patio. "I know Mamman won't be with us much longer and she still has so much to share with us all."
"Why would Voo Doo practitioners such as ourselves want to take part in a Wiccan coven?" Bianca asked.
Bianca might have spent two years studying witchcraft while working as Dinera's personal assistant, but she still leaned more towards the Voo Doo lore of her ancestors.
"Merging our knowledge and personal strengths will enhance all our spiritual paths," Rosette replied without the slightest hesitation.
"We're not Wiccan," Dinera added. "We're witches who embrace both the light and dark elements of magick."
"Speak for yourself," Courtney butted in. "I consider myself a Wiccan and Bryson and I have decided that the best way to deal with Tabitha's powers are to teach her the ways of that faith."
"Since when did you and Bryson get so cozy?" Rowan snorted back a laugh. It was not secret that Courtney and her ex-husband's divorce had been so tense they had come to blows both inside and outside of the ring.
"I wanna be in the coven with Aunt Row, Zette, Binky, and Grandmére." Tabitha insisted. "It'll be fun, mommy...please..."
"You saw how our powers were magnified when we came together to save Billy," Dinera quickly pointed out.
Dinera was right, it had taken all of their powers to keep Billy, Dylan's father and Courtney's former father-in-law / father of her twin sons, from crossing over after suffering a stroke back in February.
"Can the Pretty Witch be in our coven?" Tabitha asked. "Pretty Witch was there when we saved Daddy B."
"I can also assure you that Odessa will not be included," Dinera said.
"Why not?" Odessa swirled onto the patio in a blinding flash of red and silver, knocking the already chilly December evening temperature down a few more degrees. "It was I who ended the ritual by giving Billy the kiss of life."
The beautiful spirit appeared almost human, an identical aged version of Rowan, as she drew strength from such a powerful gathering of witches.
"Pretty Witch!" Tabitha clapped her hands in excitement. "I knew Pretty Witch would come see us."
"Hello beautiful one." Odessa swirled over to kiss Tabitha's forehead, causing both Rowan and Courtney to cringe.
Rowan's reaction was pure jealousy, it wasn't fair after having Odessa to herself almost all her life, now they all could see her.
Courtney's just hated her for ruining her grandfather's life, making the legendary William Fletcher, quite possibly the greatest pro wrestler to ever set foot in the squared circle, succumb to madness in the years prior to his death.
That and Odessa did have a thing for Billy. Courtney might have claimed to have moved on with her life, not that Rowan was buying it. She acted like she was all in love with her twenty-one year old boy toy boyfriend, but it didn't take an aura reader to see the chemistry anytime Courtney and Billy were in the same room.
It amazed Rowan how calmly Dinera dealt with her rival in both life and death. If anyone had a reason to hate Odessa, it was Dinera. William had carried on behind her back with Odessa and even produced a child with him, Rowan's mother, all while he was still married to Dinera.
The old witch brandished her ruby encrusted pentacle. "Odessa, you are not welcome here, be gone."
"Demon be gone," Rosette said, waving her own silver pentacle pulled from the heft of her massive breasts.
"I'm no demon," Odessa said, her form already wavering.
"Get the hell out of here." Courtney's voice shook with rage as she grabbed her pentacle pendant.
"You'd better split," Bianca added.
Since Rowan's own grandmother was paying more attention to the brat princess than her own flesh and blood, she decided to join in, clutching her own ruby pentacle. "See ya later, Odessa."
"See how strong we are when our powers converge." Dinera smirked as Odessa vanished into nothingness. "Rowan dear, as you now well know it was Rosette's cousin who's spirit stepped in to assist your mother as she gave birth to you. Without Carmella's presence I don't think you would have made it out of poor Amalie's belly alive."
"Hello, we have a five year old child in our midst," Courtney said.
"Since when did you get any morals?"
"Rowan." The way Dinera said her name, she knew it was best to zip it on the Courtney bashing. "Winter Solstice is not the time, nor the place, to air our petty differences."
"It's the shortest day of the year," Tabitha said. "Zette told me the story while mommy was working out."
"You are correct little one." Dinera pulled her close. "From this day forward we shall practice our magick as one coherent unit."
"Sisters of the craft," Rosette said. "Our different paths blended for the good of all."
"Bond by blood and our sacred mother above," Dinera said.
"I'm in," Rowan said and Bianca nodded in agreement.
