Sacred Circle

by James, Rachel

  “So, we’re just writing Mother’s soul off as irretrievable?”

  A pained look crossed her father’s features, and Devlin heard a long sigh.

  “Unfortunately, no one in this congregation has the power to raise the prayers your mother needs to heal. Not even my skills are enough. It’s simply beyond us all.”

  “It’s not as hopeless as you think,” Brianna interrupted, “Mother’s essence could be restored—if we know what spell was used to take her down.”

  A discreet cough had the pair glancing at the doctor again.

  “There is no full-proof way to restore her essence. I know. I’ve searched the Book of Shadows.”

  A shocked look crossed Brianna’s face.

  “You have Mother’s personal journal?”

  “No, of course not. That’s a sacred text—for her eyes only.”

  Devlin managed to hide a smile. The group had no idea what Brianna was hinting at. But he did. She was thinking ahead to a binding with Nicodemus. He studied her face. He’d be damned if he’d let her merge her essence with Nicodemus without discussing it with him first. If she was going to take over the reins of the coven, and alter his life as well as her own, he wanted some say in it.

  “Without her journal to guide me,” Brianna finally asserted. “The congregation is never going to accept me as their High Priestess, especially when they learn how I obtained the title.”

  “Unfortunately, your birth makes that an idiotic excuse at best.”

  Her gaze turned from ice to fire at his statement.

  “I have already committed the worst of sins by declaring myself Mother’s successor. I certainly won’t usurp her magic when I know full well that I don’t have the spiritual purity to do it.”

  “Well, I for one believe in your magical skills, so that’s a moot point as well,” Brad countered.

  “We are not at the end of the road here,” Devlin jumped in. “We still have a few avenues to explore before resorting to last-ditch efforts.”

  “Such as?” Brad asked.

  Brianna stirred in her chair.

  “Examining the amulet Mother was wearing at the time of her collapse. Its energy will still be intact.”

  The doctor’s face paled, and his gaze shot to the bed.

  “She wasn’t wearing any jewelry when we brought her from the circle.”

  “She never goes without her amulet—at least I’ve never seen her without it.” Brianna’s gaze shot to her father and then to Devlin, who saw the fear written in her eyes.

  “Don’t panic. We’ll find it,” he stated.

  “Unless, of course, her personal journal was burned as part of the spell.” Brianna added. She sprang to her feet, obviously worried by her own words. “It’s crucial we inspect the clothes Mother was wearing at the time of the collapse.”

  “They’re in the infirmary,” Brad replied, moving from the bed. Charles’ voice stopped him in mid-stride.

  “I’d prefer the congregation not get wind of what you’re doing—at least, not until the Council has energized the Weaving ritual. Can I count on everyone’s discretion?”

  “No one will say a word,” Brianna stated. Her gaze found Devlin’s and then Tommy’s. “That’s an order.”

  Devlin’s mouth twitched. The she-bear was back.

  “Sounded like an ultimatum to me, blue eyes,” Tommy remarked, before Devlin could spit out a retort.

  “Yes, well. It seems I’m a High Priestess now, and my loyalty is to the Coven.”

  “And it’s my duty as your trusted advisor to let you know that your potion has worked on Danny and the other patients. I’ve released all but Danny. What coughs and stomach ailments there are can be treated at home:” An uneasy silence descended which the doctor broke at once. “Well, we all have some place to be, don’t we?” He headed for the doorway again, this time Charles dogging his heels. Their voices faded away and a long sigh reverberated.

  “Let’s hope that’s the last time we’re treated like lepers,” Brianna remarked.

  “Let’s hope you know what you’re doing—and that you keep a civil tongue in your head while you’re doing it.” Devlin chided.

  “What can I do?” Tommy asked.

  “You must go back to the clearing with Devlin and see if Mother’s amulet is buried there,” Brianna replied. “The negative energy spawned in a Sacred Circle leaves an energy trail to follow—if one is smart enough to look for it.”

