Witching Ways

by T K Eldridge

  “Are you going to be helping Grizz and the Commander?” I asked Stumpy.

  “I am. But, things have changed,” Stumpy said.

  “What’s changed?” the Commander asked.

  “Iris asked me if I wanted to become immortal and get the ability to actually shift. Now, I know that her spell will do no such thing, but I said I wanted that, and I’d be there. So, I’ll be in the circle,” Stumpy said.

  “Oh, hell no,” Sid said.

  “I wouldn’t suggest you do that,” Grampa Fionn said.

  “Well, give me one of those speak-hear charms and I’ll be able to give you an exact timing of what’s going on,” Stumpy said.

  “I don’t like the risk,” I said, “But you can’t argue the fact that it’ll really help us with the timing.”

  “And he’s going to do it anyway,” Sid said. “We all know how stubborn our Uncle Stumpy can be.”

  She leaned in and gave him a hug, and he kissed her cheek.

  “Alrighty then, time to pack up these charms and get out there,” Grams said.

  We loaded everything up into one of the farm vans, then headed out to the store. Once there, we handed out charm bags to everyone and made sure they all knew what they were supposed to do, and when they needed to do their parts. Grizz had scouted out a secondary access to the spot, then had a few of his griffins clear it enough for us to drive in and park, then follow a path close to where the ritual would be taking place.

  Stumpy had left ahead of us and we could hear people around him as they got ready for the ritual. One voice came over his charm that had Grizz and I staring at each other.

  “Was that that kid Lira we helped the other day?” I asked.

  “It sure sounded like her. Hey, Stumpy. Find out what that girl’s name is and stay near her. She’s good people and just turned eighteen a few days ago. She doesn’t need to get caught up in this,” Grizz asked.

  “Got it,” we heard back from Stumpy and a moment later, he and Lira were chatting quietly while they got into place with their candles. “It’s her. She doesn’t want to be here. Her youngest sister, Lara, is six and is being held with a few other little ones in an abandoned house about a mile out. She got to see her sister, her price to come along quietly.”

  “I’m going to gut that woman,” Grandma Maggie hissed under her breath. “Half sister or no, she dies tonight.”

  “Remind me to not piss off your grandma,” Grizz muttered low.

  “Don’t piss off any of my grandparents. They can all make you wish you were dead long before you get there,” I said.

  “Roger that,” Grizz replied. A faint rustle behind us and he turned to see a young griffin shift into human form. “Report,” he said to the boy.

  “Everyone is in place, my lord. The Queen says they’ve started the spell.”

  I could feel the power building, the hair on my arms and the back of my neck stood on end. A faint whisper ran through our group and we clasped hands, a circle beside a circle, the disruption spell seemed to build faster than the Macha’s spell and we held on tight as, with a shout, Maggie released the disruption. A loud boom came from where the Macha’s spell circle was set and soon screams filled the night. Grizz launched into the air, the Queen on his back, and they dropped down into chaos. Iona Fraser, the Macha, stared as Queen Margaret slid off the back of the griffin. The rest of our team tried to get the injured and panicked participants out of the forest and to safety, but Sid and I clasped hands and stood with Grams, Fionn, Mom, and Sett to back up the Queen.

  “Well, if it isn’t little Mags, playing at being Queen,” Iona said. She swayed on her feet, and it was hard to tell if it was from being injured, or from the power that still hovered in the damp, moonlit air.

  “It’s over, Iona,” Maggie said, her voice gentle. “It’s time to rest, sister.”

  “You think you’re the only one that can handle power?” Iona said. “I’ve held more power than you could ever dream of - and for centuries!”

  “I saved lives with my power,” Maggie said. “You’ve only taken them. That’s not how it’s supposed to work.”

  “Precious baby Mags. Ma and Da thought you hung the moon. Athdara made the mistake of trying to stop me. Her line is nearly ended. Siusan didn’t stand a chance. Now it’s your turn to feel the loss of those you love, just as I have my whole life. I’ll take all of this power and keep destroying the core of magic until there is no more to be found,” Iona said.

