Page 64 of Haunted Hearts

“My lady, do you really believe that?” asked Milo. “After all . . . Lord Blaze is a warlock, and this proves it.” His eyes roamed over to Blaze at the bonfire.

“It proves nothing but the fact that Blaze’s family celebrates the holiday in a different way than we do,” said Lillith. “There is nothing to fear.”

“Not even witches and warlocks?” asked Milo, shaking his head. “They’re evil.”

“Sometimes, we get the wrong idea of people when they are not like us, but actually they are not that different from us at all. I assure you, we have nothing to worry about here.”

Lillith turned back to see one of the warlocks pulling a bleating goat up to the sacrificial altar, and she almost swooned. Mayhap, she was wrong about all this after all.

* * *

Blaze stood at the bonfire in the center of the stone circle, wishing now that he hadn’t let his mother convince him to partake in the Samhain tradition after all. He’d only brought her here because he didn’t want her riding through the forest at night alone. He never planned on being part of any of this.

“Blaze, you’ll make the sacrifice tonight,” said his mother. “Where is your dagger? The one with the skull and moons and stars? That’s the one you need to use.”

“I don’t know, Mother. I looked for my dagger earlier in my chamber and couldn’t find it. I thought you’d taken it.”

“Nay, I don’t have it. Oh well, just use mine,” she said, handing him her dagger. “I’ll say the words of offering in the Celtic language, and then you kill the goat. It is a good sacrifice and will ensure we have a bountiful harvest next year.”

Blaze thought about how upset Lillith had been when she’d heard that an animal was sacrificed on Samhain. Now, he didn’t want to do it. Sure, it was no different than hunting or slaughtering the livestock to eat over the winter. But after seeing the horror in Lillith’s eyes, this all seemed wrong.

“Nay. I won’t do it,” he said, surprising his mother.

“Blaze, stop fighting who you are and partake of our traditions.”

“Mother, I grew up being more like father than you. I never considered myself a warlock and I still don’t.”

“Is that why you burned my Tarot cards?” She glared at him. “Don’t think I don’t know what you did.”

“Your readings were only upsetting Lillith. There is no need for that.”

“This isn’t about Lillith, is it? You are still angry at me for leaving for five years and not contacting you. I only did it for you, Blaze. I felt it was better for you if I just disappeared for a while until things calmed down.”

“What difference does it make? You’re back and nothing is calm anymore.”

“Lord Blaze. Lady Minerva,” came the voice from one of men from the coven. The coven was made up of both men and women. These were people who lived in secret, either making their homes in the woods or living at a surrounding castle or village, but under false pretense.

“What is it?” asked Minerva.

“We found some intruders,” said one of the women, as several of them brought forth Lillith, Orvyn, and Milo.

“God’s eyes, nay! Can this night get any worse?” growled Blaze. “Lillith, what the hell are you doing here?”

“I was curious about the Samhain rituals, so I followed you and your mother here,” said Lillith.

“And we followed to protect her,” said Milo.

Blaze saw the witches holding their weapons, leaving them defenseless. He shook his head. “And we see how well that work out, don’t we?” he asked sarcastically.

“Blaze, is that your dagger?” Minerva reached out and took the blade from the coven member.

“Yes. It seems so,” said Blaze, taking it from her. “Which one of you stole it from my chamber?”

“It was me,” Lillith said too quickly. He had the feeling there was more to this and that she was covering for someone, but he would have to ask her about it later.

“Mother, I’ll take them back to the manor,” said Blaze.

“It is almost midnight,” said one of the witches.