Forging Day (Crucible of Change Book 1)

by Noelle Alladania Meade

  “I think Razaini and I can be helpin’ with that,” said Korembi. “You get a map and show us where these places are. We do the scouting with our spirit animals. We can’t do anything while we’re there, but we can find out where they be hidin’.”

  “I can help too,” said Tessa. “Not tonight, but tomorrow, when they want to drag you off. I get to the meeting spot ahead of you, wherever it ends up being. I persuade the person doing the grab to make his call and tell Colby he has you. I keep him reporting in as long as it takes, while the rest of you frag Colby and friends and save the day.”

  “That’s perfect, Tessa. They won’t know what hit them.”

  Lieutenant Clark spoke up. “How do you plan on scouting these locations without leaving the house or anyone noticing? I’m not saying you can’t, because frankly, nothing would surprise me at this point, but I would like to know the how.”

  “We commune with the spirits of nature, mon, and send our spirits running free,” said Korembi.

  “Kor, the last time we did this, we were in the forest. Is it going to work in the city?” Razaini asked.

  “That be a good question,” said Korembi. “Let me see. We be needin’ incense holders and space if we doin’ it in the house. What you got?”

  “Any particular kind of incense, or do you have your own?” I wanted to know.

  “We have our own,” he said.

  Kat and I scavenged around the house and we were able to come up with eight different fancy holders for incense sticks. They were all carved to look like different fantasy creatures. The dragons were my favorites.

  They were using the projector to mark the locations when we got back. Between Lieutenant Clark and Sharon, they divided up the locations and mapped out the best paths for them to follow before coming home.

  “Korembi, will these be enough?”

  “I be thinkin’ yes. Now we need a big enough space. Let’s pull the shades in the sunroom and try there.”

  They each took an incense stick holder and sat it next to them. They lit the incense and sat there, eyes closed. We were all quiet, watching.

  The lieutenant whispered to me, “Is something supposed to be happening?”

  “I think so,” I whispered back.

  “It no be workin’,” said Korembi. “It be bad enough the city pushing nature back, but I think we maybe get past that. We have to be in direct contact with the earth. It can’t be in a house.”

  “And we don’t want anything getting back to Colby. Let me think…”

  I paced a bit, and tried to stay out of Mikah’s path. “How about this? Colby knows me and Kat are Pagan. We all go out front and Kat and I will cast a ritual circle. Korembi and Razaini will set out their incense sticks as part of our ritual. It’s always been said that children and animals can cross a closed circle without breaking it. I’m willing to gamble that the spirit animals will work the same way. We’ll do a ritual for safety, wisdom, guidance, et cetera, for as long as it takes. Korembi signals when it’s okay to stop, and then we wrap up our ritual and go back inside. They might find it weird, but it’s not going to seem dangerous. Colby never took it seriously.”

  “I like it,” said Kat. “He already thought we were flakes, so this makes us seem flakier, and he’ll have no idea we’re spying back on him in the meantime.”

  I called Leo to clue him in. “While we’re drawing all the attention in the front yard, it might be a good time for you to sneak back in through the back. Any luck with our friend?”

  “I told him what happened. He’s going to stay up all night and try to finish by morning. I told him I’d stay and help do whatever he needs, so I don’t need to sneak back in.”

  “Call as soon as you’re done, and be careful,” I told him.

  “You call if you hear anything from Colby or his people. You be careful too, sis.”

  “Love you, bro.”

  “Love you, sis.”

  * * * *

  We changed clothes and came back downstairs with our ritual gear. I had on a flowing red satin tunic that belted at the waist with my new dagger tucked firmly into the belt. You never know. Kat wore her favorite tie-dye robe.

  Tessa said, “I’ll keep watch and listen for the phone. I don’t think I want to jump into anyone’s sacred space just yet.”

  We got out front, and Mikah was already there. He had never come to a Pagan ritual before. “If any of this can help me get Berto back, I’m not waiting in the house.”

