Night World : Spellbinder Chapter 14

Every week passed more than or less quietly. naandma Harman came home, her cough better. She didnt seem to notice any liaison different ab bring off Thea.Night came earlier, and every wholeness at school talked about parties and costumes. The air got colder and there was an announcement that the old gym would be opened for H whollyoween.Thea comprehend that Randy Marik had been moved to a psychiatric hospital and was in intensive therapy. He was making virtu bothy progress.Thea and Eric worked every day on their plan.The merely real excitement came the night when Thea walked in, bait on Blaises bed, and said, Bullets wont bar him.What? Blaise depended up from creaming her elbows.I mean, spells wont stop him. Eric. They unornamentedly bounce off. Im telling you this because youre going to notice that hes not with Mar.Blaise snapped the tubing of cream shut. She stared at Thea for a full minute before she said tightly, What are you saying?Theas brain drained a counsel. She looked at the floor. Im saying were soulmates, she said quietly. And that I nookiet help it. t slip upher is re all toldy, truly, nothing I can do about it. I cant believe, after all that- Right. After all that work. And after me seek and try to stop, because Im scared to death. that theres no way to fight it, Blaise. Thats what Im trying to tell you. Ive got to recuperate some way to try to live with it. She looked at her cousin. okay?You lie with its not okay. You know its completely not okay.I guess what I mean is, okay, will you please not kill him or turn us in? Because I cant stand being in another fight with you. And I cant stop break the law.Blaise tossed the cream jar in the direction of the dresser. Thea, are you all right? she said, seriously. Because youre acting veryfatalist?Fatalistic and generally scary.Im okay. I just I dont know whats going to happen, but I am sort of calm. Im going to do my best. Erics going to do his best. And beyond that, nothings guara nteed.Blaise stared for another minute, her grey- compass pointed look probing Theas face. Then she shook her head. I wont turn you in. You know I would neer turn you in. Were sisters. And as for trying to kill him She shrugged, looking grim. It probably wouldnt work. That guy is impossible.Thank you, Blaise. Thea touched her cousins arm lightly.Blaise covered Theas hand with her receive red-nailed fingers, just for a moment. Then she sat back and straightened her pillows with a little jerk.Just dont tell me anything, all right? I wash my hands of you cardinal and I dont want to know whats going on. Besides, Ive got worries of my own. I have to decide mingled with a Maserati and a Karmann Ghia.Halloween.Thea looked out the window at the darkened world. There werent any kids in the alley, but she knew they were flitting near the city. Goblins and ghosts and enchantes and vampires-all fakes. Real vampires were sitting inside at fireplaces, or mayhap at exclusive parties, chuc kling.And real witches were complicateting togged up for their Samhain carrousels.Thea empower on a white shift, sleeveless, make out of whizz piece of material. She pulled a soft white belt around her waist and do a loop pointing up with one side of the tie, then wrapped the other end around the base of the loop three times. A thet knot. Witches had used them for four thousand years.She took a breath and looked outdoors again.Enjoy the peace while you can, she told herself. Its going to be a busy night.Erics jeep pulled into the alley. The horn honked once.Thea grabbed the backpack, which had been stuffed chthonian her bed. It was full of materials. Oak, ash, quassia chips, blessed thistle, mandrake root. The hardened residue from the bronze bowl, which she had painstakingly scraped off with one of Blaises art knives. A wooden seal, also carved with Blaises tools. And an ounce vial with three precious drops of summon potion stolen from the malachite bottle. She started for the stairs.Hey, are you leaving already? Blaise said, emerging from the bathroom. Youve got-what?