by Joe Vadalma
"Melody, the six of us wanted to personally extend our warmest congratulations and hope that you and Michael enjoy a wonderful future and a long and happy marriage. Michael is a good, kind and sensitive man. He'll make a fine husband I'm sure. As you've probably noticed, we're like a family here. We want you to know that we consider you one of us and will continue to do so in the future."
She lunged toward Melody and gave her a smothering bear hug, her tears ruining Melody's makeup.
"Thank you so much,” Melody said after taking a deep breath once Mildred let her go and she could speak again. “I appreciate the way you've all accepted me the way that you have. And I promise to try to join in more with your activities and get to know you better."
After Melody introduced Betty to those who had not already met her, Mildred announced loudly, “Melody, we have gift for you. One we'd like you to wear while you exchange vows with Michael. Chung.” The Oriental woman handed Melody a fancily wrapped package.
"Thank you,” Melody said as she unwrapped the gift gingerly as though it were a bomb ready to go off. It was a necktie box which contained a necklace of tiny silver links lying on a bed of nylon padding. Instead of a pendant or locket, four unusual items hung from it. Melody held it up for all to see and asked Betty to work the clasp while she held up her hair.
"Let me explain,” said Morgaine. She tried to be solemn and genuinely friendly. “It's made of silver because traditionally silver is a metal that protects its wearer from harm. It is also the ‘metal of the moon goddess,’ who looks after women. The objects attached to it represent the traditional items a bride must wear to her wedding. You know, ‘Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.’ The ‘something borrowed’ is the antique iron key. That is from me personally."
"And what door does it open? And who did you borrow it from?” Melody asked, cocking one eyebrow, letting her know that she was suspicious of any gift from her. “When do I return it?"
Morgaine smiled wickedly. The key was to the box where she kept her Tarot cards, at the bottom of which was a riddle that when solved revealed the location of a hidden door to the basement. Michael and her had an office and a laboratory down there. Also, Morgaine had discovered another secret down there that Michael was not aware that she knew about. “It's a surprise, a mystery let's say—for you to solve. It could be the key to your lover's heart. When you find out what it opens, you can return it to me. I won't miss it until then."
"Thank you, Morgaine. Believe me, I'll do my best to solve the mystery."
Mildred said, “And the ‘something blue’ is the blue crystal mounted within the Ouroboros."
Melody lifted the pendant from where it lay in her cleavage and examined it. It was a perfectly oval-shaped blue-glass crystal. The setting was an ironwork dragon swallowing its tail; the carving was exquisite; delicately artistic. “It's lovely,” she said and backed away from Hoffstator. “Thank you, Mildred."
"You can use it anytime you want to focus your thoughts. It'll be there handy for you."
"The something new,” Corinn Jasper interjected, “is a golden Angst."
"Thank you, Corinn.” It was the most expensive of the objects. The Jaspers were wealthy enough that such things were trifles to them.
The final item, the “something old” was from Chung Lee. It was a jade disk, half dark green, half pale blue showing the Tao. Along its perimeter were Chinese glyphs.
"I bought it in an antique store in Chinatown in San Francisco,” Lee explained. “The proprietor assured me that it was hundreds of years old.” She shrugged. “But who can believe antique dealers. Nonetheless, it should bring you luck and is of a venerable enough age to be called old. And Melody, I hope you meant that about joining in our activities.” She glanced at Melody through half closed lids in a flirtatious manner. “We'd love to have you in our Tantric classes. I will take it slow and easy and explain everything."
"Thank you, Chung. Perhaps, when we get back from our honeymoon, I'll join your morning class."
"Wonderful. You'll see what fun it is and what it does for your aura—and your sex life as well."
The women started giggling again. Finally, someone said, “Oh look at the time. We're making Melody late for her wedding.” Morgaine and the women left, cackling and teasing as they jostled each other through the door.
