. She couldn't even wiggle her fingers.
"Did you really think your pathetic little protection spell could stop me?"
Tara spoke, her voice trembling with fear. "Kathy, why would you do this? We mean you no harm."
"Which is more than yo
u can say," Judith said.
Kathy's voice slithered around them. "And why would you think I mean to harm any of you?"
Lily struggled against her invisible binds. She wondered if the others felt as trapped. She mentally ran through the spells Judith had taught her, but could not remember one to undo Kathy's binding spell. Kathy's voice was still disembodied, making it impossible to tell where in the room she stood. Lily's eyes adjusted to the darkness, but she could barely make out the shapes of her fellow Wiccan. They seemed to be sitting upright, as she was.
Judith spoke again. "Do you deny the part you played in Mandy's accident?"
Laughter. Cold and harsh. "She was using magick to try and force me out. I could feel her becoming more powerful. I had to stop her." She laughed again. "And she'd thwarted me for the last time."
Their heavy breathing filled the room. Gwendolyn spoke, her voice filled with betrayal. "I believed in you, Kathy. I defended you. How could you do this?"
"We can settle all this if you will but make me your high priestess. We can be the most powerful coven on the east coast. Others will fear and respect us."
"It's not our desire or right to intimidate others."
Lily gasped as she felt a hand caress her right shoulder. One by one, she heard each of the others react the same way, as if that same hand touched each of them in turn. The whole time, Kathy continued to talk. Her voice seemed to come from all corners of the room. Lily could feel her anger building. Did none of the others feel the same way? Kathy had betrayed them. Had violated their trust.
"Can we help it if people bow to our power? To our collective might? You saw how we made those Navy ships abandon their mission." Again, Lily felt a hand caress her. "And I know that made Lily happy."
"You'll not get any of our support by holding us prisoner in this way. And I know you can't keep it up indefinitely," Tara said.
"I wonder what you would do to save Mandy?"
It was as if time stopped. There was no sound, then only quiet sobbing. Lily had no idea who was crying, or how many. She could sense intense anger, but again knew not from whom it came. Her own fear struggled with her anger. Rebekah, she called silently, as she fought against her invisible binds.
Bell, Book and Dyke - New Exploits of Magical Lesbians Page 7