by Alison Smith
The stones of the circle stood tall and proud. They had witnessed the cosmic dance of the sun, the moon and the planets for thousands of years. It was a place where people had stood in awe and celebrated. Today they had looked on as Diana’s coven erected a small dome by weaving willow branches and covering it with white fabric kept especially for this purpose. A fire was built and water used to produce the steamy atmosphere required for the sweat lodge. The stones had kept watch over all of the preparations for tonight’s ritual.
Jewel emerged from the dome. The rain had soaked her thoroughly and then the sweat lodge had lent a different type of cleansing. She felt a familiar sense of purity course through her body and carefully poured cold water out of the carrier, placed next to the dome, into a small bowl. Quickly washing and drying her body Jewel felt warmer and glanced over towards the circle. She paused for a moment as the majestic splendour of the stones distracted her thoughts. Kings and Queens of nature, silhouetted by the navy sky.
‘Jewel, we need to start.’ Diana’s voice commanded.
As Jewel walked towards the group she realised that the storm surrounded them and yet not a drop of rain fell within the stone circle. Why, she wondered had Diana been so insistent that they have a full ritual for the new moon and not just the usual shorter celebration. Diana had read their tarot cards last night and foretold that it was necessary and inexorably linked to her, to Jewel. However neither had been able to interpret the last of the cards.
‘The eight of swords,’ Diana had worn a frown of concentration as she tried to make sense of it ‘vision blocked,’ she continued ‘it just makes no sense at all given the rest of the spread.’
‘Maybe I should forget about ritual this time?’ Jewel had asked her housemate. ‘I’m wiped out if honest. Really tired. Would it be wiser to stay away?’
Diana had looked intently at her for a long minute before answering.
‘I have no explanation but you must be there tomorrow night. Working in the casino four nights every week plus your day job is draining your energy but I sense it’s more than that, Jewel.’
‘None of it’s difficult work Diana. And if I can make a success of the ironing business I won’t need to do so many nights at the casino. Though I do love walking home in the small hours.’
‘There’s a chill inside of me,’ Diana had continued almost as if Jewel hadn’t spoken. ‘I feel that you are being made to feel too tired for ritual. As if it’s a test. Perhaps to gauge how strongly you hold your beliefs. There’s something more going on here. I know that everything is about to change. You are needed. It’s more than an initiation. I think your powers are going to expand – I’ve always said you had the potential to be so much more powerful than me. Let us help you as much as we can. We’ll work on a protection chant for tomorrow.’
Jewel joined the others as they stood inside the stone circle, hand in hand, around a small fire. A circle within a circle. She was thankful to be close enough to feel the heat of the glowing embers. Being naked in the night air always made her skin tingle. Even now, after years of attending Diana’s lunar rites, she wasn’t entirely comfortable with it.
Glancing around she noticed, for the first time, that they really were all there. Even Katryn, who had said it was unlikely she would manage it as her engagement party was only two nights away. But she, and everyone, had come. That was so unusual for a new moon meeting. All thirteen were essential for the full moon but at the new?
Jewel stood at the northern part of the circle. She was responsible for calling the element of earth and felt the familiar connection through her body and feet to the very core of the earth itself.
Diana summoned the circle and the elements were called.
The stones were protecting them and she could feel their steadfastness and something else. Something more potent. There was both a familiarity and strangeness.
Diana stood at the South. Jewel watched as Diana raised her hands and faced her palms in to the centre of the circle. White sparks emanated from Diana and hovered within the circle. Jewel sensed powerful energies. This was the strongest circle she had ever known.
Chris, Diana’s fiancé and the only male present, started drumming. The sound echoed through the air and Jewel felt disconnected from her body. She had begun to go into trance. With no hesitation she closed her eyes and let herself fall into the timeless space, surrounded by the safety and love of the coven.
