Chapter 28
Olivia stood at the window, staring out as the snowflakes drifted down on ghostly wings and settled onto the thick blanket coating the ground.
Beau fidgeted in her arms, reaching up and licking her jaw as she stroked his soft golden coat.
Putting the puppy down, she watched as he ambled over to his cushion in front of the fire.
He climbed on top of it, padding it down by turning in circles until he finally settled, tucking his paws under his face and regarding her with big brown eyes.
Turning back to the window, she stared out with a hollow gaze.
They were almost out of time. Theo’s premonition put the last and final murder after the first snowfall.
The problem was that without a definitive timescale to work with, they had almost no hope of stopping her father from raising the demon.
Frowning to herself, she wandered back to the shabby old couch and dropped down, folding her legs underneath her.
Beau, excited at the prospect of snuggling, scrambled up next to her and plopped himself down.
Stroking his head absently, she picked up Hester’s Grimoire from the small coffee table and laid it in her lap.
It was a big, heavy book bound in thick dark leather and inlaid with intricate designs.
The pads of her fingers traced the triple moon design on its face and down to the ornately inscribed tree of life beneath it.
As it had before, the book rippled beneath her fingertips like it was shivering at her touch.
When she opened it, the whisper of the dry crackling pages sounded like a sigh, as if it had been waiting for her somehow.
Once again, the curly black script swirled across the page until it formed words she could read.
Written in the same handwriting as Hester’s journal, she felt a profound sense of connection.
So far, she had been the only one able to read Hester’s Grimoire, and it made her feel as if she were bound, in an intensely personal way, to the ancestor she’d grown up hearing everyone talk about.
Flipping idly through the pages, her gaze once again rested on the spell Hester had created to trap the demon.
She’d read it and re-read it many times, but half the words didn’t make sense.
Sighing in frustration, she was about to turn the page when she noticed the illustration in the top right-hand corner.
It was a crescent moon, but it seemed to be facing the wrong way, like a mirror image.
Turning back to the previous page, there was a large inverted ‘c’ at the top of the page.
With her mind working furiously, she looked across to the left-hand page.
There was another large ‘c’, this one facing the correct way, and on the page before that, another crescent moon facing the right way.
Very carefully, and not quite believing what she was considering doing to such an old, valuable document, she folded the pages inwards so that the two ‘c’ shapes met and formed a circle.
Next, she folded in the two pages either side, so that the two crescent moons were placed either side of the circle.
She suddenly found herself staring at a hidden illustration of a triple moon, and beneath it the words, which had not made sense before, were now perfectly aligned.
She scanned down the now familiar handwriting to the message it revealed.
“Only night under a blood moon, when the moon overpowers the sun, shall the door be opened.”
Under a blood moon, she chewed her bottom lip thoughtfully.
A blood moon— a full lunar eclipse—it had to be during a full lunar eclipse when direct sunlight would be completely blocked by the earth’s shadow.
The only light seen would be refracted through the earth’s shadow, and it would appear red like the sunset.
Frowning in concentration, she re-read the message.
When the moon overpowers the sun... she rubbed her forehead, careful to avoid the bruising. The moon overpowers the sun, she mused. A day when the night was longer than the day maybe... the solstice... the winter solstice?
Jumping up from the couch so abruptly that Beau yelped and scrambled across the worn cushions, Olivia strode purposefully over to the desk and opened her laptop.
Bringing up the current lunar calendar for the year, she realized there would be another eclipse the night of the solstice. If there had also been one the night Hester originally trapped the demon that would mean... she brought up the lunar calendar online from twenty years ago.
“Son of a bitch,” she cursed.
If she was right, the final murder, and the raising ritual to free the demon Nathaniel, was going to take place on the winter solstice under a full lunar eclipse. That would mean they only had five days left.
Abandoning her laptop and picking up Hester’s Grimoire, she started searching once again. There had to be something in there that would be of help because the next time she faced her father, she was going to be prepared.
* * *
Theo paused mid-brushstroke and cocked his head, listening intently, sure he’d heard someone at the door.
“Olivia,” he called out but was met with silence. The knock came again, loud and impatient.
