We have Ciaran.
For a moment they were words without meaning. I had spent the last several hours worrying about Alisa, terrified that Id somehow hurt her, so it took me a moment to remember that there were other terrors in my life. Then images came into my mind, images of my birth father being bound by the braigh, of him crying out in pain, and I knew that Hunter was telling me that Ciaran had been apprehended by the council.
A thousand emotions rained down on merelief, first, but then anger, and pity, and fear. And other feelings that I couldnt even identify. Ciarans dark magick frightened and revolted me, but he was my fatherthe closest blood relative I had ever known. And when I remembered what I knew of witches who had had their power strippedDavid Redstone, who had suffered horribly, or even how awful Id felt when my power was only reinedI felt a horrible dread in the pit of my stomach. My father, my evil father. Captured. And utterly changed.
He will be stripped of his magick soon, Hunters voice said in my mind. First, he must stand trial. But Morgan, apparently he had a few things in his possession that led the council to conclude that he definitely was targeting you for attacks.
I frowned. What things?
Hunter was slow to respond. The council wont release all of the information, but they said that he had a strand of your hair in a small box in his breast pocket.
I sucked in my breath, wondering how Ciaran could have gotten a strand of my hair. But of course, it would have been easy. We spent plenty of time together. He could easily have found one of my hairs on his own jacket, for example.
Theyve also pulled in Lenore Ammett, Hunter went on. According to her own Book of Shadows, she doesnt need proximity for telekinesis.
My chest felt hollow. That was it, then. It was true. My own father had practically tried to kill me. Why? I wondered. What could he possibly gain by hurting me? Morgan, Hunter went on, now that Ciaran is in custody, I think we should lift the deflection spell.Theres no telling what might happen to him if he is stripped while still under the spelland theres no need for it anymore, anyway. Erin is here, and she agrees with me.
In a few moments I saw Erins familiar face and twinkling eyes. She was sitting in a room surrounded by candles. Her face was lit with a golden glow. I felt the delicate bones of her hands in mine, and I knew that she and Hunter were holding hands. They were ready to begin the circle.
I had to blink back tears. Although I had feared that Ciaran might have been behind the strange accidents all along, somehow finding out for certain didnt fill me with relief; it filled me with sadness. Id known he could be incredibly cruel, but a small part of me simply didnt want to believe that he was capable of hurting me. He was my birth father, after all. My only living parent. To know that he had actually tried to harm me, even knowing I was his daughter, was almost incomprehensible. And I couldnt understand why.
Can we have the circle without Sky and Alyce? I asked.
Sky has already left, Hunter replied, and Alyce is busy with the store. But it doesnt require as much magick to release the spell as to put it in place.The three of us can do it.
All right, I said. But first I have to tell you something. I took a deep breath. Alisa is very sick. Shes in the hospital. Mary K. and I went to see her this afternoon, and she had some kind of crash. Im worried. I didnt tell him that I might have been responsible for what had happened. I simply couldnt allow myself to think those thoughts.
Thats terrible, Hunter replied. I could feel his concern, then confusion as he added, Do you think we should send some healing spells her way?
No, I dont think thats such a good idea. Even though I felt certain that I hadnt actually performed any magick that afternoon, that Alisas crash was just a coincidence, the idea of doing a spell for her was terrifying. What if we ended up hurting her? I couldnt take the chance. Alisa quit the coven, I explained. I dont know if she would want a spell done for her. And I wouldnt want to do anything against her wishes.
All right, Hunter conceded, even though I could tell he wasnt entirely convinced. Let me know how shes doing, wont you, Morgan?
Of course, I promised. I inhaled deeply, bracing myself for the task to come. Lets begin, I said with Hunters voice.
Erin began a low hum at the back of her throat, then, in a voice that was almost a whisper, she began to chant.
Let us now unwork the magick that encircles the blameworthy,
Leave him to his own strategy,
Just or fell.
