Blood Magic

by Jennifer Snyder

  “As ready as I’ll ever be,” I said with more bravado than I felt as I dried my hands on my jeans.

  Benji grabbed my coat and draped over the stool I’d been sitting on before reaching for my bag and hoisting it over his shoulder. “Where do you want to set up? I’m runnin’ out of room in my bedroom, but I might be able to dust off a corner somewhere for you.”

  I folded my arms over my chest. We were running out of room in there. I already had two spells taking up floor space. I couldn’t add another. Not one of this size.

  “Why don’t you set up in the living room?” Ivette suggested. “We could move the furniture out of the way.”

  “That would be great. Thanks,” I said.

  Benji and Julian headed to the living room to move the furniture. Ivette followed. I started to but paused when my gaze drifted to Hazel as I was leaving the room. She still sat at the island, unmoving. Her bowl of food was practically untouched, and her eyes had taken on a glassy look as she stared into space.

  “Are you ready for this spell?” I tucked a few stray hairs behind my ear. “Are you even okay with me performing it?”

  I should have asked her permission earlier but hadn’t. This was her dead grandmother I was summoning.

  “Yeah. It’s fine. Just a little weird. I mean, I know this is real and all, but when I think of summoning a spirit, Ouija boards pop into my head, not summoning an actual spirit of a person into physical form in front of you.” She pulled at the sleeves of her shirt, covering her hands as though she’d suddenly grew cold. “I haven’t seen my grandmother since I was twelve and knowing I will in a second—after everything I’ve learned about my family lately—will seem strange.”

  Tightness built inside my chest. I hadn’t been taking her feelings or worries into consideration at all. I’d only been thinking about the information Adele might have for me. I should have been more sensitive to how Hazel would feel about this—the memories it might conjure up for her, the pain.

  “You don’t have to see her if you don’t want to,” I said, trying to give her an easy out if she wanted it. “I’d completely understand and I’m sure she would too.”

  She shook her head. “I don’t want to miss this. I want to be there, my nerves are just getting to me. I’ll be okay though.”

  “Do you have questions you want to ask her?” I hadn’t thought to ask her that before, but it seemed as though I should. There was bound to be something she wanted to ask or something she wanted to tell her. It wouldn’t be right not to give her that option.

  Hazel’s brows pinched together, and I placed a hand on her arm.

  “You don’t have to tell me or decide right now. I’ll be sure I ask if you have anything you want to say to her before I end the spell,” I insisted.

  “Thank you,” she whispered.

  “No problem.”

  I left her at the kitchen island and headed for the living room. The couches had already been pushed against the far wall, and the coffee table had been moved to the entrance of the room. There was a giant space in front of the fireplace ready and waiting for me to perform the spell. Benji was on his hands and knees, dusting the wood floor with the sleeve of his hoodie to prep the space for me.

  “There,” he said when he was finished. He stood and glanced at me. “Everythin’ is ready.”

  I stepped to him and kissed his cheek. “Thanks.”

  He gripped my hips and held me in place so he could crush his lips against mine. His tongue snaked out to skim along my bottom lip and I lost all train of thought.

  “No problem,” he breathed as he pulled away. “I am excited to see how this is gonna work. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen you summon someone before. Sounds pretty badass.”

  I flashed him a coy smile. “Pretty badass, huh?”

  “Yeah. Ranks up there with you turnin’ a guy into crows.”

  At the mention of crows, a shiver slipped down my spine. Thoughts of the crow outside Earth Roots and the way it had stared at me, unblinking, surfaced.

  “This is exciting!” Ivette exclaimed. She clapped her hands together, and then situated herself on one of the couches against the far wall. “It’s been ages since I was last at a séance.”

  Séance was such a creepy word, but then again so was summoning.

  “Well, I hope this works as well as others you’ve attended,” I insisted as I unpacked my ingredients for the spell from my bag. Once I had everything laid out, I shifted my attention to the book and flipped to the right page.

