The dark water swirled in the goblet, without the use of Helen's teacup spell. The swirling moved clockwise until Helen could see shapes appearing near the surface. She saw a house on the water, and a room, with women gathered. No one looked familiar to her but the image was hazy and hard to see, as if something pulled a veil over it. The cat continued hissing and growling from his perch on Diedre's chest.
Diedre gave a small moan and Helen tried not to lose her concentration. She was barely holding on to the image as it was. What were the women doing? They were gathered together, holding a wine glass that they were passing between them. A woman with dark hair spoke, but of course, Helen couldn't hear any words - only images came to the water. She couldn't make out their faces. There appeared to be five of them.
Helen saw out of the corner of her eye a quick motion before the cat pounced from the couch, knocking the goblet over and spilling water all over the hardwood floor. With a growl and a hiss, he circled back and hopped back over to Diedre.
"We close the circle with thanks and good intentions. We send forth our love and healing to our Sister, Diedre. So mote it be." Helen said, rising shakily from the floor. She had never had a familiar interfere with a circle - in fact, it was always quite the opposite. Whatever had cursed Diedre had also affected Jinx. Someone didn't want them meddling.
The four witches carefully snuffed out the candles and gathered the supplies back up, with Helen sopping up the spilled water from the floor. What had she seen? Five women, in a fancy house, with a view of the water, sipping from a single wine glass, filled with some dark, reddish-black liquid. All the other witches in the vision were obscured except the one with dark hair. She could sort of make out her face, if she ever saw it she might know it. But the vision was already fading.
"Helen, what did you see? What was that with Jinx?" Sage asked, pulling the coffee table back into place. She glanced briefly at her watch to monitor the time.
"I didn't see much. The view was obscured, blocked by some kind of veil. Someone doesn't want us poking around. Whatever the curse is, it is impacting Jinx as well. That is some deep magic - I have never heard of a familiar being cursed along with their witch. I'm going to have to do some reading to see what I can figure out. I did see five witches though, gathered in a room, near the water."
"Five witches? That doesn't tell us much. Most Covens have five or more members. That really could be any group." Frankie said as she sat down in a small armchair near the couch. She pulled out her phone.
"I hate to leave but I need to get back to the girls. Do you think Diedre will be alright?" Sage asked, picking up her purse from where she had left it near the sofa.
"I'm staying until her boyfriend comes over. I’m calling him now. Diedre gave me Darro's number when I needed some yard work last month." Frankie stopped scrolling through her contacts and held the phone up to her ear.
"Hi Darro, it is Frankie - Diedre's friend. Hi. Look, I'm at Diedre's and she isn't feeling well. Yes, the chicken soup, but we think she is a bit more sick than that. Any chance you can come over now and be with her tonight? We're not sure what is going on with her but she probably shouldn't be alone. Okay, great. I'll meet you here." Frankie hung up and put her phone back in her pocket.
"Well, that makes me feel better. At least someone will be here to keep an eye on her - and Jinx. I'm going to head home so I can start looking through my books. I will text you all if I find out something. Frankie, do you think you could make up some protection charms for us all? I'd feel better if we had something to help ward off any future attacks." Helen reached for her own purse and jacket. While divination was Helen's speciality, Frankie was a master at making charms.
"Already on my agenda tonight, after Darro gets here and I can head home. I'll bring them all to you tomorrow. You should mark your front doors with a protection sigil tonight, just in case."
"What's that look like? I haven't used one before." Kat said with a worried look on her face.
"Here, let me show you." Frankie pulled out her little notepad from her other pocket, the pad she always carried, and ripped out a small sheet of paper. She drew what looked like a capital J, tipped a bit sideways, with a triangle across the center. She waved the paper in Kat's direction.
"Take some chalk or even some cooking oil, and draw this on your door - it doesn't have to be big. It will help guard your house. We'll do more tomorrow once I have the charms ready."
"Thanks, Frankie." Kat took the paper and slipped it into her jeans pocket.
