Here there be witches, p.24
Here There Be Witches, page 24
He fidgeted with the bucket handle, not looking her in the eye. “Does that mean what I think it does?”
Alexa nodded her head slowly. “It’s time.”
He raised his head, meeting her eyes. “Are you sure?”
She nodded again.
“Where will you go?”
She shrugged. “I’m hoping that’s what Ravi is here to help me with. I’ve got to make sure Iris and Hattie are safe.” Her breath hitched. “Serves me right.”
He tilted his head. “What do you mean?”
“I asked for a sign if I was close to finding them. Careful what you wish for, right?” She let out a sigh. “I’m sorry.”
Jack kicked the dirt next to his boot. “I understand. I just wish we had more time.”
“Me too.” Alexa rushed to his side. “I’d never leave if it were up to me.”
He dropped the bucket and wrapped his arms around her. “Should I come with you?”
She gave her head a shake. “I need to do this on my own.”
He swallowed hard. “When are you going?”
She shrugged. “Not sure. Maybe in the morning.” She squeezed him tightly and nuzzled her head in the crook of his neck. “If I put it off any longer, I may never go.”
*
Jack stoked the fire then joined Alexa in bed. He picked up the sketchpad she’d been staring at for the past half hour.
“Have you taken up drawing?” he mused, studying the illustration.
She chuckled. “I hope you don’t mind. I needed to capture my vision quickly, and this was the only paper I could find.”
“I don’t mind,” he said, returning his focus to the drawing. “This came to you in a vision?”
She nodded. “I think it might be where Iris and Hattie are hiding.”
His eyes narrowed, tracing the lines in the sketch, a knowing glint in his eyes.
“Have you seen this before?” Alexa asked, sitting up in bed.
He gave her a nod. “We used to go there in the summers—my brother and me. There’s a cave system running through these woods not too far from this clearing.”
Alexa’s eyes widened. “The cave,” she said, gasping. “That’s where I slept the night before I crossed the river that led me here.”
“You know it?” he asked.
She nodded, happy tears in her eyes.
He crossed the room to his desk and pulled out another sketchpad with older drawings. He flipped halfway through the book and pointed. “Does this look familiar?
“That’s it!” she said, staring at a charcoal rendition of the cave opening she’d crossed through on her way to Jack’s property almost three months ago.
“That’s Saffron Walden in the Cam Valley. I know exactly where you were.”
Her eyes lit up. “So, this meadow isn’t far from that cave opening?”
“About two to three hours if you’re walking.” He ran his finger across the meadow she’d drawn. “If memory serves me correctly, this would be Wimbish Green Meadows.”
“Three hours? That might be about half the time it took me to walk here from that cave.”
“With a bum ankle. You could certainly make better time now that you’ve healed.”
Her face brightened. “That means they aren’t far!” She threw her hands in the air and hung them around Jack’s neck. Hope flooded back into her heart, knowing she could be just a day away from reuniting with her sisters.
“Wimbish Green Meadows,” she muttered. “That sounds familiar.”
“Fairy country,” Jack replied, a smirk on his lips. “So, they say.”
“Kak, kak.” Ravi nudged Alexa’s hand.
Alexa’s eyes glistened as she looked at Ravi, her hands flying to her mouth. “Of course!”
“What is it?”
“They’re with Senna and Sumara.”
“And that is?” he asked, a blank look on his face.
“Two of our coven sisters. Their family’s from there. I knew that place sounded familiar.”
“Have you ever been?”
She shook her head. “Iris and Hattie must have met up with them somehow. None of us have ever been, but the twins fled Broomfield around the first of June. I’m certain they’d still be there.”
“Sounds like they’re safe,” Jack said.
Alexa nodded, all smiles.
Ravi squawked and rubbed his head on the sketchpad.
“What is it?” Alexa asked, laughing.
Ravi nudged his head, stomping his foot by the illustration of the meadow.
“Do you know where this is?”
Ravi’s head bobbed up and down.
“So, that’s where you’ve been,” she said with a smile.
