Elemental Shadows

by Phaedra Weldon

  No…not all of them.

  Just Kathy. I knew Kathy. I knew what potential she had, because she was a God Mother's child.

  Once I had my bag over my shoulder and he'd locked the trunk back, we started toward the well-lit house. Several women in long black robes greeted us. Kyle and I were ushered into a grand if not over-stated bathroom on the lower floor, while Grey was asked to remain on the porch.

  Once the door was closed I dropped my bag and looked around. The ceiling had to be close to fourteen feet high. The walls were white with gold patterns raised on them. The carpet was a deep red and soft beneath my boots. Once I got past the notion of carpet in a bathroom, I noticed there was two claw foot tubs, each with matching side tables laden with all the necessary accoutrements of a ritual bath.

  The whole thing looked like something out of a French movie about King Louis.

  Kyle set his bag on a chaise near the left tub. "There's a partition we can pull out if you want privacy."

  "Arden seriously goes all out."

  "She's into ritual and behaviors," Kyle shrugged. "You know the reasons."

  "Yeah it's a gestalt, all minds thinking alike. I just…I don't take the ritual bath that often."

  Kyle smirked at me. "Do you remember how?"

  I shot him a bird and walked to the tub on the right. There was no need for a partition. This wasn't a sexual thing and besides, it was Kyle. Steam rose from the water already in the tub and I started taking my clothing off. "She's even got the script on the table. Lamented."

  "Yep."

  We took our ritual baths in relative silence. I hadn't been kidding when I said I didn't normally take them. I felt as if I never had time, and before I actually stepped into the water, I was thinking that same thing in an irritated, rushed way.

  But once the bath began and I blessed the water with the four Elements, sat down and began the visualizations, something happened that hadn't happened for a long time.

  I relaxed.

  The stress I'd been carrying in my shoulders, along my neck and in my back released as it all flowed into the water. I closed my eyes and breathed. Really…breathed in the Air. Felt the water's Fire in the heat. Let the Water rinse away the bad. And I mentally touched the Earth I realized was set beneath the tub in a long rectangular box.

  After the bath I felt rejuvenated and dressed in my ritual robe. This was something I hadn't worn since I moved out of Ina's house and I was afraid it wasn't going to fit me.

  And I was right. But it wasn't too tight. It was a bit loose. Ritual robes by themselves weren't always flattering. They had a purpose for those who didn't go sky clad (nude) so as not to close off the energy needed to flow to and from the Witch.

  Ina made mine, and she made it a little more form fitting than most. It was sewn in a Greek style of toga, with black natural material cinched at my shoulders and then cut in at my waist. The rest of the robe fell down around my hips and legs and just brushed the carpet at my feet.

  I reached into my bag and pulled out my mother's athame, the one I'd taken from Ina's house. It still glittered with bright Arcane Magic and I decided this wasn't the time to use it. I shoved it back into the bag and zipped it up just as Arden came into the bathroom.

  Her gown was similar to mine; only she had long sleeves that ended in tatters. Part of the design reminded me of Morticia's dress from The Adams Family. Her hair was pulled back at the base of her neck and she wore no make-up. She looked so much younger like this and I wondered again exactly how old she was.

  She took Kyle's hands and kissed his cheeks. His robe was what I called the standard Monk's robe, with hood and long skirt. And then she looked at me and put her hands to her mouth. "I'm sorry, Samantha, but you look so much like your mother."

  I took that as a compliment. "I ah…I don't have an athame."

  "It's fine. You won't need it. My initiates are already cutting the Circle," she looked around. "Where's Mr. Westerfield?"

  I sighed and gave her a short version of what happened at the shop, and a bit of the background of why. I left out the bits about the shelter and about where Ivan hid the information on Kennett he threatened to use. Her dark eyes nearly popped out of her head. "And you think the soul or essence of this Ronald Kennett is framing him?"

  "Yeah I do. I talked to Detective Holliard. He's going to look into Ivan's problem while we solve this one. Right now my goal is to find the kids."

  "And then clear my name."

  I pulled my mouth into a thin line and held my temper. Wow. That bath really did good things on my mood control. "Of course, Arden."