-an hour and a half before Circle.Blaise looked gorgeous, and more herself than at any other time of year. Her shift was black, also sleeveless, also made in one piece. Her pig hung loose to her hips, woven with little bells. Her arms were pale and beautiful against the darkness of tomentum cerebri and shift, and she was barefoot, wearing one ankle bracelet.Im going to run out and do something before Circle, Thea said. Dont ask me what.Blaise of figure didnt know what Thea and Eric were planning. non even Dani knew. It was better that way.Thea Blaise stood at the top of the stairs and looked trim put through as Thea dashed out. You be conscientiousThea waved at her cousin.The back of the jeep was full of wood.I thought Id better bring some more, just in case we need it, Eric said, throwing her backpack in.Then he added in a different character, You look- amazing- akin that.She smiled at him. Thanks. Its traditional. You look nice, too.He was wearing the costume of a seventeenth-century French soldier at Ronchain-or as closing curtain as they could get from looking at woodcuts in old books.They cloud into the desert, past the huge bare cliffs, off the main road and far out among the Joshua trees, until they found the place. It was tiny, just a dip in the demesne most enc drift offd in red sandstone pillars. The pillars didnt look the like the monoliths at Stonehenge-they were knobby and squished sideways, like towers of Play-doh that some kid had smashed-but they served the same purpose.Theyd found this place all by themselves, and Thea was very gallant of it.The fires unflurried going, she said. Thats good.It had been burning for the last three days inside the circle. Theas hope had been that it would keep Suzanne interested-and away from the masses mise en scene up in the old gym. And it seemed to have worked.Not just the fire, of course. The thr ee dummies lying on the ground tied to stakes were supposed to be interesting, too.These guys all look okay, Eric said. He picked up the smallest dummy and dusted it off. It looked something like a scarecrow when he thrust the stick into a hole in the ground, standing it up.A scarecrow dressed in a black shift tied with a thet knot. With a gull hanging around the neck lucienne.The other small dummy had a sign that said clement. The abundant dummys sign said suzannb.Okay, Thea said when they had unloaded the wood, leaving her backpack in the jeep. Now, remember, you dont do anything until I get back, right? Not anything. And if Im a few minutes late, you just wait.He stopped nodding. The Halloween party starts at nine. If youre not here at nine exactly, I might-No. Dont touch anything, dont do anything.Thea, we might lose her. What if she decides that nothings happening here, so she might as well go to the party-I wont be late, Thea said flatly. It seemed the only way to win the ar gument. But do not burn those witches before Im here to cast the cirde. Okay?Good luck, he said.He looked handsome and mysterious in his exotic clothes. Not like himself. They kissed under(a) the half-full moon.Be safe, Thea whispered, making herself let go of him.Come back safe, he whispered. I esteem you.She drove the jeep back to the city, to the maidens Circle Twilight meeting.It was being held this year at a Night terra firma dub on the southern edge of town. There was no sign on the door, but the doormat, mingled with two grinning jack-o-lanterns, had been painted with a black dahlia.Thea knocked and the door opened.Dani You look great.So do you, Dani said. She was dressed in white, in a pleated sheer gown that hung to her ankles and looked Egyptian. Black braids clasped with silver cascaded from a sort of vertex at her head, falling over her shoulders and back and arms. She made a beautiful Queen Isis. You didnt wear a costume, she said, making it a question.Blaise and I are sort of going as Maya and Hell-wise, Thea said. The truth was that she was most homy in her familiar Circle clothes, and that Blaise knew she looked best in hers.Well, come on down. Youre the last one, Dani said, taking Theas hand.They went down a flight of stairs to an underground room. It had a makeshift, thrown-together look, with crates to sit on, and white fairy lights strung between concrete pillars. Metal chairs had been pushed to the periphery.Thea Hey, there Merry meet people called. Thea turned around and around, smiling and getting hugs.Good Samhain, she kept saying. Unity.For those few minutes, she forgot about what was going to happen this evening. It was so good to see them all again, all her friends from summer Circles.Kishi Hirata, dressed as Amaterasu, the Japanese sun goddess, hi gold and orange. Alaric Breedlove- the sophomore from Lake Mead High-as Tammuz the shepherd, boy of the mother goddess Ishtar. Claire Blessingway as the Navajo goddess Changing W oman, in a dress decorated with red flower