Blood Moon (24 page)

“But I don’t want to fight these girls. I don’t want to be involved with thirteen other girls whose lives are in the balance. I’m so scared I’m going to lose you or Blake, Rowan, or even Dean. It’s too dangerous. Too many people can get hurt all in the name of this evil power.”

“I know.”
 
He kissed her head and more tears, hot, salty tears, fell on his chest and neck.

“I brought you and your brother into this mess.
 
I can’t keep Rowan out of this; it’s her family too, but I can ask you and Blake to take Dean and just go. Leave this mess behind.
 
It’s not your battle, sweetheart, and I couldn’t live knowing it was my fault you were killed or injured.
 
I just can’t.
 
You need to get away as fast as you can, please, Devon.”

He pulled her away from him as the tears dripped on his face and he said to her, “Now you listen to me good, Darby, I’m not leaving you now, nor will I ever.
 
You are my life and the beating heart inside of me.
 
I live because of you.
 
I go where you go and that’s final. I can take care of myself.
 
As long as I breathe in air, I will be with you. I can’t live without you, Darby. It’s not possible. I love you with all my being, mind, heart, and soul.” He pulled her back to him and hugged her tight and she sobbed for a moment there in the crook of his neck. “We’re going to get through this together. I know it.”

They lay there like that until they both fell asleep.

Chapter 22

Darby got up early that morning, well before anyone else in the house. She kept her work quiet and finished up the water potion for which Rowan had gotten all the ingredients and prepared them. She added the flowers first: liatris, lobelia, delphinium, violet, lupine, wild morning glory, hollyhock, daisy, and lady slippers.
 
Then the woods: birch, reed, alder, ash, and ivy and lastly the stones: aquamarine, pearl, jade, lapis, moonstone, chalcedony, and sugilite. She put everything in the cauldron and as she stirred in the last ingredient she said quietly,

“With this potion I invoke the powerful element of Water

to protect my friends from fire’s slaughter

Let no heat harm them, nor scorch of flame

Quench them in your coolness, and douse the flame from where it came.

Your protection is the key

As I will it, so mote it be.”

She filled about twenty little blue vials with this potion and labeled them “water” and set them aside in a little box on the counter.
 
Next, she cleaned out the cauldron and cleansed it of magic and started the spell to repel silver. She added the flowers: moonflower, poppy, jasmine, mallow, and gardenia.
 
Then the herbs and woods: mugwort, tobacco, pumpkin, aloe, wintergreen, willow, grapevine. Next were the oils: sandalwood, eucalyptus, and lemon.
 
Lastly the stones: moonstone, pearl, and powdered silver.
 
When the cauldron started to simmer, she cut two pieces of leather lacing and threaded a Moon charm of pewter to it and tied a knot.
 
As she dipped the first one in the cauldron she said,

“Diana goddess of the Silver moon

Your great power I need to help me soon.

Repel thy silver in any form

From this werewolf an amulet is worn.

Keep them safe, a friend to me

As I will it, so mote it be.

She set it aside to dry naturally and put a post-it note on it that said “Dean.” She picked up the next leather lacing and did the same thing, tying a knot at the end.
 
She dipped it in the cauldron and said,

“Diana goddess of the silver moon

Your great power I need to help me soon

Repel thy silver in any form

From this werewolf an amulet is worn.

Keep them safe, a sister to me

As I will it, so mote it be.”

And again she set it down next to the other to dry and put a post-it note next to it that said “Rowan.”

She cleaned out the cauldron and cleansed it of its magic and filled it this time with herbs, oils, woods, and crushed stones symbolizing North, including hematite and iron, mugwort, oak and mint. The form of this was a tincture or balm. When all the ingredients were added she said,

“Magnetic North we do implore

Your power we do need times four

Attract all metal in this room

To keep us safe from gloom and doom

No blades or bullets in this battlefield

No friend of mine their fate be sealed.

So bind all metal to that which I mark with “T”

As I will it so mote it be”

She spooned the balm into a little tub with a screw top and marked it “magnetic.”
 
Again she cleaned out the cauldron and cleansed it of its magic and made a talisman for Blake.
 
She added ingredients that symbolized the Druids’ sacred oak and included herbs and oils for protection and strength.
 
When she was done and the cauldron simmered, she dipped the oak charm with the Celtic knots similar to Devon’s into the mixture and said,

“All wooden objects far and near

So I no longer will worry and fear

Repel from he who wears this charm

And keep this vampire from all woods harm.

He’s family, this vampire, and giant string bean

As I will it so mote it be.”

She took it out and let it dry, then lovingly rubbed the oil and crushed crystal concoction on it, then sealed it with a kiss, to protect his skin from the wood.
 
She strung it onto a leather lacing and tied a knot and set it on the counter with a post-it note that said “Blake.”

All the protection she could think to give her loved ones lay there on the counter.
 
So small and insignificant were these tiny trinkets of protection.
 
Tears fell down her cheek as she thought about causing any of them harm by involving them in this fight.
 
This fight she wanted no part of, but she was right smack in the middle.
 
