by Laura Sibson
“That’s why you needed those powerful items from Cosmic Flow,” Rhia says.
I nod.
“But it isn’t working?” Rhia asks.
I tug on the bill of my cap. “What if—?” I start to speak, but I can’t get the words out. I try again. “What if I can’t be cured?”
One of the candles gutters out, so only parts of the girls’ faces are illuminated by the two remaining candles. One side of Tess’s face and one side of Rhia’s. I wonder what they see when they look at me in this dim light with my face shadowed by a cap.
“Don’t think like that!” Tess says. “You’ve got to stay positive.”
“What will happen?” Rhia asks. “With this infection if it’s not cured?”
I shrug. “All GG says is that if it reaches my heart, I’ll be lost forever. She wants me to reinstall the protections, but I don’t see how that will help me. Doesn’t it make sense to banish whatever bad magic is residing there?”
Rhia taps her teeth with her fingernail. “Did she say what sort of bad magic is up there?”
“Nope.”
“Props to Miss Geraldine and all, but I’m with you,” Rhia says. “Banish the baddie and the associated magic goes, too.”
“Where would you even begin though?” Tess asks. “I mean, if your grandmother doesn’t want to tackle this, it must be very hairy.”
Rhia stands up and begins to pace. “Bad magic is usually connected to objects. There must be something at the cabin that you need in order to get rid of this thing. Did anything really bananas happen?”
“The whole thing was bananas! Shadows tried to kill me. Vines grew from the toilet. A drawer tried to eat my hand.”
“Wait!” Rhia exclaims. “What was the order of things?”
I dread putting my mind back there because it was so terrifying, but I close my eyes. “The whole place was dark and cold.” I shiver at the memory. “But things got really weird in my mom’s room. I opened this drawer. There was some random stuff in there. And an envelope. When I tried to grab it, the drawer slammed shut and then the shadows basically attacked me.”
Tess reaches out to rub my arm. “I’m so sorry you went through that. I had no idea.”
“That’s it, though.” Rhia jumps up and down. “That’s it! Whatever is up there is protecting that paper. I’d bet my Wiccan license on it. You need that paper, Edie.”
“There’s a Wiccan license?”
“No, kidding. But I’m serious about that paper though.”
I wonder if it’s too much to hope that even though Mom isn’t here to teach me, I can get help from my new friends.
“Would you two . . . consider going with me?”
A second candle gutters out. The last one illuminates only the small area in front of us, leaving us surrounded in shadow. I open my mouth to take back my plea when Rhia speaks.
“I would definitely go in daylight,” she says.
Relief cascades over me like when Mom would summon warm water to wash my hair when I was little.
“Aw, man, if you two are in, then I’m coming, too,” Tess says.
“Wait.” I can’t believe that this could be happening. “Really?”
“It’ll be good for me,” Rhia says.
“How?” I ask. I can’t imagine how going to a cursed cabin can be good for anyone.
She twists the ring on her left pointer finger as she speaks. “I’ve been studying magic, but not actually engaging with it. When you showed me that ritual with the tree? I felt more connected to all of this.” She gestures around us. “It’s time for me to come out from behind the counter, you know? Especially if it would help you,” Rhia continues, giving me a small smile. “And I’ve got plenty of tools to deal with the paranormal. Nothing to worry about.”
“When should we go?” Tess asks.
“How about tomorrow?” Rhia says. “I don’t need to work until later.”
“Tomorrow works for me. Edie?”
I nod, “Yeah, me too.” I’m relieved that I won’t be alone. But I’m not convinced when Rhia says that there’s nothing to worry about. Not at all.
Chapter Fifteen
MAURA
July 3, 2003
Jamie showed up the other day! I was beginning to give up on him. It had been days since I told him to come by—days filled with missing Dad and Mom’s silence. But then he showed! And bonus points, he really knows boats. Even old boats like ours. That first day, he spent time on the engine compartment, assessing everything, and then made me a list of what we needed to buy to get the boat running. Then he showed me the septic system.
I told him that I wasn’t planning on living on the boat, but he said that it was a good idea to know how everything works anyway. I told him he was so helpful I wondered what his hourly rate was. He blushed, even though he tried to hide it.
This afternoon, his boat approached our dock again. Back again so soon? I asked. He gave me a cute smile and said that he thought I was renting him. His smile caused a gentle flutter in my low belly and I felt my face offer a small smile back. The first in a long while. Jamie tossed the ropes to me and I tied them around the cleats on our dock. He went right back to work on the mechanics while I kept sanding the wood.
As dusk began to fall, Jamie gathered his tools and asked me what I was doing for the Fourth. I had to wait a moment before I could speak. We usually watched fireworks from our dock. The words were simple. We usually . . . But usually my dad hadn’t just died. I looked down and toed the deck of the boat. I told him I didn’t know what I was going to do.
Then he said that he could pick me up if I wanted to go watch fireworks with him tomorrow. I looked up at the cabin where Mama was up to who knew what and I thought about another night spent in silence. A night that would be so different from how we’d spent every July Fourth that I could remember.