petals and turquoise. Nathaniel desire as Herne, Celtic god of the hunt, in forest green, with stags antlers.Humans put on costumes to disguise themselves tonight. Witches put on costumes to try to reflect their inner selves-what they were inside, what they wanted to be.Here, taste, Claire said, handing Thea a paper cup. It was full of a heavy red herb drink spiced with cinnamon and cloves. Its hibiscus-my dads recipe.Someone else was passing around shortbread cakes in the manikin of crescent moons. Thea took one. Everything here was so bright, so warm-and she would have been so happy if all she had to do tonight was enjoy it. Have a normal Samhain Circle. Celebrate But Eric was waiting out there in the dark and cold of the desert. And Thea was counting the minutes until she could leave.Okay, people, its time to get started. Lawaia Dcua, a pretty, sturdy girl with hair like black nylon, was standing in the center of the room. She was wea ring a red shift and lei-Pele, the Hawaiian fire goddess, Thea guessed.Lets get our circle, here. Thats good, come on. Chang Xi, youre the youngest now.A little girl with big almond-shaped eyes came timidly into the ring of people. Thea hadnt seen her before- she must have turned seven since the last summer Circle. She was dressed in sap green as Kuan Yin, the Chinese goddess of compassion.Still shy, she took a sprig of broom-real broom, the plant-and swept the area inside the ring. Thea, you do the salt.Thea was surprised and pleased. She took the bowl of sea salt that Lawaia offered, and walked slowly around the perimeter of the circle, sprinkling itAlaric, you take the water-Lawaia skint oft looking toward the stairway, seeming startled. Thea saw other people look. She turned around.Two adults, mothers, were coming down the stairs. As the light shone on the first womans face, Thea mat a jolt.It was aunty Ursula.In a gray suit, her behavior as bleak as Thea had ever seen it.No body in the room made a noise. They all stood still as Joshua trees, watching until the women reached the bottom. Interrupting a Circle in the middle of casting was unheard of.Good Samhain, Lawaia said faintly.Good Samhain. aunty Ursula was polite, but she didnt smile. like a displeased teacher. Im very dreary to bother you, but this will only take a minute.Theas heart had begun to pound, slow and hard.Its just sinful conscience, she tried to tell herself. This doesnt have to be about you.But it did. And something inside her knew even before aunty Ursula looked the Circle over and said, Thea Sophia Harman.As if she doesnt know what I look like, Thea thought dazedly.She damped down hard on a wild impulse simply to brush past Aunt Ursula and head for the street. Now she knew why rabbits were so stupid as to leave a good hiding place and run blindly when a dog came near. Just panic, thats all.She stepped away from a staring Kishi on her left and a demoralize Nat on her right. She could feel every pair of eyes in the place on her. What is it? she said, trying to look surprised. Aunt Ursulas eyes met hers directly, as if to say, You know. But she didnt say anything, which was almost as blue.Dani Naete Mella Abforth. Oh, Eileithyia. Not Dani, too. Dani was stepping out of the circle. Her small head was held proudly, but Thea could see the fear in her eyes. She walked, linen swaying around her ankles, to stand beside Thea. Dani, Im blue-blooded.Thats all, Aunt Ursula said. The rest of you go on with your Circle. Good Samhain, everybody. To Thea and Dani, she said, You need to come outside.They followed her silently. There was nothing else to do.When they were out in the cool night air, Dani said, Is-something wrong? She looked from Aunt Ursula to the other woman, who was short but had considerable presence.And seemed beaten(prenominal) to Thea and then she had it.Its Nana Buruku. From the Inner Circle.This isnt a Harman family matter. The Inner Circle itself is calling us.There are some things we need to talk about. Come on and lets get it all unresolveded up fast, Nana Buruku said quietly, putting a cinnamon-colored hand on Theas arm. Grans ancient capital of Nebraska Continental was sitting at the curb. Nana Buruku took the wheel herself.Dani and Thea held hands in the backseat. Danis fingers were icy cold.The car wound up and down streets lined with human trick-or-treaters, to a big ranch-style residence with high block walls screening the backyard. Selenes house, Thea agnize, seeing the name Lucna on the