Rest For The Wicked - The Claire Wiche Chronicles Book 1

by Cate Dean

  For my purposes, Azazel is a fallen angel, and sits at the right hand of Lucifer in Hell. Claire was his first, his Lieutenant, his most trusted. Until she began to care about the humans she was supposed to torture. For this, she was banished to earth, to wander among those humans, alone.

  crystals – crystal healing has been popular for centuries, and has been documented as far back as 1550 BC, in an Egyptian medical document known as the Ebers Papyrus. References to them are found across religions and in everyday society. For every health issue, physical or mental, there is a crystal that can help. Lapis for boosting the immune system, helping with depression, and a host of other ailments. Hematite for mental clarity and confidence, along with blood cleansing properties. Rose quartz for self-acceptance, self-love, and personal worth.

  I use amethyst for Claire – it is a spirit crystal, and a wonderful, all-purpose crystal, for everything from meditation to pain. It is one I have used for years, to ground me and to promote clear thinking. For Claire, it is a way to ground her to the life she has chosen. But it also opens the channels of communication with angels, so stay tuned.

  demons – ah, demons. Here is the universal definition of a demon: something not human, and that is almost universally malevolent. Hebrew mythology calls them “workers of harm,” beings that entered the body and caused all sorts of ailments, depending on the demon or spirit. The only cure was to draw them out by using incantations and talismans. Christianity has had demons in their mythology for centuries. The modern Roman Catholic Church has sanctioned exorcists, who perform exorcisms on the possessed, using prayer – a modern form of incantation. Throughout literature, fallen angels are considered demons.

  Claire is one of the fallen, banished from Heaven for siding with Lucifer in his rebellion against God. Once she embraces the demon again, will she remember what it was like to be one of the blessed?

  demonic possession – literally, to be possessed by a demon. As above, possession was thought to cause certain diseases. Blindness was from a demon of blindness, who sat on the water, and struck those who drank the water with blindness. There was also the spirit of headache, the demon of epilepsy. The Sumerians believed that all disease was caused by demons, what they called “sickness demons.” Modern demonic possession is similar to what is portrayed in film and television: loss of control by the possessed over their body, supernatural strength, access to hidden knowledge, drastic changes in voice and/or appearance, and expulsion by exorcism.

  I take the high road with demonic possession – the demon has total control over the body they possess, and they also have complete access to the memories and emotions. The human’s personality is dormant, but they can hear, see and feel everything that is happening. Once possessed, supernatural strength keeps the body from dying, even when it is mortally wounded. The demon also gives the body they possess, or ride, exceptional healing abilities, up to a point. Iron, salt, and holy water can hurt them, to the point where they may decide to vacate. And of course, a rousing exorcism will send them back to Hell – if they don’t escape first.

  elementals – a lower type of nature spirit, they appear in many different forms, including fairies, elves, leprechauns, gnomes and sprites. These spirits are governed by archangels.

  My fire elemental makes a brief appearance, sneaking in behind a love spell. Claire sends it back, using what power leaks in past her barriers. In her real form as an angel, the elemental wouldn’t have needed coaxing – it simply would have fled.

  fallen angels – here is an interesting fact: the term “fallen angel” does not appear anywhere in the Hebrew Bible or the New Testament. It was adopted because of the interpretations of the Book of Revelation, Chapter 12. The Jewish faith took their interpretation from the Book of Enoch (see Azazel). The most prevalent belief is that these angels “fell,” or were cast down, because of their rebellion in Heaven, either against Michael or God.

  I have taken on the belief of a war in Heaven, and the angels siding with Lucifer were cast down into what became Hell, and eventually turned into demons. Claire is cast out of Hell because she remembers what she was, and starts to have compassion for the condemned souls.

  holy water – this is water that has been sanctified by a priest, to be used in baptisms and blessings. It can also be used to repel evil. The use of holy water to repel evil is a belief held mainly by the Roman Catholic Church.

  I am working on the truth that the protective properties of holy water works for anyone who believes the water is sacred. Using holy water to defend herself, Claire takes the one thing that can seriously injure her and uses it against Natasha. For a demon, holy water might as well be acid – it is pure, where a demon is not, and burns on contact.

  iron – found in hematite, magnetite, goethite, limonite and siderite, it is one of the raw materials used to make pig iron, which is then used to make steel. Cast iron is made by melting down scraps of pig iron, scrap iron, scrap steel, lime stone and carbon. Melt out contaminants, adjust the recipe, and you get a lovely cast iron skillet. In folklore, iron is believed to be the best protection against witches, sorcerers, demons and other evil spirits. It can also repel ghosts.

  I use iron as a tool and a weapon: a tool to break the wards that Claire created to bind her demon nature, and a weapon to control her once the demon is free. The iron is also like acid on a demon’s skin, burning where it touches.

  Jinn/Djinn/genie – there are many versions of the Jinn mythology, depending on what source you read. In Islam, the Jinn were created by Allah from smokeless flame, and, like man, given free will. In Muslim cultures, Jinn have been given different qualities. As an example – in Morocco it is believed that the Jinn can grant three magical wishes. Stories of the Jinn litter the One Thousand and One Nights, where the tale of Aladdin and the lamp can be found.

  This is where I veer away from mythology and folklore the most. Marcus came from the idea of the Jinn, but he is a completely different entity within the confines of my fictional world. As I wrote him, Marcus simply evolved, and I liked what he became so much I decided to go with it. So he is Jinn, but not any Jinn you will find in religious or folklore text.

  love spells – most love spells are harmless, especially when cast by a person with little to no power. They can be found free all over the internet, and in witchcraft books on any bookstore shelf.

