A Gathering of Angels - The Claire Wiche Chronicles Book 2

by Dean, Cate

  “Still there.” She knew he used it during their lovemaking. He gasped every time he moved it—until she laid her hand on his wrist and eased it to the bed. “Still useless.”

  “True, for now. But you still have one very talented arm.” He laughed, just as she intended. “So, do we have time?”

  He raised one eyebrow. “For?”

  Pushing herself up, she brushed his lips with her own. “Another exploration of my magic.”

  SEVENTEEN

  Annie opened the door to her new apartment and gathered Claire into her arms.

  “How are you doing, honey?”

  Claire let out a shaky breath, finally able to drop her cheerful mask. “He’s gone. And there’s a damn fine chance I will never see him again.”

  Annie rubbed her back, then guided her inside. Eric stood and held out his hand. That simple gesture undid her.

  “Oh, Claire.” Annie lowered her to the sofa, let her cry herself out. When she pulled away, mortified by her outburst, Annie caught her around the waist. “No, you don’t. You’re completely human now—time to embrace all of it, even the sticky, embarrassing emotion.”

  Claire let out a watery laugh. “Leave it to you, Annie. And that won’t be a problem. I can’t seem to control it like I used to. Not since I came back.”

  “Don’t make it sound like a death sentence.” Annie squeezed her waist. “There’s nothing like a good cry to clear out the negative. Then you get ice cream.”

  Claire dropped her head to Annie’s shoulder. “I really love you.”

  “Yeah, I know.”

  Eric leaned in and kissed Claire on the cheek. “I’ll go get that ice cream.”

  Sighing, Annie watched him walk out of the living room. “I do love that man.”

  “Speaking of love,” Claire wiped her eyes, held out her hand. “Let’s see that ring.” The sapphire glowed against Annie’s finger, a physical reflection of her joy. “This is powerful protection—and it seems to have chosen you. I may no longer have power, but I can still teach, if you—”

  “I don’t want any other teacher. And I have a question—I’ll understand if you say no, considering.” She took in a deep breath. “Will you be my maid of honor?”

  Claire sandwiched her hand, the blue glow of the sapphire spearing through her fingers. Here was what she fought for, what she gladly gave up her life to protect. “I can’t think of anything I would enjoy more.”

  With a squeal, Annie hugged her. “I want you to help me decide everything. Unless—if this all gets too uncomfortable, I want you to let me know.”

  “Because of Marcus?”

  “Well, yeah.”

  Claire pushed her hair back, still surprised when her fingers met air near her shoulder. “My life does not end because he left—”

  “Do you love him?”

  Claire blinked. “I—that has nothing—”

  “Easy question.”

  She let go of Annie’s hand, rubbed her face. “And easy answer. Yes. As hard as I tried not to, I let him get under my skin.”

  “Good. Because that great fool is in love with you. He’ll find his way back, honey. You got under his skin, and he’ll be scratching that itch until he realizes it’s you.”

  “Excellent.” Claire shook her head, smiling in spite of herself. “I sound like a rash.”

  Annie burst out laughing. “You’ve been hanging around me too long.”

  “I expect to do much more of it—especially if I’m helping you plan the wedding.”

  “Are you sure? Because if—”

  “Nothing would make me happier.” Kissing Annie’s cheek, she pushed herself up, her leg aching. “Can you give Eric my apologies? I need to be alone for a while.”

  “Sure, honey.” Annie stood, followed her to the door, concern in the warm brown eyes. “You need to talk, call me. No matter what time.” She opened the door. “Enjoy the sunset.”

  “How did you get in past all my defenses? I never expected to have a friend, never mind one I consider a sister.”

  “Oh, damn.” Annie hugged her. “Now get out of here, so I can get sloppy all over my man.”

  Claire smiled—until Annie closed the door. With a sigh, she limped out of the building, aching and heartsick, and tired of feeling sorry for herself. She headed for the beach, glad to see there were few people on the boardwalk. The cool evening, and a brisk wind that promised rain kept most people inside.

  Standing on the boardwalk, she watched the sun set over the ocean. Her hand went to the amethyst pendant at her throat, remembering as she closed her fingers over it. She paid Lea far more than it was worth—enough to replace her shop window, and repair any damage. She looked forward to visiting soon, walking through the shop in daylight, without a vengeful ghost dogging her.

  The bracing wind turned cold. With a sigh, Claire stirred, buttoning her sweater. She walked along the boardwalk, headed back to Forest—and halted when a tall figure stepped out of the shadows.

  “Annie told me I’d find you here.”

  “Simon—” She limped forward; he met her halfway, lifting her in his arms. She wrapped both arms around his neck and held on for a long moment. Easing back, she met the clear green eyes. “You’re early—by about a week.”

  “I had business close by, decided to extend my vacation.” He lowered Claire to her feet, took her hand. “So this is your beach. I like it.”

  “Simon.” He glanced down at her. “Talk.”

  With a sigh, he started walking along the boardwalk, slow enough for her to keep up. Her leg still bothered her, and would most likely be her weak point. She never blamed Eric—and he didn’t remember hurting her, which made it easy to keep it from him.

