Ghost in the Spell, page 6
“No.” He finger-combed his short red hair. “I called in the minute Luanne threw up the bat signal.”
In that moment, I felt such overwhelming gratitude but also a serious urgency. “The meeting spot is Grave Hall,” I told them. “I have to be there at midnight. Which means we have less than an hour to figure out how to modify the spell to protect Michael and execute it before I get on the road.”
“Grave Hall?” Marigold sounded alarmed. “At that time of night, and with all the low-hanging clouds. You’re going to be lucky if you’re able to see five feet in front of the car. That drive is dangerous even when you’re not rushing.”
“I know,” I said. “But I didn’t pick the location.”
“The only thing up there is some scenic bluffs and a handful of cabins,” Dahlia added. “Why do they want you to meet there?”
“Isn’t there a legend about Grave Hall?” Rowan mused. “Something about a free love cult who lived up there until they threw themselves off the side of the mountain.”
“Oh, yeah,” Marigold said. “That was in the sixties, well before our time.”
“We don’t have time for history lessons,” I said. “We need to have the spell together in forty-five minutes.” I prayed we had enough supplies. “I have the amber stones we need.” I had them charging on a selenite plate in my bedroom. Linda’s suggestion. “I’ll need powder and mint. Enough for the five of us.”
Thomas had said I needed at least five people for the spell to work. I’d had seven when we’d saved the pixies. My siblings, Keir, Luanne, and myself. That evening, they’d become my coven. But I would need both Zev and Luanne for their tactical skills, Keir for his brute force as a puca, and Carver, for his understanding of magic. That left only four behind to keep the spell going. Someone was going to have to stay behind.
“I need five people to keep the spell going while I’m gone,” I said. I let the question of who would stay behind linger in the air. “Rowan, Dahlia, Rose, and Marigold can’t keep it up on their own.”
Michael cleared his throat. “I can do it.”
“No,” I said dismissively. “I don’t want you—”
“Involved?” He sighed. “Mom, that ship has sailed. I’m not a child anymore. And I want to help. If everyone is putting their necks out for me, then I have a right to decide how much I get to be involved. Besides, you have a better shot at kicking those guys’ asses with Aunt Lu, Keir, and Zev.” He acknowledged Carver. “Him, too.”
“When did you get so smart?”
“Good genes,” he said. “Besides, if I do this, then maybe I’ll finally get to meet Linda.” He lowered his lids. “You know when you find her.”
“Where is Linda?” Dahlia asked. “I just thought she wasn’t in here because of the kid.”
“We found a badger,” Marigold told us. “He said that he would get the word out to the mountain that you were looking for Linda’s donsy. He seemed confident that Morlan would get the message.”
“How soon?” I asked. It would take a load off my mind to find Linda safe and sound.
“I don’t know. Badgers apparently have a weird sense of time. It could be hours, or it could be days. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Morlan or Linda will show up soon.”
Rose frowned. “What happened to Linda?”
“It’s a story for later,” I said. “Time is ticking, and we have a spell to modify.”
CHAPTER 8
“This spell is clever, Iris.” Carver looked over the notes in my grimoire. “It combines earth and air elements and manages to cloak everything inside the circle as if it doesn’t exist.”
“Just like a Klingon cloaking device,” Rowan said.
Carver cocked his head at my brother. “Only because they got it from the Romulans, so technically, it’s a Romulan cloaking device.”
“I don’t care if it’s a Jedi cloaking device,” Luanne said. “As long as it works.”
My siblings and my son all gave her a look of incredulity.
“That’s not even the same universe,” Marigold chided.
Lu rolled her eyes. “Goddess, save me from nerds.”
She wasn’t wrong. Us Everlees were nerds and geeks from way back, and we’d grown up with science fiction and fantasy shows. I’d passed the love down to my son.
“Mixing Star Trek up with Star Wars is going too far, Lu,” Rose said. “When this is all over, you’re coming over to my house for a movie marathon with the boys.”
