Chapter Twenty-Eight Lyra #3
“I’ll get the candles.” Nova jumped up and went into the back room, which also doubled as a storage pantry for any overflow. I heard her croon soft words to Iris while she was back there, and then she came out, two pillar candles clasped in her hand.
“I’ll put the kettle on,” Sloane said and went to the kitchen. Blue, seeing her direction, hopped up and air-waddled after her in hopes of finding cheese.
“We’ve got a nice baguette. Will that suit? Or do you need a particular type of bread?” Broca rose and followed Sloane to the kitchen.
I checked the recipe, but it did not specify.
Within minutes we were settled around the dining table, with the bread placed between one black and one white pillar candle. A bowl had been placed in front of the bread, silver needles to prick our fingers, a spoon to stir, honey, salt, and a kettle of boiling water at the ready.
I took a seat at the head of the table, facing directly at the bread and candles, while Broca and Sloane sat on one side and Nova on the other.
“Read it out, Lyra.” Broca patted my hand gently.
“Right, so first I’ll light the black candle to signal strength and power to cut the cord of the curse.
And then I’ll light the white candle for healing and renewal.
” I took a deep breath and reached for my magick, and it unfurled inside me, all but dancing to the surface, so that my hands trembled slightly as I struck the match and lit the candles.
“ ‘Next, each sister must place a hand on the bread and speak something about what the curse has taken from them or how it has hurt them. This acknowledges the curse and gives it form,’ ” I read out. Taking a deep breath, I laid my hand on top of the bread.
“It took years away from my love.” I kept my focus on the bread, refusing to let tears fill my eyes, needing to keep a hold on my magick, which was zinging about my body.
“It took my childhood,” Nova said, adding her hand on top of mine.
“And it took my freedom of choice.” Sloane laid her hand on top.
Everyone turned to look at me, but I was still reeling at how heavy their words were.
We didn’t talk about it, not really, since there had never seemed like there was much we could do about the curse.
The past was the past, and we had to look forward, accepting whatever we came up against. So to articulate in such broad but harsh strokes made me understand even more deeply what a burden this curse was to ourselves and others.
“Now we salt the bread together.” I indicated the bowl of salt, and we all drizzled salt over the bread while I read out loud. “ ‘No jealousy, no broken vow, we salt the wound and heal it now.’ ”
The flames grew higher on the candles, and tiny sparks buzzed around the flame.
“Now, a drop of blood each, directly onto the bread,” I said.
Nova went first, pricking her hand and squeezing a single deep red drop onto the bread.
I followed, barely feeling the prick of the needle on my skin, so focused was I on trying to keep my magick in line.
It felt like I was trying to net a thousand buzzing bees, zipping around inside me.
Sloane followed, pressing the blood into the bread and sealing it.
“Now for honey.” Broca passed me a pot of honey, and I took the little wooden spoon and drizzled honey on the bread. “ ‘By blood and sweet, the circle complete. From curse set free, our line shall be.’ ”
The flames grew even higher, and Nova’s eyes widened, but she didn’t say anything.
I tore the bread into little pieces and poured the boiling water over it. Reaching for the spoon, I stirred clockwise as I recited the final steps of the recipe.
“ ‘By hearth and hand, by blood and flame, we break the curse and heal our name. From sister to sister, the bond is true. The heart is mended, the bloodline made new.’ ”
I barely had time to duck when the bowl flipped, flying toward me, splattering boiling hot water across my arms. I shrieked, and Sloane was up, already moving, but there was nothing to be done.
“Ow, ow, ow,” I cried, tears springing to my eyes. My skin was scalded and my hopes dashed. “I’m never going to get this right.”
“Shhh, it’s okay, Lyra. It’s okay. Come with me, over to the faucet, now.” Sloane dragged me up and over to the kitchen, pushing my arms under the tap. There she ran tepid water over my arms while Nova called Raven.
“I should have cast a circle for protection,” Broca said, her hands clasped against her chest. “What was I thinking? I know better.”
“It’s not your fault,” I said, tears streaming down my cheeks and mingling with the water running over my burns.
“I’m a failure. I’m never going to learn how to be a real witch.
It was stupid of me to be excited about it, and stupid of me to think I could actually learn how to do it well.
My magick is messed up for a reason. It knows that I’ll never be good enough. ”
“Wheesht,” Broca said, getting up and striding briskly over to the kitchen. She put her arm around my shoulders. “I’ll not have you talk about my favorite granddaughter that way.”
“Hey!” Sloane and Nova both said, and despite the pain I was in, I choked out a laugh.
“Your magick isn’t working because of the curse, Lyra. This has nothing to do with who you are or how you learn. Remember, I said your magick wants to be used. It wants to work with you. Tell me, how does your magick feel inside you right now?”
I closed my eyes while the water ran over my wrists and realized that my magick was no longer zinging happily around inside me. Instead, it had withdrawn, curling back up into a ball, as though it was deeply sad and needed a rest.
“It’s sad, I think?”
“Exactly. Your magick is yours to use. It will never deliberately hurt you or put you in harm’s way. This has everything do with the curse and nothing to do with you. But the problem is, we have a solution and we don’t know how to use it.”
“And, um, not to add any stress, but didn’t you say you had to film at one o’clock today?” Nova asked, and my head whipped up to see the clock.
“It’s almost one o’clock? When did that happen?” I cried, pulling my hands from the water. Large red welts were visible on my skin.
“You can’t bake like that, Lyra.” Sloane was already moving toward the first aid kit, which was still out on the counter from helping Iris. “Let me bandage you.”
“Nova. Go pick a dress, please. I need to take the world’s fastest shower and then get ready.”
“If you make it a cold one, I’ll bandage you after?
” Sloane asked, and I nodded. My heart hammered in my chest. There had been just too many things in a short period of time.
The memory with Rab, getting stabbed, falling for Rab again, getting burned, Iris getting hurt…
I wasn’t sure how to process any of it. It was like I was watching a movie on fast-forward and didn’t know how to react.
How to feel.
All I knew was that I couldn’t leave Rab hanging, not again, and I ran upstairs without another word.