We were on a quest to find the Lightning Willow, the tree Mother had cut her wand from, the tree that would save us all.
There wasn’t much time.
Mother grew paler and thinner every day. Her ramblings were almost incoherent and Merry reported that she was frequently wetting the bed. The doctor that came to check on her said that, aside from a few drugs for pain, there was nothing that could be done for her.
Leo, too, had changed. Though his comprehension of the world around him increased, he slept more, up to sixteen hours a day, roused occasionally by nightmares of a bad man waiting for him in a dark hole. He may have been a slime ball in his former life, but there was an innocence to him now, and my resolve to “fix” him grew stronger by the day.
A few waves from a life-giving wand, I reasoned, and he’d be healthy and whole again.
We only needed to find the tree.
Larinda knew where it was. She had admitted to putting a spell on it, ensuring that it remained hidden until she was allowed inside Dark Root. I had tried to call her using every summoning spell in Mother’s book, but to no avail.
So we went out on our own, knowing the futility in trying to find an invisible tree, but hoping that we’d stumble upon it anyway. All I had to go on was the image that had appeared in her crystal ball. The willow stood before a flowing current of water, though I couldn’t tell if it was a stream or a river. There were so many channels of water in and around Dark Root that it seemed an impossible task and I wasn’t sure where to start.
“Think we should call it a day?” I asked Leo as the sun dipped behind the trees.
He enjoyed these outings, listening to birds, digging for bugs with sticks in the mud, and collecting pine cones and leaves. He thrust his bottom lip out at my question.
“Oh, all right. Five minutes more,” I said.
He smiled and immediately set to tossing leaves into the air and running beneath his autumn parachute.
“…And if you don’t fight me when it’s time to go, I’ve got some gummy bears in my bag.” I had learned that bribery was the fastest way to get him into the car.
“Oh-kay.” He blew on a handful of dandelions, watching the tiny white hairs swirl into the wind. “Pretty!”
When every wisp had floated away, we turned back towards where we had parked. Just then, a flurry of black movement caught our eye.
“Birdies!”
Leo pointed to a flock of black birds that rose up from the ground, cawing and flapping wildly as they followed the curve of the river deeper into the woods. Leo sprang forward, giving chase. “Birdies!” he repeated, arms opened wide as he chased after them.
“Leo! Wait!”
I ran after him but he was quicker. He leapt over branches and tangles of plants as I tripped behind him, my own breath labored by my pregnancy.
“Please, wait for me!”
The birds flew to the other side of the river and disappeared.
Leo continued after them, stumbling through the water as he tried to keep his balance. The birds reappeared, shooting up from the trees. Leo hobbled on, his hands clawing for the sky as if he could pluck a bird out of mid-air.
“Leo!” I hollered, falling further behind.
He was waist deep now, his lips trembling and body shivering. I pushed on, breathing heavier with each step. The current caught him, careening him against rocks as he was pulled downstream. He let out squeals of pain as he tumbled along.
He went under, then emerged, his blond hair plastered to his face. I caught up and ran alongside him, begging him to grab on to one of the many branches extending from the riverbank.
The currents grew stronger. Leo struggled to stay afloat, bobbing up and down as he flailed his arms and called out, “Magg-eee!”
He couldn’t swim. Perhaps he could in his former life, but he couldn’t now. I watched helplessly as he was tossed along like a rag doll. He lengthened his arms towards me.
“Help Leo. Please.”
“I'm coming, Leo.” I pumped my arms with new resolve. “Grab that tree!” I yelled, pointing to a low branch in front of him. “I’m almost there.”
He caught the branch with one hand, as the rest of his body jounced over the water. The river was stronger than his grip, ripping him from the tree. He launched forward, crashing into another large rock. He wrapped his arms around the rock and met my eyes.
“That’s it,” I said. “Hang on.”
I dipped my finger into the river and felt its chill; It was cold enough to stop a heart.
