by D. F. Jones
“What does that mean?” Hannah asked nervously.
“You will know when the time comes, my child.” She reached out to touch her hand, then Hannah felt warmth and ancestral magic spread throughout her entire body.
“What about the moon? Is Jeff all right?” She bombarded her ancestor—the only one who’d come to speak with her—with questions.
“For now, but remember; all magic comes with a price, Hannah.” Her cerulean eyes seemed sad when she peered into Hannah’s—and it was then that she knew. The howling of the wolves, the blood moon—all of it—was an omen of death to come that was only revealed in dreams.
“Please, I can’t lose him. You’re wrong. I don’t understand what you want me to do with the moon,” Hannah cried. “A spell? Where can I find it?”
Without another word, her ancestor gave her a weak smile and disappeared into a bright-yellow orb and ascended into the Heavens.
Standing there with her mouth agape, tears streaming down her face, Hannah felt a sense of loss. Not only for her ancestor, but for who she might lose—Jeff. Then she remembered she was only in a dream and needed to wake up. She had to. When she turned to run from the clearing, she was no longer there, but in a busy street somewhere in New Orleans. Hannah felt disoriented, having no idea where she was. Blood began rushing down the sidewalks, but no one seemed to notice except her.
Hannah screamed at the top of her lungs for everyone to move, but they couldn’t hear her. She was wading through the crimson liquid as it rose to her knees. She needed to find Jeff and wake from this awful nightmare. She turned to her right just as a speeding truck splashed through the red gore, covering her entire body with blood. She stood there, shocked, then stared down at her blood-covered hands.
Again, she screamed Jeff’s name much louder this time with tears falling down her face. She was so lost and confused. Hannah’s entire body was trembling with fear of the unknown, and the words of her ancestor continued to play on a loop in her mind.
Blood rushed down her face, into her eyes and mouth, and she gagged. Searing pain shot through her head, and she lost her balance, falling into the sea of blood surrounding her. Hannah knew that she was going to die in her dream. Was it her death that the ancestor had foretold?
“Hannah, wake up! You’re having a nightmare.” Jeff soothed, rubbing Hannah’s hair and holding her in his arms.
When she opened her eyes, seeing that he was alive and well, she latched onto him with a death grip, crying even harder. “Jeff, you’re okay. There was so much blood… you’re all right.” She continued to sob in his arms.
“Shh. I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere. It was just a dream, sweetheart. Everything’s all right now.” He pulled away to look at her face. “Do you need anything? A glass of water?”
“No, just you,” she said through tears. “Hold me until I fall asleep again.”
He nodded and pulled her close. She didn’t want to scare him with that horrible dream or what the ancestor had predicted. They were getting their happily ever after, and it was just a dream. People had nightmares every day, right? Even witches with the gift of premonition. Hannah finally fell asleep to the calming rhythm of Jeff’s heartbeat.
Chapter 3
Present Day
Pulling into Tulane Hospital, Hannah’s mind was a wreck. She remembered the nightmare she’d had the night she and Jeff had spent in their new home. It had shaken her to the core. Now she knew it was much more than just a dream—her ancestor had been right. She had a decision to make.
Hannah grabbed her things, jumped from the car, and ran toward the front entrance. She knew Abby was likely already there. Hannah hoped she’d talked Joanie into getting food or something because she wasn’t sure she could see her right then. With her heart in her throat, she entered the elevator and pushed the button to ICU located on the third floor. So many questions were running through her mind: How would he look? Would he open his eyes? Was he going to come back to her? Too many to count. Hannah’s heart was breaking with every step she took after the elevator doors opened.
She walked to the nurse’s station, told the nurse on duty who she was, then asked where she was supposed to go. The woman had a solemn expression on her face. Hannah thought nurses were supposed to keep their features neutral, but maybe that was just her broken heart, or anger at the situation.