The words went on, and the magick that welled up in me was like cool, clear water, fluid and bracing. I waited for Erin to pull out Harris Stoughtons book, and I was surprised to realize that she wasnt going to. She didnt even seem to have the book with her. Instead, she reached for a large white dish and a white teapot. With a steady hand she filled the dish with steaming liquid. My nostrils were filled with the scent of mint and rosemary, and I nearly laughed to realize that my connection with Hunter was so strong that I could actually smell what he smelled. Reaching into a green velvet pouch beside her, Erin pulled out a handful of something and crumbled it into the water. The water shimmered for a moment, like the ocean in the setting sun. There was a light hissing sound and the scent of lavender, then Erin looked up and smiled.
We have released the witch from his own restraints. Erin sounded as happy and relieved as I felt. He will no longer be his own victim.
I inhaled deeply, still taking pleasure in the beautiful smells that lingered around me. Undoing the deflection spell had been as beautiful and easy as putting it on had been ugly and horrible. I felt wonderful now, even though the magick hadnt been directed at me. I was safe nowCiaran couldnt threaten me any longer, and my magick was intact.
Morgan, thank you, Hunters voice echoed in my mind.
For what?
There was a moment before he replied. For everything, he said finally. For everything, he repeated, soft as the sound of water flowing over smooth stones. In the next moment he was gone.
The lapis lazuli made a slight click as I placed it back on the nightstand and turned off the lamp. I love you, Hunter Niall, I thought as I pulled the comforter up to my chin. I looked out my window, into the depths of the starry sky.
I did it. Bree leaned against a bank of lockers, clutching her books to her chest. There were dark circles under her eyes, as if she hadnt slept well.
You talked to Robbie?
Bree gave a faint nod.
How did it go? I asked. It was five minutes to the first bell.
Badly, Bree said. But better than I thought it would.
So are you. . I didnt know how to finish the sentence.
Were still together, Bree replied, tucking her silky hair behind one ear. He was hurt, though. Really hurt about the stuff with Matt. She looked at me, her eyes rimmed with red. That was the worst part. Ive never
I know, I said. Its okay.
He said that he loved me. Brees voice was small and fragile, like a little girls teacup. Im glad I told him, even though it wasnt easy.
We stood there a moment, not saying anything.
I guess Im afraid, Bree said finally.
I thought about Breeabout all the nights she ate dinner alone because her father was out of town on business. I thought about the brother she hadnt spoken to in over a month, the mother she hadnt seen in years. Bree knew about difficult love. No wonder she was afraid. Robbie is special, I told her. And youre strong.
Bree nodded, as if what Id said was something she knew alreadysomething shed forgotten. She squeezed my hand, then let it go. Youre strong, too.
The bell rang, and we were swept down the hall toward homeroom in a churning sea of students. Neither one of us said anything more. Neither one of us had to.
16. Letting
October 14, 1971
I couldnt hide it from them forever. Even though I tried.
My parents wanted to take me to see John Walter, the best healer in our coven. I knew hed tell them the truth, so finally I had to admit what Id done. My mother cried for two days, and my father stopped speaking to me altogether. My parents had always told me that there was nothing I could do that would made them stop loving me.
But I guess I found that one thing.
Theres nothing I can do about it now. I couldnt bring my magick back even if I wanted to. And I dont want to. Even though Im still weak from the ceremony, I would rather feel pain myself than run the risk of putting someone else in danger. I know that Wicca is dangerous. Beautiful, but dangerous. I just wish that someone would talk to me, would try to understand why I did what I did. Dont they understand that Ive lost even more than they have?
I write this from a Greyhound bus bound for Houston. It was the farthest place from Gloucester for the smallest amount of money. Even so, it took most of my cashIve only got twenty-three dollars and thirty-seven cents in my pocket whats lest of my life savings. With that, and a small bag of clothing, and the Harris Stonghton book wrapped in a black cloth (its no danger to me any longer, and how could I leave such an evil book with my family?), I begin a new life.
