WitchLove (27 page)

Several large dark shadows, too fast to focus on, burst into the room and darted across the space, before the old woman could chant a single sound. I heard the sickening crack as her neck snapped, her crazed eyes dulling, and I watched our dolls drop to the floor.

The vision of Daniel’s face filled my senses as he appeared like an avenging angel in front of me.

‘No one is going to burn you ever again, and anyone that tries will pay,’ he muttered.

I looked down at my friend, unconscious in my arms and spoke to him the only way I could.

She needs help, she’s dying. I can barely hear her heart beat.
I thought.

‘Seth, Brittany is dying and Jess’s hex is still active,’ he shouted across at the African vampire, whom I now realised was bending over the priestess.

‘I’ve sent India to get the witches. She couldn’t cope with the smell in here. The environmental spells have all broken upon the queen’s death. The surviving humans will be wiped and released. The angels should be here to clean up shortly,’ Seth said, gently placing the two dolls on the wooden bed surface next to me. ‘She may not make it,’ he added quietly. ‘She needs her blood, and her blood is in that bucket on the floor.’

Can you change her?
I asked Daniel, watching his face as my thoughts entered his head.

‘No Jess! No. I’m bonded to you remember. I don’t want to be bonded to her,’ he said, making Seth frown.

But she’s going to die and I can’t lose another friend. Please!

‘No, I can’t.’

‘Jess, I cannot hear you but I know what you’re asking for and we cannot do it. She’s a witch, remember. We cannot turn witches. It’s against our law,’ Seth said.

But I’m a witch,
I said.

Yes and you’re enough for me to handle
, Daniel shot back at me, his eyes serious but full of love.

Daniel, I can’t lose her. I’ll bite her then. What if I do it?

‘Seth won’t let you, and neither will I. You won’t lose her Jess. We’ll get her to hospital for a blood transfusion,’ he said.

That didn’t save Alex, did it?

Suddenly the door swung open and three witches ran down the cellar steps.

‘Adaryn, the young witch is barely alive, Jess as you can see is still hexed, and the queen has been dispatched and is no longer a concern,’ Seth said, turning to the council elder who led Franny and Aunt Sarah into the room.

‘We need to get her to hospital fast,’ Daniel said quickly, noticing my distress and frustration.

‘There is no time. I am sure even you know that. Her heart is barely beating,’ Adaryn said. ‘Jess, lay her back on the bed, but keep that arm raised until I say.’

I nodded and gently placed Brittany back on the bed, keeping her arm held high. Adaryn then quickly pulled up the ceremonial gown Brittany had been dressed in as high as it would go, revealing her bare skin, which shone a deathly white in the flickering lights.

‘I am going to perform a reanimation spell now. I’ll need your help,’ Adaryn said, looking at my aunt and Franny.

‘A reanimation spell? Surely not?’ Franny said.

‘It is not what you may think. It is grey magic I suppose, as I’ll be using the same spell the Voodoo queen used to reanimate the dead earlier this evening. However in this case Brittany is not dead… yet, and I’ll be using her
own
blood. It’s the only way,’ she muttered, reassuring Franny and my aunt, who quickly paced the room.

The black candles were brought nearer and Adaryn began quietly chanting over Brittany, placing her hands firmly in several places along her chest and pressing down.

‘Now, I’m going to let her body absorb the blood, and when I say so I want you all to join me in pouring our energy into her,’ Adaryn said, picking up the container of blood, making both Seth and I wince slightly as the scent wafted dangerously around the enclosed space. I now knew why India had to get out.

I watched, mesmerised, as Adaryn slowly poured the blood into the concave dip in the centre of Brittany’s chest, making a shallow well of blood, which bit by bit was drawn through her skin and disappeared. The entire process took some time and by the end there were two incredibly uncomfortable vampires in the room. Seth’s eyes were dark, his jaw clenched. He looked over at me and rolled his eyes.

‘Now Jess, come stand next to me. Sarah and Franny, go to the other side of the bed. Place your hands on her like this and feed her white energy, please. I watched as all three witches placed their hands on my friend and poured their energy into her, warming her… bringing her to life.

‘Jess?’ Adaryn prompted.