Her mind took her into the empty cocoon in which she usually started her meditations. Only vaguely could she still hear the coven. Instead she recalled a moment from the previous evening. After Diana had finished the tarot reading but before getting ready for bed. She had gone outside by herself and stood in the small back yard to gaze at the night sky. The air was caressingly chill as she clasped her hands together. She could hear Chris drumming in the distance.
‘Allow the vision to take you, Jewel.’ It was a soft voice but one which she had heard before and instinctively trusted.
Images slowly took shape and, whilst she could see the kitchen light shining through the half closed back door and throwing odd shadows all around. Jewel concentrated all of her focus on the sky. The new moon would begin a cycle to include her birthday at the following full moon.
‘I’ve saluted you, Moon Goddess, for so many years,’ Jewel said aloud. ‘I am mindful of the messages showing that the full moon coinciding with my twenty-eighth birthday would bring great changes. That is in two weeks time.’ She stopped and shook slightly. Of course the Moon Goddess would know the timings of the moon. Moist air tingled against her skin. A silver staircase appeared and, unhesitatingly, she walked towards it and began the ascent. Counting each step as she climbed and the seventy-second stair opened into a large room. The room glimmered as if crystal and Jewel slowly turned around. It was breathtakingly beautiful and Jewel knew that being here and seeing this was a gift. A spectacular gift. But for what? Two walls were of the deepest red ruby and two were the purest quartz crystal.
And then she heard a low murmur.
It was so quiet that she had needed to strain to hear.
‘Jewel.’
And then another, ‘Jewel.’
A chorus of whispers carried by the night air. Other words were uttered and Jewel struggled to catch them so ethereal were the sounds. She felt at peace even as she realised that, somehow, she was bound with white bandages. Her eyes were covered but only loosely.
One sounded stronger than the others. ‘Jewel. It is time to meet with your destiny.’
At last. Would this be her time to meet the perfect man? Her true love?
‘No Jewel.’ A loud strong male voice uttered the words and her spine tingled. ‘You are the One that destiny awaits. You must face the biggest battle as destined alone.’
Jewel bowed her head in reverence and knew the end of the vision had been reached. She turned and slowly descended the stairs. As she pushed open her back door to go back into the kitchen she paused and glanced back over her shoulder. A black dog stood in the exact position that she just vacated. The place where she had had her vision. But it seemed the most natural thing in the world. ‘Let the ritual begin.’ She murmured.
With a jolt she came back to consciousness and realised that she was kneeling on the ground. ‘Let the ritual begin,’ she repeated softly. Could she remember much else? A dog. And crystal red and white. King and Queen. What does it all mean? She must hold onto the fleeting thoughts.
Looking up she saw everyone surrounding her. All of them with hands held in position to cocoon her with healing warmth. Had something else happened other than her trance? Then she knew, with a sudden blinding clarity, that something awful had happened somewhere tonight. Grief overwhelmed her and tears rose from deep inside. She put her face into her hands and wept. Nothing would ever be the same again. She knew that now.
Dimly she heard Diana’s voice and a strong handclap quickly closed the circle. A jumper was put over her shoulders and she struggled to make sense of
her arms and the sleeves. Glancing down, her jeans and panties were next to her and she shakily stood to dress.
Diana helped her and then took hold of Jewel’s hand.
‘Do you remember anything?’ she asked.
Jewel shook her head as she tried to make sense of a few fragments that lingered, splintered, in her mind. ‘Not much.’
‘It was quite a display,’ Diana continued ‘not only our family and friends from spirit but orbs of all colours. And a warning. You must go to your destiny.’
The words brought an instant memory to Jewel. ‘I know what a part of the eight of swords means, Diana,’ she shakily said, ‘I have the blindfold on and, to take it off, I shall have to go back to the beginning. Back to a life I’ve left behind. What does it all mean? Do I have to find my birth mother? My parents have never told me anything about her.’
Diana squeezed Jewel’s hand and then turned as Chris came over to them.
‘Take Jewel home and we’ll tidy up here. I’ll follow on, one of the others will give me a lift,’ he said.
‘Something dreadful has happened tonight.’ Jewel said quietly as they moved away from the others, ‘something violent.’