Alexa shot a look at Jack. “I think that may have been where Ravi was before he arrived this morning. He must have located Iris and Hattie first.” She looked back at her familiar. “Can you fly ahead and bring them to this cave?” She pointed to Jack’s illustration.
Ravi’s head bobbed again.
Alexa squealed with delight, petting Ravi on the head. As she ran her fingers over his feathers, images of her coven sisters danced through her mind.
Are there more of us scattered through these woods than I realized?
Ravi tilted his head forward in a gentle nod, nuzzling against Alexa’s palm.
“Thank you, friend.”
Jack chuckled. “I see why you keep this little fellow around.”
Ravi nipped at Jack’s finger.
The corner of Alexa’s mouth twisted. “I’m not sure he appreciated that.”
Jack laughed. “Don’t get me wrong. As long as he watches over you, he’s all right by me.”
Jack stroked Ravi on the top of his head. Ravi tilted his black head toward Jack, his beady eyes glinting.
Alexa jumped out of bed. She grabbed the sketchpad and a shawl, wrapping it around her.
Jack stood up. “Where are you going at this hour?”
Alexa grinned. “To summon the rest of my sisters. Ravi’s just given me the nudge I’ve needed this whole time.”
*
Alexa stood knee deep in the stream and called out to her sisters—those bound by blood and those bound by the loyal vows they’d taken during their initiation years ago. It was time to reunite, and she knew just the place.
With eyes closed, she cast her energy outward, calling to each of her sisters. She latched on to each of their auras, summoning them. She beckoned them to join her under the waxing moon tomorrow night when they would renew their oaths and revive their souls after the trying times they’d endured.
“It’s time, sisters. Come meet me where the caves run through the woods at Saffron Walden, deep in the Cam Valley. Let us cast a sacred circle once more and feel the magic thrumming through us as before. So mote it be.”
Trusting her message had been received, she opened her eyes and returned to the bank where Ravi was basking in the moonlight on the rock where Jack had watched her bathe that first week here.
As much as she hated to leave Jack, she also longed to be one with her coven again, trodding the circle as they had the last time they’d gathered. This had been the longest they had gone without congregating under the moon for a ritual. To survive the hunts, they’d have to stick together. Otherwise, they’d pick them off one by one and attempt to turn them against one another. It was time to return to their roots. Ravi had reminded her of that.
She dried off her legs and penned a note to Ravi’s right leg addressed to Iris and Hattie. He should be able to reach them by sunrise when she would set off on foot to meet them at the mouth of the cave she’d discovered that same day she’d crossed Jack’s path. She hoped her summoning spell would reach the rest of her coven sisters within the area. Most would have gone into hiding. She couldn’t know where they had all landed, but Ravi had somehow kept tabs on most of them. She had to trust he would bring them all together again.
She picked Ravi up, kissing his beak. Ravi chirped happily. She raised her hand into the air, releasing Ravi into the night. “Bring them to the cave by nightfall, sweet friend.”
Ravi took flight, soaring toward the tree line. Soon he’d be deep into the woods and on his way to where Iris and Hattie had found refuge. Alexa prayed for the safety of their upcoming travels. It was always risky when they were on the move, but they couldn’t spend another moment apart. Their magic was the most potent when they all gathered together. And more than that, her heart felt fullest when they were all in the same spot.
Damn these hunts for driving them apart.
Alexa watched Ravi disappear into the darkness, gathering her things and heading back for one last night with Jack. Her heart sank imagining having to say goodbye in the morning.
She found Jack nodding off in bed by the time she’d made her way back home without her familiar. He’d tried to stay up, but dawn was nearing. They didn’t have much time left.
She let her dress fall at the foot of the bed and she crawled under the covers, nuzzling up next to Jack. His eyes opened, a smile crossing his face as he realized she’d returned safely.
She leaned in and ran her hand down the side of his face, memorizing each crease one by one.
Jack’s lips soon found hers. He pulled her in close, holding her tighter than he ever had. “Promise me each night we’re apart that you’ll come to me in my dreams.”
