Night World : Spellbinder Chapter 14

each week passed more or less quietly. nannadma Harman came home, her cough better. She didnt incur the appearance _or_ semblance to notice every(prenominal)thing different slightly Thea.Night came earlier, and each single at school talked ab come come on p dodgeies and costumes. The air got colder and thither was an announcement that the old gym would be candid for H on the wholeoween.Thea heard that Randy Marik had been travel to a psychiatric hospital and was in intensive therapy. He was making approximately progress.Thea and Eric worked every day on their plan.The only real excitement came the night when Thea walked in, sit dash off on Blaises bed, and give tongue to, Bul permits wont stage him.What? Blaise numerateed up from creaming her elbows.I entail, spells wont stop him. Eric. They just bounce off. Im telling you this because youre exceptton to notice that hes not with Mar.Blaise snapped the tube of cream shut. She stargond at Thea for a extensive minut e before she said tightly, What are you saying?Theas humor knackered away. She looked at the floor. Im saying were soulmates, she said quietly. And that I cant help it. in that location is re on the wholey, truly, aught I can do ab stunned it. I cant believe, after alto take inher that- Right. After all that work. And after me trying and trying to stop, because Im scared to death. precisely theres no way to match it, Blaise. Thats what Im trying to tell you. Ive got to find approximately way to try to live with it. She looked at her cousin. Okay?You k now its not okay. You know its completely not okay.I guess what I mean is, okay, will you please not kill him or turn us in? Because I cant stand world in an otherwise fight with you. And I cant stop breaking the law.Blaise tossed the cream jar in the commissioning of the dresser. Thea, are you all right? she said, justly. Because youre acting very fatalistic?Fatalistic and generally scary.Im okay. I just I dont know whats sp ill to happen, however I am sort of calm. Im passing play to do my best. Erics passage to do his best. And beyond that, nothings guaranteed.Blaise stared for another minute, her gray eyes searching Theas face. thus she move her head. I wont turn you in. You know I would never turn you in. Were sisters. And as for trying to kill him She shrugged, looking grim. It probably wouldnt work. That guy is impossible.Thank you, Blaise. Thea touched(p) her cousins arm lightly.Blaise c all overed Theas hand with her own red-nailed fingers, just for a moment. Then she sat nates and straightened her pillows with a little riffle.Just dont tell me anything, all right? I wash my hands of you deuce and I dont bet to know whats going on. Besides, Ive got worries of my own. I contain to decide between a Maserati and a Karmann Ghia.Halloween.Thea looked reveal the pass ondow at the darkened world. There werent any kids in the alley, but she knew they were flitting close to the city. Goblin s and ghosts and witches and vampires-all fakes. Real vampires were sitting inside at fireplaces, or maybe at exclusive representativeies, chuckling.And real witches were tolerateting habilimented for their Samhain one shots.Thea put on a purity substitute, sleeveless, make out of unrivalled piece of material. She pulled a s often white belt around her waistline and made a loop pointing up with one side of the tie, because wrapped the other end around the base of the loop one-third eras. A thet knot. Witches had used them for four thousand years.She took a breath and looked distant again.Enjoy the peace magic spell you can, she told herself. Its going to be a brisk night.Erics jeep pulled into the alley. The horn honked once.Thea grabbed the thornpack, which had been stuffed under her bed. It was amply of materials. Oak, ash, quassia chips, blessed thistle, mandrake root root. The hardened residue from the bronze bowl, which she had painstakingly scraped off with one of Blaises art knives. A woody seal, also carved with Blaises tools. And an ounce vial with third precious drops of summoning potion stolen from the malachite bottle. She started for the stairs.Hey, are you leaving already? Blaise said, emerging from the bathroom. Youve got-what?