The Forbidden

by Cheyenne McCray

Yet, disaster seemed already at hand. With the Fomorii on land, taking human form—hadn’t the balance already been destroyed?

  “I believe the D’Danann are our only hope,” Silver managed to say to Janis. “Ours, this city’s—maybe even all the D’Anu. All the world.” Again she started to try to tell the Coven about Hawk, but stopped when she saw the high priestess’s expression.

  Janis’s flashing eyes narrowed to slits. “Don’t think about acting on your own, Silver. I promise you, if you attempt a summoning without my blessing, without the strength of your Coven, I will banish you.”

  Anger burned through Silver like wildfire. “You would fracture us now, when we most need to pull together—because you disagree with me? Because you think I might do something you don’t like?”

  The older woman didn’t answer. She only glared, as did many of the rest of the Coven.

  Anger doubled on anger, heating Silver past her tolerance point.

  “So be it.” She turned and pushed her way through the witches, blinded with fury and not caring about anything but what she knew had to be done.

  Behind her she heard Rhiannon speaking with the high priestess, asking her to consider Silver’s plan.

  To one side of Silver strode Cassia, one of the apprentice witches who worked in the Coven’s metaphysical store that Silver managed. When she was across the large room, near the stairs leading from the meeting hall, Silver stopped and looked to the young witch. Cassia had curly blonde hair, and pleasant features that were twisted into a worried frown.

  “Don’t follow me,” Silver started to tell Cassia. “Where I’m going, what I’m going to do—your apprenticeship will be disavowed and you’ll be banished with me.”

  The scrabbling sound coming from below was so loud now that Coven members were looking at one another in confusion. Janis stood ramrod straight and plunged her hand into her pocket.

  Hair prickled at Silver’s nape and she raised her hands.

  The floor exploded upward like a dark fountain.

  Dirt and rock pummeled the basement, and silt rained down on Silver and the other Coven members. A chunk of rock slammed into Silver’s thigh and fire flamed through her leg. Across the room where the other witches stood, a hole widened in the dirt floor—directly where the pentagram had been.

  And from that hole poured twisted, mangled-looking Fomorii, along with a putrid rotten-fish stench.

  Screams filled the room as the former sea gods lunged outward, grabbing, grinding their horrid teeth.

  The demons didn’t eat the witches, or kill them. No. They were herding them. Grasping their hands behind them before they could use their magic to defend themselves. Taking advantage of those caught off guard and driving them into a circle.

  They were so fast!

  Janis yanked her hand from her pocket and dropped a large seed to the chamber’s dirt floor. A vine instantly sprung up through the earth, its base becoming thicker, its tendrils lengthening. It wound its way through the chamber like a living rope and wrapped around the first Fomorii it came to, a hulking yellow beast, rendering the demon helpless. Janis raised her hands, putting more of her tremendous power into the vine’s growth, whipping a curling tendril around another beast.

  Before Janis had a chance to further enhance the tree, grow it to bind more Fomorii, a slender green demon with tremendous strength slammed into the witch’s side, knocking her to the dirt floor.

  Rhiannon flung out a gold rope of power from her hand, binding the arms of a blue wart-infested Fomorii. Rhiannon’s auburn hair was wild around her smudged face, her robes covered with dirt. She shot out another stream of energy, backing against the wall so that no demon could come up from behind.

  Yet the moment she turned her head to bind a Fomorii pinning Iris’s hands behind her back, another multi-limbed demon attacked her from the side, diving in like a baseball player sliding into third base, grabbing Rhiannon’s ankles, and driving her to her knees.

  Fury burned through Silver, hot and molten. She gathered a blue spellfire ball in her hands. Her hair crackled around her shoulders and her skin tingled with power like thousands of tiny pinpricks. With all her might she flung the ball straight at a Fomorii coming for her and Cassia.

  The spellfire slammed into the great red demon and drove it across the room and against the far wall so hard its head hit with a crack loud enough to be heard in the melee. The beast squealed and landed on all fours, blood pouring from its head. It staggered, but regained its footing.