  We were led through the house, which was just as spectacular as the bathroom with its high ceilings and antique furniture. We passed a long dining table laden with food as we made our way out the back French doors and down a path. I didn't go barefoot much anymore and it was obvious, given I found every possible sharp rock and stick with the soles of my feet.

  I sensed the Circle before I saw it. It hummed and pulsed against my spine and my Spirit sang at the connection between the Earth and us. This was the God Mother's legacy. This was Diana's joy. All minds concentrating on a single thought, a single note, a single song.

  As with the Circle Ina's Ghouls made that night when I spoke to Tzariene, the Priestess of the Circle, a thin blond girl with dark eyes, cut the doorway. We were challenged and then brought in to stand to the North behind the Altar. Arden had already explained she thought this was the best place for me, since the Obsidian Queen was the Unseelie Court and they were more attuned to Air and Water.

  The Circle's power pricked at my spine as Arden and three others stepped forward with their athames, they cut a circle within a circle. Light flared and after the spell was complete, I held my breath as Brendi appeared in the center.

  She looked as radiant as ever, and less human as well. Her skin had taken on the paler tones of the Faerie, and her hair was now black. Slight points at the tips of her ears betrayed her acceptance of her new position. I hadn't noticed those things about her when she appeared in Couturie Forest and took Medbh in her deal with Dionysus. But she'd been wearing a helm then. All silver. All badass.

  It was hard to believe this girl had once been human.

  Arden curtsied before her. Brendi bowed as well. And it was Brendi that spoke first. "'Tis good to see you, Queen Arden. What, may I ask, is the reason for the summons?"

  Queen Arden? I glanced at Kyle. He winked. I rolled my eyes.

  "I have need of information—and I believe it is dire, my Queen. It deals with the children Dionysus stole in order to disgrace Faerie Magic and create his Changelings."

  "Yes," Brendi frowned. "I have not yet forgiven him of this transgression. Yet he did offer up a payment I could not refuse."

  Yeah, I bet. The bastard had tricked me into sucking Medbh's soul or essence or whatever it was into a magic necklace. Medbh's head was still in my basement. Though I couldn't figure out why Brendi would want it. It was Medbh's throne she took. Why bring the old Queen back? But I didn't dare ask. Asking meant payment. I owed enough to Brendi.

  "I see. May I offer a similar payment?" Arden turned and one of the girls stepped forward to be seen by Brendi in the Circle. "Branwen wishes to offer herself for the information."

  What! I started forward but Kyle and two other robed members held me back. Kyle put his finger on my lips and shook his head. Why wasn't he more upset that his aunt was offering up human sacrifice?"

  Brendi moved with a fluid grace I hadn't noticed before. She looked at the young girl, who dropped her robe, nude beneath, and turned so the Queen could see her. "Child, do you know what it means to be in my service?"

  "Yes, my Queen."

  I narrowed my eyes. I didn't really know what that meant.

  Brendi smiled and looked back at Arden. "I assume your questions are many if you wish to give up the life of a human."

  "They are."

  "Ask them. I will decide when we are finished."

  I not
iced Arden's hesitation as she nodded to Branwen. The girl pulled her robe back on and returned to her place in the Circle. "I need to know where Dionysus placed the children he stole. I had believed they were with you in Alfheim, and were now part of your court."

  "No. He did not. Such a thing would have been an honor paid to us, but he took a more foolish and selfish route." She laughed and for a second I saw the old Brendi, the human girl of sixteen. "He took the easy way out."

  "He used a Coyote Flame?"

  "Yes. He used it like a zipper in the fabric of space. And one by one he took the children, stole a piece of their essence to make the Changelings, and then shoved them into the Flame."

  I closed my eyes. God damn that bastard. That was what I was afraid he'd done.

  "Doing this, did he create what we call Shadow People?"

  "He created what we know as Dae Rauko. The Shadow Demon," Brendi looked worried. "These Rauko are created from punishment, from sadness and disease. When creatures misuse the Coyote Flame and trap a being in that place of limbo, they will eventually die and become the essence of evil. Anger, frustration, feelings of abandonment, hate, all of these things fester and form to create the Rauko. They become Dae, or shadow, and they find their way into the other worlds." She took a step closer to the circle she peered through. "These children are damned."

