by Marcus Brown
“Thank you,” she said again. “I had a feeling that would be my only course of action and with a bit of luck, Bridget will do as I ask without me having to force her. Abigail has already left to secure the tools required for the spell. Now, show it to me.”
The ink vanished into the vellum and the pages turned furiously.
It settled on a blank page and Tabitha once again dropped ink onto the page.
The book began to form the words;
I warn you, Tabitha Crockworthy.
Perform dark magic and a part of your soul will cross into darkness.
It can never be undone.
Are you truly prepared to sacrifice a part of yourself to save your sisters?
“I’d give my own life to save my sisters. Now, show me,” she ordered.
The words dissolved into a pool and she watched with baited breath and they began to re-form.
Crawl into Jeremiah’s mind.
Burrow deeply.
Summon Bridget Bishop.
And smile sweetly.
“This isn’t going to be as easy as I thought.”
Tabitha closed the book and waved her hands as the flames of the candles died.
She stepped into the corridor and blinked, finding herself back in the kitchen, surprised to see her mother standing patiently waiting.
“Have you consulted with the book?” Abigail asked.
“Yes, and you’re not going to like what it revealed.”
“There is a box filled with tarantulas on that bench over there. I am already displeased by their presence, so get a move on and tell me.”
Tabitha pulled a chair from under the table and invited her mother to take a seat. She told Abigail all that she knew.
“Jeremiah has Bridget’s Grimoire. I don’t believe it. How could she have let it fall into Cotton Mather’s hands?”
“The details don’t matter right now, but we have to get it away from him and save Tammy and Tally at the same time. He can’t be allowed to unlock its secrets.”
“How many people has Jeremiah murdered up to now?”
“Why?” Tabitha asked.
“Don’t question me.”
Tabitha counted how many bodies they’d recovered so far. “Ten that we know of, including Tony Marshall. Tell me what you’re thinking.”
“Three more murders and the book will recognise him as its master.”
“You’ve lost me, Mother.”
“There is a lot you don’t know about our magic. Every Grimoire has a conscience, a will, a mind of its own, but it is always under the control of its mistress or master and the only way to break that control is to offer the blood of thirteen people. Once it has the blood, it will align itself to anybody that recites the spell.”
“So, you’re telling me that Jeremiah Blackwell, a human, will be recognised as the master of Bridget Bishop’s Grimoire?”
“Exactly, and as we’ve discussed, the more magic he uses, the sicker he will become, and at the hands of a madman, the book will allow him to cause untold damage. His actions could expose our kind to the whole world.”
“If he kills Tally, Tammy and myself, there is the thirteen he needs, and if he kills us, he can take our powers too, and melded with his own, he would be unstoppable.”
Chapter Twenty-one
Trey picked up his desk phone.
Nathan Rigby spoke to him, concerned that Tabitha had called off the guards at the house.
“Can’t you have her followed, without her knowledge? You know what she’s like when she gets a bee in her bonnet.”
“She’ll roast my balls for breakfast if she finds out,” Rigby replied.
“Then go to her boss and okay it with him. As fond as I am of Tabitha, there’s no way she is thinking straight right now.”
“Agreed, but this nut job has targeted her and it’s only a matter of time before he shows himself. I would rather be ready when that time comes.”
“Then go to the super and appeal to his better nature. I’m sure you can be very persuasive when you need to be, Rigby.”
“I’ll go and have a quiet word in his ear now.”
“Call me and let me know what he decides,” Trey said.
“Gotcha, and Dembélé, remember,” he said, “this is purely need to know.”
Trey hung up the phone.
He was worried.
This wouldn’t end well, he was certain of it.
*
“Are you ready?” Abigail asked, walking from the sitting room to the hallway, desperate to get on with the spell.
Tabitha stared at her mother. She’d put the witch’s hat and cloak on. “Not until you take that ridiculous outfit off.
“I’m just getting into the part,” she replied, teasing her daughter.
“Take it off,” Tabitha demanded.
“You’re old before your time,” Abigail responded, ripping the hat from her head and throwing it down onto the floor. She untied the cloak and it drifted down to the floor. “That’s your trouble. You need to be more carefree, like Talia.”
“There’s a difference between carefree and downright irresponsible. And, in case you’ve forgotten, we don’t grow old.”
“We don’t have time to debate the issue, now, are you ready?”
“Yes, now get into the circle.”
Tabitha had set a circle of candles in the middle of the marble floor. They were unlit.
A medium sized table had been moved into the hallway. Upon it, there was a box containing the tarantulas and to the left of that a small cage that housed a wild rabbit.
“Do you know what you have to do?” Abigail asked.
“Yes, I need to call the spirit of Bridget Bishop. All being well, she will lead us to where the Grimoire is.”
“Good, now once Bridget has answered your summons, we need to make an offering to the Goddess. You can take care of the rabbit and I’ll deal with the spiders.” Abigail shuddered at the thought of them.
“No, you’re to stay out of this,” Tabitha ordered.
“And if the Goddess rejects your offering, she’ll strike you down where you stand and who will find your sisters then?”