"Okay, let's head out and everyone stay in touch if anything strange happens tonight. Maybe by tomorrow, we'll have a handle on what exactly is going on and how to help Diedre." Helen said and three of the witches filed out into the darkening night, leaving Frankie to wait for Darro's arrival.
Blessings and Curses
Moon at Eight Percent Visibility
Dawn came without the rain, though the April light was still hazy and gray. Sage was back from her run, sweaty but feeling good, at least physically. Mentally, her mind was on Diedre and the weird curse on her. Why would anyone curse Diedre? Sage couldn't imagine. She might be biased, but honestly, she couldn't think of a reason why anyone would curse any member of the Sisters. The Coven never performed spells that were curses or hexes; they specialized in protection and health and divination. Why would that anger someone enough to perform such hateful magic?
It was almost time to get the girls up for breakfast - waffles this time - when she heard a knock at the backdoor. Through the glass pane, she could see her sister-in-law, Claudia. Sage kept her face very still to avoid any kind of twitch or eyeroll. They hadn't been on the best of terms in a very long time.
"Good morning, Claudia. What brings you over this early?" Sage said, hoping she sounded pleased to see her sister-in-law, even if she didn't feel that way. Claudia and Sage were about as opposite as two people could get.
"Hi, Sage. Got any coffee ready? I could use a cup before I head off to work. Traffic looks awful on the GPS." Claudia swept into the kitchen, looking very tidy in her matching coordinates suit and French twist hair style. She worked in Accounts Receivable for some company south of Seattle.
"Yes, just made a pot. What's going on?" She might as well cut to the chase; Claudia would be wanting something.
"Right to the point as ever, huh, Sage? I can't just want to see my nieces before heading to work? Where are they, still in bed?" Claudia sounded reproachful.
"I was just about to get them up for waffles. Of course you can see them whenever you like, you know that. That hasn't changed..." Sage didn't finish the sentence with "since Chris died" but they both knew what she meant.
"Oh, well, I'll come by to see them this weekend for a longer visit, since they aren't up yet. But I do want to talk with you about them. I'm concerned." Claudia took a sip of her coffee, imperceptibly small. Apparently she wasn't a fan of dark roast. Naturally, as it was Sage's favorite.
"What's on your mind?" Sage asked, thinking of at least six things that it could be.
"Before...we lost Chris...I had chalked up your activities with that group as a harmless hobby. Strange maybe, but harmless. Chris was here then. But now that he isn't....Sage, what you are doing with those women is a bad influence for your girls." Claudia set the coffee mug on the counter.
"Claudia, please don't start that again. I've told you before. There is nothing about my group that is bad, nothing harmful, nothing that isn't safe for the girls." Sage tried hard to keep her voice calm but they had been down this road several times in the last few months and her patience was worn thin.
"Casting spells and chanting, what kind of message does that teach your daughters? You think they don't know, but of course they do, kids always know what their parents are up to. You can't hide it from them."
"I don't hide anything, Claudia. My girls know exactly who and what I am. Being a witch is nothing to be ashamed of. I come from a long line of witches, for generations. Are you saying I should b
e ashamed of my family?"
"Women in the past did what they had to do to survive. But you live in modern times. There is no reason for such foolishness in this day and age. All that hocus pocus and silliness isn't something for a modern woman, on her own, raising two young and impressionable girls." Claudia took a step toward the backdoor, which was just as well because Sage felt like she wanted to throw her out.
"Claudia, I appreciate that you want what is best for the girls. As do I. Chris knew who and what I am when we married. Nothing has changed. You are welcome to come see the girls but I really don't want to have this conversation again. Okay?" Sage watched her sister-in-law open the backdoor, walking out into the streaky morning light.
"I'll see you this weekend and we can chat more then." With that, she hopped into her car and drove off. As always, Claudia hadn't heard a word she'd said.
