Awaken the Elements (Elemental Trilogy) (15 page)

              Autumn picked up her dagger and held it above the incense burner. “Great Father, bless this creature of fire into your service. May we always remember the sacred fire that dances within creation.” She moved the blade through the smoke of the incense and breathed in the lavender.

             
“Great Father, bless this creature of air into your service. May we always listen to the spirit winds that bring us the voices of the ancient ones.”

             
She put down the dagger and ran her right hand through the smoke. “Great Father, I give you honor!” She walked to the eastern corner of the circle. She lit the red candle and held up her hands in a greeting. “I call upon you, power of air, to witness this rite and to guard this circle.”

             
Anatha walked over to the southern corner of the circle where the white candle waited for her. She lit the candle and held up her hands, mimicking Autumn. “I call upon you, power of fire, to witness this rite and guard this circle.”

             
Hazel went to the western corner where the blue candle stood. She felt sort of silly doing this in front of the others. She lit the candle. Holding up her hands, she repeated the words she was so used to saying, “I call upon you, power of water, to witness this rite and guard this circle.”

             
With the other two finished, Autumn went to the northern corner where the ebony candle waited. She lit it. “I call upon you, power of Earth, to witness this rite and to guard this circle.” As soon as the fire caught the wick, she felt an odd pull inside her body.

              With that finished, the three returned to the center of the circle. Facing east, they raised their arms and chanted together, “This circle is bound with power all around. Between the worlds, I stand with protection at hand.” With that said, the circle flared to life. A fire only Autumn and Anatha could see, burned with silver brilliance. No heat came from it, and Autumn knew if she walked through the flame it would not burn her. The power was vast. They felt the push and pull of the circle’s energy, and a small current of power ran through each of their bodies. One look and they knew they both felt it. It was like nothing they’d ever felt.  Then again, they’d never completed the ritual like they did tonight.

             
“It’s time for summer,” Autumn said dreamily. She heard a noise, but no one else noticed. The power inside the circle had created a high-pitched wind. The circle didn’t like Hazel. The air around her vibrated a bright cranberry, but it would do her no harm. The circles were created to protect.

             
“Autumn?” Hazel asked. She took a step forward.

             
She turned to her. “Remain in place.” Hazel must have seen something she didn’t like on Autumn’s face. She stepped back, looking spooked, and Autumn turned back to the altar.

             
“We begin rededication,” Anatha replied. She had no idea what rededication was, but she could see the word coming to her from Autumn’s mind. The word filled her head.

             
Autumn lit the green candle to the left of the cauldron and felt eerie. It was as if she were dreaming. Her body reacted without her telling it what to do. She spoke words she had memorized from her books. She was afraid she was going to mess it up or stutter, but it flowed from her lips like liquid, as if she had known it all her life.

             
“Green Forest Mother, bless this water, I do ask. Great one of the stars, spinner of fates, we give honor to you and call upon you in your ancient names, known and unknown.”

             
Anatha lit the red candle to the right of the cauldron. Anatha chanted, “Mighty sun god, god of fertility and plenty, be here with us now we do ask. We give honor to you and call upon you in your ancient names, known and unknown.”

              Both girls raised their hands above the cauldron. They looked at Hazel, and she mimicked them. But she eyed them uncertainly. Anatha glanced at Autumn, and she nodded. Anatha nodded back. They both heard, clear as day, Hazel was scared.

             
With Hazel’s hands over the cauldron, Autumn and Anatha chanted together. “This is the sacred cauldron of the triple goddess. The touch of its consecrated water blesses and renews, even as the rays of the sun nourish and bless all life.”

             
Anatha grabbed the right candle, and waited for Hazel to grab the left, which was part of the plan. They set the candles on the floor, making them far enough apart so that a person could walk between them. Autumn went first then Anatha and Hazel followed.

             
Autumn stood next to the altar once more. Dipping the forefinger of her right hand, her power hand, into the cauldron, she then traced a pentagram on her forehead. She turned to Anatha and traced one on hers, and then did the same for Hazel. She wasn’t thinking; all of it just came to her. The others knelt beside her as she knelt in front of the cauldron. She was their priestess, their link to the gods and goddesses, leading all ceremonies and rituals, but tonight, it felt different.

             
“We will serve the Great Goddess and give reverence to the Great God. We are servants of the gods and goddesses, stones of the ancient circle, standing firmly balanced upon the Earth, yet open to the winds of the heavens and enduring through time. Willing to be taught and blessed by all. May the old gods witness our words!”

              They stood up. Anatha picked up the wine chalice and placed it on the pentacle as she chanted something. Autumn picked it up a few seconds later, lifting it high. “Honor to the old gods! Merry meet and merry part and merry meet again,” she said, finishing by taking a sip of the wine. She grimaced at the bitter taste, passing it to Hazel. Hazel took a drink but made no face. She handed the chalice back. Autumn placed the chalice back on the altar.

             
Autumn looked around the circle as if she was in a daze. “If either of you have a spell to do for yourself, do it now while the circle is intact. Give honor to your patron goddess too,” she said. They broke off to do their own thing. Autumn watched as Hazel did a small binding spell.  She wondered for whom. She watched as Anatha did a small prosperity spell. From the supplies, it looked like it was for her. She looked down at the cauldron and closed her eyes. She did a silent prayer to her patron goddess, Anu.

