I blinked at her. “You – you what?”
“I love you,” she said again, doing the hair-tucking thing again. “Are you surprised?”
“Well, yes, actually,” I admitted. “I mean, I’m just Peter Collins, regular guy, and you’re Melissa Andrews –”
“Yes, I know,” she sighed, rolling her eyes. “Queen of Hellburn High, captain of the cheer squad, future Forbes and Playboy cover model. I hate all that.”
“You do?”
“Yes! None of that’s the real me, it’s all pretend.” She hugged herself and glared at the candles. “I’m all messed up inside, I know that. You know that, Peter. You saw me at my worst and you still like me. That’s why I love you.” A tentative smile played over her lips. “Maybe someday you’ll come to love me too.”
“Melissa, I – I, uh –” I honestly didn’t know how to respond to that.
She looked heavenward and shook her head dolefully. “Now, see, this is where Brent would have taken my hand and looked me right in the eyes and sworn his undying love for me and made me feel like the most special girl in the world.”
“Oh, um –” I hesitated and then reached out to her, but she slapped my hand hard enough to sting.
“Peter! Brent was an arrogant, self-centered cheater who’d say and do anything to get into a girl’s pants. Don’t try to be him!” She glared at me and then her expression softened. “Unless you want to,” she added tentatively.
I sat back, rubbing the red mark on my hand. “I’m getting mixed messages here,” I said doubtfully.
“Oh, sorry. Here, let me clear things up for you.” She stood and came around to my side of the table and plopped herself in my lap, grabbing my face for a long, oxygen-depriving kiss that only ended when Marcel cleared his throat behind us.
“Please let me know if there’s anything else I can get you,” he said blandly, setting the receipt and Melissa’s card on the table. “Enjoy the rest of your evening.” He turned away with a hint of an amused smirk on his professional features as Melissa scurried back to her seat and covered her face with her hands.
“They’re never going to let me back in here,” she groaned to the table.
“Cheeseburgers are good too,” I observed, touching my lips to make sure they weren’t as swollen as they felt. “Even policemen can afford those.”
“That’s true.” She smiled to herself and reached for the check, barely glancing at the total before scribbling in a tip and a signature. “Come on,” she said, collecting her card. “Let’s get out of here before they kick us out.”
The hostess bade us good night as we stepped out onto Milton Street. I hadn’t realized how late it was already. The first stars were already dotting the sky overhead and the street lights were on. Melissa took a deep breath and let it out slowly before turning to me with a smile.
“Do you mind if we take a little walk?” she asked, tucking another invisible strand away. “I have a surprise for you.”
“I don’t like surprises,” I said doubtfully. I couldn’t imagine what she had in mind. There wasn’t much open in downtown Hellburn at this time of night.
“You’ll like this one. Come on.”
3
I still haven’t figured out what it is that witches do. Obviously some of them are demon hunters but I doubt there are enough demons roaming the earth on any given day to keep everyone busy. The one session I sat in on at the library with the Hellburn coven was more like a college lecture than some mystical ritual, touching on herbology, crystallography, and comparative religions. I barely understood a word anyone said but none of it seemed to be of any practical use.
I also haven’t figured out how they do what they do. The powers Mrs. Kendricks and Dr. Bellowes used during our frantic battle last month fell more into the realm of science fiction than traditional magic: telekinesis, pyromancy, mass hypnosis, that sort of thing. I asked Susie about it afterwards but she had trouble coming up with a convincing explanation. I gather that witches can focus their minds in ways normal people can’t, allowing them to manipulate aspects of the world around them. Nothing comes for free, though, so they have to tap into their own life energy to power their spells. That’s why doing a major working tires them out so much.
None of that explains how I was able to wield powers exactly like the ones I use in Lorecraft to defeat Dr. Bellowes. Somehow Daraxandriel was able to alter reality to turn me into an enchanter and make our kitchen table bigger. I sometimes wish she’d made our bed bigger instead. I could use a good night’s sleep.
