Witch Clan: Matriarchs by John Stormm (best beach reads of all time TXT) 📖

dizzy and didn’t see where I was going.”

“I can taste your blood in the air,” it said. “It’s a wonder you can even stand with all that medicine in you.”

“Medicine?” he asked, confused. “Isn’t that stuff supposed to make you better? I don’t feel so good.” He promptly fell on his face, narrowly missing the rattler.

“Wake up,” a voice commanded out of the darkness. “To sleep now, is to die.” He opened his bleary eyes. The rattler had moved a way off and lay relaxed in the sun. Nearer to his face was a familiar dark form.

“Wake up, wake up,” Iktome said. “It’s time again to dance.”

“Oh, I don’t feel like dancing,” he said, rolling over. “Who else is here?”

“A good friend of mine has joined us,” the Spider said. “He will teach you an Injun dance. But you have lost a lot of blood. Did you bring anything to drink with you?”

“Oh, look, a doggie,” he said, as his clearing sight revealed the canine form at the top of the gully looking down at him. “C’mere, doggie. Here, boy!”

“I am not a dog,” the animal declared indignantly. “I am Coyote, the Trickster, and I am here at your grandmother’s request to teach you our ways.”

“Grandma’s here?” he asked, sitting up.

“She said to tell you that she is coming,” Coyote said. “But that won’t help if you are not alive when she gets here. What do you have in the bag?”

“Lunch,” he said. “But I’m not really hungry just now.”

“You have lost blood in the hot sun, boy,” Iktome said. “and you reek of peyote. You need food and drink more than anyone I know. Is there anything juicy in that bag?”

“Here’s an orange,” Johnny said, sorting through the sack, “and a peanut butter sandwich and a baloney sandwich.”

“Then you should eat the orange first,” the Spider urged him. “Eat all of it now.” Johnny sat and bit into the orange, devouring rind and all.

“Did you say there was baloney in there?” Coyote asked, licking his chops.

“Yes,” he said, slurping the juice out of his orange to quench his thirst. “Would you like some?”

“You are too kind,” Coyote said. “Don’t mind if I do. Perhaps Iktome would like the bread.”

“No,” the Spider said. “I prefer my food a little juicier. Besides, I ate earlier this morning. How about you, Brother Snake?”

“Ugh,” the snake said with a shiver, “no bread for me. I was sleeping off a fat rat when the boy disturbed me.”

“I’d like a crust of that bread,” a raven cawed, “if you don’t mind. But you should eat all of that other sandwich yourself. You‘re going to need your strength to dance again.”

“Is that a spear you have there, little warrior?” Coyote asked.

“I thought he was going to pierce me with it when he surprised me,” said the snake.

“I made it when I saw the dragon on the mountain,” Johnny said through a mouthful of peanut butter and jelly.

“You were prepared to fight a monster like that?” Iktome asked. Johnny nodded.

“Then it seems we should dance a full warrior’s dance today,” said the Spider. “Don’t you agree, Raven?”

“Indeed, if he lives,” Raven said. “I believe it is his time.”

“Then it is decided,” Coyote concluded. “You will take up your spear and dance with us as a new warrior. Iktome will make your circle in the sand, and Brother Snake will sit in its center and provide us a rattle. Raven, when this is under way, and it looks like the boy will live, you know what we will need for him. Go, fetch it.”

The raven took to wing with a cry. The rattler slithered into the center of the gulley and Iktome danced a wide circle in the sand around the serpent. Coyote’s tail beat a rhythm in the sagebrush as the snake rattled counterpoint and the Spider began to sing. Johnny took his first steps hesitantly as he willed himself to keep his balance.

“Come down on your heel,” Coyote instructed, “and not so much your toe. Now raise that spear like you intend to use it, boy.”