  From her side vision she caught Janis’s expression of obvious shock at Silver’s use of gray magic and extreme force.

  Silver faltered only a moment before she formed another ball of spellfire and slammed a different red beast to the dirt floor. It shrieked as the blue fire surrounded it, and Silver caught the unmistakable odor of burned flesh mixing with the rotten-fish stench. The power flowing through her was tremendous and filled her with a sense of dark satisfaction. Her hair rose about her shoulders and her body vibrated with her witchcraft. Just another blast and she could do away with the beast.

  The image of Darkwolf wavered in her mind. The eye hanging from the chain about his neck glowed. “Kill it.” His sensuous voice filled her mind. “Destroy the creature.”

  Yes, she had to. Had to do away with the demons capturing the other witches.

  “Kill it.”

  More heat, more power flowed from her, and then her own voice rang through her head.

  No killing. Doesn’t matter what the creature is, no killing. Contain the beast.

  She mentally shook herself. The image of Darkwolf vanished. Sweat poured down her face in rivulets from the force it took to yank herself back from the edge of the dark.

  Instead of harming the monster further, she bound the Fomorii in a blue rope of power and started to go for another.

  In her furious state Silver realized two things. Every one of the witches but her and Cassia had been captured and were bound.

  The rest of the demons were rushing the two of them.

  With a quick movement. Silver waved her hand and formed a protection bubble around Cassia and herself before the demons reached them. The snarling Fomorii bounced against it, clawed at the magical surface and gnashed their horrid teeth. The demons’ rotten-fish stench penetrated the bubble.

  The next second she felt Cassia’s power join her own, strengthening the protection.

  Silver’s heart climbed to her throat as a mammoth blue Fomorii shoved its way through the others and approached the bubble. It was the same demon that had taken over the man’s body in her vision. Silver was sure of it. The creature bared its wicked needle-sharp teeth and its bulging blue eyes studied Silver as if it knew who she was.

  Silver glanced to Cassia. There was only one thing they could do now.

  She grabbed the witch’s hand and shouted, “Run!”

  The pair of them pounded up the stone stair steps. Silver could feel the demons launching themselves against the protection bubble. Could almost feel the heat of their rancid breath down her neck. Their growls were loud and hideous, the scrabble of their footsteps against stone raking her senses.

  Cassia stumbled on a step, causing Silver to almost trip over her. Instead she clenched Cassia’s hand tighter in hers and kept them moving forward until they reached the top landing.

  Silver grabbed the door handle and they flung themselves into the foyer of Janis’s home. Silver tripped over a rug and dropped to her knees. It took all her power to maintain the bubble as she scrambled to her feet. Her palm was slippery with sweat and she almost lost hold of Cassia’s hand.

  The demons continued to slam into the bubble, the pain of each blow like a bruise to Silver’s flesh. She barely had the presence of mind to grab her car keys from the desk beside the stairwell before they wrenched open the back door of Janis’s house and hurled themselves into the night.

  The demons followed them into the near darkness, their growls and snarls sounding like a pack of vicious dogs
.

  Silver hesitated only a moment before running to her little VW Bug. The demons hounded her, never letting up. Silver yanked Cassia around to the driver’s side door, knowing that separating their hands or their magic would be a really, really bad idea.

  The witch panted beside Silver and every now and then gave a soft cry when a demon slammed into their protection.

  When they reached the car, Silver shoved with her magic and broadened the bubble to encompass the entire car. She yanked the door open and had Cassia crawl across the driver’s side to the passenger side while still holding on to her hand.

  Cassia tangled her robe around the gearshift and Silver heard cloth tear as she pushed the witch over so that she could climb inside, too. She slammed the door shut behind her.

  “I’m going to have to release you when I put the keys in the ignition.” Silver’s heart raced so fast she could barely speak. “Can you still help me hold the shield in place?”

