“Oh, look who it is – the Power Rangers.” Beth scoffed, clearly feeling like she still had the upper hand. She glanced to the spirits around her, and several broke free from their scuffle, heading towards them.
“Oh no you don't.” Adam murmured coolly, then held out his hands. The earth around them began to sink as if he were fashioning a quarry. Beside him, Sadie and Troy worked together to create a clear roof of sorts, held up by air and covered with water. It allowed the light in, which gave Lila the chance to catch that fleeting moment of panic on Beth's face.
“No matter.” she murmured, then threw out a fireball at them. Liam intercepted it, allowing it to scorch his chest and wincing at the pain. He could absorb most of it, but he would inevitably be left with scars. Lila cried out, and Beth chuckled. “How noble.” she teased, stalking in a semi-circle. It was as though she considered them a puzzle which required distance to solve. Deep down, however, Lila knew she was worried.
“This is my fight.” Sadie spoke quietly, and Lila looked at her in surprise. Anticipating what the girl's next move was, Lila reached into her powers and used them to manipulate Beth's emotions into being frozen with fear. It was a weak hold, but lasted long enough for Sadie to wrap her in wind power stronger than Lila had ever seen. It was breathtaking. In such a small space, Sadie created a tornado small enough to only hold the spirit, barricaded by the same power so that it didn't affect them. It was enough to immobilise the witch spirit, who cursed and struggled, still trying to keep hold of her dignity, not that any of them believed she contained such a thing.
Striding over to the bound witch, Sadie's eyes were alight with fire, burning with hatred. “Do as ye will... an' it harm none.” she spat the Wiccan rede at her, then gave a grin which Lila copied instantly.
They weren't Wiccans.
Her hand thrusting into the twister, Sadie moved as if cutting butter with a sharp knife, grabbing the athame and pulling it back before thrusting it into Beth's heart in one powerful motion. The whole world paused, then crackled, the same deafening roar hitting them. This time, the Earth around them rumbled, and Lila's eyes widened. Knowing no one would hear her, she grabbed the sleeve of the two beside her and tugged them after her, climbing back on to solid ground.
Chapter Twenty
As they pulled themselves to safety, the ground beneath them collapsed, crushing their self-made stadium and Beth along with it, burying her semi-corporeal form, which was just solid enough to hold her down.
Coughing on dust, Lila could only lie flat on the ground, letting the painful ringing in her ears slowly cease. At least this time she knew it would end. Wiping blood from her nose, she looked around at the spirits on the battlefield, fighting witches for the right to stay here. She was reminded of her premonition back at Sadie's house, the porcelain strewn all around. Even from here Lila could see bodies, and she mourned them. Exorcisms were abound, but they weren't fast enough for some. Lila saw spirits fleeing, a passing thought occurring to her that she would have to clean up that mess later.
Sadie crawled to her, pressing the athame into her hand and giving her a determined stare, begging her to finish what had been started. With her free hand, Lila squeezed the blonde's before forcing herself to her feet. She crawled up the Earth spikes which had saved her earlier, wobbling until they seemed to grow, and she glanced back to see Adam working his magick to keep her steady. From this vantage point, she could see the bloodshed, soaking the ground, feel the blood of her parents in the ground and feel the disruption to the natural order shaking her to the core.
A force which seemed to come from beyond her as well as within took over, and suddenly her magick spread out over the field, catching every spirit in its binding and stilling them. Everyone turned to look at her in shock, living and dead alike, before she yelled out the incantation for exorcism, her voice sounding deeper, almost unnatural – definitely not her usual soft tone.
Like a stack of dominoes, the spirits wavered and tipped, before disappearing entirely. Lila felt every departure like someone pinging an elastic band against her skin. It felt like hours, but must have only been minutes until every soul had departed and she fell to her knees, gasping in lungfuls of air as if it were new to her. Somehow she knew that she'd done something never done before, stood in the gateway between life and death and heralded the spirits through. The athame felt heavy in her hand, and her focus was drawn to it before she let go of the cold sensation which clung to her like a second skin, the spirit world snapping back to where it belonged.
Everyone watched in silence as she stumbled down the Earth spikes, both Troy and Liam coming to take her arms as she neared the last steps. Elsie came forward determinedly, and the coven leaders automatically took their positions in a circle which was cast by the covens together, wound with every element. Placing the athame in the centre, thousands of voices joined together in a cleansing ritual. Blue fire ran across the blade, hot enough to melt it – yet it remained whole. The blood vanished from the surface, but at the end of the ritual, the blade simply gleamed as if it were newly polished. Confused, Lila looked for answers.
She certainly didn't expect where they came from. Turning partially, she came face-to-face with her mother and father, their spirits gentle rather than angry, summoned by the fire cleansing their blood and freeing them. All around the circle, each leader saw their parents again. This would be some conversation later.
“The blade is now a sacred object.” her mother explained, reaching out to touch Lila's hair, petting it softly. The odd clammy situation was absent, and she wondered how, deciding to simply go with it before her father gave a smirk.
“That's my girl, always questioning.” he praised. “We have no unfinished business, so our souls are pure.” he explained. “Sorry for interrupting, love.” he looked at his wife, who teased him with scolding eyes. It made Lila's heart fill with love.
“The blade is an anchor – whoever holds it will walk between life and death freely, so place it only where it is safest if you don't want a witch like Beth to abuse it.” Moira added, emphasising the importance.
“Thank you for coming.” Lila spoke softly, then wrapped herself in hugs from her parents.
“It's time for us to go, love. Will you let us move on?” Kaleb asked gently, knowing how hard it would be for her. While his tenderness was appreciated, Lila had already seen what happened to spirits who hadn't moved on, and she didn't want that for her parents. Stepping back, she released them, tears flooding her eyes so that she could barely see. “M-Moira and Kaleb Raegan, leaders of the spirit coven, I release your souls to the Goddess so that your wheel may turn again.” she spoke quietly but clearly, her vision completely obscured by tears as her parents left. The ceremonial tone had been unnecessary, but it had felt right.
She stared at the empty spot where they'd been for so long that she missed the others sending their parents on, too. Even Troy had been able to make reparations, and Elsie and Liam had received explanations from their parents.
There was only one person left to say goodbye to, and Lila had a sudden revelation as Liam took Elsie's hands, preparing for their goodbye. “Wait.” she insisted, and they all looked at her. Stooping, she picked up the athame and disentangled one of Liam's hands from the spirit's, pressing the athame into her hand. “Elsie MacKay, I bind thee to this athame, which has taken your blood – I make you master of it, master of the gate between life and death, which you may wander freely.”
Elsie's eyes widened, a warmth spreading through her as she became as pure and beautiful as their parents had been. Destroying the athame had been her unfinished business, as had saying goodbye. Now, with control over the thing which had robbed her of life, and having no reason to say farewell, she was complete.
“Liam, will you take control of the fire coven?” Elsie asked, and he nodded. Around them, as if they had been summoned, the fire coven came to hug him, to accept him. magick flowed between them.
“The covens will join toget
her!” Lila proclaimed. “Together, we are strongest. We have shed blood together, and we are all family. Let's be strangers no longer.” she smiled, then looked around the grounds, at how many were going to be joining together, trying not to think about the mechanics of such a merger.
“You realise we just became co-leaders of one giant coven, right?” Adam asked her. She nodded, looking around fondly. The taller boy slipped his hand into hers, their fingers winding tight together, and she glanced around. Liam had his arm around Sadie, and Troy looked happy to just be himself, basking in his new friendships.
“I don't know about you guys,” he piped up, “But I'd kill for a burger.”
Ancestral Page 17
