"How do you know they're spells?" I asked.
"Thea was teaching me Latin," she replied. "I don't know much, but I can read a little."
"Would you like to keep it," I said.
"No way. No. I'm not trading my book for this. I don't care how old it is," she said, closing the book.
"How many times have you read your book all the way through?" I asked.
"Too many to count."
"Then you know it's a good trade." I held my arm over to her, baring my wrist. "Do you know how to read blood?"
"Of course I do," she said. "My sisters and I do it all the time."
"Don't be stupid and go poking around where you don't belong. I don't want to wreck while driving," I said, while her small fingers closed around my wrist. "Read me. I don't want to give you my book, but I believe you will be hurt by the one Thea gave you. You and I both know my mother's book is worth ten times the one you have. Yours contains a curse that has enthralled you and is clouding your judgement. You saw what those other books did."
"My book isn't cursed," she said. The funny thing about reading the blood is it goes both ways. I could feel her insecurity as she recalled the events of the evening. "I don't think I can," she said, letting go.
"Judy and I will both talk to your mom. We'll figure out a way for you to practice," I said. "Do you remember the story of how I came to live with Judy?"
"You burned down a school?"
"Just the gymnasium," I said. "Even though I wasn't a witch, she helped me learn to control my magic, even when it scared her."
"Mistress Judy was scared?"
"Just like she is now, for you," I said.
Petaluma climbed back into the front seat, still holding my mother's book on necromancy. "Why is she scared?"
"I think you know why," I said. "Tell me, did you see what was happening to Carla? How her book made her act?"
"Carla's always been a b-word," Petaluma said, smiling slightly.
"Don't be coy, you know what I'm saying. Do you want to end up like Carla?" I asked. "What do you think was going to happen to her?"
"That book was hurting her," she answered. "Mine would never do that."
"That's the curse speaking, Petaluma," I said. "I know you're stronger than the curse. Carla wasn't, but you have to be."
Petaluma blew out a shuddering breath and I decided to let the conversation sink in while we drove up the quiet mountain road.
When we finally arrived, I had to park at the end of a long line of other cars and trucks.
"What's going on?" Petaluma asked.
"Looks like a Gathering," I said.
"For what? It's not the equinox."
Just then, Petaluma's sister Rosemary and Luana's daughter Estelle came running out through the front garden. Judy's entire home was lit up and the lanterns hanging along the path blazed cheerfully. The girls both wore white dresses and had flowers neatly tucked into their hair.
"Lumaaaa," Estelle hollered as she ran toward us.
"You better go," I said. She opened the door and turned back, holding my book out to me. I smiled at her. "You hold onto it. After you talk with Judy, you can give it back if that's your choice."
When I finally made it through the front door, I'd picked out more than a few women I didn't recognize through the windows. They were all dressed as the girls had been, although most chose more muted colors than white for their dresses.
"Heya, sexy," Gabriella purred, surprising me from behind just as I entered through the front door. I turned and must have had the right reaction as I took her in. She wore a lacey black dress that closely followed her lithe form all the way down to her waist, where it flared out elegantly. Her brown skin showed through the loosely knit fabric and I was surprised to see that she wasn't wearing the body stocking she reserved for celebrations. The white lilies in her hair completed the look and a pang of inadequacy pulled at me.
"Oh man," I said, not able to find words to express the mix of emotions in my head.
Wearing only slippers, she was considerably shorter than me and had to stretch up on her tiptoes to give me a kiss.
"You're silly," she said. "You better not have the same reaction when you see Lace."
"Lace?" I asked, finally gaining enough wherewithal to lean down to embrace her. I winced as I pulled her to me. "Who are all these people?"
"Judy invited two other covens to join us. With Lace and me, that brings the total covens to four," she said.
"So its official? Lace is joining Whyte Wood?" I asked.
"We'll welcome her when we get back to Leotown. I was hoping we could use Tenebrius Manerium."
"Of course. Where is she, anyway?" I asked.