  Cassia’s quick nod was all that Silver needed. They released hands and for a second Silver felt the protection waver, but then it grew stronger. Demons crashed against it, trying to get to them, get to the car. Three of the creatures had followed, hideous and malformed and so very deadly.

  Silver crammed the keys into the ignition, stomped on the clutch, and pressed on the gas pedal as she started the car. She slammed the gearshift into reverse. In the next moment she released the clutch and jammed the gas pedal to the floor. Thankfully they had gotten there early enough to have been parked by the back door and late enough that they were at the foot of the driveway behind Rhiannon’s car.

  Demons flew away from the Bug as she backed out of Janis’s driveway. The Fomorii weren’t giving up, though. They bounded after her until she entered the main street. Her tires squealed and she smelled burned rubber through the ventilation as she whipped the car backward and barely avoided hitting a parked car.

  She shoved the gearshift into first and the car bolted forward, sending the demons flying away from the protection shield once again.

  Silver tore down the street and didn’t think to breathe until the demons were no longer in sight in her rearview mirror.

  5

  The brisk San Francisco breeze chilled Silver’s naked flesh through the opening of her robe. Her hair was still damp from sweat and she had barely stopped trembling from the fight with the demons.

  The use of gray magic had sapped much of her strength and she’d had to let herself recover, at least a bit, before she could do this.

  It all came down to this moment. She would do what she had to do. To save the city and the D’Anu Coven from the evil that now preyed upon them. The evil that had taken her Sisters and Brothers less than two hours ago.

  From where she stood on the beach, distant lights glittered along the Golden Gate Bridge. She was hidden in a small cove surrounded by solid rock that could not be seen from the road and could only be accessed by a narrow footpath. It was a place of power, of great magic, that had been known only to—and protected with spells by—D’Anu witches for generations. Here she usually felt safe and secure, and able to perform her necessary rituals.

  Would she ever feel safe again?

  She pushed away the hood of her white robe and allowed the open garment to slip over her shoulders, down her arms, so that she was completely skyclad. The satin landed in a soft pool that glowed on the pale sand in the light of the waxing moon. The robe landed beside her familiar, Polaris. The python hissed and raised his head.

  The air smelled of brine and fish, mixing with the almond scent of her body oil, and the sandalwood incense burning on the altar at her feet. Waves slapped the shore, the constant ramble of the ocean throbbing in time with the throbbing of her heart.

  Fear tasted bitter on her tongue, but she knew she had no choice. She had to perform the ritual. For the future of the planet.

  If dark triumphed, if those demons won out, the world as Silver knew it—as everyone knew it—would end. Not fast. No. Not merciful, either. A long, cruel, and bloody massacre.

  It was up to Silver to save the D’Anu witches, her city, and maybe much, much more.

  Rhiannon. Mackenzie. Would Silver’s precious friends live after what they’d been through?

  Will I be able to save them?

  Yes! I will not allow doubt to cloud my thoughts.

  Thank the Ancestors she had been able to protect Cassia, and that Eric had been at his home, ill. She had forced Cassia to remain behind at the Coven’s well-warded shop, instructing her to further ward the floor in addition to the wardings protecting the rest of the store and apartments above it. The D’Anu had never expected something to come up from the ground.

  Her reasons for leaving the apprentice were twofold. They needed the extra warding done and in no way was the young witch ready to perform the powerful ceremony Silver was attempting this night.

  This would be the greatest risk Silver had ever taken. She would draw down the strength of the moon...and she would attempt to summon the Tuatha D’Danann.

  Would Hawk be one of those who answered her call?

  She shook off the thought. She had to concentrate. “Ancestors, help me now,” she whispered.

  Polaris curled around her feet, and she felt the strength of his support and an inkling of his magic. At least the familiar agreed with her.

  “Get busy, Silver.” She tried to relax and set aside the constant thoughts of the attack. It wouldn’t do to be tense during the ceremony. “Stop thinking about what can’t be changed,” she said as she stepped away from Polaris. “Think only about what you can do now.”