  “I won’t leave you to fend for yourself,” Tommy stated, placing his hand on her shoulder. “You might be the sinner’s next target.” Devlin frowned at his words, and the touch. Tommy was taking an awful lot on himself by giving them orders. “The members will be ambulatory again which means if they see me digging holes in the clearing, they will start asking questions you can’t afford to answer. No, I’ll stay and let Devlin go.”

  Devlin pondered his words. Was it best to let Tommy continue to be regarded as a welcome visitor in the commune? He glanced down, studying the linoleum floor speckled with dirt trails. Tommy wouldn’t know what to look for in the clearing; but he needed another strong back for the digging. They had to go together. He glanced at his watch. Would there be time for scrounging before evoking the Weaving with the Elders? It didn’t matter. Sienna’s recovery depended on their finding her amulet. Their continuing silence finally sparked him to comment.

  “Tommy’s not as conspicuous as he thinks, and I need his help. You don’t.”

  “Is the clearing safe?” Tommy asked, a moment later.

  “It’s safe,” Devlin interjected. “Any latent energy flux would be from Mother Nature recycling herself.”

  “Or from a hidden back-up spell,” Brianna threw in.

  Devlin gave her an impatient wave.

  “You halted the original spell. The damn cat proved it. You need to focus on finding your mother’s Book of Shadows. It will contain her thoughts and possible counter rituals.”

  “Her amulet is more important,” Brianna argued.

  “We can’t do everything together. We must use our time efficiently. Splitting up is the only logical way to accomplish that.”

  “I’ll go with Brianna,” Tommy advised, again. “Her safety is questionable at this point.”

  “Brianna already has a bodyguard.”

  “Good God, you aren’t talking about that black creature that’s always following her around?” Tommy croaked.

  “He’ll keep her safe,” Devlin stated. His glance strayed to Brianna. “If we find Sienna’s amulet buried near the circle, we’ll come find you. We won’t bait the sinner without you.”

  Tommy stepped forward, grabbing Brianna’s hands.

  “Is the Circle safe?”

  “Yes, I think so.”

  Tommy dropped her hands and sketched a wave as he headed for the door.

  “Then I have just the thing in the trunk of my car. It’s small, but it’s a top of the line metal detector.” He started for the door, and then paused when Devlin didn’t move. “Well, aren’t you coming?”

  “I’ll meet you at the Jeep,” Devlin replied. Tommy’s left eyebrow lifted, but he didn’t push, just whirled and disappeared out the door.

  “You do know that if the Elders find out that we allowed a stranger to dig in their Sacred Clearing, they’ll hang us from the nearest tree,” Brianna stated.

  “We won’t get caught,” Devlin stated. “He’s resourceful; I’m resourceful.”

  “In that case, I’ll take a look at Mother’s clothes in the infirmary by myself. If nothing’s amiss, I’ll head to the cottage and hunt for the journal.”

  Devlin glanced at his watch again.

  “Keep track of the time. We can’t miss the ceremony at two.”

  “I have no intention of missing it,” Brianna stated. “Francis will be conducting the introductory prayer and I will have plenty to say if he mucks it up.”

  “And you will say it politely, of course?”

  “Oh, I shall be extremely poli
te,” Brianna replied, heading for the door. Devlin smiled at the curious tilt to her lips. Was she teasing him, or was she totally serious? The next couple of hours would tell that story. God forbid, if he had to admonish for making accusations they couldn’t back up.

  “Earth to Devlin . . . hello . . .”

  His head shot up.

  “Sorry. I was trying to visualize you being extremely polite.”

  “Ha-ha. Very funny.”

  She left him then, skirting the door and disappearing from view. Very funny, she had said. Well, there wasn’t anything funny about the mess they were in. And the sooner they proved it to everyone, the better.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  THE CLEARING

  Devlin tamped the dirt with his shovel and then gave it an extra pat. They had been digging for over an hour and all they had to show for it was strained muscles and pouring sweat. He gave the earth around the circle another swift whack, and then swinging around, he studied the ground behind him. At least they were leaving the clearing the way they found it. It would take an eagle eye to see the pockets of earth they had disturbed, and he didn’t think the Council had developed that rare quality yet.