"Some of the girls are already at the glade setting up. She and Maggie went with them." A moment of paranoia captured me and Gabriella must have sensed it. "Why? What's going on?"
"Those Eppy Faire thugs showed up at the shop again," I said. "I had to run them off."
"They can't be that bad, can they?"
"One of them had a gun," I said.
"Let's go."
On the back porch sat a stack of supplies that needed to be hauled to the coven's ceremonial ground, generally called The Glade. We grabbed a couple of already full hemp bags and I briefly scanned for Judy or Gia, neither of whom were to be found.
Glass canning jars with votive candles adorned the path leading out of Judy's carefully tended gardens and into the dense cover of the darkened forest. A small knot of unfamiliar teenaged girls raced past, giggling and holding hands, their energy causing me to smile while the tension in my stomach pushed me forward.
"You think they'd come out here?" Gabriella asked.
"On an ATV, we're not that far from Eppy," I said. "There are paths all over."
"It's a big forest," Gabriella said.
A flood of relief settled over me as we arrived at the natural opening in the forest. Forty yards northeast, through dense undergrowth, was the artesian spring where the oaks grew together and we'd found Petaluma hiding. It was the same spring that supplied a small flow of water to the brook that ran along the southern edge. Judy, Gia and I had constructed a wood-planked bridge across that brook, allowing easier footing for the older witches. It was there we found Maggie and Lace chatting amiably, sitting next to a jarred candle. Barefooted Maggie had sunk her feet into the cool mud.
"Heya, Bro," Maggie greeted.
"What's going on?" Lace asked, reading my face.
I now understood Gabriella's warning about Lace's appearance. The abused waif we'd pulled from the cave had been replaced by a gorgeous young woman dressed in a white blouse and colorfully adorned black cotton skirt that gave a nod to her gypsy heritage.
"Don't stare." Gabriella poked me unfairly with her elbow, causing me to wince again as pain shot through my chest wound. "Ohh, sorry."
"I think I confuse him when I wear clothing," Maggie offered.
"I ran into more trouble from those Eppy Faire boys. At least one of them was packing," I said, ignoring the jabs both physical and otherwise. "I wouldn't put it past those idiots to crash the party."
Lace nodded. "I'll leave."
"You'll do no such thing," Gabriella said.
"Are you going to fight men with guns? At a minimum, I'm causing a distraction from the real purpose of the gathering," she said.
"I'll change. I can be more helpful that way," Maggie said.
"You will not. You're weak and that can't always be the answer," I said. "I don't think they want to hurt you, Lace. At least not in front of thirty witches."
"Are you willing to risk these girls?" Lace asked.
"These women know the risk tonight," Gabriela said, firmly. "We train our daughters to stand together. Tonight we will be safe. You will join with us and take your place as our sister. Tonight is as much about you as it is about Petaluma."
"I don't like it," Lace said, shaking her head.
Gabriella smiled reassuringly. "You will learn to trust your
sisters."
"We could at least check the perimeter," Maggie said. "It's not like wizard-boy and I are needed here."
"That's a good idea," I said, ignoring her jab.
I sat and unlaced my shoes, pulling them and my socks off and setting them aside, next to the bridge. I pulled my pocket knife out and drew it across the palm of my hand. I wasn't a big fan of blood-letting but most of my enchantments wouldn't work without it.
"Felix?" Gabriella asked.
"I'll be back in a while," I said. "Don't worry. If I find trouble, you'll be the first to hear about it." I sank my hands into the brook's soft mud and lifted a generous clump, allowing it to mix freely with my blood. I felt the welcoming presence of the forest around me as I wiped the mud down my face, starting with my forehead, chanting 'lutum ubertatis.'
"That's disgusting." I barely heard Maggie's complaint as the magic around us washed over me and all the nearby living matter illuminated with a phosphorescent glow. I found I had to turn away from the brilliance of the congregation of witches.
"We'll be back." I waded across the shallow brook, mostly interested in gaining separation from the spectacular display. "Let's go, Maggie."