‘I saw much death,’ Diana replied and Jewel felt her shiver.
Anton wearily put down the papers he was holding to look at Sable standing in front of his desk. He must be either tired or had too much brandy, he thought, not to have heard her enter the study.
‘There’s been another killing, Anton, a young man. I heard his scream and saw his terror.’
Anton stood up and walked around the desk to Sable. Drawing her to him he tried to think of words of comfort.
‘There must be a reason why you see what’s happening, it must be a part of your path.’
‘Anton, Monique is killing now at new moons as well as full. She is actively encouraging the old ways. We’ve come so far. Our Line only take a few drops every so often. But how long before others start killing again too? Then the darkness will certainly have returned.’
‘I’ve made the plans; they’re ready. You, too, must be ready Sable. Jewel has the capacity to understand but it will still come as a shock. She is used to more earthly based magic but not anything of the like she will see here. We will have to be gentle with her.’
‘Anton. We don’t have the time. I sense that we won’t have as much time with her as we would wish.’ Sable moved away. ‘She is needed. Jewel is my half-sister and I’ll take as much care as I can of her but Mother cannot be allowed to continue these atrocities. How long before humans make sense of it? How long before they become scared and start to hunt us down? How…’
Anton touched her shoulder and surrounded her with calm. She breathed deeply a few times.
‘Thank you. The visions are as real as when I could see.’
Anton looked at her for a few moments as he thought. ‘You called Monique your mother. You haven’t done that in decades. Is she sending you these visions?’
Sable looked shocked but then understanding dawned in her features. ‘I don’t think she’s intentionally sending them to me but it may well be that, when she’s in ritual, her openness to other realms … maybe we meet,’ her voice trailed as she thought of other implications. ‘Do you think Jewel has the same visions?’
‘The visions only started after you lost your sight’ Anton said to reassure her. But long after she had left the room, he wondered.
Chapter 2
Jewel screamed silently. Her limbs were bound and she couldn’t move. A blindfold covered her eyes. She was terrified. Suddenly the thick material was torn from her eyes and she was momentarily blinded by light. Briefly she registered a sharp pain where the cloth, pulled so violently, had grazed an ear. All she could hear was the ticking of a clock - a grandfather clock - and then her vision was blocked by the vague impression of a woman’s face.
Jewel felt her life slowly being drawn out of her body. Ebbing away. The woman’s face became clearer. She was strikingly beautiful. But why would she have such an expression of delight at causing pain? Why was she smiling? This woman with blood red lips. Something silver glinted.
Jewel knew that she should recognise this woman, but couldn’t. She had no recollection of where they had met before but was absolutely sure that they had. Then the whole tableau appeared to freeze and Jewel breathed as if it were the first breath in hours.
A man appeared behind the woman. Tall and with long flowing black hair, Jewel tried to make out his features but they were blurred. She had no strength to focus. He raised a long, broad sword and the woman turned towards him.
‘Anton’ the woman said as the sword started to plunge towards her.
Jewel screamed again and this time the sound left her constricted throat. It brought wakefulness. But she couldn’t open her eyes. Every muscle of her body ached as if she had run a marathon. She became aware of her own, familiar bed and its softness. Her eyes remained closed.
‘It’s alright, Jewel, you’re safe now.’
Jewel turned her head towards Diana’s voice.
‘You’re OK. It’s just a dream. Open your eyes.’
Jewel slowly opened her eyes as Diana sat on the edge of the bed. Jewel carefully sat up and Diana reached out to hold her hand. She looked worried.
‘That was a worse nightmare than ever, Di, awful,’ Jewel managed.
Chris appeared at her bedroom door, hesitating on the threshold. ‘Are you OK?’ he asked.
‘It’s that bad dream again.’ Diana answered.
‘It’s time I was up and about anyway. I’ve loads to do today but first things first and I’ll put the kettle on.’ With that he was gone, thundering down the stairs.
