We walked into the vast space of vaulted ceilings, uncountable rows of pews, and the focal point of the altar. In the front pew, just to the side of the altar, were the shadows of three people huddled together with eyes fixed on us.
I held my breath as we moved down the center aisle toward the mysterious group. Judging by her silhouette, I was sure the one in the middle was Ms. Kelly. The other two remained unrecognizable at first.
"Welcome, students," Ms. Kelly called to us, her voice bouncing through the church.
We remained silent, moving closer, focused on the strangers.
As we got closer, the features of the other two came into focus. Women of middle age, much like Ms. Kelly. One fair and the other dark-complexioned.
My eyes shot wide as I recognized Ms. Harrison and Ms. Reed. My breath whooshed out of me in surprise.
Ms. Kelly's voice broke the stunned silence. "Students, I'm sure you already know my friends, but I want to introduce them to you on a new level—as their true selves."
My ears piqued as I listened to her every word.
Ms. Kelly glanced at her friends and said, "I'd like you to meet two powerful witches within my coven."
Chapter 10
Ms. Kelly's words punched me in the face, and I struggled to catch my breath. I had thought I was a strong, badass bitch, but Ms. Kelly put me back in my place. I was green, and words like 'witches' and 'coven' were still enough to make me dizzy.
The four of us froze in place, unable to speak. It was clear the other UMAs had the same response to Ms. Kelly's introduction as I did.
And within our stunned silence, I was the first to choke out a few words.
"You know about us?" I muttered.
They nodded as Ms. Kelly explained further.
"The three of us have been bonded for many years through our craft. Elizabeth and Rose have known of our academy." She hesitated, glancing at them. "They just didn't realize how advanced you'd all become."
I scratched the side of my head to redirect the feeling that it would explode.
"And our projects?" I asked.
Ms. Kelly nodded. "Only in the past couple weeks, have I shared the nature of your projects. With Tommy's return, I have needed the skills of my dear friends. You see, he's a unique boy with... well, with unique requirements," she stuttered. "And now with Dom and Courtney trapped within the Dark Witch's curse, the book of magic is vital to our mission."
I looked at Shane for a moment and felt his angst mounting.
"But the missing pages?" I muttered, too afraid to say it loudly.
Ms. Reed stepped forward, widening her eyes. The bright white against her rich black skin held my attention without waiver. "We know of the missing pages and the implications to Shane," she said. "Finding the lost rituals is paramount to our cause."
I nodded with relief in the knowledge that we all agreed on what needed to get done. The question, though, was how.
Ms. Harrison stepped forward. "Well, I'm delighted that we can all work together now without having to shield our positions within the coven." She grinned, running her hands through her wavy hair, exposing her face entirely. Her forearm tattoo peeked out from under her sleeve, and my head tipped as I tried to see it more clearly.
"Agreed," Ms. Kelly interjected. "I think it's a good time for us to work together now in hopes that our combined knowledge and talents will assist us."
Shane twitched as he finally made a motion to speak. "I don't understand, Ms. Kelly. Why haven't we all worked together from the start?"
My eyes twitched from his comment. I wasn't sure if it was rude or a perfectly acceptable inquiry. Either way, I froze, awaiting her response.
"As you know, we are a secretive coven. As my students, you needed to reach a certain level of your training before being exposed to the higher order. But be assured, students, my fellow mages have been involved from the start, protecting all of us with their magic." She turned to Ms. Harrison and Ms. Reed with an approving glance.
Ms. Reed nodded at Ms. Kelly, and her long twisted braids shook around her face. "We've kept an altar of incantation to keep your tribe safe," she said. "Elizabeth and I take turns chanting our spell of protection to keep the Dark Witch away from your essence. She is strong, but hasn't yet broken through our screen."
I stared at them in disbelief. They'd been protecting us without us even knowing. I turned to my friends, catching a similar gaze of enlightenment in their eyes.
