“I felt fine, though. Well, not now,” I added as she gave me a look. “But when I started, I wasn’t tired or anything.”
“Like I said—it’s more than possible that wherever they are is cloaked with heavy enchantments. Many magical places are. Especially places where dark magic is performed.”
I closed my eyes, reclined on the comfortable couch, and tried to block out her words. My dizziness had eased somewhat, but I still felt like a zombie. If what Ana was saying was true…that they were somewhere that was shielded by magic, then my only option was to wait. Wait and hope that Nicholas would come back to me soon, for however brief a time. If only for a moment. Just long enough to let me know they were okay. That’s all I needed…to know that they were okay.
My eyes wandered over to the table in front of the bookshelf where the Book of Shadows was perched on a simple wooden stand.
“Ana, what do you know about Spirit Walkers?”
Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Why do you ask?”
“Sophie and Lily think I am one,” I replied hesitantly. I didn’t know where my unease in confiding in her was coming from. Perhaps I was still bristling at her branding Nicholas as “Dark” and Justin as “Complicated”. But Ana was the closest thing to a mother I had. She was my grandmother after all. My blood. My magical blood. If I couldn’t trust her, who could I trust?
“And why do they think that?”
Crap. How was I going to explain to her why they would think that without revealing the depth of my involvement with Nicholas? Obviously she was determined to dislike him.
I didn’t know if it was the fatigue that made me lower my defenses, or if Ana really had slipped some sort of truth potion into my tea. But soon I found myself telling her everything about my nocturnal encounters with Nicholas from start to finish—with the exception of the Isle, which I just referred to as a ‘park’.
She stood up, her hand to her throat, and began pacing. “Oh my…oh my.” Finally, she returned to the couch. She seemed unsure what to do with herself or what to say. I’d never before seen her thrown off like that, and under any other circumstances I would’ve been quite alarmed. But now, I didn’t really care. I was just glad the truth was out, whatever the consequences might be.
“So, do you think I am one?” I asked, as she stared at me as if seeing me for the first time. “A Spirit Walker?”
“I…I think that is a very good possibility,” she said, sounding very impressed.
“Is that weird or something? You seem sort of freaked out by it.”
“No. Well, yes. No…I’m sorry; I’m not freaked out, as you say. Just taken by surprise. A Spirit Walker is very rare…very special…and very powerful. Historically, they were always the leaders of the largest covens, because only the strongest and most magically gifted were able to possess that type of magic.”
“Seriously? It doesn’t seem that amazing. It’s just that I have really vivid dreams sometimes. It’s not as cool as flying and definitely not as cool as shimmering.” My dreams with Nicholas, however, were pretty amazing. But I wasn’t going to go into that.
“On the contrary. Both of those only involve manipulation of the physical body on the physical plane. What you are doing—what you can do, which is control your soul and exist on the spiritual plane, as well as remain in the physical—well, that’s nothing short of extraordinary.”
“When you put it that way, it does sound sorta cool. But it still doesn’t seem like any sort of power. I don’t feel like I can control it or anything. It just seems like I’m dreaming. And Nicholas is there too sometimes, dreaming the same thing. But we’re not doing anything.” I blushed at the last part of my sentence. Well, nothing she needs to concern herself with, anyway.
“Believe me, it is a remarkable power—one you are still coming into. With time you will be able to make better use of it.”
I use it just fine already, thank you very much.
She walked over to the Book of Shadows and flipped its pages. “There are some writings on Spirit Walkers in here. I suggest that when you are feeling up to it, you familiarize yourself with as much information as possible.”
I nodded. “I was planning on reading through that during my break. I want to find out as much about my heritage and magical lineage as I can. Sophie and Lily know so much, I feel like…like…”
“Like a novice?” she asked with a hint of a smile.
“I was going to say, ‘like an idiot’, but same thing.”