"When?" Gabriella asked.
"We won't be far. I'll find you and Petaluma when it's time," I said.
"You know, I've seen a lot of disgusting things before," Maggie said. "But a mud mask?"
"You've seen me do this before."
"My raven doesn't care what you do. You're easier to ignore when I'm with her."
My first objective was to swing up through the north, around the quad of oaks and the brook's source. I knew the nearby paths well enough to know that anyone approaching from Eppy would likely come from that direction.
The first thing that struck me once we were far enough from the excited noise of The Glade was that we certainly weren’t alone. The forest's animals were hunkered down, their evening plans interrupted.
The second thing that struck me was just how stealthily Maggie made her way through the underbrush in the pitch black. She didn't have the advantage of my spell, which I generally used for collecting spell components.
"You feel that?" Maggie asked.
"I don't see anything," I said. "The animals feel it, though."
"Predator," she whispered.
We'd gone another forty yards when the hackles on my neck rose. A sound, somewhere between a woman screaming and a barn owl screech, froze me in position. I slowly swiveled my head, trying to find the source of the sound. I finally located the sleek shape of a panther resting on a branch, not fifteen feet from where we stood.
"Cat," I said.
"Where?" Maggie asked.
"Just ahead of us, hanging over the path."
"She's warning us to stay clear," Maggie said. "She's hunting."
"Message received," I said.
Gracefully, the panther descended from her perch, dropping fifteen feet effortlessly and bounding off down the path. A moment later, we heard the shout of men and a single rifle-shot rang out.
"Shit, she's going after people," I said and stupidly ran after the cat.
"Not a good idea, brother," Maggie warned but followed anyway.
The scene we arrived upon was something from a hunting show gone bad. A man lay on the ground, holding his bleeding hand and trying to look as small as possible. The panther stalked nearby, warily eying two others who had been separated from their guns. They were yelling at the cat, both with knives drawn.
"Get the gun," one of the two men yelled as we came into view. I recognized him as Merl from earlier in the day.
"Looks like a fair fight to me," I said, keeping clear of the fallen man.
"It's going to kill him," Merl said, panicking.
"What are you doing out here?" I asked.
The panther swiped its paw menacingly at the two, ignoring Maggie and me for the moment.
"What? It's a free country."
"I guess we're free to get out of here then," I said.
"No!" This time it was the man who'd driven the truck, yelling from a fetal position on the ground. "We were told you were having some big shindig out here. Buncha witches. We were just going to break it up. Nobody was supposed to get too hurt, unless we saw that Faa whore."
"Stupid much?" Maggie asked.
"Where are your guns?"
"My pistol got lost when that crazy cat attacked. That rifle's the only gun we got. You gotta help us," he said.
"Doesn't seem like you boys are very bright," I said, nervously eyeing the panther who was chuffing angrily. "Nobody told you about the cats in these parts?"
"Lived here my whole life; never seen a cat," Merl argued.
"And yet, here we are," I said. The cat growled angrily in my direction and I slowly backed off, not remembering if I was supposed to lower my eyes or push eye contact. I decided to just let it know I wasn't a threat by moving slowly. "How many more of you idiots are out here?"
"Are you gonna help us?" Merl asked.
"How many?"
"Just us three. We're trying to keep a low profile," he said.
Just like that, the panther decided she'd had enough and lunged at Merl. He had time to swing his blade but didn't make contact. The cat buried its mouth into Merl's shoulder and raked at his belly with its powerful hind legs.
"Dammit! Adoloret." I sent a gout of fire just past the two of them and within a couple inches of the thrashing cat's muzzle. I was firmly in the cat's camp. It had more right to be here than the idiot Merl, but I also couldn't allow even someone as despicable as Merl to be killed while I stood by.
The cat released Merl and roared at me. I ignited another gout of fire and sent it past the beast's flank, close enough that it should feel the heat. Sufficiently annoyed, the proud animal bounded off into the forest.