I held back... what if I wasn’t good enough? What if I wasn’t
white
enough? The witch in Salem had said I had a dark side…

‘She’s worried that she’s not pure enough,’ Seth said, speaking for me. My eyes shot a glance between Daniel and Seth. I had suspected he could read minds before, in court, but now I knew. I scowled.

‘Come on Jess, you’ll be fine. Brittany needs you,’ Adaryn said.

I sighed and stepped up, placing my hands next to Adaryn’s and closed my eyes. I discarded my negative thoughts and only poured good thoughts into my friend. I imagined the best of me, my love and my laughter pouring out through my veins and seeping into her chest, lighting her up.

‘That’s enough now, well done,’ Adaryn said suddenly, breaking my concentration.

I pulled back, opened my eyes and looked at my friend. Her cheeks were pink and her chest was rising and falling steadily. I listened for her heartbeat and sighed with relief when I heard it strong and steady.

‘Now Jess, while your aunt finds Brittany some clothes and cleans her up a little, let’s destroy these dolls,’ Adaryn said.

Her eyes twinkled, encouraging me, but I panicked, remembering the pain when mine had been placed in the flame’s path. I shook my head, leaping forward to snatch the doll as she picked it up.

‘Jess!’ she admonished. ‘Here, let me remove the spell. You trust me, don’t you? Or do you want to be mute for the rest of your life… which won’t be very long seeing as you won’t be able to feed?’

I reluctantly handed her the doll and watched as she walked over to the altar and picked up a ball of string and began winding it round the doll and chanting at the same time.

‘I bind your feet from bringing harm. I bind your hands from reaching out to harm. I bind your mind from sending energy to harm. If you do so continue, let all negative energy be cast out.’

The spell was ridiculously easy and short, and no sooner had she finished chanting the words, I felt the transformation beginning to take place. My mouth opened. My fangs retracted from their painful dwelling inside the soft flesh of my upper lip. I licked my lips and shouted a half-feral, half-gleeful cry, a response to the hours of frustration, pain and anguish I’d been through. Daniel raced to my side and wrapped his arms round me, jiggling me a little.

‘Hey,’ he said. ‘You’re back.’

I poked my tongue out between my lips at him, rejoicing in the ability to feel the air on my skin.

‘Here, I believe this is yours,’Adaryn said, unwrapping the angel pendant Luke had given me from the doll, then handing it to me, raising her eyebrow as she did so. ‘Now, I’ll just bind Brittany’s doll and once the hold is broken, we can dispose of them both,’ Adaryn said, picking up the doll belonging to the still unconscious Brittany, repeating the process and gently removing my friend’s hair from it. As the final words of the spell were uttered, Brittany stirred and opened her eyes. I darted over to her.

‘Hey you,’ I said.

‘I’m sorry,’ she said. ‘I couldn’t help it. Something told me to leave and I didn’t even think to tell you where I was going. I’m so sorry. You were right.’

‘Shhhh,’ my aunt said, sitting next to her and pulling her into a tight hug. ‘You’ve been through a lot, and I should have been more vigilant with you both.’

‘Now, don’t you have a Samhain celebration to organise?’ Adaryn asked.

‘What about all the erm… body parts?’ I asked, thinking back to the rather disgusting pile of zombies the vampires had left upstairs.

‘Don’t worry about that. We’ll make sure everyone’s out of here before the angel’s null the place. Now, you get Brittany and Susannah home.’

Chapter Twenty-One

The ritual was a long one. It began just as the sun had set. The entire coven had been invited and everyone but Brittany was in attendance… even Saffy, whose face was thunderous. I looked across the circle and grinned at Susannah, remembering my aunt’s words on our return to the house.

‘Susannah, you have proved yourself to be both a strong and capable witch, full of bravery and goodness. As your mother, but also as your priestess I absolve you of all wrongdoings. You will be welcomed back into the coven with open arms and any member who questions it will answer to me, with the full backing of the council elder, Adaryn Glynn… but Susannah, you must be the one to tell your sister. I know she will be so happy to have you back. It has affected her badly and I know she only ever wished to follow you. She never asked for the full responsibility of the coven on her shoulders. She will be most relieved.’

Susannah grinned back. Telling Saffy had been the greatest amusement of the day so far and even Brittany, who was recovering slowly with plenty of bed rest and my aunt’s steaming casseroles, had laughed when we told her.