* * * *
Some time later, Doctor Rhami Deju escorted Melody and Betty into the chapel. Michael had given him the honor of giving Melody away. Morgaine sat on the aisle of the chapel so that she could get a good view of the ceremony. She watched with a heavy heart as Sylvan Marcrome struck up “The Wedding March” on an organ that definitely needed tuning and which he played so slowly and somberly, it sounded like a funereal dirge. The doors opened and Melody and Deju, followed by Betty holding the bride's train, promenaded solemnly down the narrow aisle between rows of straight-backed wooden pews. Father McGuillicuty stood behind a lectern, an open book before him. To one side was a grinning Michael, looking sharp as a pin in a black tux with tails, a gleaming white vest, red cummerbund and white bow tie. Next to him and dressed similarly was Robert Longfellows, the best man.
The chapel was all shadows, being lighted only by candelabra along the side walls and on the altar. As Melody promenaded slowly forward, she peered around apprehensively. The chapel had been used for pagan ceremonies rather than Christian ones and was decorated in the pagan manner. In the niches were statues of goblins and gargoyles. The stained glass windows illustrated mystical symbols, pyramids and pagan deities.
When Melody came abreast of Michael, with a flourish, he lifted her veil and peered into her face. She smiled at him and gazed into his eyes. They kneeled before Father McGuillicuty as he performed a short mass and fed them the host. Afterwards they rose and, with McGuillicuty's prompting, repeated the vows that each of them had written beforehand and slipped wedding bands on each others fingers. McGuillicuty pronounced them “man and wife,” and they kissed passionately. Morgaine thought her heart would break.
They turned to the congregation, and McGuillicuty blessed them and the rest of the company. “May I present Mister and Mrs. Ellul,” he announced. People applauded, Sylvan again struck up the wedding march, and the newlyweds walked down the aisle arm in arm.
* * * *
The reception was in the grand ballroom of the mansion, an enormous room filled with mirrors. Its three-story ceiling contained a great grand mountain of a glass chandelier whose size and height was so daunting some of the guests hesitated dancing beneath it. The wedding reception had the usual loud band, announcements, toasts, drunken dancing, cutting of the wedding cake, tossing of the bridal bouquet and the bride's garter. After Melody opened their gifts, she and Michael wandered from table to table thanking everyone and ducked out to the master bedroom to change.
Morgaine noted that when the couple left the party, they seemed deliriously happy, which made her have dark thoughts. While the couple were honeymooning in Las Vegas, she made her preparations for the Pagan ceremony.
CHAPTER 4
SAMHAIN
Melody and Michael returned from Las Vegas two days before Halloween, which was also Samheim, a pagan holiday celebrated by Wiccans. Morgaine took advantage of their arrival to plant a terrific mouth-sucking body-rubbing kiss on Michael. Mildred said, “We were afraid that you wouldn't be back in time for the big Halloween bash we're planning.” She and the others immediately began to discuss it, asking Michael for his advise and Melody what costume she would wear.
"The theme this year,” Corinn Jasper said loudly looking directly at Melody, “is fear. We're all going to dress as the one thing we fear most."
"Oh my,” Melody responded, “that'll take some thought. Aren't you people afraid of giving away some dark secret phobia?"
"That's the whole idea, dear. It's therapeutic to face your inner fears. And dressing up as something you dread will make it less dreadful."
* * * *
E
veryone except Melody and Michael worked hard decorating the grand ballroom as a haunted castle by Halloween night papier-mache spooks floated from the ceiling, vampires popped out of coffins, gremlins and elves peeped from dark corners and werewolves were ready to pounce. They had pasted wallpaper with stonewall print on the walls with dark red paint dripping down them and fake skeletons chained to them. Huge plastic spiders crawled on enormous cobwebs in the corners among bugs and body parts. The ceiling had witches on broomsticks, a huge moon with a dark cloud passing in front of it and numerous bats and owls flying around a charcoal background. Colored spotlights played around the room giving everything an eerie atmosphere reminiscent of Poe's Masque of the Red Death.
The bar was an ancient tomb; the bartenders, zombies. A long table held platters of goodies interspersed with plastic severed human heads and hands. Jack-o'-lanterns and skulls, lighted from within by flaming candles, glow eerily through eye sockets and grins. A gothic rock band belted out lyrics about drugs, Satan, death, murder and suicide.
