Chapter 15
The pentagram was drawn with powdered herbs in the middle of the clearing.
The fire had reduced to a modest glow at the center of it all.
After all the excitement, Elise assumed the most thrilling part of the gathering had already passed.
She was enjoying the scent of pine and the warm night breeze at the edge of the clearing.
She was far enough to be safe from the forces of the pentagram, yet close enough to enjoy the witches’ chatter.
The kind women told their stories loudly enough for Elise not to miss a single detail.
After a few sips of the concoction the witches had generously shared with her, Elise was beginning to feel freer, and the memory of her misfortunes with Edward and Lady Patrice seemed so distant they might well have been one of the many tales the witches were sharing.
There were witches of all shapes and ages, and although none looked younger than Elise, all of them enjoyed a freshness of spirit that was hard not to covet.
Elise had listened attentively to what all the women had to say. To her great surprise, everyone was willing to tell a portion of their story, seeing how curious she was.
The distance helped the witches feel as though they were at center stage, as if in a play in a town square.
They all took turns, and there were claps as their stories usually ended in a claim of power over themselves.
There were no wretched ones there. They all owned the outcome of whatever had happened to them.
Beth began to talk more about her husband. The spirited witch had shared so much that by now Elise already knew the troll’s favorite dish and the corresponding effects after a few generous servings.
Elise was taking note of everything said, and so far it appeared as if all the witches were happily married, all but Morgaine. Elise was eager to know the details of her protector avoiding wedlock, and thankfully the opportunity presented itself just before the rites.
“I would only marry to secure my legacy,” Morgaine said.
“But that is the very reason I keep my distance from any union. Mothers are among the most put-upon creatures I have encountered. They spend their days taking stock of all they did not quite get to, and the danger of a growing waistline is something to think about. A potion can only do so much. As for the husbands, one might risk ending with one of those complacent souls who becomes little more than another child. I am well as I am, darling.”
“You are bitter because you have never fallen in love, witch,” Beth croaked. “Taking girls as pupils instead of making your own from scratch.”
“Wedlock is like employment, my dear Morgaine,” Isadore yelled.
“If you establish a convenient role from the start and focus on fulfilling your duties, it’s all good.
The problem is when a child comes along, the whole damn contract needs to be redone from the ground up.
You either become your own best lawyer or quit. ”
“Enough of that, witches,” Morgaine laughed. “The man to trap me hasn’t been born,” she said, though something lingered in her gaze.
Elise wondered who she might be thinking of. In the short time she had stayed with the witch, two names had come up: Volker and Henrik.
Morgaine, likely noticing how intent Elise was, listening to every word as if it were prophecy, raised an arm and shouted, “Stay there until I call you.”
Elise had been told that the divinities’ power concentrated at the center of the pentagram once invoked, though only the witches could feel it.
As Seth had warned, it was best for her to remain well away.
She had learned that the forces were dangerous when more than one divinity came at once, as was the case in this sort of rite.
Elise wondered whether she might receive her calling then, with the deities so close at hand.
But the famed calling had to come under natural circumstances.
Otherwise, one risked becoming possessed rather than being granted a connection to magic.
No demons were present. Only witches were there enjoying lively conversation before the evening turned to more serious affairs.
The night grew quiet, and Elise knew her part as an observer had begun.
Before leaving, Seth had tried to speak to her, but Devon had caught his nephew by the arm, and the two of them had disappeared into the fire before it died down.
If this was the most frightening part of being a witch, Elise felt she had already seen the worst of it.
She would soon, however, learn that she had judged the matter a tad too early.
*****
Elise watched the moon swell as the ritual began.
The sky cleared, and the forest seemed to whisper.
One by one, the stars came into view, as though the world itself wished to witness the ceremony the witches were conducting.
She felt no particular force, but the witches had all gone stiff, and the night air had shifted from light amusement to something with the gravity of a vigil.
Morgaine raised her arms, standing closest to the pentagram. The mark was a couple of yards across, and the witches were spaced around it. The full moon shone almost as brightly as the fire, and just after Morgaine muttered what might have been a spell, the pyre went out.
Elise gasped as a strong current of wind rushed through the fabric of her light dress. It was as if an immense presence had snuffed the fire like a candle.