Helen had been up all night, which she could tell had perturbed Hester to no end. Both Helen and Hester were creatures of routine. When things interrupted their usual schedule, it made them both a bit edgy. Now, it was time for her to get ready for work, she hadn't slept a wink and her rabbit paced around the room.
"Maybe I should call out from work today? I doubt I would be worth much without sleep." Hester hopped in front of her little padded bed by the fireplace. She had several scattered around the house but this one was her favorite.
Her books were all over the dining room table and Helen had scoured them, looking for something that would explain what was happening with Diedre. Most of them glossed over curses entirely; they were written for witches who had no mind for such practices. Helen had several antique tomes though, and they were far more matter of fact about the philosophy of curses. Helen imagined that back in the day, cursing one's enemies seemed a far more practical and acceptable act. She had spent most of the night reading those old books very closely, hoping to find something that would be of use.
"Hester, the curses described in these books don't sound like what is happening with Diedre. The symptoms described don't seem physical - no jaundice, no weakening, no yellow aura like Diedre has. It's strange. If someone wants to actually kill Diedre, there are curses that claim to do that - and quickly. But to just make her ill and weak? What is the point of that?" Helen poured herself her fourth coffee. She had been making cups all night to keep her eyes open.
Her cell phone rang and she knew it was Frankie before she even looked. She always knew who was calling.
"What have you found out, Helen? Oh, and good morning." Frankie said, clearly ready to get down to business.
"Not much. The old books don't reference any curse with symptoms like we are seeing with Diedre. Those curses either claim to kill you right away or make you lose all your money, your love, etc. Not much in the way of making you cast a yellow aura. I've been at it all night."
"Well, you might want to take a sick day and let's go talk with Naomi, out in Wilkeson. If anyone locally would know, she probably would."
"That witch that was banished from her Coven years ago? How do you know her?" Helen had never met the woman but the magic community was small enough that people talk. Naomi used to live south, in Olympia, but she moved to Wilkeson and her house in the woods years ago when she was banished - for cursing people, for money no less.
"My folks live in Wilkeson and I met her a few years back. She isn't like what you’d expect. She's...unusual, but not dangerous, or at least I don't think she is. Anyway, she might know where we could look for information. It’s worth a shot, right? I'll play hooky if you will."
Helen paused before answering. She hadn't missed a day at work in years and it pricked her pride to call out, but Diedre needed help.
"Okay, let's meet at The Stockpot for breakfast and get a plan together. Or better yet, can you pick me up? I think I am too tired to drive." Helen heard Hester sniff from her bed and knew what she was thinking.
"Give me two hours for a nap, okay?"
Soothsaying
Frankie's minivan was on the road to Wilkeson after Helen's nap and a big breakfast at The Stockpot. Neither of them felt especially peppy, with little sleep and lots of coffee fueling the mission, but finding out what was happening with Diedre was paramount. The drive to Wilkeson was picturesque - it was a historic coal mining town and a gateway to Mount Rainier. The little town had less than five hundred residents and they were on their way to meet one - a banished witch.
"So do we have a plan for what we are going to say when we get there?" Helen asked Frankie, who drove the narrow road while fiddling with her satellite radio at the same time. The signal was terrible.
"Well, I thought I would open with something like 'Hi, you don't know us but we have heard of you and your banishment from your Coven. We need to find out if you know anything about curses.' Do you think that will work?" With Frankie, Helen could never tell if she was kidding or not; she had such a dry sense of humor.
"It isn't exactly subtle, that's for sure. But I suppose there is no sense in beating around the bush. We don't have the luxury of time." Helen replied, trying not to get tense with Frankie's fast driving. She was always nervous when someone else was behind the wheel, but Frankie didn't much believe in speed limits.
"She might not even open the door to us. My folks say she is quite the recluse, so who knows? This might be a wasted trip. Without some kind of lead though, we are dead in the water." Helen flinched at Frankie's use of the word "dead". Diedre was doing worse this morning, according to her boyfriend, when Helen called to check in.
