She pulled out a piece of paper with Dylan’s name on it, and set up five white candles in the shape of a star.
“This is perfect. There are five of us and if we each light a candle it will make the spell more powerful than if I do this alone.” Diana got up to turn out the lights. It was past six o’clock and fully dark outside, but a gray-silver light slipped in through the windows from the streetlights.
“I call on the powers to the north.” Diana walked to the north side of the room. She continued calling on the powers until she had cast the circle just as she had done in the woods. When she was finished, she sat on the couch between Alex and Tom and took their hands. She nodded to Seth and me to scoot closer and complete the circle. That left Seth and Tom holding hands, which was something I never thought I would see. Seth looked only briefly pained and then he turned his attention back to the candles.
I held Alex’s hand on one side and Seth’s on the other. When Diana told us to close our eyes they both squeezed a little tighter. I felt a stiffness begin in the back of my neck. I rolled my shoulders to stretch it out. She again called on the powers of air, fire, earth, and water and we lowered our hands and opened our eyes. She struck a match and touched it to the candle closest to her seat. She passed the box over to Tom, who did the same, and then handed the container to Seth. Seth had to strike the match a couple of times to get a flame and then he passed them to me. Once all the candles were lit, Diana said her incantation.
O Goddess, we ask for protection of Dylan in his time of need.
Protect him from word and deed
From harm and from all we fear.
For all that we hold dear,
I thank the Goddess for helping me.
I trust in Her aid
So mote it be!
Diana nodded that we should each blow out our candles in the order that we lit them. I breathed out and felt myself relax.
“Is that it?” Seth asked.
“What were you expecting?” Diana said with a smile.
“Maybe some lightning, howling winds, or at least flickering candles. . . .”
Diana shook her head. “It’s not quite as exciting as it is in the movies. It’s more about sending good intentions into the world.”
Alex was up and had moved away from the candles. Everyone stood and milled about for a few minutes waiting for an opening to change the subject. Seth took the leashes from the hook and Alex grabbed Baxter’s, not trying to hide his desire to get out of the house for a few minutes.
Tom announced he had to get home and said his good-byes as the leashes were snapped on to the exuberant dogs.
When they had left, I turned to Diana.
“What do you think of the grimoire?”
She looked down at her lap, where the book had sat. “I think I’m about to learn more than I want to know about Rafe.”
20
I am climbing up, up, up and feeling dizzy. I try not to look down but I can’t help myself, then the spinning nausea hits and I have to lean against the wall. I don’t recognize this stairwell, which is lined with stone like an old castle tower. I know that I have to get to the top. I can hear the wind. I’m almost there.
I burst through the doorway to the roof of this tower and the wind nearly knocks me back inside. Seth is there and I run to him but the more I run the farther away he gets. Then I hear a woman laughing, almost cackling, but I can’t see her and I don’t recognize the voice. I lean against the short wall on the roof and look over the edge. The whole world tilts and I can’t tell which way is up—I’m falling, falling and screaming Seth’s name.
I woke drenched in sweat in the deepest dark. I took a moment to calm myself. My heart was beating so hard it felt like it was bruising my ribs. I ran my hand along the bed for Baxter but he wasn’t there. Then I remembered that he had shunned me for the more attractive sleeping arrangements with Tuffy and Seth. I stumbled out of bed, tripped over the jeans I had left on the floor, and opened my door. Weak light from outside filtered into the hallway. I had to check on Seth even if it meant disturbing the dogs. His door was closed and I crept down the hallway, still not recovered from the dream.
The doorknob turned easily, even though my hand shook, and I eased the door open. Seth had left his window shade partly open and the streetlights shone into the room. Tuffy let out a low growl when I entered. Baxter picked his head up and thumped his tail twice in greeting. Seth was sound asleep, somehow sprawled among the dogs. I backed out of the room and pulled the door closed.
I took great gulps of air as I leaned against the wall outside Seth’s room. When would I learn not to let Diana do her spells around me? I hated these dreams of doom. I’d never had one about Seth before. Maybe he was in more trouble in New York than I realized. I would have to pin him down the first chance I got. I straggled back to bed, but didn’t fall asleep for a long time.