mailbox.It must be where theyre having the maidens Circle Midnight meeting.Aunt Ursula got out. Thea and Dani sat in the car with Nana Buruku. In a few minutes, Aunt Ursula came back with Blaise.Selene, dressed in silver, and Vivienne in black, followed as far as the driveway. They looked sober and scared, not like wicked witches at all.Blaise did. shoeless and apparently indifferent to the cold, little bells ringing, she looked flushed and angry and proud. She opened the door with a jerk and sat down hard beside Thea, who scooted over.Whats going on? she said, almost out loud. Im missing the moon cakes, Im missing everything. What miscellanea of Samhain is this?Thea had never admired her more.Well get back in time, Dani said, and her contribution was steady, even if her fingers were still cold.Theyre both brave, Thea thought. And me? But however much she wanted to, she couldnt get a word out through the tightness in her throat.She half expected Nana Buruku to get on the freeway and head out toward the desert, toward Thierrys land. But instead the Lincoln headed down familiar streets and pulled up in the alley behind nan Harmans store.Thea could feel Danis questioning eyes on her. But she had no idea what was going on, and she was afraid to look Dani in the face.Come on, Aunt Ursula said, and shepherded them through the back door, into the shop, through the bead curtain that led to the workshop.All the chairs for Grans students had been pushed into a rough circle. pile were sitting in them, or standing and talking quietly, but when Thea stepped through the curtain behind Nana Buruku, they all stopped and looked.Theas eyes moved from face to face, seeing each in a sort of disconnected, dreamlike flash. Grandma Harman, looking so grim and tired. bugger off Cybele, who was the Mother of the Inner Circle, just as Gran was the Crone, looking anxious. Aradia, the Maiden, her lovely face serious and sad.Others she recognized from two years ago, people who were so notable she knew them by their first names. Rhys, Belfana, Creon, Old Bob.Aunt Ursula and Nana Buruku made up the last two of the nine.They looked like ordinary people, working men and women and still-sharp-as-a-tack retired seniors, the kind youd see any day on the street. They werent.This was the biggest concentration of magical endowment anywhere in the world. These people were the witch geniuses, the prodigies and the sa ges, the far-seers.The teachers, the policy-makers. They were the Inner Circle.And they were all looking at Thea.The girls are here, Mother Cybele said softly to Aradia. Theyre standing in the middle.Gran said, All right, lets get this thing started. Will everybody find themselves a seat. It wasnt a question, it was an order. Gran was senior to all these celebrities.But she wouldnt look at Thea. And that was the most terrible, hair-raising thing of all. She acted as if Thea and Blaise were strangers.Everyone was sitting, nudging their chairs into a more evenly spaced circle. They were all wearing their ordinary clothes, Thea realized business suits or uniforms or pants and tops. In Aradias case, jeans. In Old Bobs case, dirty overalls.Which means they never even started their own ceremony tonight. This is important enough to skip Samhain over. This is a trial.Red-haired Belfana pushed Creons wheelchair to an empty spot. She was the last to sit down. Im centered, Thea thought nu mbly. It was her lather fear, the very thing that had driven her away from Eric in the desert, the first time shed matt-up the soulmate connection with him. And now it was true. She could hear Dani breathing irregularly, and the faint tinkle of bells as Blaise shifted from foot to foot. All right, Grandma Harman said, sounding tired but formal. By Earth, by Air, by Water, and by Fire,I call this Circle to unity. She went on, reciting the age-old formula for a meeting of deliberation.For Thea, the words blended into the pounding of blood in her ears. It was strange, how wonderful it could be to be surrounded in all directions by people. Everywhere she looked, another grave, unreadable face. She felt as trapped as if they had been humans. Thea Sophia Harman, Gran said, and suddenly Thea was listening again. You stand accused There seemed to be an endless, empty pause, although Thea knew it was probably no time at all. of working forbidden spells in direct disobedience to the laws of Hellewise and of this Circle. All Thea heard for a while was working forbidden spells. It