Copyright 2013 All Rights Reserved
A Hint of Magic By Claire Chilton
6
The Coven
"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Dora froze when her father's voice bellowed behind her. She wasn't in the best position to answer him as she hung out of her bedroom window, reaching for the drainpipe. Crap!
She slowly glanced back over her shoulder to see a stern expression on his face. His thick white hair was sticking out all over the place. He appeared to have just got out of bed because he was wearing a burgundy dressing gown, crumpled blue pajamas and burgundy slippers. "What?" she asked, composing an innocent expression.
"Where are you going at this time of night?" He ground out, locking his jaw in anger.
"What makes you think I'm going anywhere?" she asked as she pushed herself back through her window.
"You're climbing out of your window!"
"There's a bird caught in the rafters. It was making a lot of noise and woke me up. I was trying to free it." She lied.
Her father frowned for a moment before narrowing his eyes. "Then why are you dressed and wearing a coat?"
Crap! She quickly tried to think of an excuse. "It was cold. What kind of girl would I be if I hung out of my window in my nightwear?"
"What kind of girl are you for wearing things like that?" Her father gestured at her red mini-shirt and black tights. "And your face. Didn't your mother tell you to stop wearing all that black make-up around your eyes? You look like a ..." He appeared lost for words for a moment. "A circus freak!"
She scowled, and anger burned in the back of her throat. She'd been called a lot of things by her father, but of all the small-minded, uncultured and pathetic comments, this one was the most insulting. She scrambled back through her window and jumped onto her carpet with a thud, turning to face him with fire in her eyes. "What the fuck did you just call me?"
His face paled as she stared him down before a spark of anger lit his eyes. "How dare you speak to your father in tha—"
"Father? That's a joke, right? You're not a father. You're a fail preacher with a pole dancer for a wife and shitty TV show as a job. Oh, and let's not forget your demon child."
"Demon!" he cried, waving his cross at her. "Demon get out!"
"Yeah, yeah. It's getting old now. I wish I was a demon because then I could burn your ass straight into Hell." She screamed. "I hate you!"
"Out damned Satan spawn." Her father waved the cross at her as if warding her off.
"My thoughts exactly," she said as she strolled past him and down the stairs towards the front doors."
She heard him race after her. "Where do you think you're going? Get back here."
She opened the front door of the church and turned to face him. "Go to Hell!" She shouted before she stormed out of the church and into the dark streets.
Dora sighed as she walked the dark streets of Berkville, heading towards the magic store. She knew there was going to be hell to pay when she went home. A part of her hoped she'd never have to go home again. Why couldn't I just keep my cool until I was part of the coven? Just two more trials, and I'll be free of my awful parents and awful life. But after years of religious abuse, she'd reached her limit. There's gotta be a better place than this to live in.
Unlike most people, she didn't fear the darkness. There was no danger in it because there were no people in it. Empty streets didn't scare her. Other people were the only danger in this world.
She checked her watch. It was quarter to twelve, nearly the witching hour. She rushed down the alley to the magic store as if it was her last vestige of hope, feeling more determined to join the coven than ever. She raced towards it under the soft glow of a full moon.
The store lit up the dark street, its window beaming a fiery light into the darkness. She ran towards it and came to a halt in the bright glow of a hundred lit candles. She tried to open the door to enter the shop, but it was locked.
She frowned and tried the door again. It was definitely locked. After a moment of confusion, she knocked on the old wood and waited.
There was a grinding sound as a small hole opened in the top of the door, and a pair of sharp blue eyes stared out at her. "Who goes there?" A woman's voice asked.
"Er, Dora," she said.
"What's the password?"
"I don't fucking know," Dora said, feeling frustrated. "I'm supposed to meet Loanda here."
"No password. No entry." The opening slammed shut.
"What? Open the bloody door! Where's Loanda? I want to speak to her."
There was a sound of voices inside the shop. She pressed her ear to the door to try to hear what was being said, but it was muffled by the thick oak. She pressed harder to try to make out the individual words as the door opened, which caused her to fall into the shop with a yelp. She landed on the hard tiles with a groan. She peered up at the six women standing over her. They all wore robes, which shrouded their faces.