“I think I’m busy that weekend,” Lu joked. She and Rose had become besties over the past few months, and I knew that if Rose planned a day for them, Lu would make sure her schedule was open.
“Anyhoo,” I interrupted. “We need to get back on track.”
“Sorry,” Carver said. “I didn’t mean to get us off track. I’m very impressed with your spell craft, Iris. For someone so new to magic, you have a talent for seeing the possibilities. That takes a real gift.”
“Iris has always been a problem solver,” Rowan said. “Out of all of us, she always seems to plan ten steps ahead of any eventuality.”
“She also always seems to know when something will or won’t work,” Marigold added. “She’s always been gifted that way.”
Sometimes it wasn’t a blessing. In the past, I’d had a tendency to butt into a problem even when the person dealing with the problem didn’t want my help. It didn’t matter that I could see they were on the wrong path. People don’t always want to be rescued. I had to learn how to respect that. Lucky for Michael. He got the Iris who knew how to keep her mouth shut…mostly.
Zev and Keir had made a quick grocery run.
“I got six loose face powders from the health and beauty aisle and fresh mint from the produce area.” He handed the bags to Marigold.
“Thank you,” I told him. There was still tension between us, but I knew Keir well enough by now to know he wouldn’t start a fight, at least not until we found out who was after me this time and why?
“I think we’re about ready,” I told the room. “We should perform the spell in the house instead of outside. I think it will last longer if it's not at the mercy of the wind.” I’d asked Fair Konig right away if his people would help. He’d been eager to be of service. “We need to move all the furniture out of the living room, and I’ll draw a pentagram.”
“I have ritual chalk in my kit,” Carver offered. “It makes a spell more sticky if that makes sense.”
“You know more than I do, so I’ll take your word for it.” Intuition only got you so far. It was nice having someone around who was a real expert in magic, even if he wasn’t a tru-craft witch. A lot of principals were the same. “I’ve modified the wording of the spell to block Michael’s signal, for lack of a better word. If I get this right, it should make him, and everyone in the circle, completely undetectable to magic.”
Marigold put her hand on my shoulder. “You got it right.”
I nodded. “The pixies will keep the powder circulating in this area, and without the wind carrying the powder away, they should be able to keep the barrier going for a few hours.” I hoped.
We needed enough time to get up the mountain and beat these bastards at their own game. The plan was for me to drive ahead. Keir, Lu, Zev, and Carver would follow in Luanne’s van, hanging back far enough to look like just another traveler at night. I’d given them directions to the cabin off double A road, a mile on the left. Luanne and Carver would set up a barrage of weapons, both magical and tactical, and Zev and Keir would go deep woods and circle in at the rear. Zev and Keir, being supernatural creatures, could move more quietly and quickly through a dense forest and rugged hillside. I, of course, would go in the front door just like the kidnappers expected.
Fair Konig tapped at my kitchen window. I opened the door, and he flew inside with four dozen other pixies, a mixture of male and female, including his wife Annibish and their daughter Iverlee. The tiny pixie landed on my shoulder. My gosh, she was already almost as big as her parents. “Hello, there.”
“Hello, Iris Everlee,” she replied. “I welcome the warmth of your home.”
“You are always welcome,” I told her. It was about twenty minutes to eleven, and we were rapidly losing time. “Are we ready?”
There was a series of excited cheers, squeaks, and clicks from the pixies. My siblings and Michael looked equally eager. They’d experienced a breath of my magic, and the experience had been transformative. I didn’t blame them for their excitement. I’d had a choice to lose my magic to potentially save my life instead of participating in the malificionito trials. I’d chosen potential death instead. Tru-craft and the elements were mine now, and I wouldn’t give them up, not even to save my life. Would I give it up if Michael’s life was in the balance? Yes. But it would be more difficult than I wanted to admit.
Rowan, Zev, Lu, and Marigold moved all my living room furniture to the walls. The one small area rug was tossed onto the couch. Carver had gone out to his car and retrieved a leather-bound case covered in glyphs and alchemy symbols—what he called his kit. He opened the cryptic lock, then unlatched the bag.