She locked eyes with him, warmth radiating through her entire being.
“Always.” She brushed the hair from his eyes, her fingertips resting gently on his temple. “When you close your eyes, that’s where you will always find me, my love.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
Alexa Wardwell
Saffron Walden Caves, October 21, 1645
Alexa crept through the opening of the cave once more, relieved to be back in its cool embrace. She explored the inner belly of the cavern, enveloped in silence except for the faint beat of the drum she’d tapped into the last time she was here. Her ancestors were still present, offering her a sacred space to reconnect with those who had come before her. They were welcoming her back into their hallowed sanctum.
She smiled, happy to be in their presence once more. She made her way back through the tunnels within the cave, feeling her way in the dark just like last time. Only this time, she knew the way.
Once at the entrance she’d first stepped through a month ago, she poked her head out, surveying the woods around her. She was the first coven member to arrive. Hopefully, her sisters would join her shortly. But she wasn’t going to waste this beautiful moonlight. She meandered through the cave again and dipped her bowl into the cool river on the other side of the caverns.
Allowing the water to settle, she stared at the calm surface and asked her ancestors for a message. Ripples flickered across the river water as images danced to life on the surface. Four figures were making their way through the woods. She knew in an instant it was Hattie and Iris in front and Senna and Sumara following closely behind. She watched her sisters skipping through the trees, holding hands.
Hattie was lightly singing, bringing tears to Alexa’s eyes. Her voice had returned!
She’d prayed night after night that her youngest sister would find a way to heal the deep wounds caused by these hunts and reclaim her voice once again. The state of Hattie’s mind had weighed heavily on Alexa since the hunts began. She’d kept the gory details of these dark times from her sisters over the years, hoping to spare them from the pain headed their way. But she had recently begun to question if that had done more damage. Should she have prepared them more for what was to come?
At the time, she hadn’t had the heart to voice the atrocities she’d seen night after night in her dreams. She and Iris were so close that she often suspected Iris had picked up enough to know the fate that awaited most of them, but she still couldn’t bring herself to speak it aloud. Even through the darkest of days, she’d held onto a sliver of hope that they had some say over their destiny. If not, what was this all for?
*
Hours later, Alexa had settled near the entrance of the cave, awaiting her sisters’ arrival. Her fingers traced the base of the amulet hanging around her neck as she thought about simpler times when she and her sisters had gathered around the hearth making charms for their customers. She longed for those days and wondered if there’d ever come a day when they could practice their craft openly without fear of persecution.
The amulet pulsed, shocking her palm slightly.
She smiled.
Iris and Hattie.
Their energies were closing in, and she could faintly hear Ravi’s call breaking through the night.
A light whistle rode on the wind.
Alexa sat up and whistled back, matching Iris note for note. She climbed down from the edge of the cave’s mouth, where she’d been perched, and waved her hands in the air.
“There you are,” Iris called out, spotting Alexa standing next to the opening.
Alexa smiled. “You made it! I was beginning to worry that Ravi might have gotten lost.”
“As if that would ever happen.” Iris ran up and embraced her. “We took cover a few miles back. A storm blew through. We’d have been soaked through and through if we hadn’t sought shelter.”
“Ah.” Alexa took in the sight of her siblings, as beautiful as ever. She’d missed seeing their bright smiles.
“Don’t ever leave us again!” Iris scolded. “I was never going to forgive you if that was the last time we saw you.” Iris squeezed Alexa tightly.
“I’m sorry.” Alexa chuckled. “Does this mean you’ll stop freezing me out?”
Iris hung her head. “Sorry. You know how I get when I’m angry. Plus, I knew you could always track me through Hattie anyway.”
“Luckily, that’s exactly what I did.” She pulled Hattie and Iris in close again, burying her face in their hair, breathing them in. They smelled of fire, clove, and cedar—the familiar scent of home just as she’d smelled in all her dreams of them over the past three months. She clutched them tightly, afraid they might slip away again.
