Page 48 of Haunted Eclipse

Once again, Irena left the room. I was about to ask Astra what sort of business Nightshade ran, when the high priestess entered the room. Even if I hadn’t known whose house we were in, I would have been able to pinpoint Nightshade solely on the magic that emanated from her. She was a woman who controlled her element, and she controlled the room.

“Astra, thank you for coming,” Nightshade said. Although she was a little older, her witchblood heritage took away any sense of frailty.

Nightshade was wearing a pair of olive knit palazzo pants, with a white button down shirt, and a black lace shawl. She had on a chunky necklace that I guessed was olivine and moss agate, and matching earrings. A large cocktail ring—topaz—graced her middle finger, and her sleek silver hair was pulled back into a tidy chignon. Her makeup was neutral, but it was obvious she wasn’t bare-faced, and she walked with the grace of someone who had seen a lot of years with a crown on her head. While she might not wear a literal crown, she was witchblood nobility.

“Thank you for inviting us,” Astra said. “I’d like to present my niece, Maisy Tripwater.”

Nightshade regarded me quietly for a moment, then extended her hand. “I’m so pleased to meet you, Maisy. Your aunt’s told me a lot about you. All good, of course,” she added with a smile.

“Thank you,” I said. “I’m pleased to meet you, too.” I wasn’t at all sure how to address her. I’d never met a high priestess before, except in the academy, and during my school years, we addressed our teachers with the term “professor.”

“You can call me Nightshade,” she said, picking up on my uncertainty. “Your aunt tells me that you’re interested in joining the Dark Moon Society?”

I nodded. “Yes, I am. And my friend Crystal is also interested.”

“We do have room for several more participants. However, there are rules that you should be aware of, and once you pledge in service, you’ll be held to those rules. This isn’t like joining a regular coven. You’ll be in service to the Crown Magika, and they don’t suffer disloyalty…or stupidity. I assume you’re in good standing on the rolls?”

I nodded. “I think so. I’ve never had much to do with that side of the witchblood community.”

“Her mother was on the rolls. Her father…well, he was adopted, but the Aseer tested him when he was younger and he was definitely one-hundred percent witchblood. She couldn’t pinpoint his bloodline, but he was of magical stock.”

“Well, adoption is a good thing, and as long as he was certified witchblood by the Aseer, there’s no problem. We don’t base things on name, as much as abilities.” She glanced over at Astra. “Honesty, now. How is she on her magic?”

“Lacking a bit, but that should even out. She attended the academy when she was young, and she’s signed up for adult continuing classes.” My aunt glanced at me, smiling. “Midnight Point called her home for a reason, though we’re not sure why. But…we do need to talk to you about something else. Maisy was visited by the Wandering Eye last night, and given a message. I have the feeling that it’s not only for her, but perhaps for the Dark Moon Society.”

Nightshade let out long sigh. “Something is coming, I can feel it. That’s one reason we need the society to be at full strength. What was the message?”

I took a deep breath. “She said,The gateway will open again. Chaos is dancing, and once it finds you, there’s no escape.I have no idea what she was talking about, but it felt important.”

Nightshade sat back, staring at me. “It was a message for you, but also for the Dark Moon Society,” she said. “And it proves to me that you should become a member. Your friend too—she was there with you, wasn’t she? When the Wandering Eye came through.”

“Yes, she was.”

The high priestess continued to stare at me. Finally, she said, “The Covenant of Chaos has reemerged in Moonshadow Bay, but that’s not the only place. We—the Order of the Moon—have long felt the rumblings and warnings that they are rising topower again, and we’re going to be on the front lines, trying to push them back. A spiritual war is on the horizon, and it’s time to strengthen the ranks and prepare for what we’re facing.”

And with that, I realized that I was not only joining the ranks of a prestigious organization that went back thousands of years, but I was signing up to help protect the populace from magical attack, to be a magical warrior in what could very well be a deadly assault.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

After that,everything else on the agenda seemed to fade in importance. But if I’d learned one thing over the years, it was that even though something huge was looming, the smaller steps along the way were equally as important. Even if you got cancer, you could still be hit by a bus if you stepped off the curb one second too soon, and then the big “C” faded to nothing.

“So, Maisy, why don’t you tell Nightshade about Brenda’s case. She might have some good advice for you.” Astra gave me a nudge.

I was still feeling a little star-struck. It wasn’t every day that I met the high priestess who was affiliated with the Crown. True, the Order of the Moon was only one organization under the Court Magika’s jurisdiction, but Nightshade still carried an enormous amount of clout compared to the average member of the witchblood community.

“I’m not sure she’s interested,” I started to say.

“Once you become a member, everybody will be interested. Go ahead,” Nightshade said.

I told her what had happened and our supposition that Edgar was responsible, and how he had interfered every time Brenda tried to get close to another man.

“You’re correct in that he’s a Haunt,” Nightshade said. “You’ll need to send him over to the Veil.”

She reached for my hands and I offered them to her. Her skin was warm and tingly, and I felt a low vibration as she held my fingers in hers. It was like a bass voice, so low you could feel it more than hear it. I kept quiet, waiting for her to speak.

After a few moments, she took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “All right. You have the ability to take this on, and it will teach you much. But you must focus, and you have to believe you can do this. Belief goes a long way. It won’tengineeryour success, but it will help shore up your magic.”

“How do you suggest I approach him? Do I use a standard exorcism rite?” I was honestly clueless. I’d cleared houses, but I’d never actually exorcised a spirit before. I wasn’t clear on the procedure.

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