Sacrifice in Blood

Chapter 4: Defensive Magic

"Well crap." I said, breaking the silence that had fallen between Ava and I.

I had encountered, helped and managed to piss off a vampire from one of the most famous and powerful ancient families. "I take it this isn't a good thing..." I joked, laughing nervously.

"Leina, if that guy really is a part of the Ravenswood family you are lucky to be here...alive. I've heard horrible things about what that family does to humans and witches - and their own kind for that matter," Ava said, her brow creased in worry.

"Well what do we do? Is there anything we can do?" I said heart racing, my mind conjuring up nightmarish images of the guy coming back to finish me off; an army of evil, malicious vampires marching behind at the family's command.

"These books don't have much about vampires in them," Ava said slowly, "I think we need to tell the rest of the coven and ask for their guidance. They'll know what to do." I nodded trying to calm my frantic brain and heart rate. My previous concerns over what my coven would think were irrelevant now. We were in serious trouble if there was a vampire from the Ravenswood family here, in Woodcreek of all places!

I looked at the Ravenswood crest again - hoping that maybe I had missed a detail and been wrong, that it wasn't what I saw, but I knew deep down this was the one.

There wasn't much more to be done but wait until we could talk to the circle. Luckily we were having a meeting tonight.

I turned the page and looked at another family crest, hoping to lighten the mood. "This one looks less sinister," the shield was orange with a purple stripe design. I read out the motto: "sic gorgiamus allos subjectatos nunc...Oh - um." I shut the book and laughed nervously.

"What? What does that mean?" Ava said impatiently.

"We gladly feast on those who would subdue us." I translated, biting my lip. Ava's eyes widened in horror.

"Ok no more of this!" Ava said, grabbing the book and throwing it to the side. "No more vampire talk until the meeting tonight!"

**

Ava and I reached the circle meeting just as they were starting. We had taken the long way through town, the street lamps illuminating our path along the road, not wanting to cut through the woods lest we encounter something unfriendly. It was a warm night, I had opted for a summer dress and denim jacket. We joined the group in our places in the circle around the altar. Not a second later, our leader, Bridget started drawing up the scared circle, calling on the elements and then the God and Goddess to join us. Witches honour a Goddess and God equally; Mother Nature and the Horned Hunter of the Night. We couldn't interrupt now, we would have to wait until after the ritual was over.

I looked around at my coven, thirteen of us, as according to the traditional number of witches in a coven, both men and women. We had gathered at Bridget's house, standing in one of the paddocks that made up the land she owned, the waxing Gibbous moon shining above. Being outside made it easier to attune with nature.

I felt my body relax as the ritual progressed. Tonight we were combining our energies to do a healing spell for one of our members, Charlie, whose sister was really sick.

Safe within the circle, all thoughts of the current distressing situation left my mind. All there was, was the elements and the God and Goddess.

*

It wasn't until Bridget had thanked the elements and Goddess and God and closed the sacred circle that I felt my worry begin to creep up on me again. I looked across the circle at Ava, looking for reassurance as to spill my story now or not. She nodded quickly, fiddling with the hem of the dress she was wearing, nervously.