Everything was perfectly, frighteningly, ghastly Halloween.
Morgaine watched from a corner of the room as Melody arrived as Cinderella on the arm of Michael as the Wizard of Oz. Although it was only a little after seven, the celebration was in full swing. The band played dirge-like music at a deafening volume, the bar was three deep waiting for drinks, and two or three couples gyrated on the dance floor.
Two people sauntered over by the newlyweds, Mildred Hoffstator dressed as Death and Father McGillicuty as the devil. Morgaine could not hear their conversation with all the rumpus in the room, so she turned her attention elsewhere.
Chung was dressed as Jack the Ripper and Morgaine recalled that once she had told her that she had a premonition that she would be slain by a serial rapist. Lance Flebert wore clothes appropriate to a homeless person. The Jaspers wore costumes of the poor. Doctor Rhami Deju was a rat, and Morgaine recalled that Deju feared being reincarnated as a lowly animal. Robert Longfeather had on a cowboy outfit and a sheriff's badge.
Morgaine's own costume was that of a conservative business woman, her hair in a bun, and wearing fake dark-rimmed glasses. The fear she portrayed was to be thought ordinary. Actually, her real worst fear was losing Michael, but she was not about to reveal that to the newlyweds. When she sauntered over by them, she was on her best behavior. She did not hang all over Michael, treated Melody civilly and only danced with Michael once and that was during a rock-and-roll number.
About ten there was a costume judging. Westcott won that with a Frankenstein's monster costume, but had become quite drunk and could hardly stand to receive his prize.
The party broke up after one.
* * * *
After Michael and Melody retired, Morgaine gathered everyone staying at Moonwood, including the servants, to traipse out in the woods for the Samheim celebration. She wore her priestess robes and regalia and brought along a suitcase full of the implements she would need. Many of the others, men and women, wore white gowns. They lit an enormous bonfire and got several CD recordings of classical and New Age music ready. They waited in the chosen meadow for the newlyweds. Except near the bonfire, the area was lit in a cold silvery way by a full moon.
When Michael and a shivering Melody arrived, everyone formed a circle around the flames and held hands like children playing ring-around-the-rosy. Morgaine turned on the portable CD-player. The sounds of a Yanni concert filled the meadow, and the circle danced around the fire in time to the music and chanted a hymn to the spirits of the dead. When the chanting was done, they halted, raised their arms and prayed silently, each to his or her own favorite god or goddess.
At the end of this silent worship, Morgaine stepped from her place in the circle. Her white caftan, which was decorated with a fancily rendered pentacle, was caught by an autumn breeze and billowed across her chest. Her long ebony hair, which hung loose, floated around her. A garland of leaves was tangled in the crown. Between her breasts lay a rune stone on a long chain.
She raised her arms, and everyone else lowered theirs. With closed eyelids she threw her head back and chanted a prayer to Queen May in the language of the fairies that she had learned at the University of Sorcery. When she finished, she dropped her arms, clasped her hands together, opened her eyes and spoke loudly so that everyone could hear above the roaring fire.
"This year, as every year on Samhain, we, children of the earth, gather in this consecrated place to praise and honor the spirits of the earth, the spirits of the water, the spirits of air and fire, and the spirits and elder beings of wood and plain.” Pause. “And also to pray to the ancient gods of our ancestors that they may gather strength and once again return from the nether world to rule the upper world as they did eons past.
"On this night, we are especially joyful, for we are about to perform a joining of two souls into physical and spiritual union in the prescribed and ancient manner. One of these is already one of us. The other will join us as a neophyte and be anointed and consecrated into our coven, the Coven of Moonwood.
"Come to me, the one known as Melody Trent."
Melody looked at Michael in a questioning manner.
He whispered something to her and gave her a little shove to go ahead.
