An Enigmatic Witch, page 10
My mind was reeling by now. It was as if she had held a lamp over the murky bits of my mind, the thoughts that I desperately clamped down on because I couldn’t bear for them to be true. But Cate Huxor of all witches had lifted them out of obscurity, held them up and let the moonshine and champagne wash the muck off them and shown them in their own legitimate light.
‘Never mind all that,’ she said, with another sidelong look at me. ‘I’m just an old woman nattering. I really brought you here to talk about you and your future.’
I mentally shook my head to clear those unwanted thoughts out of it, and tried to pay attention to the conversation’s new turn.
‘I can tell you’ve matured a lot since you left,’ she observed. ‘This is a good time for you to choose to return, for there are things happening, things brewing. You can be very useful at this moment in time.’
Choose to return, indeed. I was here solely because she had demanded that I be returned, in order to use me and abuse my friendship with Brin. I wasn’t afraid to reveal to her that I knew the depth of her treachery.
‘Why did you encourage the Kin to send me back home?’
She smiled as if taken aback at my abruptness. ‘You were the obvious choice,’ she drawled. ‘You have an acquaintance within the Elven community, one who is quite enmeshed in the political movement we see rising in the future. The elves are well-known for keeping to themselves, not allowing outsiders in. Who is better placed than you to find out the extent of their work?’
‘To spy on my friend,’ I said flatly. I wasn’t going to let her pretty words disguise what was really required of me.
‘All information is valuable,’ she said softly, then she paused to sip her champagne. ‘Tell me, what do you think of their motives?’
‘Motives?’ I clutched my own glass. How much did she know of the Dark Elf Eldric’s involvement?
‘What they’re requesting. A lifting of the Veil, freedom for all super naturals and even the humans caught behind it.’
The official Kin line was that the Veil was a necessary evil. After all, it profited the Kin, and that was the sole reason for it being put into place in the first place. Anyone who voiced otherwise would be branded a rebel, a misfit, an outcast, and I’d had enough of that to last me all my life. Anything said to Cate, even in the privacy of this secretive maze, anything could and would be used against me, twisted to fit her devious purposes. I chose my words carefully.
‘The Veil keeps the Normals safe from the threat of the super naturals.’
‘Oh well done,’ she replied. ‘That’s straight from the text book, word for word. Quite proper.’
She turned her head, twisting her long neck to look at me. ‘Now. Give me your honest answer,’ she said. ‘You’ve been in Scotland. You’ve seen firsthand that it’s possible for both to live side by side in relative peace. And you’ve seen the conditions behind the Veil here in our little part of North America. I can assure you, you may think it’s horrendous here, but wait until you visit New Orleans. Middle America. The Florida swamps.’
She leaned in to whisper. ‘Alabama.’
I could feel the softness of her breath on my exposed neck. She didn’t need to expand on her words, for the pictures she suggested sent chills up my spine. Take the worst of the worst in human history, and multiply it by a hundred, and that’s what you’d get behind the Puritanical Veil. I swivelled my head to look right into her eyes.
‘How can we continue to say that this benefits any living creature?’ Her whispers were so quiet as to be almost swallowed up by the surrounding hedges.
I couldn’t believe that this was Cate sitting here next to me, speaking such forbidden thoughts aloud. Cate, hardened, vicious Cate, the scion of a line who had benefitted more than most from the Veil. She was bordering on treason right now, and taking a big chance speaking these words to me. I was no longer a nobody, a despised half-blood, I was now Dara Martin de Teilhard, latest favorite of the Kin, someone who was going places. And if I chose to turn her in, well...
She leaned back against the stone bench. ‘I know you are sympathetic to their cause. As am I.’
We sat in silence for a couple of minutes. I had to let this sink in. Cate would have no reason to lie to me, but where was she going with this conversation?
‘You are in a unique position,’ she continued at last. ‘To help this groundswell of movement, to bring about lasting changes in the way things are done. To change the very course of history. This can be done without bloodshed.’