  “Korembi, would you help me prepare the outer circle?” I handed him his incense sticks. “Place these where they need to go. Razaini, you light them and then you both come to join us.”

  It helped that we already had the compass points marked with little pedestals. Kat set up the little brass bowls to hold the representations of the elements. I waited until Korembi and Razaini finished placing their incense and joined us. Mikah found his own place, and Gracie took a spot next to him. Frank took a position near Korembi and May stayed close to Roz.

  “Kat, I’m going to cast the circle. Would you help?”

  She nodded. I handed her the lighter and the sage smudge stick. “Just follow me around the circle with this.”

  I had everyone stand in a loose circle. “Please hold hands.” I took a deep breath, willing myself to be calm and focused. Lives might depend on how well this double ritual worked.

  “Let’s begin.” I drew my dagger and went to the north. I pointed it at the ground and started to walk around our friends. A line appeared in the ground as I moved, and butterflies went wild in my stomach.

  We stopped at the east pedestal first, the one with feathers in the little bowl to represent air. “Guardians of the spirits of the east, we welcome you to our ritual. Lend us your strength and bring us wisdom for the days ahead.” I bowed toward the pedestal, kissed the blade, and went back to walking. The feathers stirred slightly, but I didn’t feel a breeze.

  As we continued to the south pedestal, my fingers tingled and I could tell the others had started to feel something too. I summoned my magic and called fire to ignite the cedar chips. “Guardians of the spirits of the south, we welcome you to our ritual. Lend us your fiery strength that we might triumph in the trials to come.” The flames danced merrily in the little bowl.

  Next was west. That bowl was filled with cool water. “Guardians of the spirits of the west, we welcome you to our ritual. Lend us your strength to soothe our weary hearts.” Again, I bowed toward the pedestal and kissed the blade. The water rippled slightly in the bowl.

  I braced myself as we returned to our starting point. Stones from the Rocky Mountains were in the little bowl. “Guardians of the spirits of the north, we welcome you to our ritual. Lend us your patience and fortitude, and help us find our way.” The stones glowed faintly blue. I don’t think anyone else could see them.

  The circle closed with a click that shook my bones. I walked to the center. “God and Goddess, Crom, Maiden, Mother, Crone. We welcome you to our circle. Let nothing evil enter this space. So Mote it Be.”

  Kat responded, “So mote it be,” and the circle blazed into dancing light.

  “Fear not,” a voice rumbled in my head. “You are safe between the worlds for now. Your enemies see only what they expect to see. The road is hard, but with strength and honor, your will may prevail.”

  My holy symbol glowed a radiant blue, filling the circle with its light. “Korembi, Razaini, it’s your turn. Don’t cross the circle with your bodies or you’ll break the protection. Your spirit creatures should pass unhindered. May the spirits guide you.”

  They sat cross-legged, facing each other and holding hands. I smelled their incense filling the night air, and it got richer and deeper, like freshly turned earth and morning rain. The breeze whirled around us and fire danced to the south. The ghostly raptor leapt forth from Korembi first. Razaini’s pterodactyl soon followed. The spirit creatures touched muzzles, and the pterodactyl burst into the sky as the raptor cleared the stone wall in a sing
le leap. There was only a faint shimmer and the circle held.

  I looked at the others. The Trolls had seen this before, way back at the Sylvan Faire. For the Humans at our gathering, this was all new. Lieutenant Clark, Sharon, Mikah, and Gracie were all wide-eyed and a little pale. “And now we wait,” I said.

  I’d never been as aware of the energy of the circle as I was tonight. The air tasted like mint and my body tingled. I tried to smother my giggles at the thought of doing a Great Rite with Kat like this. I was getting drunk on the energy, and it felt good.

  Focus, I told myself. This is the time for focus. “Oh, Kat. The energy is buzzing my brain. Do you feel it too?”

  “I feel something,” she said, “but I don’t think it’s the same as you.”

  “If I get silly, or start to leave, you have to stop me. I don’t feel entirely stable right now, and you can’t let me break the circle, even by accident.”