“Magg-eee,” Leo whimpered, his eyelids fluttering close. “It hurts.”
I checked the ground. There were a thousand sticks but none of them were long enough to use. I pulled on tree limbs, but the rain had made them too soft and pliable to be broken off with my bare hands.
Without thinking, these words tumbled from my lips.
Rushing river, icy winds
Release my friend, I do implore
Who lay broken, beaten, crying
Hovering near death’s dark door
Guide me towards the item true
That will help me save this man
I invoke the powers through
The Magick of Dark Root.
Amen.
I aimed my hands in the direction of a large branch that hung over Leo’s head. Using every ounce of energy I could gather, I mentally pushed it down towards him. It was a slow lumbering journey, the branching fighting against me, but eventually it dipped within reaching distance.
“Get it, Leo!”
Leo hooked it with one hand, then the other. When he was anchored, I slowly reeled the branch back. Leo’s feet skimmed the river until he was safely lifted up and back onto the bank.
He released the branch and I released the spell, sending it shooting back into place.
Leo lunged at me, his arms outstretched and a goofy grin on his face, practically knocking me over as he hugged me.
“Leo, you scared me so much! I thought something bad was going to happen to you.” I swallowed the lump in my throat as his wet arms enfolded me. “Don’t ever scare me like that again, okay?”
He squeezed me tighter. “Okay.” Then he let go of me and took a step back, his almond eyes widening. “I love you, Magg-eee.”
My eyebrows softened. I brushed a lock of his wet hair from his face. There was a truth in his eyes, a truth that told me he wasn’t as simple as he appeared. I took a deep breath.
“I love you too, Leo.”
From the other side of the river, the flock of birds ascended once again into the skies, then plunged into the water like an arrow.
What emerged was not a bird.
Leo’s eyes widened. “Who?” he asked, pointing.
“Larinda.”
“Maggie,” the woman said, rolling over the water towards us. Her thin red lips twisted into a knowing smile. “You called?”
Twenty-Three
HEART SHAPED BOX
One moment Leo and I were standing by the river, shuddering against the cold.
The next we were transported inside a cabin, where a warm fire greeted us. It was all illusion, but it was a damned good illusion.
Leo’s teeth stopped chattering and his clothes even began to dry.
“You’re braver than Leah gave you credit for,” Larinda said, the corners of her mouth twitching. Her eyes slid to the right, taking in her daughter who sat like a lifeless doll once again on a cot in the corner of the room.
“This isn’t the same cabin,” I said, ignoring her and taking in the surroundings. For all intents and purposes it looked the same, but lacked certain details. Leo sat beside me, playing with a bug that ran across the table.
“And you’re smarter, too.” Larinda nodded approvingly. “Have you ever considered switching teams?”
“Teams?”
“It’s a figure of speech, of course. We’re all on the same team.” She sat her mug on the wooden table between us and leaned in, proceeding in a near whisper
. “What I meant to say is that I’ve always wanted a daughter. A daughter that doesn’t disappoint me. Sasha was right to have children the way she did.”
Behind her, Leah flinched.
Larinda sat back, reclaiming her mug. “We are related in many ways.”
“Even if Leah and I share a father, that doesn't mean we are related.” I nearly spat. “I’ve got enough sisters already. Ones that aren't rats.”
I shot a glare at Leah but she continued to stare straight ahead. It was not the smug-faced weasel I knew from Woodhaven.
“Of course you do, darling. But that’s not what I meant. Your mother and I are cousins. That makes us family. And I can offer you things your mother never could.” She ran her finger in a slow circle around the rim of the mug, her lips slightly puckered and her eyes cast down into the liquid. With both hands, she slid the mug my way, an acidic odor wafting up my nose.
“Is this what you want?”
I peered into the cup, almost against my will. The liquid was clear but the foam on the top had taken shape, an outline of a willow tree. I lifted my eyes to see her smiling.
I pushed the mug back, rippling the surface and destroying the image.
