Chapter Thirty-One #3
Their group had to weave through crowds to get there, and the level of fear and anxiety compared to when they’d left was almost palpable.
The wind was blowing hard, and people could smell the storm coming.
Many were huddled under the food and drink tents, maybe expecting a thunderstorm, even though the sky was still cloudless.
When they reached the stage, there were about fifty people near it. That crowd could grow once they started their circle. Maybe this was a bad idea. Blair pushed her fear away. They had to carry on, no matter how many people saw them practising witchcraft in the open.
‘It’s six-twenty, Blair,’ Bianca yelled as another gust of wind knocked down a nearby banner, sending it flying through the air. Blair thought she heard someone scream in the distance. Hecate was definitely here. The sky was darkening – and fast.
‘Make the circle, now!’ Blair yelled, running up the wood steps to the stage and putting the supplies in the middle.
Everything had been pushed to the back – a table covered with a red gingham tablecloth, some tall stools and a wood podium.
Bianca immediately took a piece of chalk from the bag and started drawing a large circle on the wood planks, with Belinda following her, sprinkling salt on the chalk line. Kass meowed loudly at Belinda.
‘It’s too windy – you’ll need more salt,’ Calista yelled. ‘Use the whole box!’
Belinda nodded, mounding more salt on the chalk line.
‘What can I do?’ Luke yelled to Blair.
‘Light four candles!’
At that moment, the podium behind them on the stage exploded, sending wood flying in the air.
‘Close the circle!’ Calista screamed at Belinda, who was laying the final few inches of salt along the outline. ‘Get inside, now!’
Blair, Belinda and Bianca, Luke, Calista and Kass all stepped inside the salt circle.
Bianca used the compass app on her phone to mark north, east, south and west, then drew chalk lines connecting the poles into a cross in the middle of the circle.
Luke placed the lit candles where the circle met the four poles.
Another loud crack sounded. This time one of the nearby vendor stalls exploded, sending jars of jam and pickles flying through the air. Agatha and Raj ran toward it to see if anyone was hurt.
‘Sit in the circle, holding hands,’ Blair said.
The five witches sat in the circle joining hands, with Kass sitting on Belinda’s lap.
Blair looked at Luke, sitting next to her.
His expression was as intense, as focused as the other witches, all of whom had been in a circle before.
And had known they were witches their whole lives.
Why was Luke accepting all this? Taking this ritual so seriously?
But Blair wasn’t really surprised. Luke had always been open to new things.
Been curious. He learned construction so he could build a bakery for his mother and started reading romantasy and joined a book club to make friends.
Of all the people she knew, Luke was the one she would expect to be the most accepting of having his entire world view changed in one evening.
He was a natural at this. And Blair loved him even more after seeing him embrace her world with care and respect.
‘I’ll go first,’ Blair yelled over the loud wind.
‘We’ll move counterclockwise in the circle.
Everyone repeat what I say, and focus on Hecate, and on your intention of calling her here.
I’ll be saying her name three full times – make sure you do the same.
And Luke, when we speak in the First Language, it will sound strange.
Repeat what we say the best you can, okay?
’ Even if his pronunciation wasn’t perfect, if he had witch magic in him, this should work. It had to.
Another cracking sound came from the distance. It sounded like another vendor booth was hit. ‘Start now!’ Bianca yelled.
Blair took a deep breath. ‘Guardians of the north, east, south and west, hear our pleas,’ Blair yelled.
‘We seek the spirit of Hecate Stormvale. We mean no harm to Hecate Stormvale. We invite Hecate Stormvale to communicate freely with us, should she wish.’ Blair then recited the summoning spell in the First Language, enunciating every word clearly.
Belinda, who was sitting on her right, recited next, followed by Bianca. When it was Calista’s turn, Blair was struck at how good her pronunciation of the spell was. She’d clearly done this before.
But the biggest shock came when it was Luke’s turn.
Blair had been worried that he might find the spell difficult considering he’d never heard or recited First Language before.
But Luke’s pronunciation was perfect. He said each word with no hesitation.
Actually, he almost sang the words. Had he done this before? If so, why hadn’t he told her?
Blair turned those thoughts off – she needed to focus only on Hecate now. The wind was blowing, making the candles flicker, and another crash sounded in the distance. And then a scream. It took everything in Blair not to look to see the damage Hecate was doing to the festival.
Another closer crash sounded. Blair was pretty sure that it was the table behind them. Blair kept her eyes focused on the centre of the circle.
‘She’s close,’ someone said. Blair thought it was Calista. ‘Say it again, Blair!’
Blair repeated the incantation, this time faster and louder, first in English saying Hecate’s name three times, then the spell in the First Language.
Belinda recited it the moment Blair was finished, and by the time it was Luke’s turn Blair’s hair was whipping around her face, making it impossible to see anything.
Luke said the First Language spell clearly and forcefully again.
And the moment the last syllable left his lips, the wind in the circle stopped.
The candles stopped flickering, and Blair’s hair stopped flying into her face.
Blair looked at the others. Belinda and Bianca’s eyes were nearly fully black, and Calista’s and Luke’s were nearly completely green, the same shade they’d been when they were possessed by Hecate.
All eyes (including Kass’s, which were fully yellowy-orange) were staring at the centre of the circle, where the lines Bianca drew crossed. And then someone appeared. She stood in the middle of the circle, in a simple grey skirt and blouse. It was a woman Blair had never seen before.
This was Hecate Stormvale. They’d successfully summoned her.