by Kat Turner
“There’s a book that gets passed around. Big, authentic-looking thing with a leather cover. I haven’t seen the inside, but the guys at the top talk about the contents. It’s the directions manual, I guess. I dunno. I just recruit the talent and take my cut.”
Now she was getting somewhere. If she recovered the book, she might stand a chance at ending their ability to cast spells. “Where is the book? And my crystals?”
“The book, I don’t know. Clear crystals are in one or more of the shrines. There are three total. One’s in Wyoming, one’s in Los Angeles, and I have no idea about the final location.”
“So what’s in the room?” She gestured at the hotel door.
“A few of Brian’s guitar picks and some other stuff he asked me to hold for him awhile back. Notes, a book or two. The top brass wants some of his possessions before the Silver Phase to commence the next step of the ritual.”
If she got her hands on one of Brian’s possessions and used the item in the right way, perhaps she could slow down or stop the possession plan. And now she had two locations to search for the crystals. Ideas gelled into the start of a tangible plan.
Helen patted Joe on his shoulder. “Thanks. You’ve been a big help, champ. Now run along before I zap you to Mars. Sleep tight.”
Joe dashed down the hallway, stopped at the elevators, and mashed a button. Stabbing his finger into the white circle, though he’d already pressed it, he cast a furtive, nervous glance over his shoulder.
Just to mess with him, she responded with a goofy grin and a princess wave.
He cut a high-pitched squawk of a fart while running into the elevator.
When he was gone, Helen dropped herself into the trance state and astral projected to the hotel room she’d shared with Brian. He’d left several items behind. She stuck a guitar pick, a business card, and a miniature tin of mints in her luggage and packed the rest of her belongings as fast as she could. Time to get home and kick Operation Witch into high gear.
Thirteen
Messenger and yoga bags bouncing against her back, Helen blazed her homing-pigeon path down the sidewalk to Light and Enlightened. Overcast skies and a crisp fall breeze made for dull weather, but inside she was a bundle of optimistic sunshine and sapphire heavens frosted with creamy white clouds.
The seaweed green, one story craftsman bungalow, stout lawn sign painted violet with the name written in blue cursive, made her smile. And with Brian’s life on the line, she needed a mammoth dose of positivity.
L&E stood out against trendy restaurants and boutiques lining the busy Uptown Minneapolis street. The moment Helen had laid eyes on the house two years ago, she’d fallen in love. A sense of home overflowed from scuffed hardwood floors, built-in bookcases, and crown molding. A home of her own, to fill with the peace and love she’d never known.
But despite all of the goodness associated with L&E, an astronomical mortgage on an entire house in Minneapolis’s hippest neighborhood worsened financial woes. Lisa advised holding out for a more sensible location in some suburbia strip mall, but Helen had been madly in love and eager, so eager, to build a nest.
Halting her trip down memory lane, she bounded up crumbling stone stairs. She had a class to teach, students to impress and, soon, a spell to cast.
She turned the key in the lock, taking a moment to appreciate the plant-filled, enclosed porch where she read and meditated. Her favorite lilac and jasmine incense soothed her senses as she unlocked the main door. Breezing across creaky floors, she stole a second to admire the practice room.
Clad in leggings the color of a fire engine and a white tank top that flattered her curves, she stood tall in the ceiling-high mirror covering the west wall. Helen had earned L&E shaking the only good things her mama gave her. Lisa’s throwing her savings into the pot despite deep reservations was a tremendous leap of faith and a gesture of true friendship.
Since her magical practice was going so well, a money spell was in order to get cash flowing into L&E’s coffers. But first she would lead an invigorating practice designed to keep the yogis renewing their memberships.
She pushed aside the rainbow-colored beaded curtain shielding the yoga space from the rest of the house and ducked inside. Paint the color of lime sherbet enhanced a calm, relaxing atmosphere. A bronze statue of Ganesh, the Hindu elephant God in charge of removing obstacles, sat tucked in a corner. She tossed the path-clearing pachyderm a nod, unzipped her long bag, and freed her pink yoga mat. Rubber unrolled onto wood with a determined slap.
