Catalpa's Curse

by Terri Reid

  Agnes nodded. “Yes, but read it as words, not as a spell.”

  “Okay,” Rowan said, repeating the words Henry had read earlier.

  We summon the sacred power of three,

  To diminish the spell they created for thee,

  The sisters will try, but will not succeed,

  As I demand, so mote it be.

  “So, we have to reverse it,” Cat said. “Right?”

  “We have to reverse some of it,” Agnes said. “And then redirect the magic.”

  “So, we dismiss the sacred power of three?” Hazel asked.

  Agnes shook her head. “No, I think we still need that power to defeat him,” she said thoughtfully.

  “Why don’t we redirect the sacred power of three,” Cat suggested.

  “Oh, very good, dear,” Agnes agreed. “We will redirect the power, not dismiss it. What’s next?”

  “To diminish the spell they create for thee,” Rowan read.

  “How about to fulfill the spell they created for thee?” Hazel asked.

  “Perfect,” Agnes agreed. “This is going much faster than I thought.” She turned to Rowan. “The next line, dear.”

  “The sisters will try, but will not succeed,” Rowan read.

  “Well, these sisters are going to succeed,” Cat said. “There is no other option.”

  “But the sisters aren’t here anymore,” Hazel added. “And if Donovan is a piece to this puzzle, it’s not just about us anymore.”

  Cat looked up and met Donovan’s eyes and saw the tender emotion in them. “How about love will overcome what hate decreed?” Donovan suggested softly, his gaze never leaving Cat’s.

  Agnes looked from Cat to Donovan and smiled. “Yes, that’s it exactly,” she said. “That’s what we need.”

  She turned to Rowan. “Do you have the bowl with the amulet?” she asked.

  Rowan slid the green earthen bowl into the middle of the circle next to Donovan.

  “What am I supposed to do?” Donovan asked.

  “We will recite the incantation,” Rowan explained, “and we will concentrate our energies on you. Then you need to concentrate all of that energy on the amulet, to melt it. Once it’s melted, you need to stamp it with our quaternary knot, to give us access to the power.”

  He picked up the steel stamp that was next to him on the floor and looked at it. “The famous Willoughby knot,” he said with a smile. “I’m honored to be able to use it.”

  The kitchen door flew open with a crash and, a moment later, Henry and Joseph rushed into the great room. “They’re less than a mile down the road,” Joseph said, his voice grim. “We don’t have much time.”

  From within the protection of the circle, Agnes could hear the muted sound of Joseph’s warning.

  “We’re almost ready,” Agnes said. “All right girls, let’s concentrate.”

  Each of the women raised their arms, so their fingers were nearly touching, and Agnes recited the spell.

  We redirect the sacred power of three,

  To fulfill the spell they create for thee,

  Love will overcome what hate decreed,

  As we request, so mote it be.

  A blazing blue light shot from one woman to the next, until a circle was formed and then the light encompassed Donovan in the center. He felt the power filling him, healing him, as white magic pushed aside any darkness left inside. He inhaled sharply and then focused all of his energy onto the amulet. He watched a thin strand of smoke appear from the amulet, but it wasn’t enough to melt it. He concentrated harder, focusing all he had on the small object in the bowl, but it just wouldn’t melt.

  Finally, the light ebbed, cooled, then dissipated completely and the circle’s protection gave way

  Chapter Fifty-six

  The house shook as a bombardment of magic hit the roof.

  “They’re here,” Agnes said, her voice shaking. “They’re here, and we couldn’t melt the amulet. I don’t know what else we can do.”

  “I felt it,” Donovan said. “I felt the power inside me, but there was something missing.” Then he looked at Cat. “No, there was someone missing.”

  “What?” Cat asked, shaking her head. “I don’t understand.”

  “This spell is about love overcoming hate,” he said. “But it’s also about love overcoming fear. I was afraid Cat. I was afraid that I wasn’t good enough for you to love. I was afraid that I was just one of your strays.” He shook his head and lowered his voice. “I was afraid that you would eventually stop loving me.”