             
She opened her eyes just in time to see Anatha walking out of the circle. “Anatha, break the circle before you leave!”

             
“Oops!” She stopped in her tracks. Autumn was quiet, listening to the air inside the circle. She felt it alive around her. It felt so normal yet foreign at the same time. Anatha came over to her.

              She picked up her dagger, and Autumn touched her hand. “I’ll close off here. You begin to close off the circle.” She nodded and left. Autumn held her dagger above the altar and said, “By the powers of the ancient gods, I bind all power within this circle into these spells. So mote it be!” She touched the tip of the dagger to the middle of the pentacle disk, and felt power slip out of her and rise above her head; she felt Anatha’s power too. They met in the middle of the circle and mingled. She was left speechless for a while as she continued to feel the power spill from her body. The power banded together over the circle and disappeared. Yet she knew it wasn’t completely gone.

             
Anatha waited for Autumn to release the air candle. She heard Autumn bind the power to the spells, and something left her body. It was a release of something, power, energy, or chi. It flew above her and fused with Autumn’s. She looked at her cousin who was looking at her. They both had questions, but being the same, they had little hope of any answers.              Autumn finally went to the east part of the circle where the red candle burned. She extinguished the flame and said, “Depart in peace, O power of air. Our thanks and blessings.”

             
Anatha put out the white candle. “Depart in peace, O power of fire. Our thanks and blessings.” Autumn could feel the power of the circle diminishing.

             
Hazel put out the blue candle. “Depart in peace, O power of water. Our thanks and blessings,” she said. Watching Autumn and Anatha, she couldn’t help but feel as if they were leaving her out of something.

             
Autumn finished by putting out the ebony candle. “Depart in peace, O power of Earth. My thanks and blessings.”

             
They walked over to the center again and chanted together, “To all beings and powers of the visible and invisible, depart in peace.”

             
“May there always be harmony between us,” Autumn said by herself.

             
“Our thanks and blessings,” they said together.

              Anatha cut the circle with a backward movement of her dagger. She spoke loud enough so the others could hear. “The circle is open, yet ever it remains a circle. Around and through us always flows its magical power.” The circle vanished with a gust of wind that extinguished the blue/silver flame.

Hazel went to
work cleaning up the group supplies, while the others cleaned up their own.  Autumn could still feel the lingering power she had brought up. It made her feel as if she was on some kind of drug. Her skin tingled, wanting to come loose and dance on its own. She wanted to run around with the extra energy she had left.

              “You still feel it?” Anatha asked.

             
“Yes,” she said, putting the last of her stuff away.

             
“What was it?”

             
She looked at her cousin, “I don’t know. I know that we’re overpowered or something.  I’m thinking about jogging around the roof for a while.”

             
“That’s how I feel too.”

             
Envy walked to the circle boundary. “Is it okay to pass?” They nodded. She walked over to them. “That was so cool, guys. I felt goose bumps when you made the circle.”

             
Ivy Lee walked over to them. “Can I join your circle thing?”

             
Autumn and Anatha exchange glances and shrugged their shoulders. “I dunno, maybe,” Autumn said.

             
“That would be too damn cool!” Ivy Lee exclaimed.

             
Autumn picked up her box of supplies and began to leave. “Hey, guys, check this out!” Moss said from the roof’s ledge.

              Autumn put her box down and followed the others to him.  Making her way through the small crowd, she got there last. Moss was standing at the edge looking toward the end of the parking lot.

             
“What, Moss, more infected people?” Anatha asked sarcastically. Laughter ran through the group.

             
“No, it’s something different. Look, smart ass,” he replied coldly.               “They ain’t infected, huh, Autumn?” Jaime said. He was standing next to her. She looked at the group of beings at the end of the parking lot.

             
“He’s right. The infected don’t huddle in groups unless there’s a human in the middle to munch on,” she said, wishing she could see better.

             
“Then what are they?” Linden asked.

             
“I don’t know.”

             
As they watched the small group, one of the two waved at them. “Did you see that?” Moss asked.

             
“They waved. Should we wave back?” Anatha asked.

             
“No way. They could be evil,” Someone said.

             
“Don’t be stupid. Look at that infected person,” Stefan pointed, “it walked right by them.”

             
“See? Evil if the infected want nothing to do with them.”

             
“What could they be if not human or infected?” Someone else asked.

             
“I don’t know. Vampires?” Autumn said. She didn’t know, but the only thing that came to her mind was vampires. What a stupid idea. Vampires aren’t real. She shook her head, getting rid of the ridiculous idea. When she looked back, they were gone. She looked from side to side and didn’t see them.

             
“Vampires aren’t real,” River said.

             
“Zombies weren’t real about a year ago either,” Anatha said.

              “They aren’t zombies. Hey, where’d they go?” Autumn asked. She saw nothing but infected.

             
“I don’t know. I blinked, and they were gone,” Anatha said. Autumn climbed up on the edge. She sat up higher on her knees, looking around. It gave her a better view, but she still didn’t see them. She looked down at the infected below, and her knee slipped.

             
“Shit!” she muttered and pinwheeled her arms, certain she was going to fall.

             
Rowan, standing behind her, reached his arm easily around her waist and held her up. She rested against him for a minute or two before she turned to see who had saved her.