Chapter 6 Blessed Be #2
I’m unsure if I can be trusted with knowledge of such power.
This darkness at times seems to have a mind and choices of its own.
But I am sure of how I feel around Hekate.
I trust her. She will teach me to be good.
With her near, my body vibrates with power in a way that has me convinced I could have everything I have ever desired.
With her I no longer feel out of place, like a mixed breed creature who must be watched carefully or treated with special care.
I just feel like me. Not Nyx the dark one or Nyx the cursed.
I am Nyx the celestial witch whose darkness is a gift as much as the light.
She gives me a half smile before raising her dagger up and pointing it directly toward the moon, her icy hair falling behind her shoulders as she tilts her head back.
“Mother Moon, Goddess of Earth. Hear us. We ask of you to bless us with your power, under the guidance of the blood moon and with darkness as witness to our pleas. Let Nyx become one with myself and my covens. Let her share my blood and share our ancestor’s wisdom from this day forward.
Forgive her for the selfishness, the greed, and the vanity which came before this day.
Accept her as one of your own and one of mine.
Hear me mother moon and goddess of earth and let her power rise! ”
She keeps the dagger raised, and her eyes do not flick open as the clouds roll in, not even when thunder rolls overhead or as lightning strikes the ground all around us.
As the wind swirls rapidly within the dome and our hair blows wildly, she still holds the dagger toward the moon without flinching.
Even as whispered words from unseen strangers echo all around us, strangers who I cannot see but feel as though they’re right next to me, she simply smiles.
Their power brushes against my skin softly.
They whisper my name into the shadows. They circle around me again and again, tiny speckles of blue light and surges of power.
I hold my breath and refuse to blink, too stunned to look away.
Hekate lowers the dagger into her lap and locks eyes with me.
She glances around as if she can see them, the ones who whisper in the dark.
With a single nod to the ethereal forces, she runs the dagger across her palm, letting blood drain into her golden chalice.
The warmth from the powerful forces hums like electricity buzzing through the air.
Still, the storm rages on as she sends the dagger floating my way, and I gladly retrieve it from the air.
My trembling hand does not hesitate or flinch as I slice open my vein, letting it spill into the cup in front of me.
My offering to the moon if she will accept me.
Hekate holds her cup up above her head, eyes locked to the sky, so I do the same.
Prickly, warm power radiates in the palm of my hand.
Love, light and darkness combine to form acceptance of all that I am and who I am meant to be.
Intense power spreads from my hand and tingles as it climbs down my arm and pushes its way into my blood stream.
It weaves through every part of me, attaching to every fiber of my being.
It does not leave a single cell unaffected, and there’s a distant, gentle murmur of acceptance by the powers that be.
I am no longer just a witch who can wield an unimaginable amount of power. I am power.
The contents in our cups bubble and splatter out as they boil.
My hand is warm, and my heart is full as I watch the liquid from Hekate’s cup rise to meet the blood from my own.
It is no longer my blood or her blood, or the power from the blood moon above.
It is our blood. Our power. The union of our souls.
My heart thuds loudly in my chest and my lips curl up into a wide smile as the liquid contents slowly descend back into the cups in our waiting hands.
Blood magic cannot possibly be evil when it holds such beauty. Not when it feels so right.
Hekate’s bright smile puts the glow of the moon to shame, even as it appears now like a spotlight above our heads, watching and waiting for what happens next.
“Nyx, will you accept this offer from our ancestors and from the Mother Moon? They offer you to join us. To be one of us. They offer to guide you in the journey of becoming a witch, so long as you take heed to this warning: do not let your power lead you down a dark, winding path, for you may get lost in the darkness and never find your way back.” The witches’ eyes glow now with a bright blue hue, the color swirling and holding me captive.
I want to be like her. I want to strengthen my power and use it only for good, to prove I am worthy of this.
To prove to Gaia and Ourahnus that they made the right choice in saving me and letting me live with their people.
Most importantly, I would like to prove to myself that I am worthy of living.
The ancestors’ words of warning replay in my head, but even in times when all hope felt lost, I have never been tempted to give in to darkness. I despise it more than anything.
It is light that will always guide me home.
“I accept their offer and will heed their warning.” Glancing up at the moon nervously, I pray I’ve said the right thing.
I have no idea what I am doing or where I will go from here, but I want this more than anything. I would love to spend more time with my new queen.
“Here, here.” Hekate raises her glass to the moon then brings it to her lips.