  "Is there a way to get them out?"

  "Only if you know where they were placed. Coyote Flames are not stable. You know this. You can never accurately guess where you will end up if you create one. Or choose what world. The only way to make a stable one is through human ritual sacrifice."

  I didn't even want to think about what that meant. I could believe Dionysus would do this, as he would want to put all his assets in one place. But this was something so dark, so…wrong. My stomach roiled at the idea that this bastard had raised me.

  "How do I find where Dionysus made the Flame, if he did indeed make a stable one?"

  Brendi's gaze moved from Arden to me. Those around me looked at me and stepped away. No one liked being in the direct line of sight of a Faerie. "Ask Samantha. He was her guardian all along. Perhaps she can shed light on where the Leviathan would feel most comfortable."

  I swallowed and ignored everyone's eyes. I was looking directly at Brendi. "I would think it would be at Ina's house."

  Brendi held out her arms. "Then you have your answer." When she looked back to Arden I almost fell on my ass as my knees gave out. Kyle grabbed me and held me up.

  "I thank you, Obsidian Queen." Arden stepped back.

  "Not yet," Brendi held up her pale hand. "I have decided not to take this young girl, though she will receive my favor if she ever finds herself in Alfheim. I will instead defer my price for a later date."

  Oh shit. That was so close to the same deal she'd made with me. And I'd had to renege on it because her request was too outlandish. She'd wanted me to hand over another human being to a Succubus so he could bring that human to her.

  No. Sorry. Couldn't do that.

  Arden glanced back at me. "How does that work?"

  "The deal is bound to you, Queen Arden. When I know what it is I want, I will contact you and tell you. You will have twenty-four hours to deliver my request, or you will forfeit yourself." She smiled and I thought for a second I saw sharp teeth. "Until later, Queen Arden."

  The inner Circle darkened and then disappeared. Arden stood still for a few seconds before she nodded to the Priestess. The Circle was taken down and everyone departed to the house. Kyle and I stood where we were since Arden hadn't moved.

  Eventually she turned toward us. I saw hurt and fear in her eyes as she put a hand against my cheek. "You'd better hope she doesn't want something I can't deliver. I'll trade you before I become that bitch's dog."

  I watched her walk away.

  Kyle put his hand on my shoulder. "She didn't mean that."

  My body shook as I put my own hand on his. "Oh yes she did."

  Arden made the arrangements to move the party to Ina's house. Kyle and I changed back into our street clothing and led the caravan of three vehicles—Kyle's car, Arden's SUV and a truck—back into town and into the Garden District. It was already after three in the morning, so the streets in the district were pretty much empty. The same couldn't be said for Bourbon Street.

  I didn't know how to make a Coyote Flame and said as much to Arden, but she insisted it was something she needed to do and I didn’t have to learn. I wasn't blind to her real motivations. If this worked, and those children were brought back, then her involvement meant points for her run for Grand Master.

  I opened the house and let everyone in. Arden brought five of her finest, as she called them. And that was including Arden. Kyle and I were introduced to each of them.

  I tended to connect names to attributes.

  Joan was tall and thin and was the oldest of the group.

  Annie had long dark hair, dark lips, dark nails and spoke in a soft voice.

  Adrian wore a Club Hell t-shirt, the same one I slept in.

  And Dayle spelled her name with a Y. Though that wasn't how I remembered her name and face. It was her ample breasts that clued me in.

  The girls were each sent away with an assignment before Arden pulled Kyle and me into the herb room. She lowered her voice. "That Circle isn't fit. What happened to it?"

  Shit. What was I going to say? Oh yeah, sorry. I killed someone using Arcane Magic?

  Kyle spoke up. "Probably something Dionysus did to it before he killed that girl and disappeared."

  "What girl?"

  I glared at Kyle. Good going there, idiot. "Ah…it's a long story, Arden."

  "And one I'm going to enjoy hearing about, especially when we sit down to talk about Mr. Westerfield."