Dad and I would go crabbing early in the day and then we’d steam the crabs with his special concoction of beer, vinegar, and Old Bay. Sometimes it was only the three of us and Mama would say that it was way too much work for three people, but she also loved that we did it. And sometimes Mama and Dad’s friends would come and then it was a real party. When it started to get dark, we all trooped down to the dock and set ourselves up to watch the fireworks. Even though Fourth of July is practically the middle of the summer, it always felt like the beginning of the summer here on the river.
I ran up to the cabin. I could tell I had surprised Mama by the look of shock on her face when I burst through the door. She was bent over a piece of paper, writing, but she flipped it over as soon as I came in.
I frowned and wondered what she was doing, but I didn’t want to keep Jamie waiting so I asked if she planned for us to do the same July Fourth tradition as always.
She began to open her mouth and I couldn’t believe it. Was she actually going to speak? A single feather slipped out of her mouth. She shut her mouth tight and shook her head vigorously.
I told her that I was going out with Jamie then. A part of me broke inside when I said it. But I didn’t take it back.
When I told him that I’d like to watch the fireworks with him, he looked up at the cabin and I followed his gaze. Mama stood on the porch watching us, her mouth set in a thin line. A soft rain began to fall, and I whispered a few words to keep us dry. Jamie asked what I was doing. I told him I was saying a little prayer to make the rain stop, which wasn’t the truth, but it was good enough for the moment. Mama had taught me that you needed to truly trust someone before you shared your magic with them. I hoped Jamie could be someone I truly trusted.
Chapter Sixteen
EDIE
After I charm the lock and remove the chain crossing the driveway, Tess’s Jeep makes its way through the overgrowth to the clearing. Rhia lets out a long whistle when she sees the cabin.
“How long did y
ou say it’s been since your grandmother lived here?” she asks.
“Longer than I’ve been around.”
Tess pulls supplies from the back of the Jeep. She straps a bike helmet on her head and pulls oven mitts over her hands. When I look, she raises her eyebrows. “What? I have zero interest in a magical infection.”
I hold my hands up. “Not judging.”
“Rhee, can you believe how completely the cabin has been taken over?” Tess asks.
“It’s unusual for sure,” Rhia says.
I look over the directions that GG gave me while Rhia and Tess discuss the cabin. Rhia walks all around the property.
“Wild” is all she says. She accepts a bag of supplies from Tess.
“So you’ll stay out here and wait for us or get help if something goes sideways, like we said?”
Tess claps her oven mitt hands together. “I’m very much fine staying out here.” She smiles, but I’m too nervous to smile back.
“Ready?” Rhia asks me.
I sigh out my nervousness. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”
Tess and Rhia look at one another. “It’s now or never,” Rhia says in a serious tone.
Tess nods sagely. “No time like the present.”
“Need to strike while the iron’s hot,” Rhia says.
“Early bird gets the—” Tess dissolves into helpless giggles and Rhia starts laughing, too. Even though my stomach is in knots, I join in.
Then, in my best deadpan, I add, “I mean, never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.”
They both burst into laughter again. Rhia gives Tess a big hug.
“It’ll be fine,” Tess says. “Between the two of you, what could go wrong?” She smiles, but it’s obvious that she’s nervous, too.
The grass and wildflowers swish around Rhia and me as we approach the front door. I swat away insects that buzz too close. Turning, I notice a slight ripple in the air over the empty space behind the cabin like I’d seen last time.
I tap Rhia on the shoulder. “Do you see that?” I ask, pointing.
“What?” She leans close to catch my line of vision.
“Sort of wavery over there. Like when you see heat coming off asphalt.” When I look at the same spot again, the strange rippling effect has disappeared. “Not there now.”
“Hmm, let me know if it happens again.” Rhia turns back to the cabin and gestures with her hand toward the plants overtaking the building. “Nature is always trying to achieve balance.”
I take a moment to digest her comment. GG’s abundance of plants on the roof of our boat pops into my mind.
“Do no harm,” Rhia says.
Instead of tearing the vines away from the entrance as I’d done earlier, she holds them open for me to slip through. I hold my breath, preparing for the worst. I step through the doorway. No shadows. No vines. I breathe.
When I turn to Rhia, the door slams shut. Me on the inside; Rhia on the outside. Immediately, I begin to hyperventilate. Rhia bangs on the door.
“I can’t get in!” she calls through the door.
I grab the doorknob and twist. A wave of relief washes over me when it clicks open. I hold the door open this time, so it can’t slam shut. Rhia lifts her foot to step through, but she falls backward. She dusts herself off and steps back up to the door. She tries again and is again pushed back by an invisible force.
“This cabin doesn’t want me inside,” she says. “Guess those urban legends weren’t wrong.”
“There has to be a way to get you inside.” I remember that before my magic showed itself, Mom had to hold my hand in order to get me into the perpetual woods. Maybe this is the same. “Let’s try this.” I hold out my right hand and she grabs it. I try not to focus on Rhia’s long fingers enveloped in mine and whether or not my hand is sweaty. “Don’t let go,” I say.
Rhia’s fingers squeeze mine. “I definitely won’t.”
