My mouth went dry as our identities were outed and the crowd cheered in welcome.
Here’s the thing: I don’t hide the fact that I’m a psychic. I mean, I make my living from it. But Luna doesn’t let on that she’s a white witch to anyone except her fellow Wiccans and her closest friends. Chalk up another check mark in the naughty column for ol’ Horace. He’d also clearly known who Miss Elva was and had pretended that he hadn’t. My distrust for Horace grew.
Twice now I’d been referred to as a sorceress. While I appreciated the elevation of my humble title of psychic to something much more glamorous, I was going to have to have a talk with Luna when this was all over.
For now, I focused my attention back on Horace, my shoulders tensed as I waited for whatever would come next.
“Blessed be, my followers,” Horace began, reachinghis arms high to the sky again as he began to hop gently from one foot to the other, each footfall in time with the beat of the drum.
I thought it was interesting that he called the Pagans his followers. From what I knew of the Pagan religion, festivals were put on collectively by a council each year and while there was a Master of Ceremonies of sorts, the group followed a religion, not a person. Which just goes to show the power of a charismatic, fanatical, and highly egotistical leader, I thought, almost rolling my eyes but catching myself because Horace was watching me.
“Tonight, we honor our Gods and Goddesses of above and of below, as in this moment, day and night are equal forces and darkness begins its ascendancy.”
Luna whipped her head around to meet my eyes.
“I’m assuming this isn’t normal?” I whispered.
“Not even close. He’s going to summon the darkness. Protect yourself, now,” Luna ordered and I saw Miss Elva nod in my direction.
I watched as Horace began to cast a circle, invoking the watchtowers I’d learned the other night on the beach. I noticed that he cast the circle smaller, around himself and the three of us, while the crowd of people remained outside of it.
“I think this is the part in the movies where we’re supposed to run,” I said to Miss Elva. She just shook her head at me, her eyes wide in her face.
“Don’t break the circle, Althea. We’re in this now.”
Crap, I thought as I dug my toe into the dirt, wondering if my cell phone would work out here. I had stashed it in my bra, ‘cause I’m smart like that. Okay, well, maybe not,but I was trying to be better about learning from past experiences.
“Be here, oh gods and goddesses of the darkness, and bless us with your presence,” Horace intoned, his voice a low monotone. The beat of the drum picked up as he turned to the crowd and began to chant.
“Hoof and horn, hoof and horn,
All who die shall be reborn.”
I shivered at the words and cast a glance at Luna.
“Not an atypical chant. It’s meant to celebrate the cyclical nature of life, but I don’t think that’s how Horace is using it. He keeps calling the gods of the dark, which is not a Pagan practice.”
“I will now draw down the moon,” Horace called and the cheers rose. As the drumbeats intensified, I began to feel a pulsing energy pushing at me.
“What the hell does that mean?” I hissed to Miss Elva.
“It’s usually a way to communicate with the goddess, but he’s not going to do that. Ladies, protect yourselves. Immediately,” Miss Elva said, stepping one foot in front of us and spreading her cloak wide with her hands.
Rafe buzzed around her head, worry etched across his face, as he trained his eyes on Horace.
“Althea, do the bubble of white light,” Luna hissed and then closed her eyes; I could see her mouth moving as she chanted something to herself.
The bubble of white light Luna was referring to was an imagery she had taught me earlier this month; in fact, it was one of the first things she had taught me when she figured out I had some magick in me. Essentially, all I had to do was envision a ball of white lightsurrounding me, while asking my angels to protect me. I’d tried it a few times before and found it to be fairly easy.
My eyes flicked back to the chanting crowd. Guilt kicked up in my gut and I shook my head, hoping I wasn’t going to open myself to harm by including them in my vision. But I couldn’t just not protect them.
Closing my eyes for a moment, I centered myself and took a deep breath, then envisioned a circular donut of white light, a hole in the middle where the fire and Horace stood, coming down and enclosing myself, Luna, Miss Elva, Rafe, and the entire crowd in its warm glow of protection.
“Harm none,” I began to chant, not knowing if what I was saying was correct, but the intention was pure. Opening my eyes, I saw Miss Elva and Luna looking at me, surprise painted across their faces.
I turned to watch Horace, trying to hold the donut of protection –so sue me, I like donuts – while he hopped ever more fervently from side to side, his horns bouncing back and forth, his chest thrust to the sky.
“Oh goddess of the moon, shine light into darkness, and enter me now as I pull all power to me. Come within, come within, come within!”
