Arrest, Search and Séance : Book 1 of the Fringe Society R.D. Hunter (pride and prejudice read .TXT) 📖

and my intentions while the last of the sun’s rays fell on us. Night was coming. The Festival of Imbolc would be starting soon.

Finally, it was time to start. The girls had done a passable job of clearing off the surrounding area. Lit candles had been placed in all four cardinal directions, and a circle had been cast and raised. I’d forgotten how efficient and fun it was to do with magic with other practitioners. Maybe there was something to be said for covens after all.

Beth was chosen to preside, since she’d known me the longest. The other girls stood back while she sprinkled a hand full of salt on the ground and I knelt upon it. Then, the women began to raise their power and force it outward, causing the air to hum and thicken around us. I raised my own power as well, but kept it inside. I was going to need it.

After a few minutes, my ears had popped half a dozen times and I was beginning to sweat. The other girls, likewise, were showing signs of strain and the casted circle was beginning to bulge from holding in so much power. Then, Beth spoke.

“We are gathered here to bless this witch,” she announced, “so that she might walk the path before her and never falter.” She reached into the jar of oil Denise had prepared, and smeared a drop of it on my forehead.

“Blessed be your mind, so that you may know wisdom,” she said. Carefully, she smeared another drop on my eye lids. “Blessed be your eyes, so you may always see your way.” Another drop on both ears. “Blessed be your ears, so you may always hear the truth.” She anointed my lips. “Blessed be your mouth, so that it may speak with power and clarity.” Then on my hands. “Blessed be your hands, so that you may use them to help others.” Lastly, on my feet. “Blessed be your feet, so that you may never stumble along the way.”

She put the jar of oil down, handed me the athame we’d found in my house and began to raise her own power. The air inside the circle, already saturated with energy, began to crackle with ribbons of lightening. It was almost time.

Night had fallen in earnest while we’d been conducting the ceremony, and it was a night unlike any I’d ever seen. The trees swayed and bent under the force of an unfelt breeze. Whispered voices could be heard coming from far away, and tiny orbs of light danced about in the air around us. These were lesser spirits, attracted to the resonances of our power, even through the circle. It was common enough, and the radiance from their tiny beings created an otherworldly ambiance around us.

Now, it was my turn. I stepped forward with the sacred dagger, preparing to open the circle and proclaim my true name and way, thus solidifying my way as a witch and practitioner of magic, but stopped short. Something else was here. I heard one of the girls in Beth’s entourage (Denise, I think) gasp in awe and fear, and I understood why when I looked up.

Across the pond, on the other side of the tree line, something massive was looking down on us. At first, I thought there were two moons in the darkened sky, but then I realized they were the thing’s eyes. The rest of its features were shrouded and indistinguishable, but I had the distinct impression it was studying me, waiting to see what I was going to do next.

My mouth went dry. I’d heard about this happening at major workings, but never at a re-dedication. This was an elemental spirit, the physical embodiment of one of the primal forces of the universe. Older than ancient, it could have wiped out me, Beth and the girls and most of the state of Georgia in less time than it took to blink.

I should cancel the ceremony. Keep the circle up until the spirit lost interest or was called away. It wouldn’t provide much in the way of protection, but it was better than nothing.

Elementals aren’t evil by nature, but their actions and motivations are alien to us mortals. It could easily have killed me as soon as the working was complete, just to free my own spirit from my body so it could say “Hi, how are ya?” If I did nothing, abandoned the ritual and released the pent-up magic in a slow, steady drizzle, chances are it would eventually turn its attention elsewhere and leave us be. But then we’d have to start the re-dedication all over, giving Hawkins more than enough time to make his move.

I thought about the Nichole Barret, cut down with so much life left to live. I thought about Bill, fighting for survival right now while his friends and family waited and suffered, unable to do anything but pray. And I wondered how many more would meet their end tonight if I did nothing and played it safe. There wasn’t even a decision to make.

I held the athame in both hands while I opened the circle. When it was done, the pent-up energy burst forth like a wave, carrying the little spirits along for a ride.

As it did, I added my own power to it and used it to project my words far and wide;

“I am Melanie Victoria Graves

And I choose the way of the PROTECTOR.”

I stood up straight and strong, confidence radiating from me like a beacon, and the massive elemental seemed to rear back a little. A hush, every bit as solid as a brick wall, fell all around us and I held my breath as I waited to see what would happen next.

I was so focused on the elemental, I wasn’t prepared for the backlash of energy from the spell to hit me, and I gasped and