Coven, page 17
“You didn’t discourage any further contact by him?”
“There really wasn’t any reason to.” Sheridan’s voice was cool as she stood by Dylan’s car and waited for her to unlock it. “Just because he’s my father doesn’t mean I’m going to fall for his long-lost daddy act. Regardless, I’m going to take the opportunity to find out more about him. I mean, who wouldn’t in my position? He’s my father and I don’t know one single thing about him. I’m curious and always have been. You would be, too.”
“I suppose you’re right. However, I’m not comfortable with you meeting with him unless one of the New Moon inner circle witches are with you. At least until you know how to defend yourself better.” Dylan swung herself into the driver’s seat after she had let Sheridan in, ignoring Sheridan’s eyeroll. “Let’s get you home so you can rest, Sheridan. We’ll talk more later.”
From the shadowy doorway that led into the realm of Trom-Laighe, where he had stood watching the two witches, a maliciously pleased Michael O’Rourke let a small smile curl his mouth.
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“What a fucking asshole.” Hayden was pissed after Sheridan finished telling everyone about her meeting with Michael O’Rourke. The inner circle witches had piled into Sheridan’s apartment, making themselves comfortable on the floor so they could share the pizza Dylan had ordered. Oracle was curled up on her table under the front window, her belly full of the anchovies Dylan had specially ordered for her, and was now sound asleep.
There had been no time to cook for the impromptu get-together, but Sheridan had popped a couple of frozen apple pies in the oven to bake while they were eating their pizza. The smell of fall filled the apartment, and Sheridan vowed she was going to have everyone over for a proper dinner the minute there was time.
“I know, right?” Sam was equally pissed. She munched a bite of her pepperoni pizza and swallowed before she continued. “I mean, it’s good he’s falling for Sheridan’s clueless brand-new witch act, but I still want to kick his ass over how he’s trying to manipulate her.”
Sheridan picked off a red pepper ring from her vegetarian slice and nibbled at it. “Like you said, that’s a good thing. Look what we’ve found out because he doesn’t think of me as anything more than an ignorant female. He played that whole ‘you are my long-lost daughter’ and ‘blood is thicker than water’ thing like a champ, but I could still feel the emptiness inside him. I don’t think he realizes how deeply I can sense his true essence.
“The most important thing, though? Michael is definitely planning on taking Trom-Laighe away from Cassius Deimos, and he wants to use my Fire flame to do it. He’s being smart in the way he’s trying to reel me in: staying reserved, not pressuring me in any way, and acting like he has all the time in the world to get to know me. Which begs the question: What does he really have up his sleeve? Because you know he’s never planned to wait that long before he tries to get me down into Trom-Laighe. Personally, I think Evie and Av hit the nail on the head about Frannie Porprest.” The corner of Sheridan’s mouth lifted slightly.
“That’s why I mentioned to Michael I’ve met two jealous outer circle witches who’ve been less than welcoming. My father isn’t going to waste any time tracking them down, so I should be expecting a visit or a phone call from Frannie soon. He’s not going to wait any longer than he has to. He wants to take me to Trom-Laighe as soon as he can.”
“Do we know when Selene and Iris will be here?” Lily, who was done eating, leaned against Alex.
“I talked to Selene right before you all showed up. She and Iris are already on the road and think they’ll be here in the morning. They don’t plan on stopping. With two of them driving, Selene said, they can drive straight through. She also thinks I’m going to be immune to the Field, just like I do, but she wants to test it herself so we’re absolutely sure before we let my father lure me down there.”
Oracle, who had jumped down from the table and was now curled up in Grace’s lap, purred loudly as Grace scratched her behind the ears. “In the meantime, we need to get ourselves prepared and decide when Sam, Emmaline, and I should sneak down there. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to reach any of the genius loci of Trom-Laighe from this side of the veil, so we’ll be going in blind.
“I personally don’t think we should wait more than an hour or two after your father or his minions bring you down, Sher. Things will be chaotic, O’Rourke and Deimos will be distracted by you, and we should take advantage of the confusion while we can.”