Tabitha seemed to consider her words and replied. There was a part of her mother that still cared. “Okay, but no funny business, or you’ll go back to the cellar, and I’ll never let you out.”
“Be done with your threats and get on with it,” Abigail replied, angrily,
Tabitha waved her hand over the candles. “Blessed be,” she said as they came to life.
“Pass me the box,” Abigail reminded her.
Tabitha passed her the box, then opened the cage, lifting the struggling rabbit by its ears.
“I call upon the spirit of Bridget Bishop. Hear my call.”
The lights in the hallway began to flicker, the chandelier began to swing.
“That’s it, carry on,” Abigail urged. “It’s working.”
“Cross the great divide and come to me, Bridget Bishop. A sister Witch calls you forth in her hour of need.”
The front door burst open and a wind howled around the hallway, the flames of the candles extinguished.
The chandelier swung violently, casting light to the four corners of the hallway.
“Call her again, Tabitha, she hears you.”
Tabitha waved her hand again and the candles flickered back to life.
“Bridget Bishop, I summon thee.”
Abigail gasped. “Now, Tabitha,” she cried.
A shadowy figure appeared within the circle of candles as Tabitha picked up the blade from the table and drove it deep into the rabbit’s heart. It let out a squeal then hung limp in her hand.
“Accept my offering, Goddess, and allow Bridget Bishop to come to me,” Tabitha called.
An otherworldly voice echoed around the hallway.
“I hear you, Tabitha Crockworthy. How dare you call me from the other side?” the voice howled.
Bridget Bishop appeared within the circle of
candles and pointed accusingly at Abigail.
“I apologise wholeheartedly, but the situation is dire and we need your help,” Tabitha explained.
“I will not help those without a soul.” She said, still pointing toward Abigail. “The Goddess forbids it.”
*
Abigail stepped forward. “Then I’ll force you to help.” She couldn’t believe she was about to do it, but placed her shaking hand inside the box and pulled a tarantula from within.
“You must not do this,” Bridget warned. “There will be consequences.”
“You will do my bidding,” Abigail said, determinedly, as she began to chant under her breath.
“I won’t be bound to you, or any other here,” Bridget declared as Abigail continued to chant.
Abigail glared at the woman before – her eyes full of hatred. “We’ll see about that, you miserable old crone,” Abigail said, as she opened her mouth wide and forced the wriggling tarantula in. She closed her mouth and with her teeth, crunched through its body and with one gulp, she swallowed, feeling its hairs tickle the back of her throat as it made its way into the depths of her stomach.
*
Nathan Rigby got the all clear from the Chief Superintendent.
He was to keep watch over Tabitha and make sure no harm came to her. If she had any objections, she was to call her boss direct.
“She isn’t gonna like this, Nathan,” Detective Libby Sandison warned.
“Tough shit,” he replied. “The boss’ orders supersede any the dragon lady issues, so she can take it up with him. Our job is to make sure Worthy stays safe. She’ll thank us in the end.”
“Whatever you say,” she said, turning into the long driveway that led to Moonlight Manor.
Chapter Twenty-two
Bridget Bridget glowered at Abigail.
“The Goddess will not forget this, Abigail Crockworthy, and when the time comes, you’ll answer for your crimes here.”
“I’ll deal with her another time, now step out of the circle. You’re going to help us find your Grimoire.”
Bridget stepped out from the circle of candles, her form fully realised.
Tabitha stepped forward. “Please forgive us. We had no other choice.”
“It is not you that will need forgiveness, child.” She turned to face Abigail. “Your mother on the other hand…”
“Save your warnings, crone,” Abigail interrupted, “we have much work to do.”
Tabitha stepped toward Bridget. “We need your help locating the Bishop Grimoire. Cotton Mather took it upon your death and passed it to Jeremiah Blackwell. That’s how he managed to cross time…”
Bridget looked shocked and interrupted “A human has my Grimoire?”
“Yes, and he’s used it to do unspeakable things. I believe he’s using whatever power he has to try and steal the Crockworthy Grimoire in the hope of returning to 1692. With the combined power, he will be unstoppable.”
“Can you lead us to your book?” Abigail asked. “Or not?”
“Not without a portal,” Bridget said.
“That I can help you with,” Tabitha replied. “Follow me.”
She led the way down the corridor toward the kitchen and before reaching the threshold stopped and pulled the light fitting downwards and watched as the panel slid to the left.
“Aha, so there it is,” Abigail said, smiling.
“Yes, Mother, but it will be sealed upon our return and a new access point created. You won’t get past here to try and steal the book.”
Bridget looked at Abigail with a disgusted expression.
Tabitha clicked her fingers and a torch appeared in her hand. She turned it on and directed the beam at the stone steps. “Follow me and be careful.”
“Where does this take us,” Bridget asked.
“To a room that will take us anywhere we need to go,” Abigail replied.
*
Nathan Rigby knocked on the front door, but there was no answer.
“She’s definitely here. Her car’s here.”
“Knock again,” Sandison urged.