The evening had begun with the circle being cast, the quarters being called and the spirits being blessed. Aunt Sarah had led the coven in a long and involved celebration of death and rebirth, blessing our ancestors and calling out to her sister… my mother. She had asked if I wished to take part in the divination, if I wished to try communicating with her, but I declined. Maybe another time, but now seemed too soon. I’d had my fill of supernatural excitement for the year and after adding zombies and Voodoo priestesses to my list of
things I never knew existed and would rather they didn’t,
I didn’t feel the urge to add ghosts as well.

After some dancing, some planting of apple seeds and sipping of wine, my aunt moved on to the one event I’d been waiting for.

Are you here?
I called to him, in my head.

Yes, look above you. I wouldn’t miss this for the world,
he sent back.

I looked up and there, high in the dark fir trees, out of sight of human eyes, I saw him watching me. I smiled.

‘Jessica James, will you step into the circle and claim your license,’ my aunt said, smiling and holding out her hand.

I stepped up to the altar and smiled back at my aunt. She turned me around and stood behind me, placing her hands on my shoulders.

‘As Priestess of this coven I welcomed Jessica into our midst as a family member… my niece. I have watched her grow and become a skilled witch, and within this coven she will always be a witch first, no matter what she lives off or how long she may live. With the full backing of the Council I present you with your supernatural license, offering you the power to live as you wish within our laws, wherever you wish, beholden to nobody but yourself. But I want you to know that you are always welcome here within my house and coven, and Susannah, I know will carry that promise forward.’

Susannah grinned, nodding and out of the corner of my eye I caught Saffy muttering to her friend, their faces spiteful.

‘Who stands with me?’ my aunt asked.

‘Do we have to?’ Saffy muttered, growing still at her mother’s quick stare.

‘I,’ Susannah said.

‘Fine… I,’ Saffy added quietly.

‘I,’ Franny said.

‘I,’ ‘I,’ ‘I,’ the coven said unanimously, all stepping forward and opening their arms.

Every day you amaze me…and you look so damn sexy in that gown and cloak. I want to rip it off you and kiss you slowly all over.
Daniel’s thoughts penetrated my mind and I choked, covering my laughter, as my aunt raised an eyebrow and smiled back.

‘Now, let’s dance,’ she said, handing me my certificate and dismissing me.

Once the party was cooling down and the witches were heading indoors to the buffet, I took my chance and grabbed my aunt before she could leave the clearing.

‘Brittany will get her license, won’t she?’ I asked.

‘Of course, but I don’t think she’s quite ready yet. The one thing I’ve realised is that whilst most young witches get their licenses at sixteen, Brittany has lacked the one thing we all take for granted; something even you had until your sixteenth birthday.’

‘A mother?’ I asked, remembering the pain when she was taken away from us.

Aunt Sarah nodded.

‘Brittany has had an incredibly hard life and I intend to rectify that. She can stay here with me, filling the void that my children will leave, being away at college. I have a suspicion that Saffy won’t be visiting us as much as I would have liked. I fear her father may be poisoning her against us, and Noah has his own life to lead in New York. Susannah will, I hope be moving back in to resume her role as my heir, but it will be nice to have another young girl in the house. Will you stay?’ she asked.

I shook my head, thinking of Daniel, and then I remembered my words to Brittany about not leaving her. I paused, feeling torn.

‘I’m not sure. I think I’d like it if I could stay a while and learn some more. My charms could still use some work,’ I said smiling, but I also need to be in New York. I need to be true to who I am,’ I said.

I watched as my aunt nodded, understanding the full meaning of my words.

‘Well, you are welcome here whenever you feel like dropping in, and I hope you will join us for our next celebration… Yule!’

I grinned, ‘Of course!’ I said.

‘I think there’s someone waiting for you,’ she said, smiling as she walked towards the house, leaving me alone in the clearing waiting for him. My man. My vampire. My love.

‘You’re gorgeous,’ Daniel said, jumping out of the tree and landing in front of me.

‘So are you,’ I replied, instantly falling into his deep, sexy gaze, as he stepped towards me, flicking his hair back and smirking.

‘I know. It’s hard not to be when you’re a hundred and twenty,’ he laughed, grabbing me.