Grace arched her brow at Sheridan as she stroked Oracle’s fur. “You should also know this baby is fully prepared to go down into Trom-Laighe with you, since your father made it a point to tell you Oracle would be welcome and protected. Little tiny miss here wants to kick some Nightmare ass, she said.” Grace snickered then sobered. “She’s a baby in our eyes, but she’s an ancient soul, honey. I suspect she’s probably forgotten more about magick than the rest of us know.”
“I’d prefer my girl stay up here with Dylan, helping to guard the Portal.” Sheridan looked at her kitten with love. “She can beat the ass of anything that tries to come through it into the Earth realm.” Oracle opened her mouth in a menacing hiss before licking Grace’s hand.
Dylan finished the last bite of her pizza then wiped her mouth and took a long drink of her iced tea. “Baby,” she said to Sheridan when she was finished, “before Selene gets here tomorrow, I want the two of us to practice talking to each other through our mate bond. I’m still uneasy about you facing Cassius Deimos by yourself.
“I know your father kind of dismissed him and told you he was a lot more powerful than that demon is magickally, but that still doesn’t mean Deimos isn’t a huge threat. He’s a fairly strong demon if he can rule over a Dark realm, don’t you think? We know he’s less than a Level Six because he can’t escape from Trom-Laighe by himself, but a Level Four or a Level Five demon would still have plenty of bite.”
“Oh, don’t worry. The last thing I intend to do is underestimate him, although he’s going to seriously underestimate me, because he thinks I’m just an untrained witch with a bunch of Fire power who doesn’t know what the hell she’s doing. He’s not going to waste any extra juice on me, especially since he’ll believe the Field will contain me, so I’m not a threat.” Sheridan snuggled up to Dylan’s side. “I wonder what kind of bullshit story my father is going to tell me about why I’ll be kept contained in the Field when he takes me there? To be sure, he and Deimos aren’t going to let me loose so I can run around however I want.”
Dylan snorted. “Who the fuck knows when it comes to that dick? All I know is, I’ll be a lot less worried about you if you can get out of the Field at will and can get the others out, too.” She caressed Sheridan’s cheek. “We’ll get a preliminary plan together, have Selene make her assessments when she gets here tomorrow, then wait for O’Rourke to make his move. Grace, Sam, and Emmaline will cloak themselves and follow you down into Trom-Laighe then gather as much information as they can while you’re doing your thing.
“Shit’s getting real, witches, and things are starting to come together. Let’s start formulating our plan so we can be ready for Selene’s arrival in the morning. It’s time for the entire Dark realm of Trom-Laighe to be neutralized, once and for all.”
Chapter 14
“You see, Ms. Porprest,” Michael O’Rourke’s voice held tones of sadness, “my Sheridan has been through so much in the last several months and her judgment is faulty right now. Her mother died, she broke up with her extremely toxic girlfriend, her grandparents and her northern friends have abandoned her, and she is in a completely new city where everything is strange to her.”
Michael was sitting with Frannie Porprest and Mary Lyn Amherst in a small waterside park a considerable distance from Sheridan’s apartment. When Sheridan had mentioned there were two jealous outer circle witches from the Coven of the New Moon who had been less than welcoming to her, Michael had wasted no time in tracking them down. It didn’t take long for him to discover that Frannie had been obsessed with Dylan Bellamy for years and was angry because Sheridan had caught Dylan’s attention. Using Frannie’s feelings against her, he had approached her in a deliberately tentative way, making it seem like he was worried about his daughter’s state of mind and asked if they could sit down to talk about the situation together.
He twisted his fingers together, letting his feigned worry show. “I think when Dylan Bellamy started to pay her some attention, she jumped on it because she was sad and lonely…and probably even scared because she was in a new city with no friends. I doubt Sheridan’s feelings for Dylan are real, Ms. Porprest. All she has done for the last ten years is take care of her mother during Eileen’s battle with breast cancer, so this coven must have seemed like a godsend to her. In any event, I really think she needs to be down in my realm with me so I can take care of her properly through her grief.