-an time of day and a half before racing circuit.Blaise looked gorgeous, and more herself than at any other time of year. Her arouse was bleak, also sleeveless, also made in one piece. Her hair hung loose to her hips, woven with little bells. Her arms were pale and dishy against the darkness of hair and shift, and she was barefoot, turn outing one ankle bracelet.Im going to clear out and do something before circulate, Thea said. Dont ask me what.Blaise of course didnt know what Thea and Eric were planning. not crimson Dani knew. It was better that way.Thea Blaise stood at the top of the stairs and looked waste as Thea dashed out. You be carefulThea waved at her cousin.The back of the jeep was fu ll of wood.I feeling Id better bring some more, just in case we need it, Eric said, throwing her backpack in.Then he added in a different voice, You look- amazing- the like that.She smiled at him. Thanks. Its traditional. You look nice, too.He was wearing the costume of a seventeenth-century French soldier at Ronchain-or as close as they could get from looking at woodcuts in old books.They litter into the desert, past the vast bare cliffs, off the main road and furthest out among the Joshua trees, until they put together the place. It was tiny, just a dip in the ground almost cover in red sandstone pillars. The pillars didnt look like the monoliths at Stonehenge-they were knobby and squished sideways, like towers of Play-doh that some kid had smashed-but they served the same purpose.Theyd found this place all by themselves, and Thea was very proud of it.The fires still going, she said. Thats replete(p).It had been burning for the last three old age inside the circle. Theas ho pe had been that it would keep Suzanne interested-and away from the people setting up in the old gym. And it contrivemed to have worked.Not just the fire, of course. The three dummies fictionalization on the ground tied to stakes were supposed to be interesting, too.These guys all look okay, Eric said. He picked up the smallest dummy and dusted it off. It looked something like a human bodyhead when he thrust the stick into a hole in the ground, stand it up.A scarecrow dressed in a black shift tied with a thet knot. With a sign hanging around the recognise lucienne.The other small dummy had a sign that said clement. The enceinte dummys sign said suzannb.Okay, Thea said when they had unloaded the wood, leaving her backpack in the jeep. Now, remember, you dont do anything until I get back, right? Not anything. And if Im a few minutes late, you just wait.He stopped nodding. The Halloween party starts at nine. If youre not here at nine exactly, I might-No. Dont touch anything, don t do anything.Thea, we might lose her. What if she decides that nothings contingency here, so she might as easy go to the party-I wont be late, Thea said flatly. It seemed the only way to win the argument. just now do not burn those witches before Im here to take out the cirde. Okay? tho techyly luck, he said.He looked handsome and mysterious in his exotic clothes. Not like himself. They kissed under the half-full moon.Be safe, Thea whispered, making herself let go of him.Come back safe, he whispered. I love you.She drove the jeep back to the city, to the maidens Circle Twilight meeting.It was being held this year at a Night World dub on the southern go on of town. There was no sign on the door, but the doormat, between deuce grinning jack-o-lanterns, had been painted with a black dahlia.Thea knocked and the door opened.Dani You look great.So do you, Dani said. She was dressed in white, in a pleated sheer raiment that hung to her ankles and looked Egyptian. Black braids claspe d with silver cascaded from a sort of crown at her head, move over her shoulders and back and arms. She made a beautiful Queen Isis. You didnt wear a costume, she said, making it a question.Blaise and I are sort of going as Maya and Hell-wise, Thea said. The truth was that she was most comfortable in her ordinary Circle clothes, and that Blaise knew she looked best in hers.Well, come on knock down. Youre the last one, Dani said, taking Theas hand.They went down a flight of stairs to an underground room. It had a makeshift, thrown-together look, with crates to sit on, and white fairy lights st runnelg between concrete pillars. Metal chairs had been pushed to the periphery.Thea Hey, there dashing meet people called. Thea turned around and around, smiling and getting hugs. rock-steady Samhain, she kept saying. Unity.For those few minutes, she forgot about what was going to happen tonight. It was so good to see them all again, all her friends from summer Circles.Kishi Hirata, dressed as Amaterasu, the Nipponese sun goddess, hi gold and orange. Alaric Breedlove- the sophomore from Lake Mead High-as Tammuz the shepherd, son of the mother goddess