  She moved from her position in the knot and took his hands. “You never left me, did you?” she asked, gazing up into his eyes. “You came to me, comforted me in my sleep.”

  He leaned over and kissed her softly. “I couldn’t help myself,” he confessed. “I couldn’t stay away from you. I love you, Cat.”

  “I love you too,” she replied, returning his kiss.

  Another volley of magic hit the house, causing the walls to shake.

  “We have to be in the center together,” Donovan said. “The magic has to come through both of us. It has to be created by both of us.”

  Cat nodded. “Yes. That’s the solution,” she agreed. “We have to do this together.”

  Agnes shook her head. “But we need someone at each of the corners of the knot,” she said frantically. “Someone related by blood. How can we…”

  “Will I do?” Finias asked, stepping forward.

  Agnes’ eyes widened in shock, her hand lifting as she covered her mouth in surprise. “Finias?” she sobbed quietly.

  He knelt next to her and took her hands. “It’s time, Agnes,” he said.

  “Wait, this is Ellis,” Hazel said. “Not Finias.”

  Agnes shook her head, her eyes glued on the man next to her. “No, this is Finias,” she whispered. “My first love. Cat’s father.”

  “Okay, I didn’t see that coming,” Joseph said. “But if Finias can stand in for Cat, I suggest you do this right away. Henry and I can hold them off for a little while, but we’re going to need the cavalry soon!”

  Agnes inhaled her tears and nodded. “Yes, we can do this,” she said, her voice shaking. “We can do this now.”

  Finias stepped into the circle where Cat had been sitting. “I don’t think we have time to cleanse again,” he said.

  Agnes nodded. “It’s not necessary,” she said, her voice stronger as the magic filled her. “The magic of the circle still surrounds us.”

  Donovan wrapped Cat in his arms, and she placed her head on his shoulder.

  “I’ll love you forever, Catalpa Willoughby,” he whispered into her ear.

  She smiled, and her eyes filled with tears. “I’ll love you even longer,” she whispered back.

  Then Agnes repeated the spell.

  We redirect the sacred power of three,

  To fulfill the spell they create for thee,

  Love will overcome what hate decreed,

  As we request, so mote it be.

  Blue light turned to molten gold as it encircled the group and then spilled over the couple in the center of the circle. With hands clenched together, Cat and Donovan turned their energy to the earthen pot and the amulet dissolved into a pool of liquid. Cat picked up the Willoughby crest and pressed it against the hot lead, emblazing its imprint on the amulet.

  Chapter Fifty-seven

  When Cat lifted her hand away, a golden burst of magic shot out from the center of the earthen pot and up, flowing over the outside of the protective circle. The sound was like being underneath a powerful waterfall as wave after wave of magic pulsed up and over.

  It spread, like a wave across the room, knocking over furniture, and pushing open doors, flowing outside. Cat and Donovan held each other tightly in the center of the circle, and the other members clasped hands as the energy flowed through them and out.

  Joseph ran into the house, his face alight with excitement. “Whatever the hell you’re doing, keep it up,” he called, and he ran back
outside.

  Henry, his arms wrapped around the porch post to keep from being dragged away, called out to Joseph. “What’s going on?”

  Joseph, carefully making his way to the post across from Henry, shook his head and shouted over the roar of the magic. “I guess they got the amulet spell to work.”

  Henry looked out over the farmyard. Hundreds of men and women dressed in black cloaks were making their way forward. Many were carrying knives and swords, and in front of the group, the serpent swirled and hissed. It’s forked tongue tasting the fear in the air.

  Henry watched as some ran ahead, charging across the lawn and approaching the fence line. Others had started climbing up the bales of straw and had nearly climbed over the tops, their weapons in their hands. Others were moving toward the front of the house. But the wave of magic seemed to be slowing them down.

  Fuzzy stood next to them, growling deep in his throat, quivering and waiting for the command to attack.