Melissa started down the sidewalk towards the old courthouse, walking backwards with her hands held out to me until I caught up with her. We continued on in silence for the most part, although her grip on my fingers tightened gradually the further we went.
“Is everything okay?” I asked. “You seem nervous.”
A smile quickly replaced her pensive look. “I’m fine,” she assured me. “Let’s cross over here.” She pulled me into the street well short of the crosswalk and continued towards the ancient columned edifice opposite City Hall.
“Wait a minute,” I said suspiciously. “Why are we going to the library?” The Municipal Library was more than just a repository of old books. It was also the headquarters of the Hellburn coven.
“You’ll see,” she insisted. “Come on!”
We reached the other side and started up the broad steps leading to the library’s front doors. A faint glow was visible behind a few of the windows but the place was otherwise dark. There was only one car in the parking lot, a late-model BMW, and I gulped.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” I’d been trying to avoid Mrs. Kendricks ever since she tried to seduce me in my bedroom. I was reasonably certain Melissa didn’t know about that and I really didn’t want her ever finding out, not after her confession in the restaurant.
“Stop worrying, everything’s going to be fine,” Melissa told me with an exasperated sigh. “Come on, she’s waiting for us.” I didn’t bother asking who she meant. There was only one person it could possibly be.
“The doors are probably locked,” I predicted, but that hope was dashed when Melissa pulled the closest one open effortlessly and ushered me inside.
The lights in the circular foyer were off but enough light spilled in from the open doors on the far side to illuminate the Great Seal of Texas embedded in the floor. My heart stuttered when I saw the Texas star in the center and I remembered Susie lying there unconscious surrounded by Dr. Bellowes’ pentagram as he prepared to feed her soul to Metraxion. I also remembered his screams as Metraxion dragged him down into Hell.
“Peter? Are you okay?” I blinked and discovered Melissa staring at me with a worried look. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” I said, shaking my head to clear away the memories. “Why are we here?”
“There you are.” Mrs. Kendricks appeared in the doorway near the spot where a desk used to be, before I cast a Shatter spell on it to distract Dr. Bellowes. I wondered how she explained the wreckage and the lingering odor of brimstone to the library board. “I was beginning to think you had a change of heart.”
“No, I’m ready,” Melissa asserted, although her suddenly shaky voice belied that.
“Wonderful,” Mrs. Kendricks said with a pleased smile. “Come along, then.” Melissa tugged on my arm to get me to move but I steered us around the star before following Mrs. Kendricks down the hall.
“This is a bit unusual, you know,” she noted over her shoulder. She’d replaced the wands she used to use to pin up her strawberry-blond hair, I noticed. These ones were made of some pale wood, maybe oak. She wore her usual loose blouse and long skirt combination and two of her four opal wardstones glittered on her earlobes. “Normally the full coven would be here as witnesses.”
“Witnesses for what?” I whispered to Melissa but Mrs. Kendricks heard me and turned with a curious look.
“You haven’t told him?” Melissa shook her head meekly, as if she was a
fraid she’d done something wrong, but Mrs. Kendricks’ smile just widened. “Well, this should be interesting, then.”
“I hate surprises,” I reminded Melissa but she just shushed me.
We ended up in a largish room at the end of a row of offices. It measured maybe fifteen feet on a side and it was completely devoid of any furnishings. The only thing visible through the narrow window in the far wall was the darkening sky outside.
“Wait here, Peter,” Mrs. Kendricks told me. “Melissa and I need to prepare.”
“Is someone going to tell me what’s going on?” I asked worriedly. It had to be something magical but that didn’t narrow it down much. Mrs. Kendricks’ blue eyes twinkled with amusement.
“We won’t be long,” she assured me, obviously enjoying my discomfort. She guided Melissa back out into the hallway, leaving the door open just wide enough to let some light in. “Don’t touch anything,” she warned me.
“There’s nothing in here,” I argued but they were already gone. “Great,” I muttered to myself.