She realized that one of the women was Loanda as she pushed off her hood off her head. This time, Loanda was wearing a ruby robe and matching accessories. The woman beside her removed the hood of her dull black robe to reveal a blonde woman with sharp blue eyes. The other four women also removed their hoods, and their eyes were all fixated on Dora.
"Is she the sacrifice?" A brunette witch with doe eyes asked.
"Don't be stupid, Janet. We only sacrifice virgins! She looks as if she's slept with half the football team." The blonde wearing the black robe said.
"Hey!" Dora spoke up. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"
"Yeah, what does that mean, Veronica?" Janet asked the blonde.
"Nice girls don't dress like that," Veronica said with a look of distaste as she scanned Dora from head to toe.
Dora scowled as she scrambled to her feet and faced the blonde. The fact that she was a virgin wasn't something the intended to admit to, but like hell she was going to be labeled by this harpie. "Honey, I wouldn't screw the football team if you paid me. I do have some taste, and inbred jocks on steroids don't do it for me."
"Isn't your son a quarterback?" Janet asked Veronica.
Veronica's face flushed red, and she narrowed her eyes at Dora. "How dare yo—"
"ENOUGH!" A voice boomed behind her. Dora spun around and came face-to-face with an angry Loanda. "Dora is here for her trial, which we must conjure from the ether for her. As Goddesses of the Light, our duty is to help the lost find their way. There will be no petty fighting in the coven. Do you understand?"
"Who made you head goddess?" Veronica scowled at Loanda.
"Er, you did," doe-eye-Janet said to Veronica.
"Janet, will you stop being so fucking literal!" Veronica turned and snapped at her.
"Well, you did," Janet quietly mumbled, lowering her head.
Loanda placed an arm around Dora, leading her away from the bickering witches. "Sister Veronica of the Light is suffering right now. Her inner pain comes out as anger, but do not let it shadow your view of her. She will be herself again soon," she whispered in her ear as she led her into the back room.
Dora glanced back to see the coven following with Janet and Veronica still bickering behind them.
Hundreds of candles lit the stock room. Some were in candelabras, and others were on shelves scattered around the room. The boxes of stock had been covered by black linen. In the center of the room, the pentagram was lit up by the fiery candlelight. She coughed as incense burned, filling the room with perfumed smoke.
"Goddesses of the Light, take your place in the circle." Loanda commanded, and the witches all each stood on a point of the star. "Dora, please stand in the center of the circle." She motioned for her to stand in the center of the pentagram.
Dora walked between Janet and Veronica to stand at the center of the circle and face North. She vaguely remembered where the Twinkie boxes had been even though the room seemed so different since her last visit.
"Join together," Loanda said.
Each witch held their arms out straight, at an angle and held the hands of the people standing on either side of them. Dora suspected that if she looked down on them, she would see them form the shape of a star.
"Lord of the dark, come into the light and show us the way." Loanda chanted, and the witches all chanted with her. "Join with the Earth, and be free once more. Show the magic of life, and let the sin fall away ..."
Dora frowned. It sounded like one of her father's sermons, which she didn't like very much.
"Take our tribute as your own, and guide her to her destiny."
What? I'm a tribute? She shivered and glanced at the chanting witches around her. Dark cowls shadowed their eyes, and their chants were monotone. The smoky room seemed to shimmer as a wave of dizziness passed over her. The smoke appeared to have a green tint to it before the candles all blew out and plunged the room into darkness. She shivered as a cold breeze brushed over her bare arms, and she heard a deep laugh of a male voice.
She spun around in the darkness, trying to pinpoint the direction of the laugh, but it only echoed once before it was gone. A light sparked, and she saw Loanda holding a zippo and lighting a candle with it. More candles were lit all around her as the witches all did the same. "Did it work?" she asked.
"Look to the Earth for your answer," Loanda said.
She glanced down and noticed a wax sealed letter at her feet. She bent over and picked up the burnt parchment, glancing at the name on the front of it. 'Dora' was all it said.