  I pointed at her. "Not if you want your name cleared."

  Arden narrowed her eyes as she looked at me, then back to Kyle. "We're lucky because I don't think that's where he concentrated his Coyote Flame."

  "How so?" Now I was curious how she knew that.

  "Because of the way they're made, if you remember? I think the entire garden back there is what he used to tether the Flame."

  When Kyle and I looked confused, she shook her head. "Take off your shoes, invoke Spirit," she looked at Kyle. "Bring lit incense with you," and then at both of us. "And walk widdershins. You'll know what I mean."

  Kyle grabbed a stick of incense out of his bag before the two of us went to the sliding glass door in the dining room. We removed our shoes and I lit the incense with a pass of my hand. Kyle waved it in the air to douse the flame and once the smoke was good and thick, we stepped out onto the grass.

  Walking widdershins, counter cock wise, was something I'd never done in a circle. Where clock wise, or deosil, was building or creating; widdershins was the act of tearing down. And after our first rotation around the edge of the garden, I invoked Spirit. Kyle waved his incense.

  Within seconds I was overcome with weighted impressions of fear, remorse, betrayal, shock, anger, frustration, and despair… Everything toppled on me so hard and fast I crashed to the ground and was instantly surrounded by dozens more negative emotions.

  Sam!

  I put my hands over my head to try and block all of them out as they wove around my own similar feelings. They fed on my fear of being in this Circle and then pulled out my own guilt over Arwen's death.

  Sam! Please, baby! Dismiss Spirit.

  I held onto that voice and I knew it was right. I had to dismiss the thing that fed those ghosts of past injustice away. I took in a deep breath and yelled, "So mote it be!"

  The silence in my head was deafening, until I felt hands on my arms. I smelled Kyle's incense and looked up to see him looking down. Grey was right there, licking my face and pushing her nose against my cheek. I reached out and grabbed that wolf as hard as I could. I felt her lean into me and I blinked back tears.

  "Sam…it's okay," Arden said somewhere behind me. "Do you understand now?"

 
I nodded. But I couldn't speak for fear of blubbering like an idiot.

  "He killed people here. In this garden. And he did it for years," Kyle said.

  And he'd done it even while I lived with Ina. Oh Goddess…how many of those guests Ina had taken in and I'd met, broken bread with and shared time with had Dionysus killed over the years? So many that vanished and Ina said they had just moved on because they were transient.

  They were here…all buried beneath the grass.

  "We need to start," Arden said as I sat back but still held on to Grey. "Kyle, I need you and Sam to watch, okay? Same as with the Circle at my place, just observe. Usually Coyote Flames aren't built within Circles, but I want sacred space. I want there to be no mistakes. And Sam…bring Grey with you. I don't think I truly realized what a great asset she is for you until now."

  I nodded but I didn't look up. I was wiping my eyes, realizing no one else had seen my break down. Just Kyle, Arden and Grey.

  And then a very warm hand touched my hand. I looked over to see the familiar masculine hand of Crwys Holliard. He took my hand in his and helped me stand. Grey wagged her tail and sat at my feet as I looked up into his amber red eyes. "What….what're you doing here?"

  "Arden called me. Filled me in. I'm here in case you get do get those kids out. A police presence you might say. Levi's here too, with a few more Revenants. They're patrolling the house's perimeter. Just in case something goes wrong."

  "Like what?"

  He brushed a tear from my cheek with his thumb. "It's a door, Sam. Doors swing both ways."

  Oh. He meant in case something else comes out besides the children. I'd seen Crwys's power. I knew what he could do. I just didn't know what he was. And that was really starting to bug me.

  That's when someone screamed.

  Crwys was gone from my side in the blink of an eye as everyone ran back inside. The single scream became a chorus of them.

  I ran behind Kyle with Grey at my heels, back in through the glass doors to the kitchen. One of the girls, Annie I think, was crying as she gripped her throat by the kitchen sink. Dayle had her arms around her, talking to her in a gentle voice. Another girl, Joan, sat on the floor, breathing into a paper bag with Adrian at her side.