Haunting Blend

by Layne, Kennedy

  One qualified as an evocation, because it harnessed the power of the elements for extraplanar travel. The other was an abjuration due to its ability to provide me protection while doing so. The safety zone extended to my physical body and that of my conscious mind while it projected.

  What is it that we’re doing again? I lost my train of thought.

  It was never a good sign when Leo forgot where we were in the conversation. He ever so slowly stood on all four paws before plopping down on his haunches to clean the same paw he’d been nursing when I walked through the door as if the last four and a half hours hadn’t occurred at all.

  I don’t want you to think that I haven’t attempted to fix this little memory problem of his, but apparently there was some unwritten rule where a witch couldn’t undo the consequences left behind by dark magic. It was almost akin to sewing up a tear in the fabric of reality. One could stitch them up, but the edges were still there no matter how tight you pulled them together.

  On the other hand, there were bonuses to Leo’s condition.

  “We’re going to cast a spell so that I can speak with Merrick Bronach.” I quickly shifted the grimoire so that it was tilted against one of the pestles, all but moving Leo out of my way. It wasn’t such a bad thing that he couldn’t remember what all took place from the time we’d arrived home. He’d talk me through the process without any criticism or his witty remarks. “I’ll quickly cast a powerful protection spell before attempting the evocation that enables the astroprojection.”

  There was no time to waste with Leo’s memory issue. Should it return full force, I wasn’t so sure he’d still be giving his full support in casting these particular spells. Within minutes, everything was set up for me to begin my journey.

  You’re in an awful big hurry. Is there something I should know?

  “There’s always things you should know, Leo.” It was best I not lie or he would see right through me. “Right now, I’m hoping you’ll guide me through the rest of this protection spell.”

  A bit of protection is always good, I guess.

  Guilt flooded my system, but I didn’t let that stop me from getting comfortable on the oversized burgundy pillow that I used as a cushion when casting spells. Leo followed my lead and settled down as if he were getting ready to watch squirrels chase one another in the front lawn.

  Wait a second. Is there a reason we’re doing this specific protection spell?

  If I mentioned fairies, there was no doubt that Leo’s memory would return with a bang. It probably wasn’t wise to bring up Mazie or Lucille’s previous visit, either.

  That meant not answering Leo and concentrating on the page in the grimoire that would offer me a bit of safety before paying Mr. Bronach a surprise visit in return for his abrupt earlier one.

  Generating an abjuration in combination with an evocation of such proportions meant drawing as much energy from the earth as I could muster. I was beginning to do so a lot easier than I had in the beginning, though don’t get me wrong—I was as accident prone with casting these different types of magic as I was walking on two legs. That was the very reason I concentrated on the words in front of me as if my life depended on it—because it did.

  Did you mention fairies?

  Uh-oh.

  Leo could read my thoughts as easily as he could understand my words. I should have attempted to block my mental deliberations, but it was too late. Just as it was too late for Leo to prevent me from completing the abjuration.

  I’d already begun the spell and could literally sense the energy absorbing into my body with each verse of the incantation.

  Guardians of the night

  Protect me with all your might

  Far, wide, and with great height

  Cast your protection about me tight

  And of all within sight

  The warmth that invaded my being had nothing to do with the blazing fire behind me. The ardent elemental power from within the earth continued to flow into me as I bound each material component carefully into the offering. When all the correct roots, herbs, and flower petals were added, I then used the mortar to carefully grind the components together while never hesitating over the words in front of me.

  Imagine the zone of protection, oh deceitful one. Cast it wide. Make it impenetrable.

  A part of me realized that Leo had finally discovered the reason we needed the protection spell, but he was wise enough to follow through in his responsibility to be my guide without disrupting and thus destroying the magic.

  “That was exhilarating!” I whispered, quickly finding the delicate page that contained the astroplane invocation. “We need to keep going, Leo.”

  You can die happy then. Do you realize the danger that you’re putting us in by…

  It was crucial that I didn’t lose the energy coursing through my veins, nor give Leo the chance to prevent me from seeing this through to the end. His lecture gradually faded away as I began to recite the evocation that would have my conscious mind leaving my body behind.

  I should have been terrified of the prospect, or at least tentative. This was a rather giant step in my witchcraft education, and there was something inside of me that couldn’t allow Strifle to be in pain any longer than necessary.

  Body and spirit

  Together but separate

  Not one but two

  Will always remain true

  There were more verses, which I continued to read aloud without hesitation, maintaining my rhythm and timing. I stayed the course, but I wasn’t truly prepared for what came next. One minute I was focusing on the delicate page in the grimoire…and then I wasn’t.

  What do you see, Raven?

  Leo sounded so far away, yet I could feel his presence beside me. It was rather surreal, and I suddenly found myself rising up in the middle of a dark forest. There had been no hesitation, no tunnel that I’d traveled through to get here…my presence had just shifted to another place in a second of time. I was buffeted by gentle winds on either side of me, as if adrift in a warm place separate from the scene before me.