But it wasn’t just a popular movement, as she seemed to think. Eldric was heavily involved and that would not auger well for a peaceful transition. How much did she know? How much could I tell her? How much should I tell her?
I swallowed. ‘I thought the Kin were in talks already with the super naturals about lifting the Veil.’
She laughed. ‘Yes, and you know that will take years, decades, even longer before anything changes. We need to act now, to help the movement achieve its goals.’
I made up my mind. Even if this was Cate and we’d never had a happy history, it felt right at this moment, and I wanted this burden lifted from me, but still I spoke cautiously, feeling her out. ‘It’s not just the super naturals who live in town, you know. There are others involved.’
Cate became still. ‘You mean Eldric,’ she said softly, her voice carrying only as far as my ears.
I nodded. She knew already. ‘So I’ve heard.’
‘Yes,’ she said as if reading my mind. ‘Eldric. I’ve been in contact with him, and despite his rather overbearing manner, he does not have a fullscale rebellion in mind. Not, that is, if he can achieve his ends in a more peaceful manner.’
Thank God I didn’t have to confess to the two meetings of Eldric myself. I could keep that a secret, for no one needed to know the extent of my involvement. But that relief was short lived.
‘I know you have met with him,’ she said, still under her breath. ‘And I also know you haven’t told a soul, not Jon at any rate. And I believe that is for the good.’
She drew a deep breath then continued. ‘You see, Eldric’s involvement could be... misconstrued in the eyes of the Kin. And your silence about those meetings with him, well, that could also be misinterpreted by those who don’t hold you in esteem, your enemies, and despite your acceptance into the Kin, don’t fool yourself. You have many.’
I lifted my eyes to meet hers straight on, hardly believing my own daring. ‘And you, Cate? Do you count yourself among them?’
There was no guile in that perfect face. ‘We’ve had our differences,’ she said slowly. ‘But that was not of your doing. I believe we are united in this common cause.’ She smiled, such a sweet unexpected expression on her porcelain perfection, yet it was tinged with pain.
‘I can only ask, no, beg of you, do not breathe a word of Eldric to Jon in your reports. I, more than anyone, know the ways of the Kin. If they find out you’ve been consorting with the likes of the Dark Elves, even in the line of duty, then your very tenuous position will topple. The future you dream about will become ashes, even with Hugh by your side. And along with this will fall everything we’ve built so far.’
She reached out and took my hand. I visibly flinched at the coolness of her touch, yet she lingered, her gaze insistent.
I nodded dumbly, for I recognized the truth in her words. I’d been an outcast from the Kin for too long to truly, deep down, believe in their total acceptance of me, and the worms of self-doubt had burrowed inside me for too many years for them to be fully excised. My shoulders sank. ‘But, what will I put in the report for Jon?’
‘You need only tell him of what has passed between you and your friend Brin. He won’t be looking for anything further, he doesn’t expect much else. Be honest with the information you give him, just omit any mention of Eldric or your visit to Rhovan. What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.’
She smiled and stretched then, gracefully got to her feet, and I stood up too. Glancing behind us, she reached back down to the bench. ‘Your phone,’ she said. It flashed to life with the movement. Her face twisted into a smile when she looked upon the photo of Hugh and me taken in a more innocent time. Had it been less than two weeks ago? ‘Can’t be without that.’
I took it back without a word, concentrating on avoiding her cool touch.
‘So,’ she said, quirking an eyebrow at me. ‘The Venerable Nachtan. Learning lots?’
‘Theory. Lots of the theoretical aspects,’ I said through gritted teeth. ‘Which is the necessary basis of everything, right?’
She laughed, that silvery tinkle like the moonlight itself. ‘Come round to the house sometime. I think I have some practicalities to show you, to help you navigate your future within the Kin. It’s not things you’ll learn from the textbooks, believe me. You deserve that much.’
I stopped short and turned to her. ‘What?’ I blurted out before I thought. This single word was not a request for further information but an expression of disbelief. Had I heard correctly, an offer of assistance from my hither-to dreaded enemy Cate?
