* * *
The Witching hour is now upon us. Literally.
It’s time to invoke the spirit through a conjuration ritual, and Gram explained what she needs us to do. She even wants us to wear these scary, black ceremonial robes so it can be as by-the-book as possible.
We gather in the sunroom, taking our respective assigned places.
Gram is on Pap’s right, then Ash, Dhelia, Dru, Aunt Morgan, Aidan, and then me at Pap’s left. Gram and I move further behind Pap’s bed so we can form a full circle around him.
A case of the shakes runs rampant throughout my body.
At the foot of Pap’s bed, we watch as Gram places an altar to perform the healing ceremony. Atop the altar she lays the Moon family’s Book of Shadows; a pewter Pentacle, which represents the earth; a silver Athame for air; a wooden wand encrusted in gemstones for fire; a silver Chalice for water; as well as white candles, incense, a silver plate, and an envelope of various herbs which reads, Health for Samuel Crawford on the front.
Gram stands tall, elegance, and confidence, radiating from her aquamarine eyes.
Inhaling deeply, she squeezes my hand.
She begins chanting something beyond incoherent, as a fleeting gust of wind blows in through an open window, extinguishing every candle spread throughout the room.
Gram turns in search of matches, but no luck. “Oh, that’s right. I used the last one on the incense.” She looks to Dhelia. “Could you get more, dear?”
Dhelia smiles. “No problem.”
She turns toward the kitchen, but Ash interjects rather abruptly. “Wait! Mind if I try?”
Dhelia nods with a suspicious glint in her eyes.
Ash looks at Gram—winks—then asks her to hold out her palm.
He leans his head down, eyes flashing electric blue as a pack of matches appear in her hand. Out of nowhere.
How friggin’ cool was that?
Dru and Dhelia talk over each other with a thousand questions, but Gram jumps in, “Well done, dear.” She sends my brother and sister a stern look. “Now, where were we?”
I glance over at Aunt Morgan who wears a rather stunned expression on her face. I had a feeling this would happen after the boys told us they found a way to unbind their powers.
I can only imagine what she’s thinking.
Gram goes ahead and lights the candles again while Dru closes the windows.
Now back in their places, Gram says, “Okay. Let’s try this again, shall we?”
She begins calling to the Goddess for power.
“Charge these herbs to aid my spell,
that Samuel Crawford will be well.
That by free will, which shall be blessed,
with total health and happiness.
I ask the Goddess hear my call,
that it may be for the good of all.”
Gram sidles up to the altar and grabs the letter-sized white envelope. She passes it through the flame—then places it on the silver plate to burn.
She then instructs, “Now focus on the smoke and visualize the energy blowing with it towards your pap.”
Once the envelope turns to ash, she begins again.
“I call upon a breath of wind,
empowered by the Spirit of Air.
To carry my spell toward my kin,
and gracefully deliver it there.
By all the power that remains unseen,
shall bind around and in between.
To cause no harm, nor return on me,
as I will, so mote it be.”
We wait for something to happen, but there’s nothing.
The monitor above Pap’s head appears just as it was before we started.
I turn to Gram, but by her frazzled expression, she seems just as confused as I am.
“We did everything perfectly.” She scratches her head. “Where did I go wrong?” She paces around the room more frantic than I’ve ever seen her.
She heads straight for The Book of Shadows, flipping through the pages like a mad woman. “Here we go.” After a few minutes of mumbling, she closes the book and moves back to her place in the circle.
“Okay. I’d like to try something a bit different from my original plan.” She closes her eyes for a second, taking a slow, calming breath. “Now, everyone needs to join hands so we can close the circle. But Instead of us forming the circle around your pap, we’re going to include him in the circle so our power can surge through him. Is everyone still with me?”
She looks around the room at the faces of loved ones so willing to do whatever she asks. As Gram and I grab hold of Pap’s limp hands, everyone nods and join hands to close the circle. She begins again.
“I call upon the Ancient power,
please help us in this final hour.
Idle magic of the Moon family line,
find a way to travel through time.
Come to us and settle near,
the past and present shall unit here.
This mind is trapped and should be free,
As I will, so mote it be.”
As the last words escape her lips, the windows burst open, allowing a violent, howling wind to whip through the room.
Out of nowhere, lightning crashes down in the distance as a tumultuous rain pelts the ground.
“Whatever you do, you cannot break the circle!” Gram yells, lights flickering all around us.
Chaos ensues like a mini tornado.
Books and plants fly off the shelves, smashing to the floor with a vengeance.
The windows angrily careen back and forth, glass shattering against the walls in their wake.
Near deafening noise fills the air, but we hold tight, unable to lift our hands for protection.
A high-pitched noise climbs through the air, becoming one with the bedlam.
“What’s that?” Dhelia shouts, as the painful moaning becomes unbearable to hear.
I attempt to look through the flying debris, hoping to see where it’s coming from. And then it hits me. “Pap!” I scream, his body thrashing on the table before us.
The wind screams like an eerie beast, chills clawing their way up and down my spine.
This can’t be right. Something must have gone wrong. I inch myself closer to Pap, but Gram yells, “Chloe, no! You must not break the circle!”
“I won’t!” I holler.
But I have to get closer. I have to do something to help him.
Still clutching Aidan’s hand with my left, I pull him with me, leaning my body forward on the side of the bed. As Pap’s body convulses, I take my hand holding his, and I push down on his chest to quell the violent, involuntary heaving.
Aidan squeezes my hand, but I can only think about one thing—and one thing only: helping my pap.
As anything that isn’t tied down whips through the air, I lean my upper body down to place as much of my weight on Pap as I can.
The thrashing lessens, but the agonizing sounds coming up from his lungs—tears my heart out—piece by tiny piece.
I lean my forehead down on top of our clasped hands and squeeze—both his hand—and Aidan’s.
“Please, God. Please help him,” I plead.
Tears pour from my eyes with so much force, I can barely make out anything in front me.
Before I know what’s happening, a warm, glowing light appears from under me, growing until it envelopes my entire family. Like a force field.
I lift my head, desperately trying to see through my tears and the pandemonium.
My eyes regain focus, and the first things I see are the mouths of my family, hanging open in complete awe at this unbelievable sight.
As if someone flips a switch, everyone’s eyes light up the exact same electric-blue, when in darkness, glow like sparkling neon lights.
What in the hell is happening?
Chapter 14
THE GEMINI PROPHECY