  He swung back around to see Tommy filling in the last of his open holes. His shovel whacks echoed in the air, and hearing a fractured wheeze, Devlin realized they both needed a break, and some water. The burnished sun was deadly at this time of the year; at noon, the heat was relentless. Already, he could see Tommy’s cheeks stained with a bright red hue.

  Devlin tossed his shovel to the ground with a grunt.

  “Give it up, Tommy. We’ve done all we can do. The amulet’s not here.”

  Tommy leaned on his shovel.

  “We could widen our search with the detector again.”

  “It will do no good. We’ve guessed wrong.” Devlin rubbed his hand across his bare chest, flicking off a string of sweat beads. “At least, we’ve saved Brianna from roasting in the blistering sun.”

  Tommy pulled his hankie from his pocket and wiped his drenched brow.

  “I could do with a drink of water.”

  “It’s next on the list. However, you should be thanking God for the heat. It has allowed us to have the clearing all to ourselves.”

  “Yes—us and the cat.”

  “Cat?”

  Tommy tossed his head towards the rise.

  “The creature arrived about thirty minutes ago. It’s been sitting there watching us ever since.”

  Devlin’s gaze lifted to the crest of the ridge, spotting the cat at once.

  “He’s persistent, I’ll give him that,” he stated. “Any other time, I’d . . . wait . . .” He slammed the tip of the shovel into the ground. “I’m such an idiot . . . take a seat, Tommy.” Devlin gestured at the ground. “It’s time to let someone who was here and knows what happened, show us.”

  Tommy glanced at the ridge, and then back to Devlin.

  “Rely on a cat?”

  Devlin lowered himself onto his discarded shirt.

  “He’s not just any cat; he’s royalty.”

  Tommy hunkered beside him.

  “Is that another one of those way-out-there spiritual truths?”

  “You should have a little more faith, Tommy.”

  “I’m a man of science. I work with facts and what I can tangibly see. And those facts don’t include a magical cat.” He looked to the ridge again. “See there, the cat’s gone off again. A cat is a cat.”

  Devlin’s gaze flew to the ridge. Leave it to Nicodemus to prove him a liar.

  “Rrr-owww.”

  The pair jumped at the meow, their heads swiveling. Devlin was the first to spy Nicodemus sitting in the middle of the circle, his large yellow eyes staring directly at him.

  “He seems focused on you,” Tommy remarked.

  “A part of him recognizes my aura as belonging to Brianna. The other part of him senses I might want to hurt her. Without the binding, he can’t be sure.”

  “What binding?”

  “The one . . . Good Lord!” Devlin shot to his feet. “It never dawned on me that Sienna might’ve buried the amulet inside the circle.”

  Startled by his hasty rise, Nicodemus’ hackles rose and he hissed at the pair. Seeing his swishing tail, Devlin addressed the cat.

  “I’m grateful to you, you obnoxious pest. Now, get out of the circle and let us dig.”

  As if understanding his words, the cat dashed out of the circle and up the ridge. Devlin lost no time in taking his place. Dropping to his knees, he began digging in the dirt where Nicodemus had just sat. In seconds, he uncovered the hidden amulet. Holding it up, he flashed it at Tommy.

  “How’s your sense of faith now, Tommy?”

  “It’s eight on a scale of ten,” he answered.

  Devlin hopped to his feet, glancing at the circle markings.

  “Now to find the buried rope.”

  “You’re sure there’s a rope?”

  Devlin gave him a thin-lipped smile.

  “Oh, ye of little faith . . . of course there’s a rope. And Sienna’s amulet is going to locate it for us.” Devlin held the crystal aloft and began walking the perimeter of the circle. As he walked, the crystal flashed a series of colors. Red, yellow, blue, green. “When the energy spectrum reaches black, we will have found our rope,” Devlin stated. He heard a doubtful grunt, but ignored it. Amulets never lied and Brianna was right. There is always a trail to follow if you are smart enough to look for it.

  Halfway around the circle, the crystal began to darken, and by the time it had changed to a full, black hue, Devlin was dropping to his haunches again. He ran his finger along the ground, close to the painted markings. Was there a small seam around the paint? He chipped at the markings with his fingers. The paint fell away in small pieces and his nails were soon digging at the seam in earnest. In less than a minute, he had found the small piece of twine and was pulling it up and away from the markings.