"Let's hope this leads to something. We could always perform a healing spell to see if that helps, but without knowing the ailment, it is like prescribing some random pills and hoping they cure the illness. It might even make things worse." Helen watched Frankie turn onto a rutted dirt road and she immediately felt the potholes. This kind of road needed an off-road vehicle, not a low slung minivan.
"She lives down here in an A frame cabin, at the end of this road. We'll be there in a minute." Frankie wheeled the minivan carefully around the biggest holes but by the time they reached the end, they both were jostled and bumped. Helen reached for the ginger mints she carried for her motion sickness because her stomach lurched and twirled. Maybe it was just the thought of meeting the banished witch.
Naomi Green had clearly made her home as inhospitable as possible. The cabin was tucked into the woods and there was barely a path leading to the door, with no mailbox or other sign of residence. Helen hadn't really expected a big welcome mat to greet them but you didn't have to be a witch to see that Naomi didn't want visitors. Maybe this hadn't been a great idea after all, Helen wondered. Frankie, however, seemed to have no such second thoughts. She pushed her way through the scrub bush to the wooden stairs that lead to Naomi's door.
"Wow, she definitely isn't kidding about keeping danger away - check out that wreath." Frankie paused to let Helen catch up. Hanging from the front door was the largest blackberry and ivy vine wreath she had ever seen. The blackberry canes were as thick as her pinky and covered in thorns. It was an obvious warding charm. Helen noticed other sigils and signs carved all over the old wood of the porch and door frame. This was obviously a witch's house and this witch didn't want visitors.
"What do you two want?" The voice called out from an open window where the curtains rustled slightly. "I'm not buying anything, I don't vote, and I don't want to hear the Good Word." Helen couldn't imagine any solicitors making the trek out to this cabin.
"Naomi Green? My name is Frankie Styles. We met once, awhile back. This is Helen Griffith. We live in Enumclaw. We were hoping you could help us figure out who has cursed our friend."
"Ha! What do I look like, a witch encyclopedia? What makes you think I can help you or that I would even want to?" The voice sounded more amused than angry.
"We don't know any other witches who have cursed before but our friend is in dire shape and we thought you might be able to help us figure out what is going on. We really could use your help." F
rankie replied. There was silence for several minutes while Frankie and Helen watched for movement at the window.
The door creaked open and an old woman stood there, hardly taller than five feet. She had long white hair that was braided into a tall bun on her head. It almost reminded Helen of Hedy's beehive hairdo at the Gingerbread Hag bakery, but it was far more rustic looking than that. The old woman had on a flannel shirt that was big enough to be a dress, along with a baggy pair of jeans. She stared at the pair for another few seconds before crooking her finger to beckon them inside.
"I'll help. But it will cost you."
"What kind of payment exactly?" Frankie asked, sounding as dubious as Helen felt. It was a silly witch indeed who didn't find out exactly what was meant by "payment" before crossing a threshold. Frankie was no silly witch.
"Not much. Not money, certainly." Naomi replied, holding the door open for them to enter. Helen had a feeling of entering the witch's candy house in Hansel & Gretel. What was waiting inside?
"What then, Miss Green?" Frankie asked again, stepping right up to the threshold but not entering.
"Aren't you a clever one, Missy. Careful not to cross the threshold for fear of being beholden to me. Ha!" Naomi laughed and Helen caught a whiff of cigarettes.
"Oh, I'm not as clever as some, but I try my best. What will you want for your help?"
"A small thing, really. Things haven't been the same since they did what they done to me. Those hypocrites, the lot of them." Naomi spat, barely missing Frankie's leather boots.
"I want to come to the Festival this year. I haven't been allowed to attend since my expulsion. I don't mind being a solitary witch, but now and then I like to get out and about, see the sights. If I help you, I want to attend the Eve of May event as your Coven's guest." Naomi gave them both a stare that seemed to dare them to say no to her.
Pink Moon Rising: The Witches of Enumclaw Book One Page 3