I pull Rhia and just like that, she’s able to come through the doorway with me holding on to her.
“I don’t know what will happen if I let go of you,” I say.
“Let’s not find out,” Rhia responds.
We walk hand in hand into the living area. It’s chilly, like last time.
“Where did the drawer try to bite off your hand?” she asks.
“My mother’s bedroom.”
Rhia leads me to the middle of the living area. “Okay, let’s set up here. Center of the space. Feels right.”
It’s awkward to hold hands while trying to get everything we need out of Rhia’s bag. I hold the bag open with my free hand while Rhia reaches in. First, she pulls out the canister of salt.
“You think there could be unsettled spirits in here,” I say, as she sprinkles a ring of salt around us. Settled spirits, like the ghosts on our houseboat, wouldn’t be affected by salt. But unsettled spirits are repelled by it.
“I don’t know what’s in here. But apparently a shadow tried to murder you, so we might as well take precautions.”
“Precautions are good.”
“Let’s test the ring. I’m going to let go of your hand,” Rhia says.
I look down the hallway for evidence of the shadows I saw last time. “I don’t know, Rhia. That makes me nervous.”
“We can’t do much while holding hands.”
As much as I’d like to continue to hold Rhia’s hand—both because Rhia’s hand in mine is all good things and also because it seems to be keeping her here—I know that she’s right. I release her hand. We wait. Nothing happens.
“Okay, cool. Salt works,” Rhia says, as though she’s making a mental note.
At least we have that going for us.
We set out the rest of the items from the bag. A candle, a small vial of salt water, a jar of soil, and pieces of black amber, black tourmaline, obsidian, and crystal quartz. GG had given me the list of items and directions on what to do. And we are doing what she expects. We’re just also going to try to get the paper out of here. Maybe it’ll be nothing. But maybe Rhia is right and it could help.
“Are you sure you have enough crystals?” I ask Rhia with a teasing tone.
“We want these protections to be powerful. You have the triquetra?” Rhia asks.
I pull the iron trinity knot from my bag. GG had told me that this triquetra, which normally hung over my window, repels negative energy and could create a sort of shield along with the spell. She just doesn’t know that I’m using it for another reason, too. As I tie a satin cord through it, Rhia pulls out the spellbook that GG gave us.
“This will only work for a short while,” Rhia says.
“How short a while?” I ask.
Rhia shrugs. “The book is old. No specifics. You’ll need to be speedy.”
“That’s one thing I’m good at.” My attempt at a smile is wobbly.
“Can you light the candle?” Rhia asks.
“Sure,” I say. “Where’re the matches?”
Rhia looks at me, her expression serious. “If you light it, the flame itself will hold power.”
I shake my head. “I can’t, Rhee.”
“You can,” she says. She pours the soil in the bowl and then drips the water over the soil. She places the triquetra in the bowl and sets the candle on top of it. Arranged around the bowl are the crystals. She gestures for me to light the candle.
I clench my hands and then slowly allow them to open. I huff out a breath, close my eyes, and ask the fire to come. There is the tingle. I open my eyes. Sparks jump from my fingers. It’s happening. Be calm. It’s okay. You can do this. The sparks grow into flames and my anxiety spikes. Instead of touching the wick, I sort of flick my fingers toward the candle, like I want the flame to get off me. But I miss the wick and my fire hits the spellbook instead.
“No!” Rhia tamps out the catching flame.
I clench my hands tight, extinguishing the sparks in my fingers.
“It’s okay,” Rhia says. “I can still read it. Here.” She hands me a box of matches and I notice her hands are shaking a little bit.
I light the candle with the matches, the stain of failure seeping through me.
We place our hands over the bowl and together we say the words:
“With the power of water, fire, and earth we ask,
Charm this talisman so that we may complete our task.
Erect a barrier around this place,
Contain what’s within and keep us safe.”
The last word has barely left my mouth when the windows begin to shake. The kitchen cabinets bang open and closed. The doors down the hall rattle.
“Well, that didn’t work,” I say, pretending that I’m not terrified. “We need to leave. Grab my hand.”
Rhia squeezes my hand tight. She’s scared, too, despite her earlier bravado. The doors down the hall burst open.
“Rhee, look.”
Shadows slide out of the rooms and down the short hallway toward us.
“Maybe we shouldn’t leave the circle,” Rhia whispers as the shadows draw nearer.
Vines emerge from the bathroom and up from the kitchen sink.
“We’ve got to get out.” I’m remembering last time. I barely made it out and I don’t want anything to happen to Rhia.
“We’re safe in the circle, we’re okay. And you need that paper.”
“I’d rather skip the paper and stay alive.”
“It seems like getting that paper could help keep you alive.”
The strange shadows on July Fourth come to mind. Something is leaking out of this place. Something ugly and corrupted. It had already infected me. Could it hurt others too? “Right. Okay.”
“Here.” Rhia reaches into the bowl with her free hand. She sets aside the candle and grabs the triquetra. “Put it on and see what happens.”
I loop the cord over my head and there’s an immediate shift. The shadows down the hall slow their creep. The doors stop banging and the cabinets stop rattling.