  “Easy Fuzzy,” Joseph said. “We’re not ready to charge until we see the whites of their eyes.”

  “The magic from the amulet is getting in the way, but we’re going to need their help if this group gets any closer,” Henry called.

  Joseph ran back into the house. “The magic is helping,” he called. “But they’re still getting closer. Can you do anything more?”

  “Concentrate,” Cat said. “Concentrate on the power of love.”

  She turned to Donovan, her eyes filled with emotion. “The long-lasting power of love.”

  He bent over and kissed her. Then, suddenly, like a tsunami wave, the magic pulled back, allowing the intruders to move forward quickly.

  “Whatever you did,” Joseph called from the kitchen door, watching the intruders get closer. “Don’t do it again.”

  Donovan broke off the kiss. “Concentrate on the people you love,” he said. “Use that emotion to protect and overcome evil.”

  All eyes closed, as each member of the group pictured the one they held closest in their hearts. Donovan pulled Cat closer. “I will never leave you,” he said. “Never again.”

  She looked up into his eyes and smiled. “I trust you, Donovan,” she whispered. “I trust you with my love and my heart.”

  Joseph ran back outside to stand next to Henry as the intruders entered the farmyard. “What are the odds?” he asked.

  Henry smiled and shrugged. “Well, if you believe that good conquers evil, the odds are in our favor.”

  Joseph nodded, positioning himself in a defensive stance. “Of course, I believe,” he said. “Ready to fight?”

  Henry nodded. “Always!”

  Henry and Joseph started climbing down the stairs, ready to fight when they were knocked to the side by a burst of golden energy. They grabbed the handrails as the magic burst forward with even more power. It flowed through the farmyard, carrying with it the intruders that had breached the fences and the bales. It knocked over the bales of straw, trapping people underneath. It knocked over the fences, like a tornado, pulling the fence posts up out of the ground, sending intruders flying backwards onto the road. It rolled forward, its rolling power catching people up and pushing them backwards.

  The giant serpent lifted itself to its full height and hissed at the approaching golden cloud of magic. Its form started to change from physical to mystical, a dark, black cloud swirling in the center of the road.

  Joseph and Henry pulled themselves up onto the porch and watched as the golden wave approached the dark, swirling mass.

  “We should give it a hand,” Henry said, focusing his magical energy on the wave.

  “Right there with you,” Joseph agreed, concentrating with all his might.

  The two forces swirled around each other, like two tornados. Pieces of earth whipped across the sky, power poles were uprooted and flung into nearby fields, the Willoughby house shook from the force of the energy.

  As Joseph and Henry watched, they couldn’t tell which force was greater. Black and gold swirled together for what seemed like hours, but was, in actuality only minutes. Finally, the darkness slowly dissipated, like the sun coming out from behind the clouds. The golden wave pushed forward, knocking back any of the remaining intruders who were now running away because their leader had vanished before their eyes.

  Henry leaned back against the porch pillar and wiped the sweat from his forehead. He looked across at Joseph, who was doing the same thing, and smiled. “I love a happy ending,” he gasped.

  Joseph grinned. “Me too.”

  Chapter Fifty-eight

  The magic stilled inside the circle, the gold light turned to blue, and then slowly faded away.

  “Is it over?” Cat asked, her voice shaking. “Did we win?”

  Donovan stood up and helped her to her feet. “There’s only one way to find out,” he said, slipping his arm around her and leading outside.

  The sun was shining down on the countryside, but the area looked like a bomb has exploded.

  “What happened?” Agnes asked, as she stepped outside, Finias at her side.

  “I think it was you,” Joseph said, coming over and kissing Hazel. “Yes, when I write up my police report, I’m going to totally blame it on you.”

  Hazel smiled up at him. “I can’t wait to read that report,” she teased.

  Henry walked over to Rowan and kissed her soundly. “Sorry I missed the excitement inside,” he said.

  She shook her head and looked at the devastation. “It looks like there was enough excitement outside to keep you busy,” she exclaimed. “Did you take any prisoners?”