“Here, here.” I smile, drinking the thick, sweet contents down in one gulp.
As she lowers the cup from her lips, I do the same. She slams the cup into the grass in front of her and her glowing barrier of power disappears. “Blessed be!” She yells, smiling up at the welcoming sun.
“Blessed be!” I echo, sitting the cup down beside me.
The sun is too bright. The clouds are too close, and the air is too thick.
I yearn to be back within her dome of darkness.
There, everything felt right. For the first time, so did I.
At times it feels like oxygen does not exist. Like my lungs might collapse and my heart might die from lack of feeling.
Today, with the Queen of Witches in front of me and the moon cutting through the darkness, I felt everything.
Hekate stands, and with a slight wave of her hand the candles and cups disappear.
I stare up at her in awe as she braids her hair, her delicate fingers completing it so effortlessly.
I cannot bring myself to stand just yet.
I feel as though I’m one with my realm, but also one with each realm in existence.
I would hate to break the connection. I’d hate it even more so to stand and break the connection I feel looking at her.
Like a magnet she tempts me to come closer.
If I am Earth, she is my gravity. If she is the moon then I am the darkness that will gladly fade into oblivion, becoming nothing more than a backdrop for her beauty to shine.
She crouches down, plucking two sad, shriveled-up flowers from the dirt, then motions for me to come closer.
“Watch. Magic truly is the most wonderful, beautiful gift in the world.” As she opens her palms with the flowers inside, I watch as the brown stems slowly brighten to green.
I gasp as the petals rise and return to life, their purple hues blossoming more vibrant and lively than the ones scattered on the ground.
Watching her breathe life into that which was dead does something within my heart that I cannot explain. My mind feels at ease. Suddenly, my future looks so bright.
I meet her eyes with my own, tears obscuring my vision. “That was beautiful,” I whisper. “You…are beautiful,” I sniffle, wiping away tears and forcing a smile.
“Your turn, Nyx.” She watches me patiently as I gaze at the beautiful flowers at our feet.
I pluck one flower and then another, pinching them gently between my fingers.
She believes in me and somehow that seems like enough, though I have never used magic before.
I close my eyes, feeling my power rise to the surface.
I do not push it away and suppress it like times before.
The familiar tingle of magic reaching my fingertips quickly ends as Hekate gasps and my eyes flutter open.
Quickly I stand, my hands covering my mouth, and my body spinning in small circles as I take in the damage.
Gods, what have I done? I should not be trusted with this kind of power.
I drop the shriveled-up stems on the ground, my breathing fast and uneven.
Dead flowers smile up at me, their crumpled, hopeless bodies stripped of all life.
Not only the ones in my hands—a circle of death replaces the ones which were thriving around us before.
My power killed them all. I killed them.
“Nyx, it’s okay.” Hekate says, placing her hands on my shoulders.
“One thing you must remember, is that you possess great darkness within you, a darkness I do not yet understand. You might only touch one thing, but that darkness can quickly spread like wildfire until you learn to control it. We must always be careful.”
“I… I did not even touch them. They should have been safe.” I back away from her, letting her hands fall from my shoulders to her sides, putting distance between us to keep her safe. “Please… stay back!” I lower my trembling hands from my mouth, eyes wide and full of terror.
I cannot let myself hurt her. I would never forgive myself for such an act. She is not safe with me, wherever I go only darkness will follow.
“I do not fear you, my dear Nyx.” Her laugh rings out around me, stunning me where I stand.
“Your heart is more pure than any I have ever encountered. I am intrigued by you. You are magnificent.” Her words are barely a whisper.
“Come,” she says, placing one reincarnated flower behind her ear and then carefully tucking the other one behind mine.
“There is much more to show you.” A simple glance at the field of wildflowers by her, and they are once again blooming with life.
“We are a team now, you and I, and your darkness simply needs to be tamed.” Leaning forward, she whispers softly, “Let me be the one to tame you.”
As she heads out of the meadow toward the thick, green forest, I brush my fingertips against the spot where her hand gracefully skimmed across my ear.
I wish I could hold that touch within my heart and feel it endlessly.
I have never met anyone as accepting or as gentle as her.
My darkness fades. It curls up and hides, fearing what Hekate might be capable of.
She turns, glancing over her shoulder with an encouraging smile, and as she disappears beyond the trees, I pick up the bottom of my white robe, tuck my wings behind me tightly, and follow after her.
I will follow her anywhere.