  The words To Summon A Spirit were printed across the top of the page. My stomach twisted. This was it. The moment we would get answers from Adele. Or not. She might not have anything else to offer.

  The true question was: Could I hack this whole gray magic thing and actually perform a spell of this magnitude?

  Did I have another option? Not really.

  I exhaled a slow breath, closed my eyes, and focused. I was nearly centered and ready to begin when the front door opened, startling me. I blamed how high I jumped on the ambiance of the room—the flickering fire beside me, the silence, the materials for the spell surrounding me.

  “Well, hello there. Are we performing a séance?” Octavia asked as she closed the door behind her and made her way into the living room, her heels clicking against the wood floors as she walked. When her dark eyes landed on me, I wished I could still the rapid beating of my heart, not wanting her to think she was the cause, but it was impossible. Her wicked grin widened as she stared at me. “And, who are we summoning tonight?”

  “My grandmother,” Hazel said. Hazel stood in the threshold of the living room. I hadn’t noticed her standing there.

  Octavia crossed the room and sat on the couch beside Ivette.

  “Wonderful,” she said. She crossed her legs and nodded to me. “Continue.”

  I pulled in another deep breath and closed my eyes once again to center myself. It was harder this time around because of the spike of adrenaline flooding my system from her unexpected entrance. Still, I managed.

  Once I felt settled enough to begin, I opened my eyes and glanced at the book. The first step was to create a circle of salt large enough to fit me, the ingredients to the spell, and the spirit I was attempting to summon inside.

  I grabbed the container of salt and poured a large circle around myself, intending to keep evil out as well as keep Adele’s spirit—or any others that might try to get through—contained. Next, I reached for the four white candles and placed them where the book suggested—one at the northern side of the circle, one at the south, one at the east, and one at the west. While I had no clue which side was which or even which way I was currently facing, I didn’t think it mattered so long as there was a candle at each position. I took another calming, cleansing breath before I grabbed the lighter and lit each with the intention of encircling me with purity and protection. The book said I needed to sprinkle the finely chopped mandrake root over each of the lit candles, as well as myself, so the spirits couldn’t blow them out. Sprinkling the mandrake root over my head was so they couldn’t overtake me.

  Since it creeped me out to think it was possible to be stuck inside my body, but not be in control, I added another sprinkle of the root over my head.

  The petals of the lotus flower came next in the steps. I plucked them off, being careful not to tear their delicate structure, even though the spell said they were supposed to be placed directly into the candle flames. As I burned them, I thought of Adele and wanting to speak to her, wanting to summon her, like the book said.

  Next came the incantation. As I read the words silently, their power vibrated through me, and warmth uncoiled within the center of my chest. It was the gray magic blooming to life again. While I wouldn’t admit it to Aunt Rowena, I happened to like the feeling of it. There was something comforting about it. Something that felt right.

  “Here my words, hear this plea, come to me Adele Dupre. Come to me, for I summon thee,” I whispered in a calm, pr
ecise tone.

  The gray magic building inside my chest spread outward, leaking into my veins and traveling through my body. I repeated the words again and a tunnel of wind spiraled in front of me.

  The spell was working.

  I held my breath as the familiar a bluish-white light of the other side presented itself in the tunnel of wind. I’d successfully tapped into the other side, but I wasn’t sure yet who would appear before me.

  “Here my words, hear this plea, come to me Adele Dupre. Come to me, for I summon thee,” I said with more authority this time, hoping it would be enough to only pull her into the circle with me and no one else.

  When a translucent vision of Adele appeared before me, my thoughts scattered.

  I’d done it!

  I stared into the space she now occupied, unbelieving how easy it had been to call her to me. Adele’s lips twisted upward, revealing a gap-toothed smile as she stared back at me. She still wore the same yellow dress, and her hair was piled high on top of her head, same as before, but for some reason, I could smell her. She smelled of banana nut muffins. Was it because she was more corporeal?