Ishtar. Claire Blessingway as the Navajo goddess Changing Woman, in a dress decorated with red height petals and turquoise. Nathaniel Long as Herne, Celtic god of the hunt, in forest green, with stags antlers. populace put on costumes to disguise themselves tonight. Witches put on costumes to try to reverberate their inner selves-what they were inside, what they wanted to be.Here, taste, Claire said, handing Thea a paper cup. It was full of a slow red herb drink spiced with cinnamon and cloves. Its hibiscus-my dads recipe.Someone else was passing around shortbread cakes in the shape of crescent moons. Thea took one. Everything here was so bright, so warm-and she would have been so happy if all she had to do tonight was delight in it. Have a normal Samhain Circle. Celebrate But Eric was wait out there in the dark and cold of the desert. And Thea was counting the minutes until she could leave.Okay, people, its time to get started. Lawaia Dcua, a pretty, sturdy misfire with hair like black nylon, was standing in the center of the room. She was wearing a red shift and lei-Pele, the Hawaiian fire goddess, Thea guessed.Lets get our circle, here. Thats good, come on. Chang Xi, youre the youngest now.A little girl with big almond-shaped eyes came shyly into the ring of people. Thea hadnt seen her before- she must have turned seven since the last summer Circle. She was dressed in fornicatress green as Kuan Yin, the Chinese goddess of compassion.Still shy, she took a sprig of broom-real broom, the plant-and move the area inside the ring. Thea, you do the saltiness.Thea was surprised and pleased. She took the bowl of sea salt that Lawaia offered, and walked slowly around the perimeter of the circle, sprinkling itAlaric, you take the water-Lawaia broke oft looking toward the stairway, seeming startled . Thea saw other people look. She turned around. twain adults, mothers, were coming down the stairs. As the light shone on the first womans face, Thea felt up a jolt.It was aunty Ursula.In a gray suit, her expression as bleak as Thea had ever seen it.Nobody in the room made a noise. They all stood still as Joshua trees, reflection until the women reached the bottom. Interrupting a Circle in the middle of casting was unheard of.Good Samhain, Lawaia said faintly.Good Samhain. aunt Ursula was polite, but she didnt smile. like a displeased teacher. Im very inconsolable to bother you, but this will only take a minute.Theas summation had begun to pound, slow and hard.Its just guilty conscience, she tried to tell herself. This doesnt have to be about you.But it did. And something inside her knew even before Aunt Ursula looked the Circle over and said, Thea Sophia Harman.As if she doesnt know what I look like, Thea thought dazedly.She damped down hard on a wild impulse simply to wash past Aunt Ursula and head for the street. Now she knew wherefore rabbits were so dazed as to leave a good hiding place and run blindly when a dog came near. Just panic, thats all.She stepped away from a consummate(a) Kishi on her left and a dismayed Nat on her right. She could sense every pair of eyes in the place on her. What is it? she said, trying to look surprised. Aunt Ursulas eyes met hers directly, as if to say, You know. But she didnt say anything, which was almost as bad.Dani Naete Mella Abforth. Oh, Eileithyia. Not Dani, too. Dani was stepping out of the circle. Her small head was held proudly, but Thea could see the fear in her eyes. She walked, linen swaying around her ankles, to stand beside Thea. Dani, Im sorry.Thats all, Aunt Ursula said. The rest of you go on with your Circle. Good Samhain, everybody. To Thea and Dani, she said, You need to come outside.They followed her silently. There was nothing else to do.When they were out in the cool night air, Dani said, I s-something wrong? She looked from Aunt Ursula to the other woman, who was short but had considerable presence.And seemed familiar to Thea and then she had it.Its Nana Buruku. From the inside(a) Circle.This isnt a Harman family matter. The sexual Circle itself is calling us.There are some things we need to talk about. Come on and lets get it all alter up fast, Nana Buruku said quietly, putting a cinnamon-colored hand on Theas arm. naans old-fashioned Lincoln Continental was sitting at the curb. Nana Buruku took the wheel herself.Dani and Thea held hands in the backseat. Danis fingers were icy cold.The car wound up and down streets lined with humans trick-or-treaters, to a big ranch-style house with high block walls screening the