“I'm the only one who knows the location of the tree. I offered you a deal once, which you weren't inclined to accept.”
“Your deal was garbage.” My anger flared and the embers in the fireplace popped.
“Is that the best you can do? Flaring fires and popping light bulbs? Her eyes shifted to Leo and narrowed. “No, Maggie. I think you are far more capable than you pretend. I have a feeling you are very capable.”
“You weren’t going to admit that Mother needs to die before Leah could have her wand,” I said. “Everyone says you’re a liar and they were right. But why?”
“You wouldn't remove the dome, had I been honest. Like you, I find that honesty is not always the best policy. Another thing we have in common.”
“Why didn’t you just tell Leah where the tree was? The spell doesn't stop her from coming into Dark Root. She could have waited around for Mother’s death, like the vulture she is. A situation that will soon be fixed.”
“Leah is far too stupid. She’s a piece of clay that can’t be molded into anything usable.”
Once again my eyes drifted unwillingly to Leah, who shifted her position and stared into her lap.
“I offer you another deal,” Larinda continued. “You forgo the ritual on the solstice and on the morning after, I will put your mother into a state of suspended animation. It will feign her death and void her deal with the tree. Leah cuts her own wand from the tree and we use it on your mother, and anyone else you choose.”
Her eyes flickered once again to Leo, sparkling knowingly.
“I’m sure you can find a few uses for a life-extending wand, don't you agree?”
“Counter offer. We don’t perform the ritual, you still put the suspended animation spell on my mother, and then you show me where the tree is. I cut my wand from the tree and use it on whoever you need. In return, you gain access to Dark Root for the year.” I cringed at these last words, thinking of Leah and Larinda moving freely about my town, but I could endure their presence if it meant helping Mother and Leo.
And, I could probably keep a better eye on them.
“Really, Maggie? I recant what I said about you being smart. What could I possibly want from Dark Root?”
“The magick in the soil. It will increase your powers.”
Larinda’s smile disappeared and her eyes widened in anger. She waved her hand and Leah disappeared, leaving only an empty cot. Standing, she snapped her fingers and the fire behind her died.
“I don’t know what you’ve heard, but someone has been filling your head with nonsense. I don’t need any of Dark Root’s precious magick. I have enough of my own.” She stormed towards the far window, her dark gown grazing the floor. “It’s not the soil that has power, Maggie, it’s the bloodline that runs through it. Generations of witches whose collective magic has made it all the more potent.”
She fixed her pale eyes on me. “But that can happen anywhere. And it is. You can stay and try to salvage something here, or you can join me. When the end comes, I will be the one prepared. Can you say the same for Sasha and Dora?”
“The end will only come if we give in to the Dark,” I said, flustered, trying to remember what I’d been taught. “We are the lights of the world.”
“Mumbo Jumbo. The end is coming, whether we prepare for it or not. It can only be delayed for a while. And, it’s coming sooner than you think. I suggest you take my offer so that when the Darkness does descend, you’ll have some assistance in keeping what you love alive.” She lifted her chin and softened her face.
“This is your last chance, Maggie. Take my offer. Everyone wins.”
“I will find the tree on my own,” I said, more confidently than I felt.
“Will you now? It seems to me you haven’t had much luck in that endeavor so far.” She put a finger to her lips. “Take my deal, Maggie. It’s your only chance. Let Leah collect her wand and use it on your mother. It will buy her another ten years, at least. You have my word. As a witch.”
Mother had always said that when someone gave their oath as a witch, it was binding.
To break that oath would be to sever the powers of the bloodline.
Larinda pressed. “At dawn on December 22nd, we will meet. I will place the spell on your mother, and then I will take Leah to the tree. We’re all winners this way, Maggie. Just like it should be with family.”
I explained Larinda’s proposal to my sisters over dinner at Sister House, while Leo and June Bug patrolled the front porch looking for roly-poly bugs.
Mother slept upstairs, not even rousing to eat.