Beads bumped each other in a succession of soft clacks.
“Hey, how was Denver?” Lisa poked her head through the curtain.
Unsure how to respond in a manner both truthful and coherent, Helen sat on her mat and finessed an answer. “Hectic. But I think I found some leads. I’m headed over to Nerissa’s after this. I know, I know, I’m crazy and irrational. No lecture needed.”
Lisa took a seat on the floor beside Helen. “I owe you an apology for being so mean at the fair.”
Automatic self-deprecation was easier than thinking or feeling, so she chose the safest route to smooth over conflict. “It’s all good. I realize that I deserve a medal for Kook of the Year—”
“No, you were right. You were looking out for us. Even if I didn’t agree with your methods, I had no right to insult or patronize you like I did. At least you were taking proactive action. I could stand to be more open-minded. I was hurt and angry, which is no excuse. Our friendship and partnership means everything to me.” Lisa touched Helen’s upper arm, the gesture underscoring her words.
Right then, planets aligned. Dust specks glittered like fairy sprinkles in the air, sparse daylight filtering in to cast artistic shadows on chestnut flooring. The rekindled connection with Lisa, sisterly like it used to be, filled the building with safety.
Helen choked back happy tears. “Thank you.”
“No, thank you.”
Helen pushed into the outer corner of her eye and blinked, pretending to battle an irritant.
Maybe she should just let herself cry for once, fucking sob out all of the shit inside. Emotional catharsis would probably make her feel better. “Ugh, allergies. And thanks for what?”
“For the recruiting. The new students. They’re talking us up all over town, and people keep coming in. So however you are wowing everyone, keep doing it. Because…” Lisa grinned, pressing steepled fingertips to her lips.
Helen’s heart leapt. “Because what?”
“The mortgage is current, so the bank is off our back. And since we’re way ahead of schedule, I’ve started to attack the bad credit card.”
Did a balloon inside of Helen burst and spew confetti? ’Cause that’s how elated she felt.
She threw her arms around Lisa and hugged the shit out of her. “Good news. The best news. Oh, my God, I’m so happy.”
“Me too, me too. I wanted to catch you before you taught, but I need to run. Now that we can afford to fix things up, I’ve gotta get to the store and buy a new toilet. Have a fabulous class.” Lisa stood.
“You bet.” Helen flashed thumbs up.
Lisa left, the wind chimes on the front door tinkling goodbye.
Stare trained on her messenger bag, Helen did a little happy dance. Things were looking up at last, and she’d be remiss not to keep the positivity train chugging. And what better way to do so than to deploy some magic in the name of financial solvency. Helen was powerful now, and she could use that power to secure the stability she longed for.
Her exuberance sagged. Something about her thought about stability felt wrong and off, but she couldn’t pinpoint why. A gross feeling, like she’d drunk dirty water, filled her stomach.
Whatever. Thirty minutes until class, perfect amount of time to get witchy. Anticipation rising to the juiced-up level of someone about to surf for porn, Helen popped the clasps of her messenger bag and tugged forth the grimoire and her crystals. Next up in the chakra sequence was green, color of the heart center. Apr
opos for saving something she loved. Helen picked up a piece of jade marbled with sable veins, kissed the stone, and placed her little green pal at the front of her mat.
In what had become a routine, a ritual anchored in intuition, she perused the grimoire until a particular page compelled her to stop and notice. One incantation hummed with auspicious meaning:
Abundant blessings, come to me.
Bestowing power, clarity.
What is one, make it double
And give me power to halt all trouble.
Additional directions accompanying the spell evoked the others she’d cast. Use personal talismans and charms to access a trance state. Immediate recognition boosted Helen’s confidence. Spell craft was becoming her thing, a competent area of expertise. Boo-yah, baby.
“Let’s do this.” Her voice echoed off of the walls. She glanced around, the hairs on her neck and arms rising. Had there always been an echo?
Noticing the change in acoustics made her aware of an unseen presence looming in the room, like an invisible being peering at her. Odd. She’d been alone in L&E tons of times and never gotten the creeps.