We'd had no idea of the presence of our guardian angels. But the deeper the idea sank in, the more I realized it to be true. The forces of the Dark Witch were powerful, and it took the coordinated efforts of a coven to keep her from infiltrating our group.
Poorva cleared her throat. "Thank you," she said. "We had no idea."
The three women stood together in unity, each one with her own unique gifts that, when shared with the others, complemented the trifecta perfectly. We knew very little of what each of them specialized in, but seeing them together, it was impossible to miss the power that radiated among them.
Ms. Kelly reached toward the first pew and moved her jacket. Underneath was the book of spells. My breath sucked in as she lifted it and held it close to her chest.
"It's best we go somewhere more private to study the book," she said. "The secret chamber."
Shane and I nodded in understanding. The hidden room where we found the book made perfect sense. It was just big enough to hold the seven of us, and we could remain hidden there if any unsuspecting worshippers came into the church.
Without hesitation, the four of us followed Ms. Kelly and her friends. Curiosity oozed from us as we stared in wide-eyed wonder at the witch trifecta and the ancient book of magic they carried. It was the moment we'd all been waiting for.
As we stepped into the hallway to the side of the altar, we left the massive worship space behind us and entered the behind-the-scenes area. I glanced across the row of doors, passing Minister Kelly's office and landing my eyes on the farthest one in the shadows.
Shane and I naturally turned toward it. But Ms. Kelly and the other women walked in the opposite direction, heading down the stairs toward the basement.
I whispered to Shane, "Where are they going?"
The sound of their steps echoed off each stair as they descended.
Shane glanced back at the hidden door one more time, then followed the group. "Not sure. But something tells me there's another secret room we haven't discovered yet."
As we moved down the stairs toward the church basement, the temperature dropped as the light dulled. Our group gathered in the large function room space, and I looked around at the familiar dusty icons that decorated the walls. My eyes landed on the door that Shane and I had entered through the day before, and I noted my exit route in case anything went south.
Ms. Kelly moved in the opposite direction of the exit door, and we followed to a narrow passage at the back. Metal folding chairs were stacked along the sides and cardboard boxes blocked our access. We shimmied through the piles of storage and reached the back of the alcove.
"Runaway slaves hid in this space at one time," Ms. Kelly said, pushing a box aside. "As a part of an underground railroad system." She pressed her hands along the wall, searching for something. "Then it became a holding cell for the accused." Her tone became somber. "The screams of the locked away victims couldn't be heard during mass celebrations, and they had only the darkness as their companion."
She pushed into the wall, and a seam cracked open behind the molding, exposing a dark line of space behind it. My heartbeat hung in limbo as Ms. Kelly pushed it open farther, and I stared into the mysterious darkness.
The three women bent and stepped inside without hesitation, leaving the four of us in stunned silence.
"We have to go in there?" Blake muttered.
Poorva's concerned brows lifted, and she looked to me for a response.
I had no intention of turning back now. If stepping into the dungeon of centuries-gone-b
y meant the possibility of saving our friends, then I was all in.
"Yes," I stated without hesitation.
Shane stepped closer to the door. Worry emanated off him, and the stress lines on his forehead proved his understanding of the magnitude of the situation. We were inches from learning more about his... condition.
I bent my head and stepped into the darkness. Shane followed right behind me while Poorva and Blake lingered in the safety of the passageway.
"Come on," I called to them. "Staying back is not an option. We need everyone's energy and focus. Unified."
Poorva grumbled, something like, "I can't believe this. We have no idea what we're walking into."
Her words weren't wrong.
And her reluctance wasn't unexpected.
She was so hyper-focused on her college plans, it was almost like the UMAs had become an inconvenience to her. I prayed she'd stay focused long enough to get us to the end of this journey.
Blake tiptoed behind her, flinching at every sound from deep within the chamber.