backyard. Selenes house, Thea realized, comprehend the name Lucna on the mailbox.It must be where theyre having the maidens Circle Midnight meeting.Aunt Ursula got out. Thea and Dani sat in the car with Nana Buruku. In a few minutes, Aunt Ursula came back with Blaise.Selene, dressed in silver, and Vivienne in black, followed as far as the driveway. They looked weighty and scared, not like wicked witches at all.Blaise did. Barefoot and apparently neutral to the cold, little bells ringing, she looked flushed and angry and proud. She opened the door with a jerk and sat down hard beside Thea, who scooted over.Whats going on? she said, almost out loud. Im missing the moon cakes, Im missing everything. What kind of Samhain is this?Thea had never admired her more.Well get back in time, Dani said, and her voice was steady, even if her fingers were still cold.Theyre both brave, Thea thought. And me? But however much she wanted to, she couldnt get a word out through the tightness in her pharynx.She half expected Nana Buruku to get on the freeway and head out toward the desert, toward Thierrys land. But instead the Lincoln headed down familiar streets and pulled up in the alley behind Grandma Harmans store.Thea could feel Danis questio ning eyes on her. But she had no idea what was going on, and she was afraid to look Dani in the face.Come on, Aunt Ursula said, and shepherded them through the back door, into the shop, through the bead curtain that led to the workshop. totally the chairs for Grans students had been pushed into a rough circle. People were sitting in them, or standing and talking quietly, but when Thea stepped through the curtain behind Nana Buruku, they all stopped and looked.Theas eyes moved from face to face, seeing each in a sort of disconnected, phantasmagoric flash. Grandma Harman, looking so grim and tired. Mother Cybele, who was the Mother of the Inner Circle, just as Gran was the Crone, looking anxious. Aradia, the Maiden, her lovely face serious and sad.Others she recognized from two years ago, people who were so famous she knew them by their first names. Rhys, Belfana, Creon, Old Bob.Aunt Ursula and Nana Buruku made up the last two of the nine.They looked like ordinary people, working men and women and still-sharp-as-a-tack retired seniors, the kind youd see any day on the street. They werent.This was the biggest concentration of magical talent anywhere in the world. These people were the witch geniuses, the prodigies and the sages, the far-seers.The teachers, the policy-makers. They were the Inner Circle.And they were all looking at Thea.The girls are here, Mother Cybele said softly to Aradia. Theyre standing in the middle.Gran said, wholly right, lets get this thing started. Will everybody find themselves a seat. It wasnt a question, it was an order. Gran was senior to all these celebrities.But she wouldnt look at Thea. And that was the most terrible, nightmarish thing of all. She acted as if Thea and Blaise were strangers.Everyone was sitting, nudging their chairs into a more evenly spaced circle. They were all wearing their ordinary clothes, Thea realized business suits or uniforms or knickerbockers and tops. In Aradias case, jeans. In Old Bobs case, dirt y overalls.Which means they never even started their own ceremony tonight. This is important enough to skip Samhain over. This is a trial.Red-haired Belfana pushed Creons wheelchair to an blank spot. She was the last to sit down. Im centered, Thea thought numbly. It was her worst fear, the very thing that had impelled her away from Eric in the desert, the first time shed felt the soulmate connection with him. And now it was true. She could hear Dani breathing irregularly, and the faint tinkle of bells as Blaise shifted from foot to foot. any right, Grandma Harman said, sounding tired but formal. By Earth, by Air, by Water, and by Fire,I call this Circle to unity. She went on, reciting the age-old formula for a meeting of deliberation.For Thea, the words blended into the pounding of blood in her ears. It was strange, how terrify it could be to be surrounded in all directions by people. over she looked, another grave, unreadable face. She felt as trapped as if they had been human s. Thea Sophia Harman, Gran said, and suddenly Thea was listening again. You stand accused There seemed to be an endless, exculpate pause, although Thea knew it was probably no time at all. of working command spells in direct disobedience to the laws of Hellewise and of this Circle. All Thea heard for a while was working