I circumnavigated the room twice, trying to fathom the room’s purpose, but it just looked like an unused storeroom. The floor was just generic office tile and the walls were plain drywall, painted a light green. I tested the only light switch but nothing happened and I finally just leaned against the wall near the door and waited, wondering what in the world Melissa and Mrs. Kendricks were up to and why it was so important that I be here.
Something glimmered at the edge of my sight but it disappeared when I looked in that direction. I peered around and finally discovered a round glow-in-the-dark sticker on the floor. A more intensive search revealed four more spaced out evenly around the room. When I stepped back and looked at them all together, I realized that they marked the points of a pentagon nearly ten feet across.
This must be where the witches do their rituals, I mused. Is that what’s going to happen now? Why would Melissa be involved? She’s not a witch. No wonder she was nervous on the way over. I was starting to feel the same way myself.
A faint swish of cloth turned my head to the door as it opened silently. Melissa stood there with her head lowered and my jaw dropped open.
She wore a long flowing robe of white satin that brushed the floor, cinched around her waist with a braided cord tied with a complicated knot. The hood was thrown back, revealing her unbound hair, and her neck and shoulders were bare except for the silver chain I’d given her. Her wrists were loosely bound with another white cord and she was blindfolded with a wide strip of white cloth.
“Melissa!” I gasped. “What’s going on?”
“Hush, Peter,” Mrs. Kendricks told me. She stood behind Melissa wearing a similar outfit, except hers was deep purple with a silver cord. Her hair was down as well, held back by a silver circlet bearing two crescent moons on either side of a solid disk. She carried a wooden box about a foot long, engraved with the same moon-and-horned-creature design that Susie’s Book of Shadows had on its cover. “Lead her to the center of the room and have her kneel facing east.”
I gulped and carefully took Melissa’s hands in mine. Her fingers were trembling. “Are you okay?” I whispered. She nodded jerkily. “If it’s any consolation, I’m really surprised.” Her lips curled in a genuine smile and she squeezed my hand in thanks.
I backed up slowly and guided her into the middle of the pentagon as Mrs. Kendricks closed the door, casting the room into near-darkness. The only illumination came the streetlights outside and the stickers on the floor. I looked around doubtfully, trying to figure out which way was east, and Mrs. Kendricks pointed to the corner to the right of the window. I turned Melissa around and gently pressed down on her shoulders. She knelt in silence, resting her bound hands in her lap.
Mrs. Kendricks placed the box on the floor just within Melissa’s reach and moved to the eastern corner, beckoning me to stand beside her. “We don’t follow the traditional Wiccan rituals here,” she said softly, “although there are similarities. The work we do demands a greater focus on deeds rather than worship. One practice we do follow whenever we can is to have both a High Priest and a High Priestess initiate our new members, to maintain the balance we all seek.” She looked me over with that teasing smile again. “We haven’t had a High Priest for some time but perhaps our honorary warlock can do the honors.”
It took me a startled moment to figure out who she meant. “What? Me? I don’t know any of this stuff!”
“Easily remedied.” She reached over and traced a complicated symbol on my forehead with her forefinger. Her touch was curiously cool and, for a startled moment, it almost felt like her finger passed right through my skull into my brain. “This will fade within an hour,” she warned me, “but we’ll be done before then.” I blinked at her when she stepped back and I suddenly realized I did know the initiation rituals.
“What happened?” I stammered. “What did you do to me?”
“Shh. Let’s begin.” Mrs. Kendricks closed her eyes and took in a deep, steadying breath. I hesitated and then did the same. It really did seem to help. When I opened my eyes again, I felt a lot calmer and deeper, somehow.
“Why do you kneel before me, child?” Mrs. Kendricks’ voice echoed in the room.
Melissa lifted her blindfolded eyes. “I wish to gain your knowledge, my Goddess.” Her voice was steady now.
“Why do you kneel before me, child?” The words just rolled out of my mouth on their own. Melissa’s head turned towards me.
“I wish to gain your power, my God,” she said.