  “Child, I sure am glad you decided to contact me,” she said as her hand fell to her hip.

  “Were you the one trying to reach me?” I asked.

  “I was. I learned you found my sweet Hazel.” Her eyes drifted around the room until she spotted her. The excitement on Adele’s face warmed my heart. Her hand came up to press against her lips as though she was forcing away a sob. “You’re beautiful, sweet girl. I’m so glad Ridley was able to get to you in time.”

  “I am too,” Hazel said, her eyes never blinking.

  Adele swallowed hard and dropped her hand from her mouth. Her form seemed to shiver and then her attention was back to me. “I was reaching out because I know you’ve been wondering where the amulet is.”

  “Do you know where it is?” I asked, hopeful.

  The old woman shook her head. “Not the exact location, but I can tell you where it was last—Oak Island.”

  “I’ve never heard of Oak Island,” I admitted.

  “It’s a beachside town off the coast of North Carolina,” Adele said. “The amulet should still be there. Unless it was donated with my belongings and somebody bought it, which is possible. The first place to check would be with Fran. She was my dearest friend.”

  “Does she know about the magic of the amulet?” If so, there was a chance the amulet was never sold because she would know the story behind it.

  “I was private with that part of my life. I learned to be more cautious with magic and the talk of witchcraft the older I became as I saw it push those I loved away. While Fran might have gathered ideas about me over the years, she didn’t know for certain of my magic.”

  Sadness entered her stare. It tugged at my heartstrings. Losing touch with her daughter and not being able to see Hazel grow up had been hard on her.

  “If she kept my belongings, the necklace will most likely be with her. You’ll have to go to Oak Island and head to Treasure Chest Thrift Store. Fran owns it,” the old woman said.

  “How will we get the amulet from her?” I asked, wondering if the old woman would be able to give me a piece of advice that might work as well as mentioning her name to Hazel had.

  “Take her with you.” Adele nodded to Hazel. “I talked about you almost every day. Fran probably felt as though you were her own granddaughter. She’ll know the amulet needs to go with you. As soon as she sees Hazel’s face, she’ll know.”

  I hoped Adele was right. If not, this might be another situation where it would be smart to take Ivette with us. That way if things went south, we could use her gift to help gain access to the amulet.

  “You talked about me every day?” Hazel asked. Raw emotion reflected in her eyes as she stepped closer to the circle of salt.

  “I did. I even baked your favorite muffins each year on your birthday.” Adele smiled. “There were pictures of you always up on my walls. Your mama too. Just because we didn’t speak and I didn’t get to see you anymore didn’t mean I stopped loving you. I was always your grandmother. And, I always will be. Death doesn’t put a stop to that.”

  Hazel sniffled. Was she crying? I didn’t turn to look because I imagined it must be hard to hear someone you thought had forgotten you had done nothing besides remember you each day.

  “I thought of you too,” Hazel whispered.

  “I know, sweetheart, the same way I know you still do. I can feel when you think about me. Even when you make my famous banana nut muffins,” the old woman said with a grin. Hazel laughed, which was what I thought Adele was hoping for. “Your mama can too, just so you know. So please, think of us often.”

  “I will. I promise.”

  “Good.” Adele winked. Her attention shifted back to me. “Back to the amulet. When you get to Oak Island, if Fran doesn’t have it in her possession, the only way you’ll be able to find it is if you perform a locator spell. Not just any locator spell will work though, only a blood magic one will do. And you’re going to have to use—”

  The sound of glass shattering filled my ears. Tiny shards flew through the air, slicing through the salt circle and piercing my skin. My hands lifted instinctively to protect my face. The flames to the candles positioned around me snuffed out, taking with them the spirit of Adele, and the rapid beating of wings became the only thing I could hear. I forced myself to peek between parted fingers and see what the heck was going on.

  Chaos had broken out around me.

  The Montevallos were on their feet, poised and ready to fight. Benji stood beside them, his fangs descended and his fists clenched tight. Hazel had inched closer to me. Her hands covered her ears, and her eyes were squeezed shut.