He banged on the door again. Still no answer.
Sandison stepped away from the front door and stood on her tiptoes, peeping into the hallway.
“Erm, Nath, you’re gonna want to see this.” She stepped away from the window.
He didn’t need to stand on his toes to see what was inside the hallway.
“What the fuck?” he said. “We need to get in there now.”
He rushed back to the front door and with an almighty heave with his shoulder, the door burst open.
Sandison shuddered and gagged upon close inspection of the dead rabbit.
Nathan opened the lid of the box sat on the table and jumped back, dropping the box. “Aaaarggghh,” he yelled. “Fucking Tarantulas.” He stepped back as they slowly began to climb out from the box.
“What’s going on here?” Sandison asked, moving away. “You don’t think the killer has her, do you?”
“I haven’t got a clue, but I’m gonna find out,” he replied. “I’ll have a quick look around down here, then call it in. Agreed?”
“Go for it,” she replied.
Nathan looked in the sitting room with Sandison following close behind, but could see no sign of Tabitha. “Let’s have a look down here.” He led the way down the corridor toward the kitchen and stopped in his tracks. “What’s this?” he said, noticing the gap in between the wooden panels.
“Looks like a false wall to me,” Sandison answered.
He felt around the panel with his hand, then pushed gently. The panel moved further back and slid to the left.
“This is getting freaky, Nathan. We need to call this in, now.”
“You do it if you want, but I’d rather make sure the boss is okay first.”
“It looks pretty dark down there,” Sandison said, peering in.
“You’ve got your mobile haven’t you. There’ll be a torch on it somewhere. You back me up and I’ll lead the way.”
Rigby pulled his own phone from his pocket and turned the torch on. The light shone against the stone walls as he descended the steps, Sandison following close behind.
“I don’t like this at all,” she said.
“Me neither, but we need to make sure Worthy is safe.”
They descended the stone steps and found themselves in a dimly lit corridor.
“Look, down there,” Sandison said, pointing her torch, “that door on the right is open.”
Chapter Twenty-three
They were stood inside the dark room.
“I can sense my Grimoire,” Bridget Bishop declared.
“Then focus on it and the room will take us where we want to go,” Abigail replied.
“Hurry, please,” Tabitha begged. “I need to know my sisters are safe.”
“Take my hand,” Bridget ordered, “both of you.”
She held out both hands and Tabitha took hold. Reluctantly, Abigail reached for the other hand.
No sooner had her fingers wrapped around Bridget’s they vanished with a whoosh and seconds later found themselves in another room.
“Silence,” Bridget ordered. “It is close, I can feel it.”
Abigail and Tabitha looked at one another and nodded.
“What do we do now?” Tabitha whispered.
“We have the element of surprise,” Abigail answered. “Bridget no longer has active powers and what little power I have will not be enough to hold Jeremiah back. I’m afraid, as the strongest, this falls to you, Tabitha.”
“Bridget, can you lead us to the book?” Tabitha asked.
“I believe I can, but I will only do so if you swear to the Goddess it is returned to me.”
“We agree,” Tabitha said, “don’t we, Mother.”
“If you say so,” Abigail responded. “Although, it’s of no use where she’s going back to.”
“I will take it where no other can use it to cause harm,” Bridget said bitingly.
&
nbsp; “And how will you deal with Jeremiah?” Abigail asked.
“I’ll use a binding spell to hold his powers at bay until we get the book, then we can open a portal and send him back to 1692. He’ll return with no powers whatsoever and then Cotton Mather can deal with him.”
An eerie whispering sound caught their attention.
“What’s that noise?” Tabitha asked.
“The book,” Bridget responded. “It can sense I am near and calls for me. Quickly, we must act before Jeremiah is aware of our presence.”
Bridget led the way out of the dark room and down a long brick walled corridor.
“By the Goddess, I know where we are,” Tabitha declared.
“Do you feel your sisters?” Abigail asked.
“Not yet. What about you?” Tabitha replied.
“Your sisters are in the room at the end of this corridor,” Bridget interjected. “I can sense them – the Goddess guides me.”
“Thank the Goddess,” Tabitha replied.
They reached the door at the end of the corridor.
Tabitha unlocked it and pushed it open.
*
Tamara and Talia twisted round, their faces beaming with joy.
“Oh, Tabi. I knew you’d find us,” Talia cried, leaping into her sister’s arms, closely followed by Tamara.
The chains restricted their movements, but with one click of Tabitha’s fingers, they magically unfastened and dropped to the floor.
“I had some help,” Tabitha replied sheepishly, clutching at her sisters.
“Hello again, Daughters,” Abigail said, stepping into the room. “Did you miss me?”
Talia jumped back, a look of shock etched across her pretty face. “Tell me this is some sort of sick joke,” she said.
Tamara stood open mouthed.
“It’s no joke. I helped your sister find you both,” Abigail replied.
“And we need to act fast if we wish to retrieve the book,” Bridget said, stepping into the room and making herself known.
“Bridget Bishop,” Tamara gasped. “How?”