  “I’m sorry you felt so much loss, Iona,” Maggie said. “But that is not the fault of magic or bloodline - that is all on you. It’s time you took responsibility for it all.”

  “I’m not done,” Iona snarled. “I’m going to live forever! This power is all mine!”

  Iona lifted both hands, and we all yelled “Críochnaithe!” The Irish word for ‘ended’ rang out as power collided with power. Lighting danced above our heads and we yelled the word twice more, the power growing with each shout, until the last shout ended with a blast of wind and lightning. The impact of our power against the power of the Macha blew us all onto our backs. My ears rang and I saw spots for a moment until the results of the blast faded. Flames flickered around the circle where trees burned from the lighting. Bodies were strewn in concentric rings out into the forest. Once my ears cleared some, I could hear soft cries and low moans. I stumbled to my feet, then saw Sid sit up. Fionn also rolled over, then sat up and we all began to go around the space, checking our loved ones and friends. Those of us who had been in the inner circle were stunned, but we were okay. Iona, however, was dead. Maggie sat beside her sister’s body and watched as the woman who had earlier appeared to be fifty years of age now quickly shriveled, turned to ash, and started to blow away in the wind.

  I heard a cry from Sid and turned to run towards her voice.

  “No, please, no,” Sid begged as she rolled him over and checked for a pulse. We both worked on him, using magic and CPR, until the Commander told us to stop. Patrick Clancy, our beloved Stumpy, was gone. Lira had been beneath his body – he’d shielded her with his own to save her life. Fionn reached out a hand to the girl and helped her sit up. She looked confused and there was an odd glow that flickered around her form.

  “Lira, are you okay?” I asked.

  “I feel odd, but I’m not hurt,” Lira replied.

  Fionn helped her to her feet. “Let me get you to someone that can help you,” he said as he led her away.

  “He saved her life,” I said.

  “Of course he did,” Sid said, voice choked with tears.

  “He will be buried with the highest honors,” the Commander said, his own voice choked up.

  Those the Commander and Grizz had gathered as support crew began to collect the fallen and help the injured. The Commander returned after a while with a stretcher and the SPD flag to load Stumpy’s body and cover him with honor. Mom and Grams came to join us and we all held hands as we followed our beloved friend’s body out of the forest and into a coroner’s van.

  Fionn came to get the keys for one of the vehicles so he and Grandma Maggie could take Lira to the palace. I wasn’t in any mental state to wonder why at that moment. I simply felt the guilt and pain of losing someone who had been a part of my whole life.

  “He was going to retire after tonight. This was his last hurrah,” Sid said.

  “He died doing what he loved,” Mom said, her own voice thick with tears. “He wouldn’t have wanted any less. He saved a life, even if it cost him his own.”

  We got into one of the SPD vehicles, Sid and I, and caught a ride back to the farm. The radio squawked and we heard, “521 Station…521 Station…521 Station.” A breath passed, then again.”Detective Clancy, report Detective Patrick Clancy. No answer from Detective Patrick Clancy. Detective Clancy, your selfless service to this community will never be forgotten. You gave everything you had to your community, your friends, and your family, both of blood and badge. We love you, Stumpy. It’s our turn now…we’ve got you. Res
t easy, we have the watch from here. 521 has answered his final call and will be 10-42 for the last time.”

  The End of Watch call had been made for our friend. There wasn’t a dry eye in the vehicle as we drove through the quiet streets of Belle Cove.

  * * *

  It took a few days for us to tally the total of lost and injured, and to be able to say Stumpy’s name without choking up. He had been buried in Belle Cove cemetery with full honors next to the graves of his parents. Dad had broken down and sobbed on Mom’s shoulder when he was told of the loss of his best friend. I spent the night awake, curled around my wife, feeling my children kick against my hand – and wondered how I ended up being the one to have this blessing while Stumpy had died.

  Now, Sid and I were at the palace to have lunch with the King and Queen. They had asked us to dress a little more formally as we would be getting introduced to a diplomatic acquaintance. So, Sid was in a silk dress with a short jacket and heels, and I wore a suit and tie. We were picked up at the docks and driven to the palace, where we were then escorted to one of the smaller formal dining rooms.