I keep trying to tell myself that this kind of change is exactly what I need. That nothing has changed in my family for centuries and that Im a pioneer, off to explore new worlds. Im not really buying it, though.
It might be easier if I had some idea of where all if this would lead. But I dont.
I guess no one ever really does.
Sarah Curtis
Morgan? Mary K.s voice echoed up the stairway. I put my book aside and stood up. I had been lying on my bed, reading my English assignment, with Dagda curled comfortably in the curve of my waist.
Mary K. called up again, with more urgency this time. Morgan!
What? What is it? I stepped out of my room and peered down the stairs. Mary K. was standing at the bottom with a huge grin. Whats going on?
Theres somebody here that you might like to see.
Who? I started walking down the stairs. Hunter? I thought hopefully. But no, I would have sensed his coming. Who else could she be talking about?
When I got to the bottom of the stairs, Mary K. was alone in the foyer. Was she playing a trick on me? Well, who
I broke off. Alisa was sitting on the couch in the living room, looking small and pale. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, emphasizing her gaunt, delicate face. She looked up at me nervously. Hi, Morgan.
Wow, Alisa. She looked like she was still weak, but she was there,sitting in my living room, talking to me. I walked over to the couch and perched beside her. Im so glad youre okay. How do you feel?
Alisa shrugged. Depends when you ask me, I guess. She pulled her hands into her lap, and I could see that she was holding the red-and-white teddy bear that Mary K. had brought to her hospital room. I still feel weak, and I still have aches and dizziness every once in a while. She smiled a wan smile. But Im getting better. Im well enough to leave my house, and that feels great.
Mary K. perched on my dads armchair. Do they know what made you sick?
Alisa shook her head a little sadly. Nobody seems to have any idea, she said. After you two left, I got really bad, and the doctors were pretty worried. They told my father to start preparing for the worst. But after a few hours I just seemed to get better. And around midnight, I woke up really thirsty and asked the nurse for a glass of juice. I meanshe gave a little laughId been unconscious for, like, days, and I just up and asked for some apple juice out of the blue. The nurse was in shock.
Wow. Mary K. looked at me as if to say, Isnt that crazy?
I know, Alisa went on. The doctors say it was a really bad virus and that the worst of it just had to pass through my system before I could start getting better. She looked at me meaningfully. But the fact is, they dont really know what made me sickand now they dont have any idea what made me better.
The way she was staring at me made me uncomfortable, and I looked away, out the window. Did she and Mary K. think that Id cured her? But I hadnt. Alisa, I
Anyway, Alisa interrupted me, I just wanted to say thank you. For coming to visit me in the hospital, I mean. She looked down into her lap and stroked the tiny red-and-white bear. Even though she was better, I still sensed a sadness in Alisa. I wondered about the family problems Mary K. had mentioned before.
Youre welcome, I said softly. I reached over to squeeze her arm. She seemed so down, and I still felt this weird protectiveness toward her. I wondered if I was starting to get maternal urges or something.
As I touched Alisas arm, there was a crash. Alisa jumped. We all looked up to see that a framed photo had fallen off the mantel across the room. Frowning, Mary K. jumped up and picked it off the floor. Thats weird, she murmured, holding up a photo of our family around the tree last Christmas. Must have been a draft.
I stared, frozen. There was no reason for that picture to fall off the mantel. No reason, that is, except the strange telekinetic incidents that had been following me. But that was Ciaran, I told myself. And Ciarans in custody. He cant be doing this to me.
Was it possible that it was just a weird accident? Maybe I was making something out of nothing. If it had happened anytime before the past couple of weeks, I wouldnt have thought twice about it. It was just that so much had been happening lately. . anything even vaguely out of the ordinary seemed suspicious.
Mary K. gingerly picked up the broken glass that surrounded the picture. As I watched her, I had a more frightening thought: What if it wasnt Ciaran who had been behind those incidents? What if it was someone else someone else who was after me, and still on the loose?