“What will you do with my knowledge?” Mrs. Kendricks asked.
“I will guide the lost, heal the sick, and maintain the balance.”
“What will you do with my power?” I asked.
“I will defend the helpless, punish the wicked, and restore the balance.”
“Actions are worthless without the wisdom to choose the proper course,” said Mrs. Kendricks sternly. “Show me what you know.”
“Intentions are worthless without the strength to carry them out,” I added. “Show me what you can do.”
“My eyes are blind, my Goddess,” Melissa said, turning her face to Mrs. Kendricks.
“Those who seek knowledge must see it without eyes,” she countered. “Show me.”
“My hands are bound, my God.” Melissa raised her bound wrists to me.
“Those who seek power must wield it without hands,” I told her. “Show me.”
Melissa lowered her hands into her lap as she took several slow breaths and then she straightened her shoulders. She reached out and found the box, pulling it closer and fumbling a bit with the latch until she got it open. She laid the lid back and lightly brushed her fingertips over the contents, nestled on dark blue velvet: a silver chalice engraved with celtic knotwork, a long dagger with a white handle, a large silver ring bearing a pentagram, and a plain wand of reddish-brown wood.
She left everything where it was and cupped her hands over her heart. “Knowledge and power begin with the divine. The purity and perfection of the spirit give us peace.”
For a long moment, nothing happened. Then a tiny golden light sprang up out of nowhere in front of Mrs. Kendricks and me, hovering a few inches above the closest sticker. It quickly grew into a bright flickering flame, as if Melissa had somehow lit an invisible candle. I felt more than saw Mrs. Kendricks’ pleased smile.
Melissa reached out and found the ring, sliding it onto her right forefinger. “The spirit descends to the earth and ignites the spark of life,” she intoned softly. “The earth strengthens us and gives us roots.” A tongue of green fire appeared behind her and to her left, the color of spring leaves, and a silvery line connected it to the first flame.
Now Melissa picked up the chalice and raised it up. “The river of life flows endlessly, from the wellspring to the sea. It nurtures us and gives us joy.” She sipped from the chalice, even though, as far as I could tell, it was empty. A deep blue flame flared up to her right, tied to the previous one
by another shimmering line.
She set the chalice down and replaced it with the wand. “The air carries the song of life to the corners of the earth. It inspires us and gives us hope.” She traced a shape in the air with the wand and a white flame rose up to her left, adding itself to the growing constellation.
Melissa let her breath out slowly and set her wand aside, retrieving the dagger from the box. I eyed it uneasily, wondering what she was going to do with it. “The fire of passion burns within us. It drives us onward and gives us courage.” She pressed the tip of the dagger to her heart but it didn’t penetrate her robe. A bright red flame materialized over the final sticker and linked itself into the pentagram.
She laid the dagger down and cupped her hands again. “The spirit is purified by the fire and returns to the divine, to be born anew.” The final line traced from the red flame to the original gold flame, creating a star, and a circle flashed into being all around her, connecting all of the points into a full pentagram. “The circle is complete and balance is restored.”
Mrs. Kendricks nodded. “You have done well, my daughter.”
“You have done well, my bride,” I said and then I blinked. What did I just say? I wanted to ask what that meant but whatever Mrs. Kendricks did to me kept me from interrupting the ritual.
“What craft name have you chosen for yourself?” she asked.
Melissa ducked her head. “Fawn,” she murmured.
“A gentle name for such a fierce spirit,” Mrs. Kendricks noted but she smiled as she said it. “Behold what you have learned.”
“Behold what you have done,” I said, and then the compulsion faded away and I had control over my own body again. “What does my bride mean?” I whispered urgently to Mrs. Kendricks but she raised her hand to silence me as she nodded towards Melissa.
Melissa hesitantly raised her hands to her face and slowly pulled off her blindfold. Her expression was awestruck as she surveyed the glimmering pentagram surrounding her. “I did it,” she breathed.
Soul Mates Page 3