Shaking off her willies, she followed the instructions. They said to recite the chant twice in quick succession, meditate on the personal talisman for at least thirty seconds, and repeat until a cosmic sign or serendipity announces the magic has worked.
Helen did her thing. Soon, she forgot where she ended and time began. Her body was fluid, a meaningless concept. The studio walls blurred, expanded, contracted. Boundaries crumbled. Veils dropped.
Muscles in Helen’s head strained and stretched, her eyes clicking backward into her skull. She rose to her feet and wandered, drifting through the astral, dreamlike version of her studio. Corridors darkened, temperatures dropping to degrees that bit her skin through flimsy fabric. Something cool, rough, and leathery brushed her ankle.
She glanced to the ground, and a fizzle of chemicals sparked her nerves. At her feet sat a snake as long as her leg and thick as her arm. Brown spots patterned scales the color of jungle leaves. The reptile looked up at her with a sentient, aware expression in beady black eyes. Helen put up her hands but swallowed a shriek.
“Don’t sneak up on a girl wandering the astral plane. It’s worse than waking a sleepwalker. I made that up, but it sounds legit, yeah?” Humor failed to calm. The energy wasn’t right. Had the temperature gotten colder still? She rubbed her arms, teeth chattering.
“I had to stop you here. What you’ve unleashed is getting stronger. Menacing forces are afoot in the universe.” The serpent spoke in Nerissa’s voice.
“The hex? No worries. I’ve got a plan in place to—”
“Not the original hex.” Snake Nerissa tightened into a coil. “The auxiliary you summoned. Stop casting Left Hand spells. The universe has spoken. This path doesn’t suit you, and you do not serve the sisterhood by dipping into the sixth circle.”
“The universe didn’t say to never cast another Left spell. I assumed the repercussions began and ended with the curse.”
“And now you know the danger of such assumptions.”
A wave of shame, thick and hot, crashed over Helen. She managed to stick heavy hands on her hips. “Seems like you gave me just enough rope to hang myself. Why? Do you want me to fail?”
Prickles hit the inside of her nose as a cynical thought surfaced. The old witch dangled something awesome in front on Helen’s face, snatched the prize away, and reprimanded her for reaching for it. Typical, a person with power over Helen sabotaging her.
“This defensive attitude of yours, this persecution complex and chip on your shoulder, will be your undoing.” A forked tongue shot from the serpent crone’s mouth. “I’m trying to help, to talk some sense into you. If you disregard everything else I say, please remember this: the double is getting stronger and more dangerous, and once it joins forces with the original hex? It’s all over for you and your guitar hero.”
Three rhythmic snaps, loud as gunfire, ricocheted in Helen’s ears.
“What’s wrong?” A concerned female voice spoke.
Helen dragged up heavy eyelids. Blurry color swam in her vision. Pins and needles stabbed her feet and toes with their sharp, tiny teeth. She waved at the person in front of her, movements slow and thick as bicycling through sand. “I’m fine. Got lost in a really deep meditation. Sorry about that.”
“It’s okay.” A crouching Stacy came into focus, platinum hair with its black underside piled into a sloppy bun. “I wish my practice was as dedicated as yours. You’re, like, a true guru.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that.” The content of the astral vision seeped into Helen’s consciousness, bringing frustration. But she couldn’t obsess about her encounter with Nerissa. Not when a studio full of students sat before her, yoga mats arranged in a patchwork quilt of colors across the floor.
“I do. I know. Not sure if you’ve noticed, but I’ve been coming here every day lately. I’m called to this place. Can I be your apprentice? I’ve always wanted to find something I’m good at. Maybe I could learn to do some of the trippy stuff you do.” Stacy waited, green eyes big and clear with expectant hope.
“That’s not a good idea.” No way would she inflict her disaster on Stacy or anyone else. No, the name of the game right now was cope with real life and undo the damage she’d already done. Damage which, if Nerissa told the truth, was snowballing.
Stacy’s shoulders slumped. She slunk back to her mat.