Ana gave a tinkling laugh. “Calista darling, you’ve only known about your true identity for a few months. Lily and Sophie were raised in the Craft. No one expects you to be an expert overnight.”
“But still, I have a lot a catching up to do.”
Ana nodded. “You do. And you’re right—reading through our family’s Book of Shadows is an excellent place to start. But make sure you learn more about Spirit Walkers before you return to school. You don’t want to find yourself wandering off in the middle of class one day!”
I gave her a chagrined smile. “I don’t sleep during school time, Ana.”
She winked. “Of course you don’t, dear. But Spirit Walkers are able to leave their bodies and go anywhere at any time… not just when they happen to be asleep.”
Chapter 4. Shadows
The next few days dragged by. School was out until after the New Year, and Christmas was still almost a week away. The days were mine to do with as I pleased. Unfortunately, the only thing I wanted to do was see Nicholas again. But so far that hadn’t happened, during the day or at night. With Sophie off visiting her grandparents in Lake Tahoe, and Lily spending practically every waking hour rehearsing for the big holiday pageant, I was left with a lot of free time. Too much free time.
I made an effort to fill up my days as best I could. My morning and evening jogging sessions on the beach became longer and longer. I made daily visits to the Looking Stone to search for any sign of Justin or Nicholas, always leaving exhausted and disappointed. I studied sections of the Book of Shadows, searching in vain for any information that could prove useful. I practiced a few simple spells from the Book and even tried inventing some new ones. But they didn’t work. I used levitan to arrange and re-arrange my room several times and to clean up the kitchen when Dad wasn’t there. I was getting better—today I only broke two glasses and a small plate.
But now I was about ready to jump out of my skin. I didn’t know if stir crazy was the right word, but I felt the desperate need to do something…anything…other than sit around like a helpless bystander. Not knowing was driving me insane.
There was a light drizzle outside as I skipped up the cobblestone path from the homey cottage toward Ana’s sprawling mansion. And they say it never rains in California. I smiled. But unlike the oppressive humidity that had saturated the skies of Louisiana, here the air felt good, the rain refreshing — crisp and clean on my skin.
I lightly tapped on the kitchen door as I entered. As usual Delilah, Ana’s chef, was preparing something scrumptious. Even though I’d just stuffed myself on three cheese danishes and a huge bowl of cinnamon oatmeal, my mouth watered at the smell of freshly baked bread in the oven, and sweet bacon sizzling on the grill.
“Mornin’, Dee,” I greeted the portly, black-haired woman.
She nodded gruffly and subtly raised a thick eyebrow. “You still looking for your boyfriend up there?”
I glanced away sheepishly. Something in her tone implied she didn’t entirely approve.
“Yeah, but I’m also studying the Book of Shadows. Learning about our history and stuff,” I replied, a bit defensively. I didn’t want her to think my whole world revolved around finding Nicholas and Justin…even if for now, it kind of did.
“Hmph. That’s good.”
“Ana here?”
“In the sunroom having her early tea.”
Of course she is.
Dee wiped her hands on her apron, grabbed a small white canister off the counter, and handed
it to me. “Here, you can take this. Made it for you special.”
I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. “What is it?”
She gave a toothy grin. “Fresh hot chocolate. My favorite recipe, passed down from me grand-mere. Just in case you were growing tired of drinking tea all the time.” She winked and turned back to her kneading.
I stared at her back for a few moments in surprise, then slowly unscrewed the lid. A warm, rich, chocolaty aroma engulfed my senses. I gingerly took a sip, and my eyes widened. “Oh my God. Dee, this is the most amazing thing I have ever tasted in my life! Ever. If they gave out hot cocoa awards, this would win, hands down.” I eagerly took a few more sips.
“Tole you. It’s my favorite. Maybe I’ll make it more often,” she said over her shoulder.
“I’d really like that. Thanks.”
“Think nothin’ of it.”
