Page 58 of Shadow Dreaming

“Then you will hold the crystal for me. It will be uncomfortable, so much so that you might feel like tossing it away, but you must keep hold of it. Can you do this?”

“I can, and I will. Where should I stand?” I walked over to her.

Hecate motioned for me to sit on the edge of the bed, near Penn’s feet. “Hold tight to the crystal and do not let go until I tell you to give it to me.”

Taking a deep breath, I settled down beside Penn’s legs and accepted the crystal. It felt cool in my hands, but I tightened my grasp on it and crossed my legs, so I couldn’t jump if something startled me.

Hecate asked Dante and Orik to leave the room, leaving Sophia and me with her. She asked Sophia to dim the lights, and then approached Penn. She placed one of her alabaster hands onto Penn’s forehead, and the other over Penn’s heart.

A faint drumming began to echo through the room, growing in pace and power as we waited. Hecate rolled her head back and let out a long growl.

“I begin,” she whispered.

As I held onto the smoky quartz, Hecate began to sway to the drums, all the while her hands on Penn’s forehead and heart. As the beat grew, a low, sonorous hum began to reverberate through the air, ricocheting off the walls, like someone strumming a low bass note that bounced from side to side.

The steady hum became a circle, spinning around us. It sped up as it echoed through the room, sounding like a violin, ancient and keening, setting the world afire. I began to catch images of bonfires in the night, lighting the sky ablaze as they burned from hilltop to meadow. The wind picked up, rushing through the room, fueling the frenzy of the wailing fiddle. The drums continued, echoing until their staccato beats began to whisper—chants in some ancient language. The spirits were speaking, the spirits of the past, the spirits of the fire.

Hecate raised her hands over Penn and began pulling waves of energy off her, like clearing layers of fog away. The mist began to boil, rising to the ceiling like steam. Hecate let out a long call, her voice forming sounds that weren’t words but still held meaning.

I felt that if I listened long enough, I’d know what she was saying.

In response, the drums heightened their pace again, and the violin answered, sparks flying from its song. Just before it felt like the magic was going to explode, the violin gave way to a slow cello, one note that wove through the air like a snake, creeping through the treetops, and the drums fell in time, a slow rhythm to match.

One…one two three…one…one two three…One…one two three…One…one two three…

I found myself swaying in time to the beat, following the slow steady march of sound as it lumbered through the forest. And then, I was standing beside Hecate in a clearing under the night sky, and Penn was there, floating on her back in mid-air over a fire.

Hecate turned to me. “Get ready.”

She rose through the air to stretch out over Penn, then placed her palms on Penn’s chest. Still the mesmerizing music played on, and I began to see something emerging from Penn’s chest. It was toad-like, a dirty brown creature with olive warts, and glowing eyes. It struggled as Hecate coaxed it out of Penn’s chest. Hecate motioned to me and I held up the crystal.

The toad began to spin, faster and faster, still struggling to get away. The crystal was summoning it. I could feel the traction as the smoky quartz fought for control.

The toad twisted, fighting with every ounce of its power. The crystal wavered in my hand and I tightened my grip, not about to let go. It felt like some massive force was trying to drag it out of my hands, but I had promised Hecate I’d hold fast, and hold fast, I intended to.

The fight ramped up and a dark figure appeared. I knew that figure had set the curse-imp on Penn. He was trying to drag the crystal out of my hand so Hecate couldn’t send the curse-imp into the vessel. Penn thrashed in the air, and I could see her life force wavering. If we didn’t win, her life would be forfeit.

“No!” I braced myself, feeling the roar of wind around me. And then, something inside clicked, and I caught sight of a tiny glimmer. The heart of the storm. I reached out, focusing on that bright, glimmering core. If the storm broke, it would sever the spell.

I walked toward the heart of the storm and the dark figure stepped back—not much but enough to tell me he was afraid of me. I continued, grasping the crystal in my left hand as I held out my right. I was facing the center of the storm now, and I took a deep breath and plunged my hand into the brilliant light that controlled the vortex.

The moment my fingers made contact, I found the spark that had birthed the storm of magic, and I focused, calling on lightning to disrupt and shatter it. I forced all my will forward and a blistering bolt of light shot forth from my fingers, striking the core. The dark figure shrieked, staggering back.

That moment, the curse-imp let go of Penn and shot forth, slamming into the crystal so hard that it almost knocked me over. The storm exploded, the energy rebounding back on my silent opponent. Hecate scooped up both Penn and me as the blast rippled around us, sending us head over heels out of the forest.

The next moment, I opened my eyes. I was on the floor, still clutching the crystal, and Hecate was holding Penn’s hands as her eyes fluttered. Sophia rushed over to help me to my feet and I silently handed Hecate the crystal. She took it, just as silent, and we stood there for a moment as I tried to pin together the pieces of what had happened.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

A few seconds later, Orik and Dante rushed in. Penn was sitting up, frowning as she looked around. And Seton…well…he was observing me with a cautious look in his eye.

“What happened?” Dante asked.

“We removed the curse-imp from Penelope’s psyche,” Hecate said. She tucked the crystal in her bag. “I’ll deal with the creature later, but for now it’s safely tucked away.” She turned to Penelope and once again, took her seat.

Penn stared at her, eyes wide. “My Lady?” Her voice trembled.

“Yes, I am. You were in dangerous territory, but you will heal,” Hecate said. “However, I see there’s much work to do with your magic. Most of my priestesses are far older and more experienced than you. I’ll connect you with one of them who lives in the area and you will take lessons from her.”

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