  An appreciative smile from the Queen meant we’d dressed as she’d hoped, and we both offered our courtesies to herself and the King before we were introduced to a being that seemed to be both male and female, and yet neither. Short, dark curly hair, silver eyes, and dusky skin, dressed in an elaborately embroidered silver tunic and loose black silk pants tucked into black leather ankle boots gave us no clues.

  “I’d like to introduce you both to Oracle Orion,” the Queen said. We both bowed and the Oracle bowed in return, then continued to stare at us as if we were some unique specimen.

  “A pleasure to meet you, Oracle Orion,” Sid said. “What brings you to this place?”

  Again, the Oracle didn’t speak, just stared.

  “Why don’t we all sit down? Luncheon is ready to be served,” the King said, so we all moved towards the table and took our seats.

  “Sin, Lira has moved into a suite here in the palace and is continuing her education under my tutelage, with the assistance of Archivist Oak. When we’re done, she’d like it if you could stop by and say hello,” Grandma said.

  “I’ll do that, thanks Grandma Maggie,” I said.

  Orion sat between the King and Queen at the round table so he could, I assumed, continue to stare without having to turn his head. It was getting downright creepy.

  The first course was brought in and I took a couple of bites of the creamy soup before I put my spoon down and looked back at Orion. “Please, stop staring. It’s considered rude and it is making me very uncomfortable.”

  “It’s not every day a millennia old prophecy is seen in the physical form,” they said and their voice was strange. Inhuman. It sounded like a baritone with flute notes played over it.

  “Okay, that’s not even a little creepy,” Sid said. “Just stop, okay? We’re here because our grandparents asked us to come, but we’re not going to sit here and get stared at the whole time.”

  “Sidonie,” Grandma hissed. “Behave.”

  “I am behaving, Grandma,” Sid said. “I’m still sitting here, aren’t I?”

  “Why are we here? Is it just to meet this Orion person?” I asked.

  “I am not just an oracle,” Orion said. “I am the embodiment in human form of the Creators.”

  Both the King and Queen dropped their spoons and stared at Orion.

  Sid blinked and leaned back. “Well, about fucking time.”

  “Excuse me?” Orion said as he looked at her.

  “You’ve been AWOL for centuries. You let the ley lines get weakened and you allowed evil to grow in power. Even when we realized we’d been played, and finally got people doing the Path spells again, you still let evil continue and she killed our friend!”

  “I am sorry for the loss of your friend, but we are not managers of the world. We simply created it.”

  “Oh, how convenient. You just wind it up and let it go? That’s wholly irresponsible and completely unacceptable,” Sid said. She was furious, and I couldn’t agree with her more.

  “Before you all get more upset, let me explain why I am here?” Orion said. “I am here because I spoke a prophecy nearly a thousand years ago, and it is time for it to conclude.”

  “What prophecy?” the King asked.

  Orion closed their eyes and began to speak.

  “Herne, oh horn-ed one

  Hunter, watcher, hoof, and horn

  Sun and moon shall be reborn

  Two of two that act as one

  Danu, mother of us all

  Bring all that is, into the two

  Gifting them with all that lies

  In magic under seas and skies.

  When the balance is undone

  Two of two shall act as one

  Healing broken bonds and ties

  From the evil, killing lies

  Creators, bless them with the power

  To save us in this fragile hour

  All are one, all are connected

  May these two serve as expected.”

  “That’s longer than the part we knew,” I said. “We only had heard up to the seas and skies part.”

  “Well you now have the rest of it. I am here to give you two the blessing so you have what you need to finish the prophecy,” Orion said.

  “And what happens when we finish it?” Sid asked.

  “I am unsure. Perhaps you get to live out your lives. Maybe you have to sacrifice your lives to succeed. I was not given that information,” Orion said.

  “Great,” Sid muttered. “So, what do we have to do, to get this blessing?”

  “So you will act on the prophecy?” Orion asked.

  “You say that like we have a choice,” I said.

  “Well, not really, but we do like to give you creatures the illusion of free will,” Orion said.

  This asshole was getting on my nerves. “Then do it.”