When Hannah opened the double glass doors, the overpowering smell of antiseptic washed over her, and she wasn’t prepared for the broken man she saw lying on the bed. Her everything crumbled into a million tiny pieces. She rushed to his side and lightly touched his hand. His entire body was wrapped in a cast and there were so many machines. The one helping him breathe, forcing his chest to rise and fall, was what truly broke her.
The beep-beep-beep of them all was like a foghorn blaring in her ears. She grasped his hand in her own, and sat in the chair beside his bed. “Jeff, if you can hear me, please come back.” She choked back a sob. “I need you. If you want to have those babies right away, we can start trying as soon as we’re married in our beautiful new home. Please come back,” she cried and gently kissed his forehead.
Hannah held his hand to her face, crying softly until she heard someone enter the room.
“Hey, Hannah.” Abby walked in with her eyes downcast. “I’m so sorry.”
“No. We have to help him live, Abby.”
“I’m not sure we can.” Danielle came through the door behind her.
“What do you mean?” Hannah almost shrieked.
“Abbs, you should tell her.” Danielle glanced between Hannah and Abby.
Abby took a breath and ran a hand through her long black hair, her green eyes glowing. “Well, as you know, I can see ghosts, lost spirits, or whatever you wanna call them.” She walked toward the window. “Jeff’s spirit has already left his body.”
“What?” Hannah half-shouted. “He’s right here—breathing.”
“On a machine,” Danielle said calmly.
“So, where is he?” Hannah was near hysterical.
She watched as Abby cast a glance toward Danielle and back to her. “He’s here, devastated, because you’re so upset, and his life was cut short.” Abby pointed toward the other side of the bed.
Jeff stood opposite her, and she had no idea.
Hannah stood and walked around the bed. “Jeff?” She couldn’t see him, but something felt off, odd.
“Listen, I can lend you my power if we hold hands, but only for a few minutes,” Abby offered. “This way, you can see and speak to him, okay?”
“Anything, just please let me see him. We have to bring him back, Abby.”
She shook her head, but the two witches came to stand next to Hannah and grasped thin air, then her hand. The air shimmered at first, then Jeff appeared. She wanted to jump in his arms, but she knew she couldn’t break the circle. She also couldn’t stop the tears.
“Hannah, I’m so sorry,” Jeff said. “If I knew how to come back, I would. I’d never leave you or our life together.”
“I’ll take you any way I can have you. We’ll find a way. I promise you that. You’re not leaving me,” Hannah said. “Remember those babies you talked about? We’re gonna have at least four of ’em. Don’t give up on us.”
“Hannah.” The expression on Jeff’s face said he was resigned to his fate, and she wanted to punch him.
“No. Don’t ‘Hannah’ me. I saw one of my ancestors in that nightmare the other night. She warned me of changes to come and told me to watch for the moon. I believe she was talking about Moon Magic. We only need to find the right spell.”
“Moon Magic?” Danielle raised a questioning brow. “I’ve heard of a few spells, but I don’t know about bringing back the dead. We can’t exactly do what Abby’s mom did for me, or the ancestors.” She stared at Abby. “Do you know anything about it?”
“There’s something in Daddy’s book, but I’m not sure. I’d have to read up on it. It’s not like we have angels handy.”
“Well, what are you waiting for? There’s a full moon tonight and I know Joanie—she won’t leave Jeff on life support for long,” Hannah said. “Run home and grab your father’s book, then come back here so we can come up with a plan. Please… It’s our only hope.”
“All right, but, Hannah, no one can know about this,” Abby said. “You know I’m not supposed to share my late father’s magic with anyone. Mom said it was strictly forbidden. It’s not only ancestral but blessed by God’s light as well.”
Danielle shook her head. “I don’t know if I like this, Abbs. What about the consequences? Mrs. B. will have your head.”
Abby appeared a bit nervous. “As long as we don’t break any rules, Mom should be fine. I hope.”
“We’ll check everything out, okay? If the consequences are too great, we won’t go through with it.” Hannah turned to Jeff who was hanging his head. “Hey, look at me. I just want you back, but I won’t do anything stupid, okay? I love you.”
“I love you, too, Hannah. I wish I could kiss you right now.”