“And you’re safe?” Iris asked, stepping back, looking at Alexa from head to toe. “You had us worried sick.”
“I’m sorry I worried you both but seems like fate had something else in store for me.” Alexa stifled a smile, Jack’s face flashing through her mind.
Iris eyed Alexa with a quirked brow. “Something’s different.” Her eyes narrowed, tracing the aura surrounding Alexa. “What’s gotten into you?”
Hattie chuckled, giving her sister a knowing glance. “I know that glow. She’s in love.”
Iris cocked her head. “What? How the devil did you manage to fall into the arms of someone in the woods on the run?”
Alexa shrugged. “Destiny, I suppose.”
Iris pouted. “Why can’t I have that kind of luck?”
“I thought you swore love off?” Hattie said, elbowing her in the ribs.
“I did because Alexa had, too, but now I’m rethinking it.”
“Maybe you should,” Alexa teased. “I highly recommend it.”
Iris’ lips curved slightly into a smile. “You must tell me everything.”
“In due time.” Alexa blushed, welcoming Senna and Sumara with an embrace. “Thank you both for taking care of these two.”
“Our pleasure,” Senna replied. “Our mother doesn’t want them to leave. She’s loved the extra help around the house.”
“Dad, too,” Sumara added. “He’s taken with Iris. He finally has someone who listens to his fae stories.”
Alexa smiled, happy they’d landed somewhere safe and had made the most of the situation. She was just relieved to be with them again.
Ravi perched himself on the lip of the entrance.
Hattie took in their surroundings. “Where are we?”
Alexa turned toward Hattie and took her face in her hand. “Sweet sister, this is sacred ground that our ancestors once conjured their magic on.”
Hattie’s eyes grew large as moons.
Alexa laughed. “Wait until you feel the buzz from within. I swear it’s intoxicating.”
Hattie gave an eager smile. “I can’t wait.”
Alexa took her hand in hers and gave it a squeeze. “It’s good to hear your voice again. You should lead our chants when the others arrive. There’s such power in your song, my dear. Never forget that’s what we’re fighting to preserve.” Alexa looked each of her sisters in the eye. “That kind of magic should never be silenced.”
*
In the bowels of the earth, the coven assembled around a small fire, linking hands for the first time in months. The air hummed with a familiar crackle—magic awakening from its long slumber.
Standing in a circle stood Alexa, Hattie, Iris, Senna, Sumara, Alice, and Prudence. Alexa was disheartened to see Muriel and Helena were missing since they’d returned home not far from here back in June. But they’d waited long enough to start the ritual.
Alexa inhaled a deep breath and connected with the energy present in the belly of the cave. Just like before, she sensed the imprint of all those who had walked a similar path in this very spot many moons ago, their wisdom yearning to be discovered again. The ways of their ancestors were woven through the tree roots running under the ground they stood on; they were carried on the wind that rustled the trees just outside the cave; and they danced in the smoke swirling from the fire as they chanted. She and her coven sisters moved rhythmically as one with the crackling of the fire, retreading the footsteps of their ancestors, dancing in tribute to the old ways.
A current shot up through the soles of Alexa’s bare feet. Her eyes sparkled with a recognition of something so familiar that had coursed through her veins long before she knew what it was. The old ways were awakening once more. The air cracked around her, their ancestors’ way of whispering their approval of the ritual they were about to complete tonight. One that was similar to the one Alexa had joined months ago when she’d first stumbled upon this cave.
To the eyes of the uninitiated, their ritual might seem strange, but they moved as one, in sync, allowing the magic to flow through them like their ancestors had before them. Some might say this kind of magic had disappeared—forgotten to time, but deep down Alexa knew better. This ancient magic was still alive and well and always would be as long as there were those souls willing to heed its call. It had never died out. It had settled in the stone in the caves and rooted itself at the base of the trees lining the forest where the witches once gathered to draw down the moon. Hidden in plain sight, this ancient magic had endured, waiting for a time when it would be rekindled by a new generation of witches.