  I dabble, and have written my share of spells – usually clearing and protection. Like Claire, I avoid love spells. I consider them a grey area, a form of emotional manipulation. The spell Annie uses is real, and what happens when she does it – hmmm, who knows? I won’t be trying it anytime soon.

  Lucifer – in Latin, lucifer means bringer of light, morning star, light bearing – depending on which source you use to translate. In the Bible, he is called son of the morning by God, before he is cast out of Heaven. The relevant passage is in Isaiah: “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.” (King James Version). There are more arguments and discussions about Lucifer – one, also in the Book of Isaiah, ascribes the name to a Babylonian king who was destined to fall.

  I am going with the straight up: Lucifer placed himself above God, and was cast down to Hell with the angels who followed him. He became the Lord of Hell, Satan, Beelzebub – whatever name you want to label him. Claire fell with him, served at his right hand, until she remembered what she had once been, and lost the venom and the hate needed to torture condemned souls.

  pentagram/pentacle – a five point star, typically drawn in five straight strokes. Used by the Ancient Greeks and the Babylonians, it is best known for its magical ties, and is worn by many w
ho practice and believe in pagan faiths. If the pentagram is inside a circle, it is known as a pentacle. In Christianity the pentagram was believed to represent the five wounds of Christ, and was protection against demons. If the top point of the star is reversed – pointing down – it is a symbol of Satan, literally reversing its meaning.

  Claire uses a pentagram to bind her true nature, her demon, in the form of a tattoo. Because it is inside a circle of flames, it would be a pentacle – though many think the terms are interchangeable. I use them as they are listed in the Wicca faith – pentagram is the star, and pentacle is the star inside a circle. Most jewelry is in the form of the pentacle.

  tarot – tarot was originally a card game, played in Italy from the mid-fifteenth century, its popularity spreading to France, Switzerland and Germany. Like a modern day deck, it has four suits, plus an augmented fifth suit of permanent trumps, creating a 78 card deck. It was only later that tarot became a source for divination and readings. The occult tarot deck is different, consisting of the major arcana – 22 cards with no suits, and the minor arcana – 56 cards broken into four suits.

  Tarot is only mentioned in this book, but will be explored further in future books. I will not deviate from what is widely known and believed about tarot – it is fascinating enough on its own.

  triquetra – Latin for three cornered, a triquetra is also known as the trinity knot. As a religious symbol it has been used to represent things and people that are threefold. An example is the Christian blessed trinity of Father, Son, Holy Spirit. In the Pagan religions it is a symbol with several meanings – the three stages of the Triple Goddess, the three realms of earth, sky and sea, and the connection of mind, body and soul are some examples. It is also considered a symbol of protection.

  I am using it as a protection symbol, another barrier that Claire puts between the world and her true nature. She discovers that the protection also extends outward when her tattoo burns Marcus.

  Wicca – a spanking new religion, it appeared at the first part of the 20th century, and was officially named Wicca by the 1960s. Many practice ritual magic, and they follow what is known as the Wiccan Rede: “an it harm none, do what ye will.” It can be practiced in solitary, or as part of a coven, and is as involved, and often as convoluted, as any religion.

  Claire uses Wicca as a cover – her powers are contained, but enough leaks through, and she needs an outlet for it. Practicing small magics gives her that, and a livelihood that allows her a somewhat normal, quiet existence.

  witchcraft – by simple definition, it is the practice of magic. The full definition would take another book. Short and sweet: before the Church stepped in, those who practiced witchcraft for the good of all were respected, and often revered for their talent. They were sought out for their skills with healing. In modern society, witchcraft has regained a sense of the respect and awe it once had, and people openly practice without fear of persecution.

  Annie practices witchcraft – not well, but with enthusiasm, and she will get better, as anyone does, with more practice. She will make more blunders, of course – not all of them ending in disaster. There is so much to be mined in the area of witchcraft, I don’t need to embellish.

  REST FOR THE WICKED

  THE CLAIRE WICHE CHRONICLES, BOOK 1

  Cate Dean

  © Copyright, 2012

  All Rights Reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without written permission of the author, except for use in any review. This is a work of fiction. The names, characters, locales, and events are either pure invention or used fictitiously. No character is based on or inspired by any known or unknown persons, and all incidents come from the author’s imagination alone.

  Cover art by Nadica Boskovska

  Layout and cover design by Everything Indie

  http://www.everything-indie.com

  Author’s Note

  As the saying goes, it takes a village … well, I had my own little village to help me create the final product of a long-held dream. Thank you, Nick, of Everything Indie, for your detailed editing, formatting, a beautiful cover design – and for your infinite patience. A special thank you to Nadica, for the stunning art that graces my cover. It is such a joy and a pleasure to work with you. To my readers, Theresa McClinton, Jessica Nicholls, and Tamara Ward – my most sincere thanks for all of your help and support. I never could have done it as well without all of you.

  About the Author

  Cate Dean has been writing since she could hold a pen in her hand and put more than two words together on paper. She grew up losing herself in the wilds of fantasy worlds, and has had some of her own adventures while tromping through the UK, and a few other parts of the world. A lover of all things supernatural, she infuses that love into her stories, giving them a unique edge. When she’s not writing, she loves cooking, scaring herself silly in the local cemeteries, and reading pretty much anything she can get her hands on.

  If you enjoyed this book, I would be grateful if you took a minute or two and posted a review on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Goodreads. Your comments mean so much to me, and would be helpful to others searching for just the right book. Maybe, for them, this book will be the right one.

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