  “Yeah, just do it,” Sid said.

  Orion closed his eyes, held both hands up about shoulder level, palms out. I saw his lips move, and the next thing I knew, I was lying on the sofa, a cold cloth on my forehead, while Grampa Fionn paced between the two sofas. I looked over and saw Sid lying on the other one. Her lashes fluttered and she opened her eyes.

  “Tell me that asshole is gone, please,” I said as I sat up.

  “Oh, they’re gone. In a bolt of lightning that left a burn mark on my antique Persian rug,” Grandma Maggie said.

  “Orion’s hands glowed, then you were both slammed back in your chairs and passed out. They got up, thanked us for our hospitality, and zap the lightning bolt hit and they were gone,” Grampa Fionn said.

  “Did you know Orion was…” I started and Grandma Maggie shook her head.

  “Oh, hell no. I thought he was just the latest Oracle,” she said.

  “You two feel okay?” Grampa asked. “Because you look like you could use some food.”

  “Yeah, I feel okay, and I’m starving,” I said and got up. The room swayed for a moment, but steadied and I made my careful way to the chair I’d been in before. Sid joined me and we sat back down while Grandma got the staff to bring fresh bowls of soup and refill our glasses.

  We all ate in silence through the soup course and the salad before Sid finally spoke. “Did anyone write down that damned prophecy?”

  “I did,” Grampa Fionn said. “I’ll text it to you both after we eat.”

  “Thank you,” Sid said.

  “I can’t believe you ripped the Creators a new one,” I said to Sid. I met her gaze and we started to laugh, and soon Grampa and Grandma were laughing with us.

  What can I say? My sister’s got a solid brass set of balls.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Sid

  Whatever that Oracle, Creator, weirdo Orion had done to us, we couldn’t figure it out. It’s been months now, and nothing seemed to have changed with our personal skills or power levels. In other news, everyone is glad the ley lines
have stabilized. I didn’t know if it was Orion that had fixed that, the death of Iona Fraser, or the increase in witches doing the Path of the Creators rituals. I’d like to think the rituals help, but then again, any practice of spells is good, even if it doesn’t feed some Creator’s ego.

  Remember when I learned about the Morrigna? When the current Macha dies, a new Macha gains the title and the power boost. I read about that in the archives, and Fionn told us as much when he spoke about how Iona killed her teacher and took on the mantle. The new Macha has to be a full witch, and a female, right? Guess who got the title. No, not me – I’m not a full witch. Yeah, you guessed it, Lira did. She’s the new Macha, and she’s handling it pretty well as far as we can tell. Just because someone is the Macha, the Badb, or the Nemain doesn’t mean they’re evil. It just means they’re kick-ass powerful and driven to help those under their aegis. The Macha’s domain is the land, fertility, and sovereignty, right? So having Lira learning at the palace under a witch-fae Queen and an ancient wisdom like Oak – and taking lessons from Grams in earth magic to help heal the land – we’re laying the foundations for a very not-evil Macha for the next couple of centuries.

  I’ve been splitting my time between the SPD research and helping Oak set up the tech and teach the folks how to scan and handle fragile documents. Those that just can’t handle the rarer things, they get to scan all of the more recent stuff. More and more folks are volunteering, so we might have the whole Archive digitized in a hundred years or so. No, I’m not kidding. The place is freakin’ huge. We have given precedent to those things that will help people with their magic and daily lives, but this is a monumental task. I’m just glad I can get back to working with Oak and doing my own research – and not have to deal with a pissed off Queen Grandma.

  Oh, there’s a new resident at the Estate, too. Fergus Fraser. He’s living in the apartment over the garage, and helping around the place while he attends the Academy. Once we told him Iona was dead and he was free, he asked how one would go about becoming an SPD officer. As creepy as it is that he looks more like Sin’s twin than I do, he’s a good guy and seems to be doing well. We have plans to take him to the palace to meet the Queen, his Aunt Maggie. That ought to be interesting. They can use the help at the Estate, considering Sin and Mira welcomed Teagan and Reagan. They’re all doing well, even Reina who can hold a bottle for one of the babies like a pro.