  What was even more strange was that I could sense that it was cold around me, but I somehow remained warm as I began to walk through the bare winter trees searching for…

  I don’t know why I was brought here instead of to the location of Merrick Bronach.

  You were drawn to that place for a reason, Raven. Concentrate. Look around for what has enticed you there, and then put yourself back into your physical body pronto.

  I’d never thought in a million years that I would hear something like that, but the supernatural existence of things had altered my reality.

  Stop walking, Raven. See everything around you, inhale the scents, and listen closely for perceptible sounds to draw you closer to your target. That’s right. Use your senses to guide you through this maze.

  I did as Leo suggested, though the area around me was rather stark and terrifying in appearance. There were no beautiful songbirds singing to one another, there was nothing in sight with the exception of ancient trees without their leaves, and the shadows continued to darken as if they wanted to swallow me whole. It was as if I was the only individual in existence here in the woods.

  Focus, Raven.

  Leo was my physical tether to reality, and I didn’t want to lose his guidance. As a matter of fact, I was seriously contemplating abandoning this spell to return back home. The excitement of trying something unimaginable had worn off completely as the stark reality of this dark forest had set in. In its place was a growing terror that I wouldn’t be able to find my way back home to the warmth of my own place and time.

  Listen…

  Leo’s encouragement to do one more thing had me picking up the faintest murmur of voices. I slowly began to advance in that direction, surprised when my steps didn’t make a sound on the damp leaves underneath me. It seemed I was able to use some of my senses while others were ineffectual and materially bound to my physical body.

  I blinked sever
al times at the sight of a small cottage tucked away in…

  Wait.

  I couldn’t believe what I was seeing, but there was no denying the charming neighborhood that appeared before me. Lights shone bright from their windows, smoke rose from their chimneys, and the golden rays from the streetlamps glistened off the winding roads between each row of numerous properties.

  Pay attention, Raven! You must concentrate.

  Could Leo literally perceive what I was seeing? Or did he know me well enough by now that my silence meant I’d deterred from the task at hand? Either way, his directive had me focusing on the quaint backyard of a specific house where a woman was being ushered inside by…

  Oh.

  Oh, what? What does oh mean? Raven? What do you see?

  Apparently, Leo couldn’t perceive what my gaze had landed on…better yet, who.

  Merrick Bronach.

  I froze in my tracks when the powerful warlock remained standing in the doorway after permitting a woman to enter his home, even going so far as to gesture with his hand that I should follow.

  Chapter Ten

  “We’ve been waiting for your arrival.”

  Wow. Talk about an ominous statement. Warlock Bronach isn’t very friendly, is he?

  I’m not exactly sure how I did it, but one minute I was at the edge of a wooded tree line, and then the next I was standing in the middle of a living room with a raging fire burning in the hearth. Apparently, the we Merrick Bronach had been referring to were the three other women in attendance.

  It was then I put two and two together and came up with…the council.

  Be very careful, Raven. Return to your body the second you get a hint of danger. There is no need to overextend yourself.

  I didn’t respond to either Leo or Mr. Bronach’s declaration. Instead, I took the time to study my surroundings. The small house resembled a typical New England cottage, though I could see stairs on the far side of the wall leading up to a second level. The home was designed in rich dark wood from floor to ceiling. It wasn’t surprising to find that earth tones dominated the décor. This home was obviously owned by a man.

  Two of the women were guests in Mr. Bronach’s home while one resided here, not that I could figure out how I was certain of that small detail. I could only assume that the two seated on the couch were the guests and the one standing by the fire slept underneath this roof each and every night. The witch over by the hearth seemed to have an instant dislike for me, though I couldn’t imagine why. I’d never met her before in my life. I was not in competition with her for anything.

  What does she look like? Maybe I know her.

  Those gathered here matched the very description that Mazie had given those on the council. I’d apparently interrupted a council meeting, and everyone in this room was a suspect.

  Isn’t that handy?

  “You sought me out, Mr. Bronach,” I replied tentatively, ignoring Leo’s rhetoric and trying not to give away what I’d figured out about their positions here in the coven. I’d wanted to remind this warlock that he’d been in my house uninvited. Come to think of it, his unexpected visit had been quite rude. I decided it was safer for me to remain where I stood just inside the doorway while I pointed that little tidbit out. “Mazie Rose Young felt as if she was protecting me against you. It seems as if her familiar didn’t cross over to the other side with her, and she asked me to find out why.”

  Why is it that you give so much information away in the first meeting? It’s like you just have to dip your fingers in red paint to draw a bullseye on your forehead.

  I figured if Merrick Bronach knew I was looking for him to begin with, I wasn’t telling him anything he didn’t already know. It was really quite simple. Mazie wanted Strifle returned to her in the afterlife. I needed to figure out why her familiar was prevented from doing so in the first place before succeeding in the latter.

  It didn’t escape me that my mother had thought Merrick Bronach was trustworthy. Apparently, he’d done well for himself over the years. A councilmember? I couldn’t imagine he could climb any higher in rank.