Ms. Harrison moved past us and pushed the secret door shut. My eyes struggled to adjust to the pitch darkness, and I naturally moved closer to my friends. We huddled together, waiting for whatever might happen next, and the sound of our nervous breathing grew louder.
Just as I was about to call out, a scratching sound turned my attention as a flame crackled to life on a wooden matchstick. The glow of the small fire attracted all of us to it as Ms. Kelly touched it to the wick of a black candle. She moved the match to the side and lit a second candle.
Shaking the match, she extinguished its flame. Ms. Reed held two more candles and lit them off the others. Light filled the chamber, illuminating shelves along each wall, filled with books and jars of various sizes.
I stepped back slightly and looked at the table in the center of the space. The candles sat on it in a neat row, and I stared at the variety of objects on the flat surface.
Crystals of every kind, including on tall pillar of purple amethyst, surrounded the candles. Old books and dried herb bundles decorated the table.
Then Ms. Kelly spoke.
"Welcome students, to our secret place of worship. It is here that we practice our craft in connection with the spirits of our ancestors."
Her words filled every space within the chamber, resonating with the vibrations of centuries gone by.
She continued, "We can focus here—to practice and to conjure. Without interruptions of the outside world, we connect to the forces of nature through spell-casting and chanting. And today, we will begin the process of understanding the Incantation of Souls in an attempt to help Shane, and also to reconnect to Dom and Courtney."
I moved closer to the altar, ready to participate.
Shane pulled in next to me without hesitation.
Hovering behind us, Poorva and Blake continued to study the items around the altar and the shadowed faces of the three women.
Ms. Reed moved her hands across the altar, creating a clear space in front of her. "We will be preparing for Samhain—the night of remembrance of souls gone past. And the night of finding souls not yet crossed over."
The hairs on the back of my neck stood up.
Ms. Harrison reached for a wooden board on the altar and pulled it into the glowing light of the candles. It was a Wheel of the Year, just like the one she showed us in school, only this one had the image of a moth in the center. As I focused on its details, the head of the moth became more clear. It was the unsettling visage of a skull, emanating death from its empty eyes.
I swallowed hard and focused back on Ms. Kelly. Her kind face settled my nerves, and I listened as she added more detail.
"We're expecting a full moon on Samhain. It's one of the most powerful astronomical days of the year. We have great hope that this will be our time." She placed the book of spells in the center of the altar. "And with this magic book in our possession, our chances have grown exponentially."
Feeling like an outsider looking in, I watched the three women as they arranged items on the altar and flipped through pages of the spellbook.
My position as an observer didn't last long, though.
"Brynn, we need you to place your hand on the book," Ms. Kelly instructed. "To assist with its awakening."
I looked around as if uncertain she was speaking to me but then took a step forward.
She continued, "Shane, be at the ready. When we get to the missing pages, it would be wise for you to be near."
Shane moved in close to me.
Poorva and Blake continued staring from two steps back as if we might conjure an evil monster or a deadly plague.
Stepping up to the decorated altar, I reached my trembling hand across and placed it on the book. The three women stood on the opposite side and watched my reaction with scrutiny.
At first, I felt nothing and wondered if we were wasting our time, or worse, losing our minds. But then, as Ms. Reed began chanting in a low hum, my hand glowed with a delicate purple hue.
My initial instinct was to pull it away, but Shane's hopeful gasp kept my hand planted. Energy traveled from my chest down my arm, invigorating the purple light enough to brighten the chamber with its illumination.
Ms. Harrison stepped back with a sudden startle.
"What's happening?" she gulped as her eyes darted around us. "She's too powerful." Her hand waved across the altar, accidentally knocking some of the crystals to the floor.
Ms. Kelly placed a hand on her shoulder while keeping her eyes fixed on me. "No worries, Elizabeth. I told you she was gifted. She has exhibited the power of the ancient one."
Ms. Harrison's body shuddered as she watched the purple glow of my hand burn brighter.