  “The deaths in Huntsville are still an open case. I resigned last week, before they could boot me out. Don’t start, Claire—I never planned on staying, and the new chief had no choice. Too much went unexplained, and I look mighty suspicious, coming from another town with similar deaths.”

  “Simon—”

  “So here I am. Fresh start. The business was with a local church. I just signed on as the resident priest.”

  “You’re staying?”

  “Looks like.”

  Claire smiled, sandwiched his hand. “You owe me a story.”

  “Same goes, sweetheart.”

  “Can you call me that, being a priest and all?”

  “Yes.” He leaned in. “And you are not going to distract me forever.”

  Her heart skipped. He was right. Sooner or later, he would have to know. She voted for later.

  “Simon.” He looked down at her, strong, proud, gentle. A good man. A friend she knew she would treasure. “Welcome home.”

  ~*~

  Reader’s Guide to the Claire Wiche Mythology

  As a fiction writer, I do take liberties, but I always start from a point of truth, or mythology, depending on the subject. Because I pulled from so many different sources, I decided to add a reference guide. Now you can see where I started, and where the mythology for the book took off. Happy reading!

  Azazel—there are several stories about Azazel, depending on the religion. In the Hebrew Bible, in the rite of the scapegoat, a goat was sent “to Azazel” in the desert, with the sins of Israel on its back. This rite was performed every year on The Day of Atonement. Azazel was the desert demon, the spirit of desolation and ruin, and the source of all impurity. In the Book of Enoch, Azazel is listed as one of the leaders of the Watchers, the angels who bred with women and created the Nephilim. They taught men the art of warfare in the time before the flood, and taught women to beautify and adorn themselves. For these sins, he was bound hand and foot by the archangel Raphael, and cast into darkness. He is also referenced as one of the three leaders of the fallen angels.

  For my purposes, Azazel is a fallen angel, and sits at the right hand of Lucifer in Hell. Claire was his first, his Lieutenant, his most trusted. Until she began to care about the humans she was supposed to torture. For this,
she was banished to earth, to wander among those humans, alone. When they meet again, at the Gates of Hell, Azazel must finally let her go.

  binding spells—spells used to bind something or someone, to keep it from doing damage—to itself or someone else. Ingredients used in these spells run the gamut from poppets to various herbs and candles.

  I dabble, and have written my share of spells—usually clearing and protection. Binding spells are on my do not touch list, and for good reason. They are manipulative, even if well-intentioned. Jane plans to use a binding spell for the most selfish reason possible: to make herself immortal by permanently tying her spirit to another person, replacing their essence, their life force with her own.

  crystals—crystal healing has been popular for centuries, and has been documented as far back as 1550 BC, in an Egyptian medical document known as the Ebers Papyrus. References to them are found across religions and in everyday society. For every health issue, physical or mental, there is a crystal that can help. Lapis for boosting the immune system, helping with depression, and a host of other ailments. Hematite for mental clarity and confidence, along with blood cleansing properties. Rose quartz for self-acceptance, self-love, and personal worth.

  Hematite plays a big role, and its blood cleansing properties become a lifeline for Marcus. A clear crystal point—think of a short pencil and you have a good idea of the shape—is the source of Jane’s power, and her greatest vulnerability. And a new stone is introduced—a precious stone, in the form of a sapphire. The second hardest gem on earth, it is powerful in its own right—and its appearance changes Annie forever. Amethyst also plays a part, this time as a way for Claire to keep centered, and help cope with the loss of her power. And what I mentioned before, about amethyst opening the channels of communication with angels? That will be a big part of—oops, almost let out a spoiler. Stay tuned.

  demons—ah, demons. Here is the universal definition of a demon: something not human, and that is almost universally malevolent. Hebrew mythology calls them “workers of harm,” beings that entered the body and caused all sorts of ailments, depending on the demon or spirit. The only cure was to draw them out by using incantations and talismans. Christianity has had demons in their mythology for centuries. The modern Roman Catholic Church has sanctioned exorcists, who perform exorcisms on the possessed, using prayer—a modern form of incantation. Throughout literature, fallen angels are considered demons.

  Claire is one of the fallen, banished from Heaven for siding with Lucifer in his rebellion against God. She manages to wrestle her demon and win, losing all that she is in the process. What she becomes is something she will have to discover, with time.

  demonic possession—literally, to be possessed by a demon. As above, possession was thought to cause certain diseases. Blindness was from a demon of blindness, who sat on the water, and struck those who drank the water with blindness. There was also the spirit of headache, the demon of epilepsy. The Sumerians believed that all disease was caused by demons, what they called “sickness demons.” Modern demonic possession is similar to what is portrayed in film and television: loss of control by the possessed over their body, supernatural strength, access to hidden knowledge, drastic changes in voice and/or appearance, and expulsion by exorcism.