  “Correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t it you who was looking for a way to reach me, Miss Marigold?” Merrick Bronach joined the older woman standing by the fire. He stood on the opposite side of the mantel, but it was clear they were putting on a united front. He was rather on the thin side, but that didn’t stop him from crossing his arms in intimidation. “I was simply attempting to make your quest easier.”

  “A simple phone call would have sufficed. Instead, you broke into my home.” How had Mr. Bronach known I’d been given his name in the first place? Was the council really that powerful? Did he have some warlock antennae that alerted him to whenever someone mentioned his name? There was a nursery rhyme like that, and one that technically should have terrorized me as a child now that I understood its true meaning. “I can see you have guests, and I don’t want to keep you. I simply wanted to know…why?”

  “She looks just like Rosemary at that age, doesn’t she?” one of the women on the couch murmured as she held a delicate cup to the side. Did every witch drink tea? Maybe I was defective, but I’d have to worry about that later. “Same high cheekbones, same defined jawline, and those green eyes…my oh my. One and the same.”

  Is that Hestia? I’d recognize that voice anywhere. That means Ruby isn’t far away. Stay away from those two, Raven. They’re worse than fairies, and that’s saying something.

  “I was thinking the same thing, Hestia.” The redheaded middle-aged woman had proven Leo right, and she must be Ruby. “It’s not just her looks, you know. She’s following in her grandmother’s heretical footsteps. What a disgrace. At least Rosemary’s daughter had the common sense to give up practicing altogether rather than blaspheme the faith. Can you imagine what the other covens think of us, allowing such a heresy to exist?”

  Why that…Ruby’s a mean witch!

  It was easy to see why Mazie thought this council was responsible for Strifle’s abduction. They all seemed a little too hoity-toity, if you know what I mean. All I had to do now was narrow it down, declare the reason I was here, and look for any signs of guilt across their well-preserved faces.

  “You two do realize that I can hear you, right?” I asked, wondering if this spell I’d cast only allowed Merrick Bronach that privilege. I was beginning to feel the physical effects of the spell separating my conscious self from my body, and I probably didn’t have long before the invocation wore off. It was best I inquire about Strifle and leave immediately, before something happened that I couldn’t control. “I will have you know that my grandmother was able to help many people after she left this coven, and my mother has no regrets in distancing herself from the likes of you.”

  I didn’t mean for you to instigate the coven, Raven. I was only expressing my view, which you seem to have taken as incentive to antagonize the very council whom could make our lives rather difficult if they so desired. Give an inch, you take a gosh darn mile. I really should know that about you by now.

  The collective gasps that traveled around the room told me I might have overstepped my bounds, but these witches didn’t get to criticize my family while I was kept on some invisible leash. That right was reserved only for me. They needed to keep quiet.

  And me. I quite enjoy being critical of your mother’s choices from time to time. Who am I kidding? I love getting under that woman’s skin on a regular basis.

  “We have no idea why Strifle didn’t follow Mazie into the afterlife, Miss Marigold.” Instead of Merrick Bronach being the one to answer, it was the woman standing next to the fireplace. She was tapping her long red fingernails on the wooden mantel as she studied me a little too vigilantly, almost as if she were looking for a weakness to exploit. She had to be in her mid-sixties, but I don’t believe she had any intention of giving up what youth she could sustain. “Don’t think it escaped Merrick’s notice that the familiar residing in your house was none other than Rosemary’s familiar. Nor
did he miss the creature your grandmother thought to create without regard to how her careless actions might affect the reputation of this coven. Merrick is being too kind in letting those atrocities go without punishment. You may leave now and never come back.”

  “Now, now,” Mr. Bronach chided, raising a hand to scratch his rather square chin. “That’s no way to treat our guest, Angelica.”

  Angelica must be the gold-digger, not that I was name-calling. I was just repeating what Mazie thought of the woman standing next to the powerful warlock who must be the council leader. Saying she was dressed to the nines was an understatement.

  Ugh. I forgot about her. What is that creature even doing there? That woman has undermined or ambushed almost every witch in the coven. She’s not well-liked, you know. On a side note, take the pass that old warlock has given us and vamoose back home.

  “It’s true, Merrick. This was supposed to be our honeymoon, and yet we’re here dealing with—this hedge-witch gone rogue.”

  “Did Mazie happen to say what it’s like on the other side?” Hestia asked with a somewhat trusting gaze, cutting off whatever Angelica had been going to say. Hestia was the most likeable out of these four individuals, but that wasn’t saying much. “I had a vision recently, you know.”

  Oh, that’s never good. Poor thing. Going back to this honeymoon announcement, I’m shocked. Talk about scandalous!

  I was too focused on Hestia’s vision to worry about who was married to who. You see, there are some witches who are intuitive enough to see their own death. I’m not sure he or she actually saw the reason, so much as they were aware his or her death was increasingly imminent. Apparently, Nan had seen her death—it was the sole reason that she was able to cast a spell for Leo to remain behind while she crossed the veil.

  Speaking of a veil, I’m still in shock that Merrick would have chosen Angelica over Vivian. Oh, to have been a fly on the wall. I’d say he was a cradle robber, but does age really matter once you reach your seventies for the second or third time?