“All right. Enough of the mushy shit,” Danielle teased, her long blonde hair swung around her shoulder as she shook her head, and for some reason, her blue eyes were beginning to glow. Maybe it had something to do with the sharing of Abby’s magic.
“Oh, shut it, Danielle.” Abby nudged her shoulder. “All right, kids. It’s time to break the connection. I’m sorry. Please say your goodbyes—for now.” She glanced from Hannah, then to Jeff. Hannah could see the concern marring Abby’s face, although she was trying to hide it.
“Bye, soon-to-be Mrs. Landry.” Jeff blew her a kiss. The expression on his face broke Hannah’s heart all over again.
“Bye, my soon-to-be darling husband,” she said through tears and watched as he disappeared when Abby let go of her hand.
Hannah wanted to fall into a heap on the floor but thought it best to keep herself together until they had their plan in motion. Abby was one of the strongest witches she knew, blessed with the power of God’s light, along with ancestral and ancient magic. She could do just about anything if she set her mind to it. They just needed to stay within the guidelines. She only hoped Moon Magic was one of them.
Chapter 4
Abby, her boyfriend and Jeff’s best friend, Danny, and Danielle arrived at sundown with her father’s spell book. The more the merrier, Hannah thought. It was just after she’d assured Joanie that she’d stay the night with Jeff and insisted she should go home, shower, and rest. Hannah was grateful she’d listened. Having her walk in while they were performing a spell would’ve been disastrous.
She knew with their combined powers they’d be able to accomplish a lot more. Danielle somehow smuggled in four large white candles; Hannah assumed for the spell they were going to perform. She was a bundle of nerves but was ready and willing to do anything to help Jeff walk out of that hospital alive. Thoughts of The Walking Dead crept into her mind, and she shuddered. She was never watching that damn show again. Ever. Jeff would not be a zombie. They were simply putting his spirit back into his body, or at least that was what she thought they were doing. She had no idea.
Abby sat cross-legged in the middle of the room. “Okay, Danielle, seal off the doors and ward the room so we won’t be disturbed.”
“Can do.” She stood and recited an incantation around the entryway that would stop anyone from entering. The room would not only feel empty, but the closer a person came to the door, the more a sense of foreboding would come over them, causing them to want to turn and walk in the other direction.
Once the spell was complete, Hannah glanced over at Jeff and saw Danny sitting in the chair beside him, whispering with his head down. In her own grief, she hadn’t thought about the other people around her who’d also been affected by his condition. Jeff and Danny had always been like brothers. She felt like shit. She’d been barking orders without considering anyone else’s feelings, and that needed to change—starting now.
She walked over to Abby and sat on the floor beside her, laying her head on her shoulder. “Thank you for being such a good friend. I’m sorry for acting the way I did earlier. I’m just so—”
“Stop.” Abby cut Hannah off and grabbed her hand. “If it were Danny lying in that bed, I’d be hysterical. You have nothing to apologize for.”
“Hey, Abbs, the spell’s done.” Danielle plopped down next to Abby. “Don’t you two start that crying shit. I can’t take it.”
Danielle, always the jokester, could never deal with any sort of display of emotion. She was the kindest of souls, but no one knew what would come out of that girl’s mouth at any given moment.
“Thanks, Danielle,” Abby said. “I was just going over the spell in Daddy’s book again. I’m still not clear on everything, but I do know we have to use the light of the full moon.”
“This is exactly what I was talking about,” Danielle countered. “We don’t know. Why can’t we just tell him to jump back in his body or somethin’? Hell, what if it backfires?”
“We’re out of options,” Hannah pled. “I don’t know what else to do. I can’t just let him die.”
“Hannah.” Danielle pointed her finger toward the wall behind her. “He’s technically dead already. I’m looking at him, or his spirit, rather.”
“Can we not talk about him like that, please?” Hannah asked. “It’s creepy and I can’t see him.”
“That’s it.” Abby jumped to her feet. “Jeff, go try and jump back in your body before we do a spell that could really screw things up.”
