by Ashley McLeo
“She’s across the pond again working. Said she’d try to come back in time, but I doubt we’ll see her,” Brigit said, a crease forming between her eyebrows.
Lily nodded though she doubted it was the whole truth. She didn’t know Nora well, but she knew she was proud of her powers. The resentment on Nora’s face when Evelyn broke into her mind had been obvious. People would want to talk to them Samhain night, hear how they discovered their strengths. Lily didn’t blame Nora for not wanting to be there when Evelyn regaled the crowd with her story.
“I’ll be in my room preparing,” Evelyn said, sashaying out of the room.
Brigit’s eyebrows shot up. “She means to primp for the men? But the party doesn’t start for hours.”
Neither Sara nor Lily answered. The truth was they didn’t know what Evelyn wanted out of the Samhain gathering. Or for that matter, pretty much ever. But if Lily had to guess, she’d say Brigit was right. The heiress had taken to frequenting Drunken Duck Tavern, the local pub that Brigit and Aoife had grudgingly agreed to place wards on once Evelyn demanded to leave the protection of Fern Cottage, claiming she needed to “let her hair down” and test her siren powers.
“Well, I guess I can’t say I’m surprised. Rumor has it that young Finn Blackburn is scheming to woo her. She must have done a whammy on him. He’s never been impressed by any of the local girls.”
None of the local girls come with curves that don’t stop, billion-dollar bank accounts, and mythical man-enticing powers, Lily thought, shoving a piece of toast into her mouth.
“How many people are coming tonight anyway?” Sara asked.
“About nine. Only our close friends tend to show. It’s a long drive for most people. You’ve already met a few of them as they were your instructors. Half of the active members of the Coven of Ilargia are McKay blood now,” Brigit said, beaming at them.
Sara’s strip of bacon stilled between her plate and her mouth. “I read somewhere that blood bonds enhance magical capabilities. Do you think any magic we perform as a family on Samhain would be stronger than what the coven as a whole could produce?”
Brigit looked thoughtful. “We could perform extraordinary feats, especially on Samhain. Although, as you’re not fully trained, I’m not sure the circle would be as strong as one composed of trained witches.”
“You don’t think the extra energy available on Samhain will counter our relative lack of training? Maybe if we separated from those outside our family? I was thinking for the calling of an ancestor that could really help? Maybe they’ll show up if it’s blood calling blood,” Sara pushed.
“A strict blood circle? I don’t know if that’s advisable. Some of these witches wait all year to perform magic like this. They would be deeply offended to be left out. We rely on each other for the experience.” Brigit’s words were laden with hesitation, though Lily thought she saw a glimmer of excitement hiding in her eyes.
“Could we do the circle twice?” Lily asked, sure that Sara was right. This could be the first time in a century that the calling of an ancestor worked, and they could be the ones to do it! Not even astral travel could top that.
Brigit paused and sipped her coffee. “I’ll speak with my sisters about it, see how they think the others will take the idea. It’s criminal to insult a fellow witch on Samhain, especially one of your own coven. I’m sure someone will take it as a slight to their ability, so we’d have to address that first. But as most set to attend are our good friends, perhaps they’ll understand. Especially if Mary makes the calls. She’s the coven social butterfly.” Brigit rose from her seat. “It looks as though I have some convincing to do, don’t I?”
“You. Are. A. Genius!” Lily whispered to Sara, as Brigit grabbed the landline from where it lay on the counter and disappeared to her room. “You should—”
“Evelyn should lead the circle,” Sara said, cutting her off as if she’d known exactly what Lily would say.
“But you came up with the idea. And you’re the most powerful of us three.”
“We each have our strengths, and you’ve heard them talk. Evelyn’s a ceremens prodigy. We all know Nora’s been avoiding her for weeks because she’s embarrassed of what happened. And Evelyn will try harder if her reputation is on the line.”
“What does mind magic have to do with anything? We’re calling the dead, not butting into anyone’s business,” Lily said, ignoring Sara’s last point, which she had no doubt was true.