seemed to hang in the air, echoing. situation of her kept waiting to hear the other, more terrible charges of betraying the secrets of the Night World and falling in love with a human. But they didnt come. call a spirit from the far places beyond the veil binding two humans with a forbidden love charmAnd then Gran was reading Blaises name.Blaise was charged with devising a necklace out of forbidden materials and binding humans with a forbidden charm. Dani was charged with aiding and abetting Thea in the summoning of a spirit from the far places-which was wrong, of course, Thea thought dizzily.Her whole body was tingling, from the soles of her feet, to her palms, to her scalp. With fear and with something like relief.They dont know. They dont know the spank part of it, or they would have said so-wouldnt they? And if I just keep quiet, why should they ever know?Then she focused on Gran, who had finished reading the charges and was now talking in an ordinary voice again. And I have to say that Im disappointed in all three of you. Especially you, Thea. Id expect this from her, of course-she nodded at Blaise, speaking to the rest of the Circle-that descendant of mine there whos dressed up like Hecates bad daughter. But I honestly thought Thea had more sense.She looked disappointed. And that-hurt. Thea had always been the good girl, the golden girl, youngest and most burnished of the Hearth-Woman line. Now, as she looked from face to face, she saw disappointment everywhere.Ive failed them Ive disgraced my heritage. Im so ashamed.She wanted to curl up and disappear.Just then, there was a silvery ripple of bells. Blaise was tossing her dark head. She looked defiant and scornful and very proud and a little bored.What I want to know is who turned us in, she said in an almost inaudible but definitely menacing whisper. Whoever it is, theyre going to be sorry.And suddenly, someh ow, Thea was less frightened. The disappointment didnt mean so much. It was possible to shock the Inner Circle and still be standing up. Blaise proved it.It was then that ridicule struck Thea. Shed spent her life getting in trouble because of Blaise, and now here they were, in the worst trouble imaginable-because of her.And Dani was in trouble, too. Her velvety eyes were filled with tears. When she saw that, Thea found the tightness in her throat easing. She could talk again.Look-excuse me-but theres something you need to know. Before this goes any further-Youll have a chance to speak later, Mother Cybele said, her voice soft and firm, like her little dumpling-shaped body.No, I have to say it now. Thea turned to Gran, speaking, for just these few seconds, to her nan rather than to the Crone of the Inner Circle. Grandma, Dani shouldnt be here. Really. Really. She didnt know anything about the summoning I did it all. I promise.Grans expression gentled slightly, the creases on her fa ce shifting. Then she was impassive again.All right, all right, well see about that later. The first thing is to find out just what youve been doing. Since you seem to be the instigator here.It was when she said later that realization hit Thea like a tsunami. And everything changed. Later time what time is it? She looked frantically around for the clock. There-behind Old Bobs gray head Ten minutes to ten. Eric.Somehow, in the stress shed felt since Aunt Ursula came to get her, she had completely forgotten that he was waiting in the desert.But now she could see him, the vision in her minds eye as clear as if she were standing there with him. Eric watching the clock, minutes going by, and Thea still not arriving. Eric looking at the bonfire and at the three black-clothed dummies tied to their stakes. And the party. The Halloween party at school. Blistered metal doors being opened and people flooding in. Shoes walking across the scuffed wooden floor, costumed kids standing underneath the dangling witch figures. Kids shrieking with laughter, handing over goblin money, crowding into the torture booths. While something lurked around the exposed pipes on the ceiling. possibly invisible, maybe looking like a white figure and feeling like a smash up of arctic wind. Maybe like a woman with long mahogany hair. Lurking then suddenly brush down Shes going to kill them. Theyre completely defenseless.Fear tore into Thea like jagged metal. It was all happening right now, and she wasnt doing anything to stop it. It had been happening for almost an hour, and she hadnt even given it a thought.