"Get the gun!" Merl yelled as he writhed on the ground, blood gushing from his wounds.
Maggie lunged forward and picked up the rifle. She held it like someone might if they'd never fired a weapon before, so I pulled it from her. "You want your gun; you can ask Sherriff Merritt for it tomorrow. I'm sure he'll be interested in why you boys were traipsing around in the woods chasing a panther."
"We'll come for you and your family, Slade," Merl growled through gritted teeth.
"Not if you have any brains," Maggie retorted.
I lunged forward and pushed Merl on the shoulder, sending him back to the ground. I fell on top of him, knee in his chest and held my hand in front of his eye. "Adoloret." I allowed a small ball of flame to grow in my hand. "You're bleeding, Merl, and you might die out here tonight," I said, anger building in my chest, causing the blood in my ears to rush loudly. I pushed the flame closer to his cheek. His eyes swiveled between the flames and my face.
"I didn't mean it," he whimpered.
"I am a wizard, Merl," I said. "Tonight, you've picked a fight with a panther and a wizard. Do you know what your problem is?"
"No?" he said, as if asking a question.
"You like to pick fights out of your weight class." I moved the ball of flame next to his bleeding shoulder, allowing it to singe away his shirt. He cried out as the flame kissed his skin. Anger filled me as the edges of my vision darkened.
"Felix," Maggie gasped. "Pull back. This isn't you. Fight it!"
I looked at her quizzically, not really understanding.
"Stop it!" She kicked at my hand and that small contact cleared my mind. The smell of burned fabric and flesh reached my nose and I quenched the fireball.
"Shit," I said, standing up quickly. The sight of Merl's blistered flesh startled me. I'd ruined a tennis ball sized portion of the skin on his shoulder and only had a vague recollection of doing so.
"I'm sorry!" Merl cried and crawled toward his companions who watched us with horrified expressions.
"Get out of my forest," I said darkly. "Tonight is my last warning."
To their credit, they didn't push the issue further and we watched as they raced away.
"Damn, dude," Maggie said. "I thought you were going all Freddy Kruger on me there."
"Who?"
Maggie closed her eyes and shook her head in disgust. "Seriously, would it hurt you to see a movie once?"
I shrugged and continued down the path, not really knowing what I should do otherwise. We came within a hundred yards of the celebration several times, but each time we got close, I veered away. A cloud of darkness still hung around me as I mulled over the encounter. There was definitely something wrong with me. I couldn't hide from it and had no intention of bringing down the joyful energy of the witches of the mountain.
"We better head in," Maggie finally prompted me around eleven-thirty. "I think they'll want to work on Petaluma's deal right at midnight."
I nodded. The cool walk through the forest had settled my anger, but my conscience weighed heavily. If Maggie hadn't stopped me … the possibilities were endless and none of them were good.
As we approached, we heard the excited sounds of a celebration in full swing. A trio of women sang, their voices carrying preternaturally over the din of laughter and the revelers who joined in with the song. The rifle weighed heavily in my hands and I refused to bring it anywhere near the peaceful group. At the brook’s edge, I emptied the rifle's magazine, stepping on the bullets and causing them to sink into the mud. I pulled the bolt from the barrel, flung it upstream and then carefully laid the rifle in the middle of the running water, finally standing atop it.
"I thought you were giving that to Merritt," Maggie said.
I shrugged. "I still can, but it has no place around these women."
"Are you talking about you or the rifle?" Maggie asked.
"What?" I pretended I didn't know what she was asking.
"Uncle Felix!" Estelle had caught sight of us and I hustled up from the bank of the stream. "Dance with me." She towed behind her a girl I didn't recognize and they giggled as they approached.
"What's funny?" I asked.
"Your face, silly," she said. "It's all muddy." Before I could stop her, she rushed over to the river and cupped her hands, pulling a small amount of water out, completely missing the deadly rifle only feet from her position. "Come here," she chastised like her mother might. I bent down and she wiped at my face ineffectually.
Wicked Folk Page 24