Johnny danced. His heart pounding stronger and stronger to the beat of drums echoing in the distant past. Dancing. Step down heel, step down heel, side step, side step. Raise that spear. Shout! Iktome singing. Brother Snake buzzing in rhythm and tracking his every step with interest. Coyote coaching and beating time with his tail in the sagebrush. The sun danced in the sky. The stars moved in their spiral dance in the heavens. The shimmering forms of ghosts danced the circle with them, but he did not stop. All of nature danced and he belonged to that dance.

* * *

The taxicab dropped Emma off at the house on Randolph Street. She paid the cabby and hefted her suitcase for the walk up to the door. Before she got very far, Lorry came dashing out to greet her.

“Mom, you’re here early,” her daughter exclaimed hugging her.

“Didn’t you get my letter?” she asked.

“Well, yes, but I figured you’d be at least another week,” Lorry said, taking her suitcase from her. “But I’m glad you came. Linda is getting bigger and sweeter every day, and you know how your grandson misses you.”

“I brought a camera with me this time,” she said. “I’ll take some pictures to share with friends and family back home. How are you and the baby doing?” Dave appeared at the door smiling and holding the baby for her to see.

“Aw, how beautiful she is,” she said. “Let me set this stuff down and hold her for a little while.” Dave handed off the baby and took up her bags and set them inside. She would be sleeping on the hide-a-bed in the living room sofa during her stay.

“I don’t see my grandson around,” she said. “Is he out somewhere playing.”

“Well, it’s past lunchtime,” Lorry said. “But sometimes he gets caught up in whatever he’s playing and shows up a little late. It’s not too unusual.”

“Oh, I packed him a lunch today,” Dave said. “So, he’ll probably be back sometime closer to supper today.”

“Packed a lunch?” Lorry asked. “Where did he go?”

“He’s probably just across the street in the field,” he said.

“Then go call him,” Lorry said, “and tell him his grandmother’s here. He’ll be so excited to see you, Mom.” Dave glared at his wife, and went out the front door and let out with a loud whistle and called for Johnny. Certainly, that would carry for some distance. But twenty minutes later and the boy still hadn’t shown up. Emma had the distinct impression that something was wrong, and Dave seemed to make every effort never to look Lorry or her in the eyes when he spoke.

“Here, Lorry,” she said, “Why don’t you take this little sleeping beauty from me and Dave and I will go surprise Johnny.”

“We will?” Dave said with a start.

“See?” she said, smiling. “Some of us are surprised already. Let’s you and I take a stroll through the fields and find our boy.” She went through her suitcase and found an apron and belted her witch blade underneath.

“I can’t just let my good skirt get all dirty and frazzled out there,” she explained.

Twenty minutes, forty minutes an hour later, they continued walking the fields and Dave whistled and called without an answer. He would still not meet her eyes when he spoke.

“So tell me about your Mexican witch doctor,” she said, “this ‘brujo’ you’ve been talking to.” Dave did a double take at her and looked away again.

“He warned me about you and the boy,” he said. “He told me you were witches, in league with Satan.”

“Satan’s house must be divided,” she replied evenly, “if you would consult one witch against another. And what of yourself, holy man? I can’t seem to recall ever seeing you set your righteous foot in a church of any kind. You even got married by a justice-of-the-peace. You who are so eager to bring down judgment upon another. Tell me, by what god do you poison my grandson?”

“It’s not poison,” Dave said. “El Brujo ate some of it right in front of me. It won’t hurt him, just drive the devil out of him.”

“What devil is that?” she growled. “Would it be the one who would passionately defend a little girl’s virtue? Or would it be the one who would boil a little boy alive in his bathtub? I’m not sure. Which side of this devil are you on?” She caught his eye and locked her gaze to his.

“You,.. you can’t hurt me,” he said, eyes darting about wildly. “Miguel gave me this for protection against you and the boy.” He showed his obsidian arrowhead pendant.

“So, that’s how he’s controlling you,” she said. “Listen well, you idiot. You are my daughter’s husband and my granddaughter’s father, and while I am not particularly impressed with your actions of late, that makes you ‘family,’ even as my grandson is family. I am not the one who will hurt you. You’ll do that without