‘This recurring nightmare worries me.’ Diana said with an expression of concern as she continued to hold Jewel’s hand. ‘I am sure that we are either missing true meanings of messages or misinterpreting them. That’s the only reason why a dream would repeat in this way.’
‘And why now?’ Jewel asked. ‘I slept so soundly after Thursday’s ritual. We had a good evening last night, Chris’s steak tartare was magnificent, and now this.’
‘Hmm,’ Diana appeared deep in thought for a few moments before answering, ‘how much wine did you have last night?’
‘Only a couple of glasses, I think, but it was a strong red. How could that …?’ she frowned. ‘There was a name this time, Anton. Do we know an Anton? I wonder if I’ve met him through work. The casino attracts all sorts of people. And he was tall and handsome. Rich looking. Just the type Mr Tu would encourage. But I don’t remember.’
Diana patted her hand as if she had all of the answers. ‘The wine. Neptune’s influence,’ she said, ‘probably opened you too quickly into other dimensions. As for the name, well it doesn’t mean anything to me. Maybe it’s someone from television? We tend to follow different programmes. Maybe he stars in those odd old movies you watch when you get in from work. He could be a foreign actor?’
Jewel thought briefly about her friend’s astrological approach. ‘I don’t know about it being Neptune’s influence. It was more like the dark side of Pluto.’
Diana smiled, released Jewel’s hand and started to smooth the bed covers. ‘Well – whatever - we’re all awake now and Chris has to go back to his own place this morning. He hasn’t been back there for days and wants to pick up his post. Why don’t you and I have a pampering day? It’s Katryn’s engagement party tonight and it would be nice to look really good for it.’
‘I still can’t believe she’s going to marry my brother.’ Jewel’s mind was diverted as she thought of Katryn, a sister within the coven, marrying Bradley. The Tapper family had adopted Jewel and given her parents and two brothers. ‘It still seems weird though. Katryn and Bradley. He seems so much older than her. I could understand it if she had fallen for William. He’s much nearer our ages and with his affinity to trees …’ Her voice trailed. ‘But Bradley? I mean he’s a financial advisor for goodness sake. Not that there’s anything wro
ng with that but he’s never without a copy of the business sections of every newspaper and always talking about making money. I’m sure Katryn spends more time working voluntarily as a hairdresser than actually earning money at it. They just seem so different.’
‘Stylist. Remember since she’s been with Bradley we have to refer to her as a hair stylist. It’ll probably be hair consultant before long.’ Diana had emphasised the word consultant and they both grinned at each other before she continued. ‘They’ve made their choices and we’ll celebrate for them tonight. Don’t forget how pleased your parents are, I bet they’re already planning for the grandchildren. I think you should wear your red velvet dress tonight and I’ll wear my blue. It’s so rare for you to have a Saturday night off and Chris and I haven’t been out for ages, saving money is such a headache. And we still haven’t enough for a house deposit. We deserve a bit of a treat tonight.’
Jewel reached forward to hug her friend. ‘Bradley, William and I were so lucky to have been left that money. It meant that William and I had the deposit for this house although it still needs a lot of work. Having you here helps us with the mortgage and keeps me from being lonely. William’s never here. I’ll really miss you when you do move out.’
‘Well it won’t be for a while at this rate,’ Diana said heavily.
‘You never know what’s around the corner.’ Jewel said. ‘Maybe you’ve an old aunt that you never heard of?’
‘I doubt that very much.’ And, with that, Diana left the room.
Jewel got out of bed and slowly walked into the bathroom. After splashing her face with cold water, she stood and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Green eyes gazed back at her and, just for a moment, they seemed to hold a tawny spark. Her own eyes but with an amber depth, changing shape, widening, lengthening. Jewel blinked and the image was gone. She picked up a pot of moisturiser and quickly massaged the cream over her face without looking into the mirror again.
Going back into her bedroom she found herself looking around, assessing it. Rather than a pampering day she would clean, maybe a tidy room would lead to a tidy mind. Perhaps she would go to the gym as well, she hadn’t worked out for days.