"Neither I nor Tabitha will give up the Dalton name," Courtney said. "I'm not down with being a DeFliehr...at least not yet."
"But mommy, I wants to be a DeFliehr," Tabitha whined.
"You are dear," Dinera said. "It's DeFliehr blood that flows through your veins and when you turn eighteen you can legally take the name, just as Rowan did."
"Cool." The little girl beamed.
"Then it is settled."
Like any of them were going to say no to Dinera. The old woman had a way of bespelling even the most powerful of people in her presence.
"I have gifts prepared to celebrate our bond." Dinera looked to Rosette. "Will you pass out the presents?"
Rosette went into the kitchen and returned with tiny red velvet gift boxes that she passed to each of the women. Each box held a sterling silver bracelet with a dangling pentacle charm centered by a perfectly cut rounded diamond.
"We shall wear these bracelets on our left wrists any time we need to merge our powers for the good of our coven." Dinera announced as she helped Tabitha fasten her child sized bracelet around her tiny wrist.
"Pretty," she said, holding her wrist for all to admire.
"Mamman Merci might not be able to join us here tonight, but I gave her one of the bracelets before I left New Orleans."
"Then she is here with his in spirit," Rosette said. "My great aunt need not appear in her physical form to infuse our coven with her immense power."
"Now we shall cast or circle and celebrate this special day." Dinera led the way to a fire pit in the center of the yard.
Rosette bent to light the cinnamon incense sticks and white pillar protection candle before they all joined hands. Tabitha and Rowan on each side of Dinera. Rowan took Bianca's hand, Courtney took Tabitha's and Rosette joined them grasping Courtney's and Bianca's hands to form the circle.
"Our littlest witch shall say a blessing." Dinera gave Tabitha an encouraging smile.
"May our powers be one as we honor our creator, our sacred Goddess. Lady of the moon and horned hunter of the sun. May the powers of the stars above and the earth below, bless this place, this time and all amongst us."
"Beautifully done." Dinera absolutely beamed. "Now Rowan, you shall light the candles to honor God and Goddess."
Rowan broke the circle to light the gold and silver candles from the flame of the white protection candle.
Stepping back into the circle she took Dinera's and Bianca's hands. "We sorrow not when the world is wrapped in sleep. We sorry not when icy winds blast. We sorrow not when snow falls hard and deep. We sorrow not as this too shall pass."
Rosette stepped up to the fire pit to light the Yule Log by igniting the remains of last year's log with a taper of the protecting candle.
When the flames leapt from the log she sang, "I light this fire in your honor, Mother Goddess. You have created life from death. Warmth from cold. The sun shall live once again as the time of light is waxing. Welcome, God of the Sun! Hail Mother of all!"
She stepped back into the circle and after taking Courtney and Bianca's hands they danced around the altar, all of them repeating the chant. "The wheel turns,
the power burns."
Following Dinera's lead, they all sank to the ground to meditate on the sun and the hidden energies lying dormant, not only within the earth, but within themselves.
"Birth is not the start of life, but a continuance," Bianca said.
Courtney continued, "We welcome this time of rest and await the return of the sun."
Once again they followed Dinera's lead in standing and circling the burning Yule log, savoring the spicy cinnamon and strong pine scents that wafted through the air.
Dinera looked up into the cloudless sky. "Great God of the sun, We welcome your return. May you shine brightly upon the Goddess. May you shine brightly upon the earth, scattering seeds and fertilizing the land as well as our deepest and fondest wishes and dreams. All blessings upon you, reborn one of the sun!"
Rosette stepped to the center of the circle to fill the Wassial cup with cinnamon spiced apple cider. Taking the first sip, she said, "I bring to our coven a gift of preparing gris gris and warding away evil spirits."
She passed the cup to Bianca, who took her sip and said, "I offer my healing hands and blessed gift of Reiki."
Rowan took the cup, drinking down the chilled cider, "I offer my gift of candle magick."
Dinera took the cup from her, sipping delicately from the gold rimmed chalice. "I offer my wisdom and lifetime study of the craft." She took another sip. "In Mamman Merci's behalf Rosette and I both offer up her knowledge of potions."
Tabitha took a sip from the cup and wiped at her mouth, "I have the gift of seeing those who have passed, Pretty Witch, Pap, Vlad, MeMe and when Mamman Merci crosses over I will let her speak through