But she took my question at face value. ‘Politics,’ she answered decisively. ‘The ways of the Kin.’
‘Not magic, then?’
She shook her head. ‘There’s little I could teach you in that respect, although... But it’s a harsh, cruel and cold world out there, and you’ll need a map to get you through.’
‘Really? You’re offering to help me, without making demands on me?’ My voice was flat, the disbelief still present. Not even Margaret Forsythe, the witch I’d come to look upon as my mentor, not even she was willing to do that. No, Meg had demanded I leave everything I held dear in return for her tutelage.
Cate faced me. The moon was at her back, so all I could pick out was her outline and the diamonds in a shower across her hair. ‘I know you recognize the importance of keeping quiet, about Eldric, about us meeting in this manner. The Kin have wronged you in so many ways, Dara,’ she said softly. ‘I will try to make it all up to you. You are, after all, our future.’
She led me out of the maze without another word.
10
‘Where have you been all evening?’ Mom broke off the dance, leaving her partner as she skipped over to the French door. I had just entered by myself, Cate having slipped off after we’d exited the maze. She hugged me. ‘Ooh, you’re chilly.’
She in contrast felt warm, almost feverish in her gaiety. This was perhaps her evening even more than mine, and she had every right to be ecstatic. After all those years, her and Dad were now officially ‘out’, he’d presented them as a couple in front of all the Kin at this oh so important social occasion.
‘Yeah, I was out in the garden,’ I said, still dazed from my encounter with Cate and our conversation.
‘I’m so glad you’re getting re-acquainted with people.’
I gave a start. How could she know? But then a few of Sasha’s friends came through the doors behind me, and I relaxed. She thought I was bothering with those idiots. Well, I’d let her continue to think that. She wouldn’t be too happy to know I’d spent the past hour speaking with Cate.
‘How is your night going?’ I asked her as I linked arms and drew her back into the ballroom.
Mom giggled, high on champagne and love and her apparent acceptance into the Kin. She didn’t see the occasional lowered brow or frown sent her way behind her back, but I did. I’d been attuned to this for so long, it was second nature to me to be aware of threats from all angles. After all, I’d been a half-blood witch who’d successfully lived through high school with the Kin kids.
I was a survivor.
‘You haven’t danced yet! How can you not dance at your first ball?’ Without warning, she pulled me onto the floor and attempted to sweep me into the waltz. But she hadn’t reckoned on my complete lack of internal rhythm and inability to place my feet into the accepted movement of the dance. That was one big difference between us. I’d never learned to move my body smoothly to music, at least not to match with another person. Guess I’d always had a different drummer beating in my head.
I couldn’t take a step without squashing her elegant sandals, and we lasted no more than a couple of minutes on the floor, before she collapsed, giggling at the pair of us.
She took my arm as she led me back out of the center. ‘No matter, there’s time enough to learn. But it looks like the dining room is open now,’ she said. ‘I’m starved! Let’s go see what kind of spread the Kin have for us.’
Before we could approach the food, however, my father intercepted us, smiling at Mom’s exhilaration. He took my other arm and hooked it around his own elbow. ‘You’ll eat later, Dara. It’s time for the service now.’
Mom screwed up her face. ‘Oh, Jon, does she have to? I was looking forward to showing off my gorgeous daughter to the Abernathy’s.’
‘Nothing is compulsory,’ he said, and turned to look at me. ‘But I think it would be a good idea. To show your allegiance to the Kin, to prove you’re committed to the ideals.’
‘This is the first I’ve heard about any kind of service.’ I looked around the large ballroom. The majority of the dancers were flowing towards the dining room where I could see vast quantities of every kind of food laid out on linen topped tables. There was another large door opposite the one where the food was held. It too was open, but it was dark inside and few were giving heed to it.