The darkness filled with shrieks before a blue fire lit up the pentagram.
The mark was now traced in something unmistakably magical, hundreds of sparks dancing around it.
Elise’s first instinct was to run, but she stopped herself as the witches joined hands and began to dance, turning in laughter and celebration as they circled the symbol in flames.
She did not know if the divinities had gone or what on earth was happening, but the forest felt more alive. It was as if an infusion of energy had been drawn from the other world into this one.
To Elise’s fortune, she didn’t have to wonder for long what was happening.
“It’s all done, darling,” Morgaine shouted. She raised an arm as she kept dancing to a melody Elise couldn’t hear. “Come join us!”
Elise was hesitant, but trusting Morgaine, she headed toward the pentagram.
She had scarcely taken a couple of steps when the snap of twigs made her turn her head.
In that precise moment, with her face half turned, a bird flew past at full force, so close she felt the brush of a feather.
The laughter died down, and Elise stood there, frozen.
The black bird circled her. A crow, she could tell. Elise felt a touch late in realizing she might have lost an eye or at least acquired a memorable scar had she not turned at the distraction on the ground. It had been a small rabbit, gone almost as soon as it appeared.
Morgaine sprang toward Elise. Beth and Isadore followed her close behind.
“Are you well?” Morgaine brushed Elise’s hair to the side to see for herself.
Elise nodded. She was still taken aback by the incident. “I think so.”
The other two witches seemed equally concerned for Elise’s well-being, but before they had the chance to voice their worries, a strong flame rose from the center of the pentagram. The sudden movement of the figure emerging from it made Elise stumble.
“I told you to stay far from the pentagram!”
Seth passed the witches like someone might pass a chair in the way.
Beth ignored the outburst just as Seth had ignored her moments before. “It’s all fine, love.”
The young demon grumbled.
“What is this, anyway?” Morgaine challenged. “You’re meant to be here to make sure we don’t overdo things, not to scold us over some small mishap.”
“That was no small mishap, witch,” Seth replied dryly. “That was the divinity of the north. That’s not under your domain.”
“Darling,” Beth began, “you are easy on the eye, but for someone with that face, you may be one of the most bitter infernals I’ve ever met.”
“This is serious,” Seth said, his eyes fixed on Elise. “What did you do?”
“Me?” Elise felt the blood leave her for a moment. By her own account, she had been cautious enough, but she suspected the first impression Seth had formed of her was not so easily undone.
“If the divinity of the north is not under our domain, how are we supposed to have done anything?” Morgaine cut in.
“That’s exactly what I want to know, witch.”
Morgaine was starting to lose patience. Elise recognized that sharp look in her eyes by now. She was about to cast proper manners aside when another infernal sight came into view.
“Morgaine, Seth.” Devon smiled. “What is the big conflict here?”
Seth was the one to speak first, “These witches are not telling me what they did to invoke Danu.”
“These witches have a name, demon,” Morgaine hissed.
Seth reciprocated with the same passion.
“Morgaine, my love,” Devon said, stepping between the witch and the other demon. “What happened here should not have happened, and we only wish to know why. Please, let’s keep our sensibilities. After all, we are all sophisticated beings.”
“If you say so,” Seth murmured.
Morgaine shot the demon a sharp look, readying herself for another exchange that might involve more than words, when the crow cawed high above in the starry sky. The dark bird began to descend, to everyone’s amazement.
The bird flew slower and slower. Elise was frightened at the thought that this unnatural force had singled her out and come to attack her again, but the crow did no such thing. Instead, the black bird took on a peaceful air and settled on Elise’s shoulder with the ease of a well-trained companion.
No one dared to speak, and Elise stood there, too fearful to turn but brave enough to hold her head up. It was a delicate balance that didn’t go unnoticed by the witches and the demons. Devon and Seth exchanged a look while Morgaine and Beth shared a grin.
“It seems you have your answer, demons,” Morgaine whispered.
Devon glanced at Morgaine, though his attention seemed to rest on Elise’s feathered new acquaintance.
After a moment, it became plain the crow had made a home of her shoulder.
Elise gathered enough courage to look at it, and when she did, the bird gave a few small hops as if welcoming the attention.
“Divinity of the north or not, the girl got it fair and square,” Beth remarked as if that settled it.