command spells. It seemed to hang in the air, echoing. Part of her kept waiting to hear the other, more terrible charges of betraying the secrets of the Night World and falling in love with a human. But they didnt come. summoning a spirit from the far places beyond the veil binding two humans with a forbidden love charmAnd then Gran was interpretation Blaises name.Blaise was charged with fashioning a necklace out of forbidden materials and binding humans with a forbidden charm. Dani was charged with aiding and abetting Thea in the summoning of a spirit from the far places-which was wrong, of course, Thea thought dizzily.Her whole body was tingling, from the sol es of her feet, to her palms, to her scalp. With fear and with something like relief.They dont know. They dont know the worst part of it, or they would have said so-wouldnt they? And if I just keep quiet, why should they ever know?Then she focused on Gran, who had finished reading the charges and was now talking in an ordinary voice again. And I have to say that Im disappointed in all three of you. Especially you, Thea. Id expect this from her, of course-she nodded at Blaise, speaking to the rest of the Circle-that descendant of mine there whos dressed up like Hecates bad daughter. But I frankly thought Thea had more sense.She looked disappointed. And that-hurt. Thea had always been the good girl, the golden girl, youngest and most bright of the Hearth-Woman line. Now, as she looked from face to face, she saw disappointment everywhere.Ive failed them Ive disgraced my heritage. Im so mortified.She wanted to curl up and disappear.Just then, there was a smooth-spoken ripple of bell s. Blaise was tossing her dark head. She looked defiant and scornful and very proud and a little bored.What I want to know is who turned us in, she said in an almost inaudible but definitely menacing whisper. Whoever it is, theyre going to be sorry.And suddenly, somehow, Thea was less frightened. The disappointment didnt mean so much. It was possible to jerk the Inner Circle and still be standing up. Blaise proved it.It was then that irony struck Thea. Shed spent her life getting in incommode because of Blaise, and now here they were, in the worst trouble imaginable-because of her.And Dani was in trouble, too. Her velvet-textured eyes were filled with tears. When she saw that, Thea found the tightness in her throat easing. She could talk again.Look-excuse me-but theres something you need to know. Before this goes any further-Youll have a panorama to speak later, Mother Cybele said, her voice soft and firm, like her little dumpling-shaped body.No, I have to say it now. Thea turne d to Gran, speaking, for just these few seconds, to her grandmother sooner than to the Crone of the Inner Circle. Grandma, Dani shouldnt be here. Really. Really. She didnt know anything about the summoning I did it all. I promise.Grans expression gentled slightly, the creases on her face shifting. Then she was impassive again.All right, all right, well see about that later. The first thing is to find out just what youve been doing. Since you seem to be the instigator here.It was when she said later that fruition hit Thea like a tsunami. And everything changed. Later time what time is it? She looked devilishly around for the clock. There-behind Old Bobs gray head Ten minutes to ten. Eric.Somehow, in the stress shed felt since Aunt Ursula came to get her, she had completely forgotten that he was waiting in the desert.But now she could see him, the vision in her minds eye as clear as if she were standing there with him. Eric watching the clock, minutes going by, and Thea s till not arriving. Eric looking at the balefire and at the three black-clothed dummies tied to their stakes. And the party. The Halloween party at school. Blistered metal doors being opened and people flooding in. Shoes walking across the scuffed wooden floor, costumed kids standing underneath the dangling witch figures. Kids shrieking with laughter, handing over goblin money, crowding into the torture booths. While something lurked around the exposed pipes on the ceiling. Maybe invisible, maybe looking like a white figure and feeling like a blast of arctic wind. Maybe like a woman with long mahogany hair. Lurking then suddenly wholesale down Shes going to kill them. Theyre completely defenseless.Fear tore into Thea like jagged metal. It was all happening right now, and she wasnt doing anything to stop it. It had been happening for almost an hour, and she hadnt even given it a thought.