“Who’s to say calling the dead is any harder than pushing your mind into another person’s? Both feats require that you access two worlds, your own and someone else’s.”
As always, what Sara said made perfect sense, in a twisted, annoying kind of way. Lily’s desire to be in the circle dwindled. Evelyn would be insufferable if she led the circle and they succeeded.
Lily sighed. Stop being so petty, she thought, shoving back her ego.
“Alright, I see your point. So who do you think should lead with her? Brigit? Her and Aoife butt heads a lot.”
Sara shook her head. “Evelyn should be alone. I think since our blood bonds are close and we know the feel of each other’s magic it would be manageable.”
That was the limit. Her chair clattered to the ground behind her as Lily shot up from the table. “I’m going for a walk.”
The slam of the door brought forth an onslaught of memories fueled by teenage angst. How many times had she stormed out of Rena’s cabin? At least back then she could claim sanctuary at Em’s when the weather was unfavorable. That was a luxury she didn’t have at Fern Cottage. The fall wind nipped her nose and chilled her earlobes as Lily stalked around outside, unsure of her destination.
Unsure of a lot of things, she thought. I’m not even sure why the idea of Evelyn leading the circle gets me so wound up. She had no doubt Evelyn would become unbearable after being given such a high degree of authority, especially if the circle worked. But isn’t that a small price to pay for performing magic not seen in over a century? a small voice inside her wondered.
She stopped and assessed her surroundings. Her feet had led her to the edge of the forest, to the very spot she had decided to become unbound, a spot she had come to think of as a crossroads. Turning to face the lake, she dropped to the ground with a heavy thud. The combination of damp grass on her rear and fall chill on her skin had her wishing she had grabbed her jacket. Or better yet, that she had run to her room in huff. It was freaking freezing out here.
Unthinkingly, she pulled a few handfuls of grass from the earth before the nausea set in.
“Typical earth witch guilt. You come to realize that the little plants provide you as much power as huge trees. They’d give their whole lives if we asked. The best we can try to do is not waste them,” Gwenn had explained when Lily admitted to feeling guilty about picking a bouquet of flowers from a field.
She sighed and patted the ground next to her, contenting herself with watching the ripples on the lake and smoke unfurling from the cottage chimney. Why can’t I be happy we’re all growing stronger and learning? Why can’t I let Evelyn have this moment? How are we going to save humanity if we can’t even get along half the time? She’d asked herself these questions over and over, but stopped short at digging deep for the answers. For the first time, she found herself seriously considering what it would be like to have Evelyn as a friend and not someone she felt she should get along with because they were related. She’s not unpleasant all the time. In fact, she can be pretty funny. Though usually by accident.
Lily grinned as a memory of Evelyn pouring whole coffee beans straight into water and microwaving them percolated through her thoughts. The resultant mixture was revolting and, to Evelyn at least, baffling. The more Lily thought about it the more she wondered if she had been putting too much pressure on Evelyn to be normal and not the pampered person she’d been her whole life. Normal? What is that anyways? Especially around here . . . Have I been too judgmental?
Filled with a burgeoning sense of clarity
, Lily stood and gazed out over Brigit’s property. What’s one more change of heart? She stood, suddenly determined to set her relationship with Evelyn to rights. Walking back to the cottage, Lily found herself hoping Sara hadn’t given Evelyn the news yet. Perhaps they could deliver it together.
Samhain
“Ahhhh Brigit! These must be your girls. So beautiful, each of them with eyes like a sparkling gem!” a plump, old woman with an exaggerated, pointed witch hat and dagger-sharp red nails exclaimed, planting a firm kiss on each of Brigit’s cheeks and sloshing mulled wine from her cup.
“Happy Samhain, Mariel. Yes, these are my girls. I dare say their presence is drawing a much larger crowd than normal,” Brigit said through a thin-lipped smile.
“Well, what did you expect?! We’re all dying to meet them. Thought they’d be grotesque or slow, what with you sending them away and all, but look at them—they’re lovely! I heard they’re causing quite the stir with boys in town. And then this one!” Mariel patted Sara on the head, “I heard her talking to Morgane about a grimoire as I walked in. Dresses a bit bohemian, but whip smart. I’ll never understand why you gave them up!”