  I take the high road with demonic possession—the demon has total control over the body they possess, and they also have complete access to the memories and emotions. The human’s personality is dormant, but they can hear, see and feel everything that is happening. Once possessed, supernatural strength keeps the body from dying, even when it is mortally wounded. The demon also gives the body they possess, or ride, exceptional healing abilities, up to a point. Iron, salt, and holy water can hurt them, to the point where they may decide to vacate. And of course, a rousing exorcism will send them back to Hell—if they don’t escape first.

  fallen angels—here is an interesting fact: the term “fallen angel” does not appear anywhere in the Hebrew Bible or the New Testament. It was adopted because of the interpretations of the Book of Revelation, Chapter 12. The Jewish faith took their interpretation from the Book of Enoch (see Azazel). The most prevalent belief is that these angels “fell,” or were cast down, because of their rebellion in Heaven, either against Michael or God.

  I have taken on the belief of a war in Heaven, and the angels siding with Lucifer were cast down into what became Hell, and eventually turned into demons. Claire is cast out of Hell because she remembers what she was, and starts to have compassion for the condemned souls. Now that she has her own soul, her journey to discover who and what she is because of it has only begun.

  ghosts—spirits of the departed that have been trapped on the earthly plane by confusion, fear of the unknown, unfinished business, or a refusal to give up the life they lost. They can be coaxed into the Light, which is the kindest way to get rid of them.

  My ghost is not only a vengeful spirit, but a greedy one, who plans to use a binding spell to keep herself tied permanently to her host. Instead of gently easing my ghost out of this world and into the next, I veer away from the usual practice, using iron and fire to control her, and ultimately, destroy her.

  ghost possession—similar to demonic possession, though a ghost can’t stay inside the possessed for more than short spurts. The possessed takes on the personality traits of the ghost, and feel as if they are standing outside themselves, or don’t remember doing what they are accused of—which is often the truth.

  I keep pretty close to the popular with my ghost—except she takes up residence, and spreads her influence not only to another person, but an entire town of people.

  iron—found in hematite, magnetite, goethite, limonite and siderite, it is one of the raw materials used to make pig iron, which is then used to make steel. Cast iron is made by melting down scraps of pig iron, scrap iron, scrap steel, lime stone and carbon. Melt out contaminants, adjust the recipe, and you get a lovely cast iron skillet. In folklore, iron is believed to be the best protection against witches, sorcerers, demons and other evil spirits. It can also repel ghosts.

  I use iron again as a weapon, this time against a ghost. The iron breaks her hold on this realm, if only for a short time. It also breaks her hold on other people, just the touch of it throwing her out, and giving back control to the possessed.

  Jinn/Djinn/genie—there are many versions of the Jinn mythology, depending on what source you read. In Islam, the Jinn were created by Allah from smokeless flame, and, like man, given free will. In Muslim cultures, Jinn have been given different qualities. An example—in Morocco it is believed that the Jinn can grant three magical wishes. Stories of the Jinn litter the One Thousand and One Nights, where the tale of Aladdin and the lamp can be found.

  This is where I veer away from mythology and folklore the most. Marcus came from the idea of the Jinn, but he is a completely different entity within the confines of my fictional world. As I wrote him, Marcus simply evolved, and I liked what he became so much I decided to go with it. So he is Jinn, but not any Jinn you will find in religious or folklore text. And in this book, I reveal his personal kryptonite—another huge departure from the mythology.

  Lucifer—in Latin, lucifer means bringer of light, morning star, light bearing—depending on which source you use to translate. In the Bible, he is called son of the morning by God, before he is cast out of Heaven. The relevant passage is in Isaiah: “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.” (King James Version). There are more arguments and discussions about Lucifer—one, also in the Book of Isaiah, ascribes the name to a Babylonian king who was destined to fall.

  I am go
ing with the straight up: Lucifer placed himself above God, and was cast down to Hell with the angels who followed him. He became the Lord of Hell, Satan, Beelzebub—whatever name you want to label him. Claire fell with him, served at his right hand, until she remembered what she had once been, and lost the venom and the hate needed to torture condemned souls. He makes a brief appearance in this book, showing his true nature, and what centuries as Lord of Hell has wrought.

  pentagram/pentacle—a five point star, typical drawn in five straight strokes. Used by the Ancient Greeks and the Babylonians, it is best known for its magical ties, and is worn by many who practice and believe in pagan faiths. If the pentagram is inside a circle, it is known as a pentacle. In Christianity the pentagram was believed to represent the five wounds of Christ, and was protection against demons. If the top point of the star is reversed—pointing down—it is a symbol of Satan, literally reversing its meaning.

  Claire uses a pentagram to bind her true nature, her demon, in the form of a tattoo. That binding was broken by Eric, to release the demon needed to defeat Natasha. Though many think the terms are interchangeable, I use them as they are listed in the Wicca faith—pentagram is the star, and pentacle is the star inside a circle. Most jewelry is in the form of the pentacle.

  tarot—tarot was originally a card game, played in Italy from the mid-fifteenth century, its popularity spreading to France, Switzerland and Germany. Like a modern day deck, it has four suits, plus an augmented fifth suit of permanent trumps, creating a 78 card deck. It was only later that tarot became a source for divination and readings. The occult tarot deck is different, consisting of the major arcana—22 cards with no suits, and the minor arcana—56 cards broken into four suits.