I screwed the cap back on and headed through the parlor toward the back of the spacious house. “Good morning, dear,” Ana greeted me as I entered the sunroom. “I was just thinking about you. I’m going into town to do some more Christmas shopping. Would you like to join me?” I unscrewed the canister and poured some of the hot chocolate into a white teacup. Ana’s eyes crinkled as she added, “Ahh, I see Dee has herself another convert.”
I grinned and nodded. “Actually, if you don’t mind, I was hoping to use the Looking Stone and read more in the Book of Shadows today. I came across something really interesting yesterday, something about the witch hunts in Europe. Last year I read The Crucible, so I thought that only twenty or so people had ever been killed for being witches—”
Ana gasped and set down her tea cup, her hands quivering. “Twenty or so people?” she repeated. “Oh my dear…oh, no. Oh, no…” Her voice cracked and trailed off. She pressed her lips together, and for a minute I was sure I’d said something very wrong.
“Ana, what is it?”
She sighed and shook her head. “Nothing you need to concern yourself with at the moment. It’s too sad…too heartbreaking.”
“But I want to know,” I pressed. “If it’s about us…about witches…it involves me too, doesn’t it? I’m trying to learn as much about our history as I can, but you can probably explain it better than that big ol’ book with its weird, teeny-tiny print.” I had come across these particular witch hunts purely by accident during my research of the Gypsy Witch-Hunter curse, and had been both horrified and fascinated by what I’d read.
Ana poured herself another cup of tea and slowly took a sip. Several moments passed, and I had begun to think she wasn’t going to answer. Then she gave a deep sigh and set down her mug. She stared at her hands, folded in her lap.
“Our history is very old—and it is also very tragic. One of the most dreadful acts that humans have ever inflicted upon themselves was caused by a fear. This very real fear, flamed by ignorance, hatred, and lies, spread throughout the world for more than two hundred years. During that time, several hundred thousand people were executed for being witches.”
I gasped. “What?! That’s impossible!”
She nodded grimly and gazed out the window to the misty coastline. “I’m afraid it’s true. In fact, that piece of our history isn’t very secret. I have many books on the European and African witch hunts you can read if you wish. So does our local library. If you’re handy with a computer, you can find all the information you need.”
“No, it’s okay…I-I believe you,” I replied shakily. As fascinated as I was, spending my day reading about the murders of hundreds of thousands of witches wasn’t exactly my idea of a good time. But still, I wanted to know more. “How were so many Venuchi caught and killed? Why didn’t they use their powers to defend themselves?”
Ana sighed again. “Because, not one of those people who were caught and killed for being a witch actually was a witch. They were all innocent people murdered for any number of reasons.” Her aqua eyes glistened. “There was even an actual book, the Malleus Maleficarum… “The Hammer of Witches”…which was a treatise promoting the wholesale execution of anyone thought to be a witch. The saddest part was, it sanctioned the persecution, torture, and killing of countless innocent people, mainly females, simply because they were different, or couldn’t pass some impossible tests, or were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“Why have I never heard of this before?” I whispered.
Ana gave me a sad glance. “Well, I presume until very recently witchcraft wasn’t really on your radar. And it’s not something they usually teach in the schools.”
“Well, it seems like it should be,” I mumbled. “They were mostly after women?”
She nodded her head. “Sadly, yes. If she was old, unattractive, had a certain mental condition, physical deformity, or maybe just behaved in a manner that was unbecoming of a respectable female at the time, she could be accused of witchcraft. And just the simple act of accusing was practically the same as a death warrant.”
“That seems so unfair.”
“The world can be a very cruel place. That’s why it is important to know history. Those who don’t are doomed to repeat it.”
“Well how did it finally stop?” I asked.
“The Venuchi knew they had to do something to end the senseless slaughter of so many innocent people. They tried for years to protect those who were in danger, and at great risk of exposing themselves. But the Venuchi numbers were small; there was, and still is today, only about one of us for every million humans. It was impossible for them individually to stop the madness. So they devised a desperate plan.”