  “I promise.”

  Out of the corner of my eye, I caught stealthy movement from outside the circle. I spun around, dagger ready, but it was only Doctor Evil. The cat stalked deliberately toward us, entering the circle with nary a ripple in the energy. I was kind of surprised. That cat had never shown an interest in our rituals before. Come to think of it, we didn’t have a cat door. He shouldn’t be outside in the first place.

  “Fluffy, come here, baby,” Kat cooed at him.

  He walked right by her, not even turning at his name, and then bounded to the top of the altar.

  I started toward him to shoo him off, but the look in his eye stopped me in my tracks. I remembered how quick he was with claws and teeth, and I really didn’t want my ritual robe snagged or shredded. If the gods didn’t mind him crossing the circle, they shouldn’t mind him perching on the altar, I rationalized.

  After a while, I ignored the furry interloper and let myself revel in the energy of the ritual circle. I lay back on the grass and marveled at the twinkling stars. I felt as if I could reach up and grab them in my hands. I did the energy exercise they teach you in Wicca 101—gathering invisible energy into your hands and forming it into a ball. I’d done it in class, but never really felt that much. This time it was cool and tingly, and soon I had a glowing ball that everyone could see. I caressed it, rolling it in my hands. Let me not forget how this feels.

  I tossed the energy ball into the air and caught it. Fluffy followed the movement like it was a laser pointer on the wall. I tossed it again, and he stood up and wiggled his butt, following my every move. I tossed it into the air one more time, and Fluffy launched himself from the altar. Ball and cat met in an explosion of golden sparks and the cat dropped to the ground.

  “Damn” I heard in my head. “That freaking hurt!”

  “Olivia! What did you do to my cat?” Kat demanded. “Fluffy, baby?”

  “Fluffy, are you okay?” I approached the cat cautiously.

  “I said, ‘that hurt’, but other than that, I’m fine.” I heard again. “And by the way, I hate Fluffy. It’s a ridiculous name. Doctor Evil was a little better, but you may call me Imhotep.” The cat stood up and shook himself vigorously. “Ah, that’s better.”

  “Does anyone else hear the cat talking?” I had to ask.

  “Olivia, are you okay?” asked Sharon. “Maybe you should sit down.”

  “I’m going to take that as a no,” I said, but sitting down sounded like a good idea.

  “Don’t be absurd. Of course they can’t hear me. I’m your familiar, not theirs.”

  “I don’t remember ordering a familiar,” I said out loud.

  “I don’t remember ordering a Human either, but here we are. You raised the energy and didn’t give it direction. The magic called me. I’m the best thing that’s happened to you since Kat went feline. And kindly tell her to stop calling me Fluffy.”

  “Kat, this may sound crazy, but Fluffy would prefer you not call him Fluffy. He says his name is Imhotep. Also, he says he’s my new familiar.” I smiled at her, trying to look sane and stable.

  “Familiar?” said Lieutenant Clark. “As in crazy witch with a black cat?”

  “I resent the ‘crazy’ part of that statement,” I said, “and Imhotep is obviously white.”

  The moon was high overhead, and I was still digesting this unexpected turn, when I felt something approaching. Razaini’s pterodactyl burst through the circle and disappeared. She sat up with a gasp.

  “I saw so much,” she said, “but I did not find the ones we seek. So much life in the city, in spite of the steel and concrete. You should see the Grove from the sky. It’s beautiful.”

  May took Razaini’s hand. “Can you teach me how to do that? It was so beautiful. I want to learn to fly.”

  Razaini patted her hand. “Later, May, when I’ve rested. I promise to teach you what I know.”

  I was getting worried—and desperately needed to pee—by the time Korembi’s raptor leapt into the circle. An oily blackness peeled away and burst into flames as it crossed into our protection. Korembi gasped, and struggled to sit up. Razaini had to help him.