"Ooh, open it!" Janet was bouncing with excitement until Veronica slapped her across the back of her head. "Oww! Whatcha do that for?"
Veronica shook her head and sighed.
Dora pressed her thumbnail under the seal to crack it open before unfolding the letter. Her fingers trembled. Her whole body was trembling, shaken by the dark laugh she'd heard. Was that the devil?
She glanced at the words on the page. They appeared to be written in blood and told her to use the powder of Hell on a sinners robes. Underneath the command, a name and address was scrawled on the parchment. She peered at Loanda, who was holding a tiny cloth bag out towards her. Dora took the bag, narrowing her eyes at Loanda. Why did she have the powder? Surely it would come to me with the note?
"Complete your trial and return to us tomorrow at the witching hour," Loanda said.
"Um, okay, but I'm having some problems with my parents. Getting out at midnight might be difficult," Dora said.
"Then do it in the morning and come at twelve noon. We will be here for your final trial then."
"But it's Sonia's school play tomorrow," Janet said. "I can't miss it."
Loanda rolled her eyes. "Fine, at six. Is that okay for everyone?"
"I was going to play bridge with the Robinsons, but I suppose I could—" Veronica began.
"Cancel it!" Loanda snapped.
"Whatever, six is fine." Veronica growled and turned away from the group, muttering to herself.
Dora stared at the cloth bag in her hand, wondering if this was all getting a bit too dark, even for her.
Dora eyed the apartment building. It was an old Victorian style building with no security on the door, which was going to make it easier for her to get into. She glanced at the name and address on the parchment: Cassie Sheldon, Apartment 4b.
It was beginning to occur to her that she didn't really know what she was doing to these people. She sighed and glanced back towards an empty bench. Maybe I just need to think about this for a moment.
She turned away from the apartment building and took a seat on the bench, enjoying the feel of sunlight on her bare arms and face. Her black camisole and black combats seemed to soak up the heat too, making her warm all over.
Home wasn't getting any worse, but mainly because she'd stayed out of her parents way. They'd been in bed when she snuck in last night, and still there when she snuck out this morning. Yeah, but how long can I do that for?
But then on the other hand, the witches weren't exactly perfect. The idea of dealing with Veronica for a lifetime wasn't particularly appealing. It could all be bullshit. Anyone can flip a light switch.
She frowned at the small sack of powder. She didn't even know what it would do, but maybe that was the test. She unsurely tapped the bag against her knee. What she was doing didn't feel right.
"Hey there gorgeous." She jumped when a voice spoke to her.
She spun sideways and stared at Jamie in shock as he slipped his mobile phone into his pocket.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
"I was just on my way to school." He pointed down the street. "Hey, are you okay?" he asked as he took a seat beside her on the bench. "You look freaked out."
That's because I am. She tried to calm her nerves, but he kept turning up when she was about to do bad things, and it was hard to keep her cool around him on a normal day. "What? No, I'm fine." She lied.
"You don't sound fine," he said, worry knotting his brow. "Can I help?"
"I doubt it." She gave in. She needed to tell someone about all of this. Maybe he could give her some good advice. "I have this test I have to pass, but I'm not sure it's the right thing to do." She admitted.
"Why do you think it's the wrong thing to do?" he asked.
"I don't. I guess I don't know enough about it, so I'm worried I'm doing something wrong." She was certain that if she knew why she was doing these things and what the result would be, she'd feel a lot better about it.
"But that's the point of tests though," he said. "You are never sure you got the answer right until you get the results. I think you're overthinking it. Just get it done and see what the results are." He smiled and held her hand.
She stared down at his hand. It was warm and bigger than hers. He was right, of course. She didn't have all the answers yet, but she would when she completed her trials. "I guess you're right, thanks." She smiled back at him.
"Glad I could help. I need to get moving or I'll be late, but we're still on for tonight, right?" He released her hand and stood up.
"Eight o'clock." She nodded at him, feeling better about her trials as he blew her a kiss and continued down the street.
She watched him walk away until he was out of sight. Then she stood up with a sigh. Trial two here I come.