Sighing in frustration, he dropped his paintbrush down on the table along with his palette, then rubbed his paint smeared hands on the front of his jeans and stepped out into the hallway.
The pounding came again. Checking the peephole, he yanked open the door and stepped back, allowing Jake to stride into the hallway, stamping the snow off his boots.
“Took your time.” He pulled his gloves off. “It’s freezing out there.”
“What are you doing here? I thought you were with Erica tonight?” Theo asked in confusion.
“I am, but Olivia asked me to stop by.”
“She did?” Theo frowned as he eyed the package under Jake’s arm. “What’s that?”
“The reason she asked me to stop by, presumably,” Jake replied. “Where is she?”
“The library last time I checked.” He turned and headed in that direction, with Jake trailing wet footprints behind him.
Olivia looked up from her book as Theo entered the room.
“Oh, good you’re finished,” she began, then realized Jake was standing behind him.
“Jake, you’re here too. Great, that means I won’t have to repeat myself.
” She glanced down to the snow melting at his feet.
“You couldn’t take your boots off first? ” She frowned.
“It’s been a long day, Olive.” He sighed. “Here, these are what you asked for...”
She took the package from him, slipping the items from the plastic bag and unwrapping them to reveal two rather large hunting knives.
“What do you want those for?” Theo asked in confusion.
“It’s a project.” She set them down on the desk. “You guys might as well make yourselves comfortable, we’ve got things to discuss.”
Jake dropped down in the nearest chair. “What’s going on, Olive?”
“I know when the last murder is going to take place.” She leaned back against the desk as Theo took a seat on the couch and Beau jumped into his lap.
“What?” Jake sat up straighter. “How?”
“Hester’s Grimoire,” she replied. “There’s a hidden message.
It basically says the trap can only be opened on the winter solstice under a total lunar eclipse.
According to the book, there was one the night Hester trapped Nathaniel.
There was also one back when the original murders took place, but obviously the ritual couldn’t be completed because my dad was arrested and missed the eclipse.
I’ve checked and we’re due one this solstice. ’
“Damn it,” Jake swore.
“Uh, what’s a lunar eclipse?” Theo asked.
“It’s a…” Olivia stopped and closed her mouth, frowning. There was just no short and easy answer to that, especially not to a person who had no workable knowledge of planets and the solar system.
“You know what, that’s an explanation for later. Let’s just say it’s a special event that doesn’t happen very often, especially not coinciding with the solstice. I take it you know what the solstice is?”
Theo nodded.
“That only gives us five days,” Jake answered.
“I know,” she replied. “Which means if we want to catch my dad, we’re going to need a plan.”
“How about, you’re not going anywhere near the woods? That’s a plan,” Jake said blankly.
“Jake, don’t start.” She sighed, looking at Theo. “I suppose you’re going to side with him on this?”
“I think Jake is right. It is not a good idea for you to venture into the woods,” Theo replied. “You said it yourself, your father requires your blood to complete the raising ritual. Taking you into the woods would be unwise.”
“Look, if he really wants my blood, trust me he’ll find a way to make it happen. But to be honest, he doesn’t actually need me dead, just some of my blood. They could have quite easily taken some from me while I was unconscious in Walcott’s cabin for all I know.”
“But we don’t know that for certain,” Jake argued. “I say we call in Captain McCallister and the others, and on the night of the solstice, we’ll go into the woods armed and arrest him.”
“That’s not going to work, Jake.” Olivia sighed.
“Why?” he replied stubbornly.
“Because the last time I checked, I’m the only witch in this room,” she snapped irritably. “And my dad is a witch too unless you’ve forgotten… and he’s extremely powerful. You won’t stand a chance against him. Only I can stop him.”
Theo frowned. “You can’t expect us to put you in harm’s way.”
“You don’t have a choice,” she snapped angrily. “In five days’ time, after sundown, my father is going to be in those woods killing some other innocent guy and raising a demon and I’m the only one who can stop him.”
They both stared at her silently. She could tell they knew she had a point, but they didn’t want to admit it.
“Look”—she sighed, reaching deep inside to find her rapidly thinning patience—“we don’t have a choice, none of us do. We can’t risk my dad turning a demon loose.”