  “I found them. Oh Gods, I found them. So much evil. So much suffering. Berto and Cordelia… They are physically unharmed, but their spirits are weeping with what they’ve seen. It’s only Colby’s strength keeping the lesser wolves away from them. They fear him. Two wolves and one Human were in the house with him. Another called in while I was there, reporting on the house.” He pinched his nose and shook his head. “I’m getting to old for this. Let’s be done.”

  He looked pale, so I decided to do an accelerated closing of the ritual. I stood in the center of the circle and kissed my blade, pointing in turn at each of the elements. “Guardians of earth, of air, of fire, and of water, we thank you for your strength and protection. Depart in peace, as you came. God and Goddess, Crom, Maiden, Mother, Crone, we thank you for lending your strength and protection to our ritual. Depart in peace, as you came.” I drew an invisible line with the dagger, and I felt the circle part. “The circle is now open. As we came, so shall we part. Merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again. Blessed be.”

  The energy left me with a rush, and I stumbled into Kat. “Oh, wow! I have a circle hangover.”

  “You have a hangover? How do you think I feel? I’d appreciate a snack when we get back inside. I’ll wait for you there.” Imhotep disappeared with a small bamf.

  Kat quickly gathered the little brass bowls and May collected what was left of the incense sticks. We returned to the house for refreshments, indoor plumbing, and debriefings, but not in that order.

  Report 10

  Operation Bad Dog

  Memo

  To:General Dxxxx

  From:Major Parker

  We have a potential opportunity to acquire three werewolf targets in a single location. The new nets are not fully tested, but I’m requesting permission to activate Operation Bad Dog and test them in the field.

  With your approval, we can have a team on the ground in just a few hours. I’ve already had my secretary purchase a quantity of extra-large flea collars.

  Memo

  To:Major Parker

  From:General Dxxxx

  Operation Bad Dog approved. Tell your men we want as many live specimens as possible. Notify me as soon as your team returns.

  For your sake, I will presume you’re joking about the flea collars.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Those Blasted Ducks Won’t Stay in Line

  Back inside, there was a general rush on the indoor plumbing. Kat and I changed back into our street clothes before assembling with the others back at the gaming table with the big map.

  Imhotep was already there, planted firmly in the middle of the map. A cat is a cat, no matter what else happens, I guess.

  “I’ll fix your snack in a minute,” I told him. “Please move. The sooner you move, the sooner you get your snack.”

  He slowly dragged himself to the edge of the map, somehow implying he’d never in his life been given food or water and
that he might waste away at any moment.

  “Drama queen,” I said.

  “Drama King. And I’ll be in the kitchen. Humans. Pfffttt.”

  Korembi, Lieutenant Clark, and Sharon waited patiently for the end of the cat drama. Mikah looked a bit more homicidal, but didn’t say anything. Korembi drew a red circle around one of the properties south of us, in Aurora. “I’m certain this is the one,” said Korembi. “I be good with maps, mon.”

  “If you’re right,” said Lieutenant Clark, “and after what I’ve seen tonight, I have no reason to doubt you, it’s time to call in the professionals. We need to assemble a SWAT team. They are trained to neutralize criminals and rescue hostages.”

  “How do you propose they’re going to neutralize criminals that are immune to their bullets?” I asked. “You have an unprepared team rush in there, and the hostages, along with the team, all end up dead.”

  “Didn’t you say your brother was getting silver bullets?” asked the Lieutenant.

  “Yeah, around fifteen bullets, we think, and maybe thirty shotgun shells. How many ways do you think you can effectively split that amount? We have silver flatware, too. You want to send your people out shopping at a department store for silver butter knives?” If I focused on the sarcasm, I didn’t have to worry about how desperately outgunned we were.

  He looked frustrated and angry, but he wasn’t arguing.

  “Let me make a few phone calls,” I said, “and get a better idea of where we stand with things.”

  I called Leo first. “Hey bro, how are things progressing?”

  “We should be done by early a.m., certainly before the banks open.”

  “That’s good news. We have better news. We know where they are.” I waited for him to grab a piece of paper and gave him the address. “I’m going to put you on speakerphone, if that works for you.”