  The caw of birds sounded, and my stomach bottomed out while I watched as a flock of crows made their way through every single broken window of the Montevallo mansion and congregated in the living room.

  My nightmare had just become my reality.

  Chapter 7

  My legs rooted in place as my breathing came in fast, shallow breaths. I couldn’t take my eyes off the crows as they formed the shape of a man. I watched even though I knew I should be running. Even though I knew I should get Hazel out of here. Even though I knew who it was forming.

  Bram had found us. He was here.

  My heart beat triple time as he solidified from the crows and shadows looming around him. The same evil smirk I’d seen before graced his lips as he shifted his gaze around the room.

  Shit. How had he found us? And what had Adele been about to say?

  Her last words had been cut off. What would we have to use? My mind raced as adrenaline pumped through me. Bram fixed his stare on me and my entire body trembled, vibrating my insides. I locked my legs at the knees to stop myself from quaking and straightened my back.

  Bram’s grin widened.

  Adele was right about him—he was pure evil. I could sense it rippling off him in waves.

  “Where is she?” Bram asked. “Where is Hazel? I know she’s here.”

  My brows pinched together. What was he talking about? Hazel was standing right beside me. Couldn’t he see her?

  Wait a minute, the cloak! He couldn’t see her because of the cloak I’d placed on her! There had to be some way to use this to my advantage. Maybe Hazel would realize what was going on and get herself upstairs out of harm’s way.

  “She’s not here,” I spat.

  Benji glanced at me and I knew he had no clue what the heck was going on. Did the others?

  Bram’s head tipped to the side, his eyes never wavering from me. “You’re lying. I can hear the tremor in your voice, little witch.”

  Shit. I always had been bad at lying.

  The corner of Bram’s lips twitched into a dangerous smirk and he launched himself toward me so fast my eyes could barely keep up with the movement, thankfully Benji’s could. He blocked Bram and sent him flying backward against the broken windows he’d come through.r />
  I inhaled a sharp breath as another shot of adrenaline rushed through my veins, accelerating my heart. Benji charged forward, his attention focused on Bram, with Julian hot on his heels. I watched as Benji took a swing at Bram. He missed. Julian tried and failed as well. Bram was fast. Too fast. When he reached out and snapped both of their necks before anyone knew it was coming, panic unlike anything I’d ever felt before mauled my insides.

  Benji crumbled to the floor. Then Julian half a second later.

  “No! Benji!” My heart urged me to rush to his side while my brain told me to grab Hazel and get the hell out of there.

  I did neither.

  Instead, I remained where I was, dumbfounded and scared out of my damn mind, watching as Bram sauntered toward me one slow step at a time with the same evil grin pulling at the corners of his lips.

  “Don’t worry, love,” he said in his thick British accent that made my skin crawl. “They’ll be fine. Although, there is a chance they’ll wake with a bit of a stiff neck.” He winked and my stomach twisted. He enjoyed this too much.

  I swallowed hard, thinking of what I should do. What I could do. I didn’t want to leave Benji, but I knew I couldn’t just stand there either. I needed to get Hazel to safety.

  “Now tell me where she is,” Bram said, pulling my attention back to him.

  My fists clenched at my sides. “She’s not here.”

  “I told you before… you’re lying,” he muttered as he continued toward me looking like a cat ready to pounce on his prey.

  My gaze drifted around, searching for a weapon. There was nothing available to me where I stood unless I could throw a damn couch at him.

  An awful noise pierced my ears. It came from Octavia—a pissed off Octavia. She blurred across the living room, waving her arms in a way that corresponded with the furniture pieces flying through the air to slam against Bram. It was as though she had moved them with her mind.

  Telekinesis was Octavia Montevallo’s power!

  Bram lifted his arms to deflect her blows as she tossed lamps, paintings, and an end table at him. Nothing phased him. All he did was laugh.