From a small pouch, he withdrew a piece of chalk and handed it to me. “It’s a combination of yarrow, white sandalwood, and ash powder mixed with mica, iron fillings, and lodestone. It is strong for drawing rituals.” He gestured to the three-inch long, one-inch squared gray chalk. “You can keep that one.”
With my earth magic, I could feel the energy emanating from the gift. I suppressed a giddiness that rose in me. Now wasn’t the time to get excited about a new toy. “Thank you, Carver. I appreciate it.”
As well as I could, I freehanded a five-point star, then drew a circle around it, connecting all the points. I gave Rowan, Dahlia, Rose, Marigold, and Michael each an amber stone, a sprig of mint, and a compact of face powder. We took the lids off and removed the vented screens.
“Okay, everyone. Michael has to stay in the circle, but you all can make food and comfort runs in and out for yourselves and him,” I reminded them before we got started.
“We got it the first dozen times you told us,” Rose said.
“Michael, I hope you peed.”
“Come on, Mom,” he complained.
“Fine, but if it gets uncomfortable later, don’t blame me.”
I went to the center of the star with my own set of ingredients. “I’m ready to begin.” I held my hands up. My family, who had taken up each of the five points on the star, copied my actions. “I’ll say the incantation once, and then you guys can join in, okay?”
They agreed.
“In this circle, there is trust that binds. Energy shared from hearts and minds.” I centered my thoughts on the people I loved who were in this circle. I knew each and every one of them loved Michael almost as much as I did, and I didn’t doubt that any one of them would protect him with their very lives. Dahlia, my rod of strength. Rowan, our reed that bends but does not break. Rose, the glue that kept us together. Marigold, the joy of life. And finally, Michael, my baby, who was almost a man. He was the breath of life for me. With these five in place, I started the spell. “Northwind blows, no sight to see, no sound to hear. Inside this barrier, no spell can come near. If danger seeks my son, keep him hidden in plain sight so that he can be found by none.”
I repeated the spell and focused on the pentagram, crystallizing my intention in my mind. I repeated the words. “In this circle, there is trust that binds. Energy shared from hearts and minds. Northwind blows, no sight to see, no sound to hear. Inside this barrier, no spell can come near. If danger seeks my son, keep him hidden in plain sight, so that he can be found by none.”
My family repeated my words, and I could feel their intention as their energy filled me. I gathered all that they gave me, and I sent it back out to them in return.
After we spoke the incantation one more time, I commanded them to “Release the powder.”
I threw a handful of my own into the air. The rest of my coven did the same. “Bend to my will,” I demanded. The powder shimmered as the pixies flew in circles around and inside the pentagram to keep the powder floating.
Michael’s eyes widened, the smile on his face making his dimples the deepest I’d seen them in a long time. He was experiencing what it meant to be coven. I remembered how wonderful it felt the first time I cast a spell with my family, and it felt just as amazing now.
My brother and my sisters all stared at each other and began to laugh with joy as the moment, once again, took us.
We couldn’t hear anything outside the circle, but Keir’s waving caught my eye. He tapped his wrist. Crap. Bliss would have to wait. It was go-time.
CHAPTER 9
Luanne had walkie-talkies with a thirty-mile radius on flat terrain. Our cell phones would lose service at a certain point the higher we climbed, so the two-way radios would be our only means of communicating at a distance. With the tall trees and winding mountain roads, she warned me that we needed to keep within five miles of each other.
The one she’d given me had an earpiece, and I’d put it in the interior jacket pocket. I doubted seriously if I would be frisked. I don’t think the man on the other end of the phone expected me to put up a fight. Boy, was he ever wrong.