“I am hesitant to approach anyone in your inner circle. Sheridan is starting to think of them as her friends, and I do not want to take a chance any of them will talk her out of going with me. They already have her scared because my realm is a Dark realm, even though we trouble no one. I feel by asking you for your help, she will be more protected and have a greater opportunity to do the right thing. So, please. Help me to help my daughter.”
Frannie shook back her thin, straight black hair, a speculative look on her narrow face. “It’s not a secret that Sheridan and I haven’t gotten along because of Dylan. And I’ll be honest with you, Mr. O’Rourke. I feel a bit sorry for Sheridan after what you’ve told me today, but I still want her gone and away from my butch. Dylan is mine. I’m sure Dyl feels sorry for Sheridan also, but she is mistaking her feelings of pity for something else. Sheridan needs to go with you so you can help her, and the Coven of the New Moon needs to get back to normal. Frankly, I don’t think your daughter is a good fit for us.” A look of distaste then crossed her face.
“I’ve heard rumors the inner circle has already accepted Sheridan as the new coven Anchor, our Thirteenth witch.” She rolled her eyes and snorted. “I mean, seriously? A Fire witch in the Anchor position? Stacy, our old Anchor, was Earth, which is exactly what an Anchor should be. Dylan has lost her mind if she thinks Sheridan is in any way appropriate as an anchor. Your daughter needs to go.” She and Mary Lyn both crossed their arms on their chests with identically snotty looks on their faces.
Clearly, the two witches were totally clueless about the strength of Sheridan’s Fire flame power. Michael carefully hid his disdain. “After what you have just told me, Ms. Porprest, I think Sheridan needs to come to my realm with me sooner rather than later. I do not suppose you have any way to bring her to the entrance of my realm, do you? As long as she is caught up in this delusion that the Coven of the New Moon is good for her, she will most likely balk at coming with me. And I cannot agree with you more. Even if Sheridan was in any way mentally prepared to handle it at this time, a Fire witch has no place as a coven Anchor.”
Frannie thought for a moment. “The inner circle has mandated that no New Moon outer circle witch can go hedge riding or can travel down the Corridor near the Dark realms unless they’re accompanied by an inner circle witch. I could always approach Sheridan, apologize for us getting off on the wrong foot or something like that, and ask her to go to another Light realm with me and Mary Lyn so we can show it to her.” Mary Lyn nodded. “The portal to the Corridor is always open, so I doubt she’d be suspicious. I only need to know how I’m supposed to contact you and let you know when we’re going.”
“That is an excellent idea, Ms. Porprest. How clever you are.” Frannie preened. “I suggest that we not delay. Do you think you can arrange this by tomorrow afternoon? At three o’clock?”
“I’m sure I can. I’ll ask Avalon or Grace if they can have Sheridan text me, since I don’t have her number, then I’ll ask her if she’ll walk the Corridor with us so we can apologize to her. I can’t think of any reason she’d say no, but on the off chance she does…if you don’t see us near the Dark realm entrances at three o’clock, you’ll know.”
“Very good. Then I shall leave you to make your arrangements, and I offer you my thanks for your assistance with this. I know my Sheridan will be much happier with me after her initial resistance, once I can explain to her that her place is at my side. Thank you again, Ms. Porprest. And to you as well, Ms. Amherst. I am sure we will be seeing each other again soon. Quite soon.”
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“Excellent, Michael. Now, let me make sure I understand this correctly. Two members of the outer circle of that infernal coven are going to lure your daughter to the entrance of Trom-Laighe tomorrow, where she can then be taken by my Nightmares and brought into the realm. Those two witches can also be captured, which will add two more human slaves to our ranks. I assume you have a room that is barricaded by the Field ready for Sheridan?”
“I do, my Lord,” Michael said from where he was kneeling on the cold stone floor in front of Deimos’s throne. “I will also have the human witches put into the slave quarters, where the Field there threads through everything, so it will strip their powers and turn them to Null. Neither of them is very strong, so it will not take long at all.