“Abby.” Danny interrupted. “What are you thinking? It doesn’t work like that and you know it.” He folded his arms, seeming as though he was going to scold everyone like children.
“Well, the spell isn’t clear, and Danielle said—”
“Seriously, Abby? Danielle said? And you’re just gonna tell him to hop back in his body? It didn’t work for her, either.” He took a breath, running his hand through his hair. “What’s Jeff saying?”
“That we’re all nuts, and he’s already tried.” Abby and Danielle burst out laughing.
“What’s so damn funny?” Hannah stared between the two laughing hyenas.
“He’s trying it again. He folded his arms and laid down on top of his body, then sat up with a ‘What the hell?’ expression.” Abby couldn’t stop laughing, and Hannah didn’t find it funny. “He said it won’t fit. I’m dying...” She wanted to smack Abby and Danielle, but at least they were finding some humor in the situation. If she weren’t so heartbroken, she guessed it would’ve been kind of funny. “It won’t fit.”
Yeah, that was funny, but whatever.
“Danielle’s rubbing off on you with her crude sex jokes at the most inappropriate of times,” she said, hiding a smile.
“Oh, shut it, Hannah,” Danielle piped in. “You know you love me, and you needed to laugh. Jeff thought so, too. Let’s get this show on the road.” She grabbed the candles sitting on the table against the wall and went back to the centermost part of the room.
“It’s about time.” Danny took his seat amongst the circle. “Abby, do what you always do: have faith. God and the ancestors will see you through.” He grasped her hand and planted a kiss on her knuckles. He was such a sweet guy, just like Jeff…
Chapter 5
After placing the candles in a circular formation within the circle, they each lit a candle counterclockwise using their fingertips to begin the blessing. Abby laid her dad’s book on her lap for reference. Holding hands, they prayed aloud for their ancestors to bless the sacred circle and to enfold them with their protection, lending their power and strength for what was to come.
“Jeff, we need you to step inside the sacred circle,” Abby said, and Hannah’s heart began to race. She wondered if she’d be able to see him once the spell commenced. She wasn’t sure how she’d respond, but she knew she needed to be strong—for both of them.
“All right, everyone. The spell says that we must call upon the ligh
t of the full moon, but under no circumstances do we break the circle. Understood?”
Everyone nodded in affirmation, although Hannah’s stomach was tied in knots. This just had to work. With Abby on her left and Danielle to her right, she felt stronger. She could do this.
“Okay, repeat after me.” Abby glanced around to make sure everyone was paying attention. Hannah could see she was worried. This was something so far out of Abby’s realm of expertise, and Hannah knew she was scared—they all were.
Ancients and Ancestors, we call upon thee,
With the blessings of God Almighty.
Lend us your strength and serenity.
We call upon the light of the full moon rising,
Set Jeff’s spirit free.
Reunite his body, flesh and bone revitalizing.
Bring him back amongst the living.
So we have called it.
So shall it be.
They repeated the incantation twice more, and on the third time, Jeff’s body became corporeal within the circle. The wind howled outside the room, and the lights began to flicker, but all that mattered was Jeff—Hannah could see him! Without thinking, she jumped up, breaking the circle and threw herself into his arms, crying like a small child. She grabbed his face and kissed him all over until she reached his lips.
She could hear voices in the background, but as far as she was concerned, the only two people in the room were her and Jeff.
Jeff held Hannah close in his arms, with tears rolling down his cheeks. “I love you, Hannah,” he said, his voice uneven. “I didn’t think I would ever get a chance to hold you in my arms again.” He lifted her from the floor and kissed her passionately until the wind from outside blew through the room, and a swirling gray mist appeared.
She heard, “Oh, shits,” and “What the hell?” then looked around. The candles winked out, and the circle was indeed broken. Dammit. She’d screwed up the last part of the spell. The gray mist became thick, swirling around their feet as the wind died down, then the woman—her ancestor—who’d come to Hannah in her dream, appeared in a bright-yellow light where the sacred circle had once been.