The sensation tingled but didn't feel the way it had in the past when fireballs blasted from my palms. This time it was more controlled and focused. I channeled the energy into the book as best I could.
Ms. Reed continued chanting, creating a vibration within the chamber that mimicked the sound of the universe, like the chorus of a thousand ohms.
As her chanting slowed, Ms. Kelly touched my arm, and I removed my hand from the book. She gestured for me to come around to her side of the altar.
Standing next to Ms. Kelly, I observed the moment as if it had already happened. It was like I was out of my body, watching the ritual from above.
The others closed in around the altar, watching my every move.
Ms. Kelly took my hand, and together, we reached for the cover of the book. We lifted the thick leather cover, exposing the first, hand-written page. Smudges of ink and watermarks blotched the edges, making the writing difficult to read. Illustrations of a five-point star and a wheel with strange symbols ran along the border. Fancy scroll moved along the edges in black ink.
Some of the words were illegible, but I read aloud the phrases and titles I could decipher.
"Book of Shadows," I whispered. "Protection spells, Past Life spell, Awakening spell." I hesitated, studying the lower portion of the page. "Warning." I looked closer, trying to see the fine print, but couldn't make it out.
Ms. Kelly turned the page.
I glanced at the swirled title at the top. "Return Spell," I murmured. "Take us back to where we came. To time and place that are the same. Let past be present. That time regain...."
Ms. Kelly grabbed my wrist, causing my voice to stick in my throat. I stopped reading and gaped at her.
"Careful. We're not ready to cast any of these. We must begin with studying only." She released my wrist with a gentle pat and turned more pages, dropping her finger on a colorfully decorated one. "Here," she proclaimed.
I leaned in while the others crowded around as well. My eyes moved along the fancy scrawl and decorated letters, and I read aloud, "Samhain."
The three women repeated the word in unison, and the ancient sound of ‘saw-ween’ filled the chamber.
Ms. Reed leaned over my shoulder and chanted toward the book, "Troubled blood with sleep's unease. Remo
ve the cause of this disease. Sleep eternal nevermore. And shift the source of soul reborn. To he who walks, whom none shall mourn." She glanced up at Shane and held her unflinching gaze on him.
My heart thrummed in my chest as fear gnawed at my bones.
We were in deep in this unworldly realm, and I was beginning to worry that we'd make things worse by messing with these spells.
Shane moved closer to the book and stared at the words. His desperation radiated off him, filling me with angst.
There was no other way.
Fixing Shane was of a supernatural order. And this book, and these people around me, were the means to making things right.
"It's the evening of souls," Ms. Kelly said. "Samhain honors our deceased ancestors, but also marks the darker half of the year—the time when magic is at its strongest." She ran her finger down the page. "Life and immortality cross together, souls waiting to be reborn." She pointed to what looked like the drawing of a cross-cut apple. "The pentacle at the core reveals the symbol of the Goddess."
She turned the page revealing a long spell that filled the entire parchment.
"The Incantation of Souls," Ms. Reed said with a quake in her voice.
"Yes," Ms. Kelly agreed. "This we will save for the eve of Samhain. We'll take the spellbook to the clearing in the woods and chant these phrases."
A chill ran up my spine, lifting the hairs on the back of my neck.
Shane let out a whoosh of air, and I looked up at him.
"This is what we'll do," I said to him with a nod. "We'll make it right."
He sent an uneasy smile that confirmed the insecurity I felt in my gut.
Ms. Kelly reached for the book and slammed it shut.
"We'll conjure the portal while chanting the spell," she said. "The rest will be out of our hands."
Chapter 11
Being home was anticlimactic after the surreal experience of initiation into a coven,
Before leaving the secret chamber, we had held hands around the altar, and Ms. Kelly led a closing chant. As we repeated her words, we solidified our pact within the coven.
Urban Mystic Academy: Third Project (A Supernatural Academy Series Book 3) Page 9