  He shook his head. “No, I think they are all retreating right now.”

  “Really?” Hazel asked. “I’m going to get a better view.”

  She immediately disappeared, only to suddenly reappear as she pushed open the loft’s door. She gazed down the road and laughed gleefully. “They’re running,” she called down to the others. “They’re running in the opposite direction. We kicked butt! We kicked magic butt!”

  Then she shouted again as she was pushed from behind. “Hey, what’s going on?”

  She turned back to the loft and then looked back down at her family on the deck. “Who thought putting my goats in the loft was a good idea?” she yelled down.

  Henry shrugged and wrapped his arm around Rowan. “Seemed like a good idea at the time.”

  Hazel reappeared next to them and looked at Henry. “And you get to help me clean up the mess,” she ordered.

  He smiled at her. “Yes, ma’am,” he agreed. “But first we need a celebration. Right, Agnes…”

  He turned and saw that Agnes and Finias were at the far end of the deck, absorbed in their own conversation. He shook his head and smiled at Rowan. “I guess they probably want to be left alone,” he suggested. “We should all probably…”

  He looked the other way and saw Cat and Donovan locked in each other’s arms at the other end of the deck. “Okay, well maybe the four of us just ought to go inside,” he said.

  Rowan chuckled and nodded. “I think that’s a great idea.”

  “How about take out?” Hazel suggested. “I know a great place.”

  Chapter Fifty-nine

  Donovan and Cat walked up the trail, hand in hand, the moonlight illuminating their way. The cool, early autumn breeze rustled the leaves around them, and the wind carried the scent of a distant campfire. Cat sighed, her voice slightly shaking, and Donovan turned to her.

  “Are you cold?” he asked, concerned.

  She smiled up at him and shook her head. “No, I was just thinking about tonight. How close we all came…” she paused, and her voice shook as she glanced around. “Are you sure we’re safe?”

  He leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss on her lips. “Yes, we’re safe,” he said softly. “I brought this with us, just in case.”

  He reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out the newly formed amulet with the Willoughby crest emblazoned into it. “It’s now my good luck charm,” he said.


  “Good luck?” she asked skeptically. “It doesn’t seem like a good luck charm to me.”

  “Sure, it is,” he said with a smile. “It brought us back together, didn’t it?”

  She shook her head. “No, it didn’t bring us back together,” she insisted. “But it did remind us of what we have.”

  He sighed, wrapped his arms around her, and leaned his forehead against hers. “I’m so sorry for all the pain I caused you,” he whispered. “I should have trusted you more. I should have trusted us more.”

  She slipped her arms around his waist. “You weren’t the only one with doubts and fears,” she confessed.

  He leaned back and looked into her eyes. “I want you to know that I have never stopped loving you,” he said. “Not for one moment. Even when the demon was influencing me, there was always a part of me that still loved you, still wanted to protect you.”

  She trembled as she thought about the influence the demon had had on him. “Promise me,” she said vehemently, “that you will never allow the demon to influence you again, even if you think it’s to protect me.”

  He nodded. “I was stupid to think that I could dabble in the darkness and not get caught up,” he said. “From now on, we fight this thing together, and we do it from the side of light, I promise.”

  “Thank you,” she replied, reminding herself that she needed to be content with whatever he was willing to offer. Fighting together, saving her family, those were priceless gifts. Loving her didn’t necessarily mean that he wanted to be with her forever.

  He studied her eyes. “There’s still sadness in your eyes, Cat,” he said, tenderly stroking her cheek. “Why are you sad?”

  She shook her head and blinked away the tears his tenderness had caused. “It’s nothing,” she said. “I’m just grateful that you are safe and we’re both on the same side. I’m grateful to you for saving my family. And I’m grateful for what we’ve been able to share.”

  He studied her for a long moment but said nothing, just took her hand and led her further up the trail, to the cave they’d hidden in so many years ago.

  “Why are you bringing me here?” she asked.