She decided to go back to Devon in bed and let his strength soothe her fears.

Later that day she went to the bookstore.
 
She found a note on the cash register from Allison.
 

Darby,

I am tendering my resignation and returning my key.
 
I’m sorry, but I just can’t deal with all of the supernatural stuff.
 
I’m moving to New Hampshire with a cousin, maybe to go back to school.
 
My brother and father have a forwarding address for my check and W-2.

Take care of yourself.

Allison

Somehow, the note hadn’t surprised her and she didn’t really blame Allison for running for the hills.
 
With the weight of the thirteen women’s lives weighing on her, she too wished she could just run away with Devon. No, she didn’t blame Allison and she wished her happiness.
 
She knew she would miss her, though.

She was going to post a sign in the door and close the bookstore until this was all over, but she wanted to get the money out of the cash register, make a sign for the door, and make sure everything was locked up tight.
 
Her heart wasn’t into much these days and these errands took longer than they would have normally.
 

She heard a knock on the glass door.
 
She got halfway to the door, when she saw who it was. It was Sally.
Should I be worried? Should I even open the door?
Something told her there was nothing to be worried about.

She cautiously went to the door, never taking her eyes off the beautiful girl with amazing green eyes. She opened the door.
 

“Sally. Should I be worried? Are you going to attack me in my own store?”

“No. I told myself I came here for a book, but the reality is I just wanted to talk to you.”

“What about?”

“Can I come in?”

“Sure, why not?” Darby waved her hand towards the loveseat.

“Thanks,” Sally said. She seemed nervous.

“Want some coffee or tea?”

“No, I’m good, thanks.”
 

“So what do you want to talk about?”

“That’s the weird thing, I’m not really sure. I feel drawn to you. Your kindness is like a huge, bright beacon. For as long as I can remember, Rachel has been pushing me so hard and planning all this that I forgot what kindness was. She’s obsessed with this power she thinks the spell will give us, but I don’t really think she’s concerned about my getting any, just that I help her get it. It’s not like the concern I see you have for people you barely know, let alone your sister.”

“If you aren’t behind this, then why go along with it?”

“Let’s just say she’s quite insistent. Sometimes I don’t feel I’m even in control of myself, especially when I really don’t want to do something.”

“Do you think she is controlling you somehow?”

“I wouldn’t put it past her.
 
She’s very powerful, but she needs my added power to get what she wants.”

“Hmmm. I must tell you I wish I had no part in this. I don’t see the necessity of the power she hopes to gain.
 
You two seem plenty powerful. We’re not talking about good power here either, we’re talking ancient evil power that corrupts and kills. My grandfather wrote in his diary of the stories told to him about the awful things that Suzanne did to the townspeople, not to mention the killing of the thirteen girls.
 
In a town that small, that must have been devastating.”

“Wait. You said the KILLING of 13 girls?”

“Yes. The spell doesn’t come right out and say it, but the ceremony is dedicated to Samhain.
 
I’m sure you know, he’s not a very nice guy.”

“But I just thought we would be pricking their fingers at the most.
 
Why must they die?”

“That’s how the spell is powered – the sacrifice of life is the ultimate battery for a spell like this and times that by thirteen and you are talking pretty powerful and VERY evil.”

“How stupid and naïve I’ve been.
 
With that kind of power, there is no satiating it.
 
She’ll just want more and more, won’t she?”

“Most likely. Is she really willing to kill those girls?”

“Yeah, I think she is.
 
She can’t see or focus on anything but that power. I don’t think she has any problem with killing those girls to get what she wants.”

“What about you?”

“Well, I most certainly don’t want to be involved in murder. I’ve gone along with so many things now, that I am just as guilty as she is. It has weaved a thorny vine, entangling me in its tendrils. I don’t want to betray her. She’s my sister, but murder? But if she really wants me to do this, I’m not sure I can stop her from manipulating me like a puppet with her powers. What a mess.”

“If she thought you got more power than she did, after this is all done, would she hurt you to get it?”

“I’d like to say no. Truthfully, though, I couldn’t really say. I never thought about it. Why do you ask that?”

“I don’t know, guess I’m concerned for your well being?”

“Really, you’re concerned about me? You don’t even know me? I helped kidnap your friend yesterday.
 
I fought against you last night.”

“And you’re here now, feeling just as scared of this ominous fight we’re about to have as I am.”

“So you are going to try to stop it.”

“If there weren’t any innocents involved, I don’t know, but those women are going to die and I don’t want to live my life knowing I could have tried to save them and didn’t. I suppose you will still fight by her side?”

“She’s my sister and I’m up to my ears in it already. I don’t see a way out, especially if she puts a spell on me.”

They both sat there on the couch in silence for a minute.

Darby said, “If you could redeem what you’ve done, would you?”

“Yeah, in a heartbeat, but I don’t know how that would be possible.”
 

“You have an amazing gift.
 
Sure, you’ve been wasting it selfishly, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be used for good to redeem yourself.”

“I’m not going to turn my back on my sister.”

“I wouldn’t ask you to.”