“You can’t trust Larinda,” Eve said, slamming her empty wine glass onto the table as I concluded my story.
“She gave her oath as a witch,” Merry said, trying to squeeze the flaws out of the argument. “As far as I know, an oath like that can’t be broken. Not if she wants to keep her powers anyway. What do you think, Ruth Anne?”
We turned towards our eldest sister, who had been listening intently as she piled seconds of mashed potatoes on her plate.
“I’ve never heard of a loophole as far as the oath is concerned, but I’m still doubtful.”
I furrowed my brow. “Why?”
“Even if she upholds her oath, if we don’t perform the solstice ritual, she’ll still have the run of Dark Root for a year. With that wand and her power, she could create all manner of chaos. Maybe even negate all of the work that’s already been done here. I’m with Eve on this.”
Merry’s eyes widened. “Maybe she wants access to Dark Root to do something even more terrible to Mama while she’s under the sleeping spell! We can’t let that happen!”
I swallowed. They were right, of course. Larinda couldn’t be trusted, no matter what oath she took. “Okay, no deals with Larinda. We perform the solstice ritual to ensure they stay out.”
“You know,” Merry said thoughtfully, staring out the window at June Bug and Leo. “The wand was destroyed during the resurrection. Perhaps that voided the contract with the tree already?”
“Merry! You’re a genius!” I said, reaching over to hug her.
“I am?”
“We can probably take a wand from the Lightning Willow now. And if not, well…there’s always Plan B.”
Ruth Anne removed her glasses and squinted at me. “Not trying to be a Debbie Downer here, Mags, but have you considered that keeping Miss Sasha alive is cruel? The wand doesn’t turn back time, it just immobilizes it. She gets a few more years living in pain and confusion, then what?”
“Well, we don’t lose her.” I said.
The chandelier over our heads flickered at my words.
“I could use that time to get better at healing,” Merry offered. “And keep training June Bug. Maybe in a few years and we could erase the dementia and the pain.”
&nb
sp; “Maybe.” Ruth Anne returned the glasses to her face. “Or maybe she continues to sleep up there like Rapunzel for the next ten-to-twenty years.”
“Sleeping Beauty,” Eve corrected, then shrugged. “Sorry, wrong fairy tale.”
“We’ve got to try,” I said. “June Bug needs her grandmother and so does my baby.”
Three sets of sad eyes turned on me. I had said the “b” word––an admittance of a future I didn’t like to think about. But I couldn't deny it any longer.
I was having a baby and I wanted my mother to be a part of its life.
Ruth Anne patted my hand. “I know this is hard, Mags. Losing someone you love is always hard.”
“I’m going to find the Lightning Willow,” I said. “And if the tree won’t let me take the wand, we put the feign death spell on Mother ourselves and get it that way. Mother is going to live, with or without your support, Ruth Anne.”
Ruth Anne looked at me solemnly. “Maggie, you have my support. I’m just pointing out the facts. And here’s another. When the wand was destroyed, it may have weakened Miss Sasha, since she had absorbed some of its essence during its creation.”
“Do you think that’s why she’s gotten worse?” I asked, my voice cracking.
“I dunno. Maybe.”
“Then we have to find the tree now!”
“But how?” Eve asked. “Illusion magick is so powerful. She could have made the Lightning Willow completely invisible or made it look like something else altogether.”
Maybe Ruth Anne was right. Maybe things had run their natural course and we should just enjoy the last few weeks we had with our mother. That was the most logical thing to do, and the most honest.
Leo and June Bug burst through the door.
“This way, Leo,” June Bug said, leading him into the powder room.
“What’s wrong?” Merry asked.
“Ouchies.” Leo pointed to a large blue bruise near his wrist. Around the bruise, his skin seemed to peel away.
“I don’t know how he got it,” June Bug said. “It just started.”
But I knew. Mother’s time was short, but so was Leo’s.
The Magick of Dark Root (Daughters of Dark Root) Page 22