“What?” I asked, now on the edge of my seat.
“Every single Venuchi from all over the world, young and old, participated in casting a spell…the most powerful spell that ever was. It was done over the three nights of the full moon, during the summer solstice.”
“A spell? What kind of spell?”
“Essentially, its purpose was to convince the world that the Venuchi—that witches with magical powers—did not exist, and anyone who actually thought they did would be viewed as a madman. As a lunatic.”
“Did it work? Did the killings stop?” I asked, holding my breath.
“For the most part, yes. The persecutions subsided, with some exceptions. And to this day, few know for certain that we walk among the humans as ordinary people. The idea of magical witches is considered nothing more than fantasy, or the delusions of madmen.” She smiled.
“That’s true,” I agreed. “It’s like saying vampires and werewolves and demons are real. People would think you were nuts.”
“Yet, at the same time, there is a universal collective consciousness that acknowledges the idea of them, and of us. Somewhere deep within their psyche humans suspect the truth, and we must do everything in our power to keep that truth hidden from them. For their own sake,” she added sternly. “That is why we repeat the spell every year during summer solstice. To keep our secret and to keep humanity safe from destroying itself.”
I sat back in my seat and cocked my head to the side. “Wait, what? Are you saying the spell gets repeated every year? Why?”
Ana slowly refilled her cup and took a sip, her eyes downcast. “Because the magic of a spell lasts only as long as the caster is alive. Since death is a natural part of life, we must renew the spell every year to make up for the ones we have lost, and to allow for the new voices to join in protecting our world and keeping it safe.”
I thought a moment. “Wow. So does that mean next summer I’ll get to participate as well?”
Ana nodded, her eyes fixed on me curiously.
“What is it?” I asked after a moment. Something was making her uncomfortable…nervous.
She shook her head and rose to her feet. “I just hadn’t planned on starting the day off on such a sad note. So—” She smiled brightly. “Are you sure you don’t want to come with me to get presents for everyone?”
Although it probably would’ve been fun, I was dead set on reading the Book of Shadows and tr
ying to find Nicholas. I shook my head. “Thanks, but I’m going shopping with Dad tomorrow. Don’t know if I can take two days in a row of the Christmas crowds.”
“Then I suppose I’ll just have to drag Delilah with me. Actually, I could do worse. She has extraordinary taste, I must admit.”
Together we made our way into the parlor, and Ana veered toward the kitchen as I headed up the long, spiral staircase.
“And by the way, they are real,” she called out just as I was rounding the corner.
I stopped. “Huh? What’s real?”
Ana smiled at me and winked.
“Vampires, werewolves, and demons, of course.”
*****
Despite the thick layer of gloom that blanketed the grounds outside, the windows of the magical third floor room cast its contents in a multitude of bright colors and sunny lights. The room itself even felt warmer than the rest of the house. I wondered why.
Maybe it was because of me. Maybe I just felt so connected to the power of magic when I was in this part of the house, everything felt more intense. I’d been coming up here every day since Nicholas and Justin left, and every day I left disappointed at not being able to see them in the Looking Stone. But I was fascinated with what I’d found in the Book of Shadows. If it weren’t for the fact that the voluminous text was massively huge, I’d probably carry it around with me everywhere, to read whenever I had a free moment. But unfortunately, it was all I could do to move it from its place on the altar over to the soft leather couch against the wall. I didn’t even trust myself to try moving it with levitan for fear of dropping it and damaging the ancient leaves.
I set the velvet book on my lap and carefully thumbed through the pages. I had to admit, I was more than a little intimidated by the ancient manuscript, with its many texts written in fragile, tiny design. Just by running my fingers over the fragile parchment, I was able to feel the rich history of the words written within…the power behind them…the unrivalled force of the universal magic…and that I somehow belonged to it. It was an awesome feeling, and one that scared me more than a just a little.