“Excuse us. We must prepare for the circles,” Brigit said, her voice tight. She grabbed Sara’s hand and led the three of them to her room.
Shutting the door behind them, she turned to face the triplets. “I don’t think our blood circle is a good idea anymore. There’s at least ten witches out there I’m not sure we can trust,” Brigit said, wringing her hands.
“Why did you invite them then?” Evelyn asked.
“The Samhain gathering is an open invitation to the larger Ilargia Coven. Most of the people out there are inactive members at best; I haven’t seen half of them in years. Usually only family and close friends come, certainly no one outside the village. Mariel lives two hours away! Perhaps we shouldn’t have warned people about the special blood circle. There was already enough intrigue with your reappearance. We never told people why we gave you up and most were too scared to ask lest they get on our bad side. Your grandfather was particularly menacing. It just seems so—”
“Fishy,” Evelyn finished, her face grim.
“Well—yes, quite fishy. I’m not sure if it’s wise to showcase your talents; they’re sure to be enhanced tonight. What if Mariel starts gabbing outside our community? It wouldn’t be the first time with her.”
“Can’t you ask the ones you don’t trust to leave?”
Brigit stared at Evelyn. “Any other night, yes, but Samhain is a night for witches. It would be offensive in the extreme if I even insinuated they weren’t welcome. Rumors would fly, and we can’t have that.”
A hush fell as each contemplated what to do. It was, Lily realized, the first time she’d been in Brigit’s bedroom. As with the rest of the cottage, blue and green dominated the bedding and walls, while red trinkets provided warmth. She allowed her gaze to roam, taking in the details. Her breath caught in her throat as her eyes landed above the bed, where a half dozen frames filled with photos of herself over the years hung. A chubby red-headed toddler and a smiling, blonde baby, preteen, and prom queen in a crystal beaded gown hung right beside her. Brigit had been watching them grow up from afar, Lily realized. Pain shot through Lily’s heart as all Brigit had given up to keep them safe washed over her. We’ve missed so many moments together. I’ll be damned if this is another one, Lily thought.
“I say we do it,” Lily said. “Show them how strong McKay blood is. Who would want to make an enemy out of us it we succeeded?” Her eyes sought Evelyn’s, banking on her sister’s pride and willing her to agree. If they succeeded word would get out, and right now that was exactly what Lily wanted. It was reckless but she didn’t care. She should have known these women all her life. Should have known what she was all her life. Performing legendary magic with them was the only thing that mattered to Lily right then.
Evelyn stared back, her eyes a cool, evaluating sapphire blue. Only years of preparing to run a business empire could give someone so young those eyes.
Lily exhaled as Evelyn’s face broke into a wicked grin.
“I’m in. Let’s show them who they’ll be messing with if they run off spreading rumors.”
“It could cause more rumors not to do the circle now that everyone is expecting it,” Sara added, her voice far more level and convincing than Lily’s or Evelyn’s.
It took longer to persuade Brigit but eventually, under the weight of her daughters’ unyielding insistence, she caved.
They decided to save the blood circle for the finale, right before midnight, in hopes that the gathering would thin out as the night wore on.
Perhaps it was for this reason that Lily felt like time dragged. Even flying felt like a placeholder for the main event, though not so much that she didn’t delight in the feeling of wind whipping through her hair as she raced through the forest on nothing but air. That was better than any run I’ve ever been on, Lily thought, arranging her windswept brown waves back into a high pony.
Sara and Evelyn were making the most of the night, too.
Lily sat resting with Mary, who had pulled out all the stops for Samhain, donning a bright purple dress and flamboyant pointy witch hat. They watched mesmerized as Sara wowed a crowd with fire magic by pulling the flames from the bonfire, transmuting them to electric pink and weaving them through the trees in the orchard. She ended her performance with a fantastic display of fireworks, creating dragons, unicorns, and gryphons as she tore the flames apart high in the sky.
“That was awesome,” Lily murmured as Sara ran up to join them, her cheeks nearly as red as her hair.