“My daughter, in contrast, is very powerful magickally, in spite of the fact she does not know how to use her powers as of yet. To that end, her room is only encased in a border boundary of the Field, so we will have access to her Fire flame power while still keeping her contained. I will inform her that her magick will stay intact as long as she avoids touching the outer perimeter of the room. Admittedly, she will be upset at first, but I think once she understands what her purpose here will be, she will come around.”
Deimos was clearly pleased. “I must admit, I had been having doubts about your ability and your loyalty, Michael, but you have redeemed yourself. With the strength of my new Dark Sorceress, that infernal God and Goddess will no longer be able to keep me bound to Trom-Laighe. Your daughter may be the Balance of the Universe at the moment, but it is up to you to strengthen her Dark side, so that the Light is vanquished and Dark rules throughout all the realms.”
“It will be as you command, my Lord.” Michael’s voice was even. “I have just a few small things I need to finish now before Sheridan comes tomorrow afternoon. Unless you object, I will be taking six of your Nightmares to bring her and the human witches here. Although I expect no interference, the extra guards will be just in case Dylan Bellamy and her coven decide to get involved.”
“Make it so.” Deimos waved a clawed hand. “You will bring her to me immediately the moment she arrives tomorrow. I care not what you do with the other two once they have been made Null. However, I remind you that I have agreed to give Sheridan one week to accept her new position before I introduce her to my Nightmares.” An evil smile lifted the corner of the demon’s mouth. “Your daughter may be naturally powerful, Michael, but I hope you explain to her what will happen to her if she does not obey me.”
Michael kept his face impassive. “Sheridan strikes me as an eminently reasonable young woman, my Lord. I think once I explain everything to her—and what the consequences will be if she does not do as you wish—I expect no trouble from her.”
“I hope for your sake that is true, Michael. No matter her power level, she most assuredly would find difficulty in going up against one of my Nightmares. I would prefer not to break my new toy.” Deimos waved his hand again. “Go, and make sure we are prepared to receive my new Sorceress to Trom-Laighe. It is time that all the realms of the Universe understand where the true power lies.”
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“Little witch, it appears you are quite safe from the Field.” Selene’s oracle cards disappeared into a fold of her voluminous skirt. A collective sigh of relief came from the assembled inner circle witches of the Coven of the New Moon, who were standing in the ritual circle in Alex and Lily’s backyard.
As Selene had predicted, she and Iris had arrived in Isla del Mar bright and early that morning, and had wasted no time telling Sheridan and Dylan to get the inner circle of the coven together. When the witches were in their ritual circle, Dylan had opened the portal to the Dark realms, then had pulled a tiny tendril of energy from around the entrance to Trom-Laighe so Selene could read it. Selene had asked some brief questions about both Trom-Laighe and the Field before she spread out her oracle cards on the ritual table and called on Nyx, the Greek goddess of the night.
“Since Nyx controls the shadows and the darkness, she is probably the best deity to approach as far as Trom-Laighe is concerned, since it is the Nightmare Realm,” she had mused. “We’ll see what kind of messages she can bring us as far as both the realm and the Field go.”
Selene had called on Nyx, thanked her for her presence, and proceeded to ask her about the Dark realm of Trom-Laighe, flipping her cards quickly and firmly as she received answers from the goddess through her cards. Then, she had asked about Sheridan’s primary magick in particular, asking what kind of protection her powers as an Incantatrix provided her against the Field. No one missed the flicker of relief that had crossed Selene’s face as she turned her cards faster before she moved on to inquire about both Michael O’Rourke and Cassius Deimos.
After about ten minutes of a conversation only Selene could see and hear, the older witch thanked Nyx again before giving a deep sigh and pronouncing Sheridan safe from the Field. Amid their relief, the witches had moved from the ritual circle to the comfortable lanai, while Avalon and Lily disappeared inside the house to make tea for everyone.
When everyone was finally settled, Selene began to interpret her reading from Nyx for them. “First of all, you already know quite well that Trom-Laighe is a Dark realm that carries plenty of baneful magickal energy.” Selene blew across the surface of her tea to cool it. “Despite Michael O’Rourke’s attempt to paint the realm as one that causes no trouble and keeps to itself, it’s the most corrupted and dangerous of the Dark realms. Again, as you well know.”