Damn. Helen hadn’t wanted to hurt or disappoint anyone. Why did she have to be such a screw up? Enough. Beating herself up wouldn’t help. She couldn’t do much now except lead a great class and create some compassion for herself and the students.
“I’d like to begin today by doing a meditation on our heart chakras. This is the seat of love, compassion, and understanding. So close your eyes, deepen your breath, and think about who in your life could use some healing. Visualize the color green. An emerald, a lush and healthy forest. Green is the color of abundance, so you can meditate on that as well.”
She led the class through a calming and restorative practice, picturing leafy, vegetal hues exploding from the center of her chest. An intense, energizing practice followed, full of back bends and child’s pose and other heart-opening postures. Along with her students, Helen rested in savasana, mind an unmarked canvas.
Lying still on her back, she unlocked a truth. The secret, the meaning of life. Stillness. The realization wasn’t so much a thought, but a shimmering, sentient light glistening a path across her awareness before dancing into nothing. Brief and fleeting and glimpsed out of the corner of one eye.
Two streams of tears trickled from the outer edges of her eyes and streaked her cheeks. Those tributaries of warm water flowed into the cracks in her heart, filling them until tropical tides washed away years of debris. But she couldn’t stay in her happy place forever. She had a job to do, a job she was hella good at if she did say so herself.
“Begin to deepen your breath. Everyone slowly return to your bodies, wiggling fingers and toes.”
Rustling noises and sighs followed Helen’s cue.
“Roll to one side and push up on your right arm, coming to a comfortable seated position.” Helen obeyed her own words, stealing a peek at her class. Smiles and expressions of pure peace painted faces.
“Place your hands in prayer over your heart. The highest light in me recognizes the highest light in you. When we are in that place together, we are one. Namaste.”
“Namaste.” The class said in unison, a harmony of male and female voices.
She bowed to each and every one of the fifty students. After a few announcements about upcoming workshops and such, the people filtered out.
Stacy tiptoed to the front of the room, fidgeting with a corner of her rolled-up yoga mat. “I want to thank you again for this. I finally have a meaning in life, you know? A purpose. I’d really love to learn all of this from you. You sure you don’t have any teacher training planned?�
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Helen picked up the jade stone. Stacy was so real, so kind, and those traits combined with her dedication would help her become a great teacher one day. She’d have to keep practicing to build up her yoga skill level, but Stacy was capable of putting in the work.
For so long, L&E had been too deep in the red for Helen and Lisa to even begin to think about planning anything as big as yoga teacher training, but now she supposed she could at least consider the prospect.
“I’ve got a lot going on right now, but I’ll think about it. I would love to have you in a class for aspiring teachers. Eventually.”
“I realize that I need to practice for awhile first, but I want you to know that I have long-term goals. I’ll see you in Vinyasa Flow tomorrow.”
“You betcha.” Helen unfolded her crossed legs, rising to a squat. She coiled her yoga mat into a column.
“Are you still seeing Brian?” Tucking her violet mat under one arm, Stacy lobbed Helen a glance keen with interest.
Mention of his name made her heart do a bunch of things at once. Flutter like it beat in the chest of an infatuated teenage girl. Clench as she remembered the mess with Joe, how Brian had run off to Los Angeles. Jump with anticipation, because she needed to call Brian. Or should she wait for him to call?
“I never told you I was seeing Brian.”
“No, but I’m not dumb. When you brought him up in the elevator I had an idea, based on how your voice got all breathy and goofy. Then, the other day, Thom mentioned how Brian hooked up with someone in Denver, and how that was kind of a big deal for him. I figured the lady was you, since you’d been out of town, with Lisa subbing your classes.”
“Things are still a little touch and go.”
“Yeah. Dating a rocker requires titanium skin and a battle-hardened heart. But it sounds like Brian really likes you.”
Helen perked up. “Oh yeah?”
Stacy laughed. “Yeah. Can you send some of those exclusivity vibes my way? Like, I’m hooking up with Thom again because I’m addicted and pathetic, but I’m pretty sure he’ll never date a lowly groupie. He’s holding out for a model or someone else in his league.” She sighed and pouted.