“Quite impressive!” Mary agreed.
“Thanks. It felt pretty great. Aoife taught me the transmutation spell last week, but this is the first time I’ve pulled it off. One of the grimoires a member brought mentioned a slightly different variation and it worked!” Sara said.
Unlike Sara who’d already spent the better part of two hours reading, Lily had yet to delve into the grimoires that waited inside the cottage. The sitting room had been too crammed with people for her comfort and she’d sought refuge outside. Lily made a mental note to go in and check out the grimoires before they vanished for a year.
They walked around the gathering, meeting coven members and watching circles.
“Maybe one day I’ll be willing to spill my guts like that, but not today,” Lily said. They waved Mary off as she left to join the reflections circle.
“She’s so open,” Sara agreed. “They’re probably dying for one of the McKay women to join so they can learn more about us.”
“Well, they caught the right aunt then,” Lily said, knowing Gwenn, Brigit, and Aoife would guard their tongues much more.
“Let’s find Evelyn. I want to see what she’s doing,” Sara said, turning on the spot in search of their sister.
“There she is,” Lily said pointing to a small circle of four in the meadow.
“Oh! I think that’s the air circle! Brigit said there aren’t many strong air witches in our coven. Evelyn must be testing herself,” Sara said excitedly.
She was right. As they approached, they could see Evelyn playing with currents of air in a way none of the triplets had managed before. The magic of Samhain was indeed powerful.
Lily laughed as Evelyn launched a gust of wind at Mariel’s chest, knocking the woman on her rear with a yelp of surprise.
Evelyn turned at the sound of Lily’s laughter, caught sight of them, and winked.
“That’ll show Mariel not to go gossiping,” Evelyn muttered as she joined Lily and Sara minutes later.
“Maybe,” Sara said, her left dimple deep, “Or you just gave her another tale to tell.”
“Nice job getting air to work for you,” Lily said. “You made it look effortless.”
“Thanks. I was a little worried about draining my magic before the big circle, but let’s just say the practice was necessary. I was wondering, do you guys think astral travel is a good
idea after all? What if travel actually happens and we’re too exhausted for the blood circle? Aoife always says it’s some of the most draining magic,” Evelyn said.
Sara shrugged. “Maybe we’ll meet a spirit out there we can convince to show up for us? I’m still going to try.”
“I’ll never forgive myself if I skip out the one night astral travel may actually work for me. I mean, we’ve been killing it tonight! Just don’t get lost, Evelyn, or we’ll lose our circle leader,” Lily added, grinning wide.
Evelyn smiled back tentatively.
We’re getting there, Lily thought, baby steps.
An hour later, a coven member was shining a light in each of their eyes to ensure the triplet’s spirits were completely present in their body. Each examination was quick, with the encouragement of better luck next time. It seemed not even the mystical powers of Samhain could release the triplets’ souls from the bindings of skin.
“Hope you saved some juice for the main event, girls,” Aoife growled. Her voice was deeper than usual after having returned to her body from the mountains of Appalachia. It was the farthest travel she’d accomplished all year, and a new Samhain record.
“Hark who talks, uncle,” Lily teased. She ducked to avoid Aoife’s playful whack on her arm, and caught a faint whiff of tobacco and smoked meat mingling with her aunt’s typical scent of ginger and pepper. Aoife had returned with a souvenir.
“Have you thought about your words, Evie?” Aoife asked. She’d been the only one daring enough to give Evelyn a nickname. While Evelyn didn’t seem to love it, she also hadn’t forbade it.
Incantations, they had learned, were fluid. With exception of the last commanding word, a witch or wizard could customize most of a spell for maximum effect or to narrow its focus. Though many incantations had been passed down through the years for ceremonial purposes, it actually mattered little whether your soliloquy was the same as another person’s or even off the cuff. What mattered most was the desire or will of the caster. Because of this, most witches chose the strongest, most evocative words they could when in a circle or casting a spell that required extra strength. Evelyn, despite learning she would lead the blood circle only hours before, had declined wordsmithing assistance.