  “Son of a bitch!”

  Tommy’s curse matched his own thoughts, but he didn’t stop to agree. He continued pulling the twine up and out. When the last of it unraveled, he held the twine up.

  “How’s your faith now, Tommy?” he asked, dangling the twine in front of him.

  “It’s off the Richter scale.”

  Devlin nodded, studying the length of the twine, and then studying the ground.

  “You’re scowling,” Tommy stated.

  “Not scowling; thinking.” He studied the small length of twine in his fingers. “I think our attacker might be a woman.”

  “What!?”

  Devlin signaled the disturbed area and then flashed the rope.

  “Though I’ve been away from the practice a long time, I can feel a feminine energy on the rope. And I sense that it’s been buried for months, not days. This attack has been a long time coming, carefully plotted and executed.”

  Tommy’s hankie found his sweating brow.

  “If I hadn’t seen in person how powerful a necklace could be, I’d tell you to go to hell with your theory.”

  Devlin stuffed the twine and amulet in his jeans pocket with a grunt, and then bending, snatched up his shovel.

  “Let’s put this circle back to its original state and go find Brianna. Hopefully, she has had success in finding her mother’s journal. If we have that, and the amulet, we can start making progress on solving this mystery.”

  The pair set to work immediately, and in less than fifteen minutes, they were climbing the rise and heading for the center of town.

  • • •

  Brianna glanced at her watch. 1:00 P.M., and still no sign of her mother’s journal. She had torn the cottage apart, searching for secret panels and hidden drawers for over an hour, with no luck. And now she was hot, frustrated, and just plain tired. She heard the steeple chime toll, and glanced down the sidewalk. The coven was showing signs of coming to life. Members were walking the streets again, and peals of laughter filled the air at sporadic intervals.

  Bri
anna felt a brush against her pant leg and jumped. Glancing down, she spotted Nicodemus, and quickly stamped her foot at him. He scampered away, but not very far. He hugged the building, peering back around the corner at her. It was getting harder and harder to fend off the binding with Nicodemus. His persistence was eroding her nerves. And so was the heat. If only her search had been successful. If only . . . her thoughts derailed suddenly. What if her mother had given her journal to one of the members for safekeeping? They would be screwed if she did. There were at least seventy members in the congregation, and any one of them could be hiding it.

  Brianna’s gaze found the clinic dome. Had she entrusted it to an Elder instead? She hoped not; they would keep it hidden from her—at least until they had deemed her magical skills suitable. A bead of sweat trickled down the front of her bra, and she grimaced. She needed to find a cool place to hibernate until Devlin and Tommy returned from the clearing. She heard the tinkle of a shop bell, and saw a couple entering the Tea Room Cafe a few storefronts ahead. Her stomach rumbled at the thought of food, and she headed for the door.

  Not to her surprise, the cafe was half empty when she stepped inside. She let the glass door slide into place behind her, spotting an empty table at the rear of the diner. Maneuvering past the front register and three occupied tables, she gave only a brief glance towards the hovering cashier at the counter. She hadn’t realized how hungry she was until she caught the appetizing smells emanating from the small kitchen.

  Reaching the rear area, Brianna plopped down and crossed her arms on the table. It felt good to be indoors and out of the stifling heat. In less than fifteen seconds, the female cashier was alongside her chair, pencil and pad in hand. Her greeting was friendly.

  “Hello, Brianna.”

  Brianna glanced up, attempting to put a name to the face.

  “My God, Marla, is that you?” She sprang to her feet, embracing the woman with a warm bear hug. Surprised by the overture, the plump woman pulled back, giving Brianna a bright smile.

  “It’s me alright—all one hundred and sixty pounds of me.” She patted her round midriff. “There’s more of me than when you last saw me, huh?”

  “And it’s a good thing,” Brianna stated, slipping back into her seat. She scanned Marla’s face. “I’m glad to see you suffered no lasting effects from the Dark Time. You do know Devlin and I are extremely sorry about what happened that day.”