  Drawing her athame from her box of ceremonial supplies, she gripped the worn ebony handle. The double-edged dagger had been passed down from generation to generation in her family’s long line of witches, and contained strong magic.

  She laid the athame upon an engraved pentacle on the wooden altar, alongside other tools of her Craft—a flickering white candle, smoking sandalwood incense, a silver chalice of purified water, and a plate of salt. Sand shifted beneath her knees as she knelt before the altar and held her hands, palms down, over the dagger. Polaris was now curled up beside the altar, watching her, his tongue flicking out as if telling her to proceed.

  Silver’s voice rose above the crashing waves as she chanted.

  “Athame, athame, steel for me.

  In the name of the Ancestors, I consecrate thee.

  Athame, athame, gray as the sea,

  In the name of the Ancestors, I consecrate thee.

  Athame, athame, true and free.

  I consecrate thee, so mote it be.”

  Silver projected protective energy from her body into the tool as she chanted, then picked it up. She trickled salt over the instrument for the Element of Earth, then passed the blade through incense smoke for Air, through candle flame for Fire, and finally sprinkled the athame with fluid from the chalice for Water.

  When she finished, she eased upright, sand moving and whispering against her bare feet. With her right arm straight out in front of her, the athame pointing east, she slowly turned clockwise while she chanted, “Earth, Water, Fire, and Air, I cast this circle true and fair.”

  At the same time she spoke, a magical circle cut the sand, following her movements, surrounding her and her familiar. Wind buffeted her naked body, but not a grain of sand trickled into the circle she drew from the air. The white candle and incense on her small wooden altar continued to burn, barely flickering in the rising breeze.

  A silver crown was perched upon her hair, the upturned crescent moon positioned at the center of her forehead. Her silver and amber pentagram swung above her bare breasts and began to heat. The silver snake that curled around her wrist grew as warm as the pentagram while she closed the circle. The snake was her totem, and her familiar a python. Both added strength to her magic.

  With a wave of her hand, candles flickered to life where she had placed them at the cardinal points.

  Green at the north, for
the Element of Earth; blue to the west, for Water; yellow at the east, for Air; and red to the south, for Fire.

  Throughout the time she spoke the ritual words, made the ritual movements, and consecrated her space, Silver fought the feeling that she needed to hurry or all would be lost. She couldn’t rush it. If she didn’t perform the ritual properly, all would be lost, of that she was certain.

  When she finished her preparations, Silver set the athame on the altar and stood at the center of the circle. She already felt the power of the waxing moon overhead, and the power of the moon ritual. She tipped her head back, closed her eyes, and raised her arms to either side of her, palms up, her feet firmly planted in the coarse sand.

  The crescent moon graced her supple flesh with its white glow. She could see it in her mind’s eye, traveling over her skin, caressing her in unabashedly sensual ways. She felt the power and strength of the Ancestors streaming from the moon, down from the night sky, and through every pore in her body.

  A strong tingling sensation started at her belly and worked down to her legs, her toes. At the same time a tickling feeling moved up to her chest, her arms, her fingers, her face…until her long hair rose at her scalp, stirred about her shoulders, and brushed the small of her bare back. The spirit of the Ancestors, the great Druids, filled her, the energy vibrating through her entire being until she joined with them and they became as one.

  When her body trembled with the force of the joining, Silver uttered a small prayer. “I am thankful for your graciousness. For the life you have given us. For the Elements of Earth, Air, Water, and Fire. I ask of you now to allow me to call upon the Element of Fire that will invoke the Tuatha D’Danann to save all your children.”

  She waited for a moment and the tingling in her body grew stronger. She felt a gentle push at her mind and knew the Ancestors were gauging her intentions.

  A caress, as warm and light as a summer breeze, slid over Silver’s skin and radiant warmth filled her. She smiled. The Ancestors had blessed her. Had anointed her with their power.