‘Not everyone attends,’ he noted. He shot a glance towards Sasha and her crowd. By the looks of them, they’d already imbibed more than their share of champagne, and were loudly pushing through the crowd to be the first to get to the delicacies on offer. At least they’d temporarily forgotten about terrorizing me. The lines round his mouth tightened just a little. ‘It’s a sign of respect, to give thanks for all we have. I’d like you to come this first time. You can decide afterward if you choose to attend again.’
I got the message loud and clear, and I pulled myself up a little straighter and let go of Mom’s grasp. ‘I think I should, Mom, just to see.’ And finally, at last, for the first time in my life, I had the chance to be the good daughter, the one who did what was expected of her, the one Jon could be proud of. My heart was thudding in my ears. I finally had the chance to win his approval.
‘Me too?’ Mom asked.
He shook his head gently. ‘Sorry, Marian. Only Kin witches.’
She breathed a sigh of relief and leaned over to kiss my cheek. ‘Thank God for that. See you later, sweetie. I’ll save some of the best dishes for you, I promise.’ And she floated off in the direction of the dining room.
Me and Dad looked at each other for a moment, then he smiled. ‘Come on,’ he urged, leading me toward the darkened doorway opposite.
I held back a little. I’d never been to a service before in my life, for neither Mom nor my aunt were Christians, and both had refused to allow me to enter the hallowed grounds of churches. I had no idea what to expect. ‘What is this all about?’
‘Like I said, it’s a service to give thanks,’ he answered. ‘There are some who think this is an outdated anachronism, superstition if you will. I’m afraid the Solstices and Equinoxes have downgraded into an excuse to party four times a year, but there was a time... A time when the Kin understood their position in the world, and they respected that a far greater power than any individual was behind the very essence of life, and I still believe it behooves us to recognize this.’
He watched then as a food fight broke out in the dining hall, some teenagers throwing buns and hors d’oevres for the hell of it. No adult was checking their behavior, and his mouth tightened again. ‘If nothing else, it keeps us humble.’
‘Will I... will I be expected...?’ I wasn’t quite sure how to express my fear. From watching TV and movies, I knew that services often entailed responses and singing, the participants already knowing their parts. I was afraid I was going to stand out, look like an idiot for my ignorance.
He grinned. At me, with me and I melted inside. It had been so long since we’d been alone together and not screaming at each other. I felt at that moment I would do anything to keep that smile on my father’s face as he looked at me.
‘You’ll be fine. No one’ll be expecting anything from you.’ He drew me inside the open doorway, and then it shut behind us. All sounds of the ball and music and laughter were immediately cut off.
‘It’s called the Drawing of the Moon,’ he whispered in my ear. ‘It’s not the main ceremony, that’s just for Elders, later on this evening. This is a simple service, but I hope you feel it.’
It wasn’t so dark in there, not when my eyes adjusted to the different level of light. Sconces burned all around the dark panelled walls, they appeared to be gas lit, not electric, I could tell by the faint flickers of the flames behind the protective glass globes. They gave off just enough light for me to see the outlines of the space and the people within.
It was a far smaller room than any I’d yet seen in the Temple, but the ceiling rose way above our heads to a circle, which then stretched up like a tube, or a steam ship funnel, to end in a huge circular skylight through which I could make out the Milky Way. The round space we stood in was totally empty of furnishings, no altar or pews.
The few people in attendance were hushed. Dad reached into a closet by the door and handed me a robe, a black silk robe much like that worn by the Elders in Scotland, and I put my arms through it and shrugged it on my shoulders till it was sitting comfortably. Despite the lightness of the fabric, the garment had a heavy weight to it as if years of tradition were woven into the weft of the silk.
I proudly took my place in the circle of Kin with Dad at my side, my back straight and head held high. I was the only one of Jon’s children to attend with him that evening.
The ceremony itself was, as Dad had said, very simple, so much so that even I could participate. At a given moment, the ring of witches began to softly hum, each with a different note according to the pitch of their individual voices and a split second later a sliver of the moon appeared far above our heads. I easily joined into the harmony, letting my voice naturally attune to the others in the fellowship of our single notes.