All I had to do was tap the earpiece to connect with my team. Once, if it was clear to speak. Two quick taps would mean all-clear but radio silence. Three taps would signal them to send in the rescue brigade, guns and magic blazing. The goal was to act as scared as possible and get as much information out of them while they believed they had me where they wanted me. Acting scared was the easy part. These men, or whoever they were, had snatched a human being using powerful magic right out of my living room and right in front of me. I’d been powerless to do anything. In other words, I was scared. No acting required.
“Iris, can you hear me?” Lu’s voice crackled over the radio. “Mic check.”
I tapped my earpiece once. “I hear you loud and mostly clear.”
“Keep it simple,” she came back.
“Fine. I hear you.”
“Great.”
My heart picked up the pace when the next voice I heard was Keir’s. “You can do this,” he told me. “You are a god eater.”
I smiled. “You say the sweetest things,” I responded.
“You’re a badass witch, Iris,” Lu added. “Don’t you forget it!”
I tapped my earpiece. “Heard and appreciated.”
At the fifteen-mile mark, my headlights bounced off the fog, and the road became too hazy and incandescent to see properly. I reduced my speed even more. Damn it. I was going to be late, and I feared they would try and make good on their promise to snatch Michael. I trusted my spell to hold up, but it would ruin our plan if they realized they had no power over me.
I didn’t know if it would work, but I called air and water for an assist. Clouds and fog were both made from invisible water vapor that condenses into masses of tiny droplets light enough to carry on the air. I kept that in mind as I solidified my intention.
“Fog and clouds hit the gas, be a pal and let me pass. Ahead and behind, be a dear and keep it clear. I am short on time, so forgive the lousy rhyme. I have a date with fate, and I can’t be late.” Suddenly, the fog grew even heavier, and I cursed my rotten spell for doing the opposite of what I wanted. Then just as suddenly, the fog parted like the Red Sea, and I could see as far as the road allowed, and I was pleasantly surprised that it stayed clear behind me when I looked in my rearview. Score two for team nero and aero-craft.
I sped up, and the fog stayed out of my way the entire distance. At this pace, I would get to the cabin with minutes to spare. Yay? Did I want minutes to spare?
I thought about the look of pure pleasure on Michael’s face when he’d experienced the spell. He had accepted our new reality so readily, even quicker than I had, it made me wonder if he really had been born to it. If Carver could teach him how to use and respect magic, Michael would have a much easier time if his tru-craft powers ever sparked.
When, I amended. The fire god Volres said he’d felt the spark in Michael, and he’d basically told me that if I wasn’t willing to be his meat suit, he would take Michael when the time came. That had been his first and last mistake. Rose had been right about the ferocity of mothers. I taught that demi-god that you don’t mess with my kid, not if you want to live. The thought made me less afraid of what was coming. These bastards had tried to take Michael. They were the ones who should be afraid of me. Not the other way around.
Eight minutes later, Keir asked, “Did you do that with the road?”
“Yep,” I answered.
“Lu sends her regards.”
I grinned. “Message received.” I was pleased that the road behind me had stayed clear. “See you at the top.”
“Be careful.”
“Back at you. All of you.”
My stomach clenched when I saw the sign for Grave Hall. There were narrow strips of land on both sides of the road that stretched for half a mile full of grave markers and headstones. According to Wiki-now, the turn of the century cemetery had its last burial performed in 1926. The small township was established in 1935, and it had been given the name Grave Hall for obvious reasons. I was basically driving down a hall of graves. I’d been through the place once, years ago, but there was rarely any reason to go this far up into the mountain. The people who lived or visited either liked being alone or they liked to hunt. Neither of those things was my jam.
I saw the sign up ahead for double A road. I tapped the earpiece. “I’m closing in. About a mile from the destination.”
“Hold up,” Lu said. “We’ll park on the side of the road at the edge of the cemetery, and I’ll let you know when we are ready to go.”
Nervously, I tugged at my earlobe. My car clock read 11:55. It would take me a minute or two to get down to the cabin, and that put me right on the cusp of midnight. “Negative,” I said. “It’s almost midnight. If I’m not on time, this plan goes to shit.”