After Melody reluctantly walked up, Morgaine gazed into her eyes. “Melody Trent, do you of your own free will, desire to join the Coven of Moonwood as a neophyte in the craft, to respect the things of nature and not wantonly destroy her bounty, to study our ways in good faith and in all seriousness, not taking them lightly or dismissing them without deep consideration of their true meaning, to follow the rules of our coven unless they conflict with your own code of ethics, at which time you would be free to follow your conscience. To keep our secrets locked in your bosom and not release them to persons outside the coven. These rules will known to you on the ‘morrow in a booklet we have prepared."
Melody hesitated momentarily and seemed to think it over. Finally, she replied, “I do."
"Very well, bow your head.” Morgaine leaned forward and said softly into Melody's ear. “Your new name shall be ‘Margarete’ and that shall be your true name which you must not reveal to anyone, not even Michael.” Morgaine smiled. She had dubbed Melody with the name of Faust's tragic lover. She stooped down, picked up a handful of earth and sprinkled it over Melody. “May the great earth goddess, Demeter, reward you with her bounty.” She sprayed her with drops of water from a bottle. “May Venus grant you everlasting love and sexual pleasure.” She blew her breath into Melody's face. “May Jove grant you strength and courage.” She took a charred twig from the fire and shook it so that a few sparks lit on Melody, quickly brushing them away before they damaged her clothing or burned her. “May Hephaestos make you clever and innovative.
"I now welcome you to our coven, Sister Margarete.” She said the name low so no one heard her except Melody. She kissed her on both cheeks.
"Now that you are a witch among witches,” she loudly, “is there a male witch here among us who would take this neophyte under his wing?"
"I would Sister Morgaine,” Michael said and stood beside Melody holding her hand.
"Very well, shall I perform the twining of souls between you and Sister Melody?"
"If it is her wish to twine her soul to mine in the ways of the old religion.” He turned to Melody. “Sister Melody, wilt thou twine thy soul with mine in the way of the ancients, which is the way of the Coven of Moonwood?"
Melody gazed into his eyes. “Yes, Michael my love, I will."
Morgaine poured red wine adulterated with aphrodisiac into a golden ceremonial cup. She held the cup toward the sky. “I ask the spirits of the sky, the earth, the sun and the moon to bless this draught and the couple who drink it, that their twining overflow with happiness and joy."
She handed the cup to Michael and he drank half the liquid. He handed the rest to Melody and whispered, “Drink it down, my dear."
She put the cup to her lips, sipped a little and
made a face. She tossed the rest down in two gulps and returned the vessel to Morgaine, who handed it to her assistant. A few moments later, the potion took effect, and the couple gazed at each other in a lustful manner. Michael's hand closed over Melody's and held it tightly. The couple turned back to Morgaine. She made mystical signs with her hands over them, muttered words in the Fay language and drank a small amount of the dark wine herself.
Her eyes rolled back in her head, and she raised her arms heavenward. In a voice that was not hers, she intoned, “As Asharte I bless this union of souls and beseech the Fates to be kind. Let them be joined in flesh and spirit."
Morgaine came out of her trance and hugged them one at a time, Michael tighter and longer than Melody. She stepped back and cried, “Now we shall dance, dance in the moonlight on Samhain, in joy of this wonderful occasion.” She took Michael's hand, who in turn grabbed Melody's and they joined the circle of persons who had witnessed the pagan wedding ceremony. The music started again, except this time it was a wilder, more energetic; Stravinsky's Fire Dance at first, but later changing to other fast-paced music.
And they danced. And danced. At first in a circle, moving their feet in various patterns. The human chain became unlinked at one end and they danced a twisting snake dance among the trees and back to the clearing again, going faster and getting wilder and more abandoned each time around. After a while people shed their clothing and became naked, even Melody, who had been affected by the drink. Soon everyone was in the nude and dancing and twirling singly and in pairs in the most abandoned and erotic manner possible. Melody danced with Michael. The newlyweds rubbed up against each other and parted and came together again. Finally they laid on the ground having abandoned sex before all and sundry. They were not the only ones. The whole scene turned into one great orgy that lasted until dawn. Only Morgaine crept away. She had taken a vow of celibacy until Michael could truly be hers.