Page 26 of Brews and Banishments
“Don’t worry about me for a second,” Tessa whispered. “Unfortunately for you, I’m not the one who's gotten myself into a barrel full of issues.”
She laughed shakily. “Be realistic with me. What do you think this is?”
“Honestly,” Tessa said, giving her arms a reassuring squeeze, “I think someone might be trying to set you up.”
Daisy gulped.
“Imagine what would happen if you wished harm on the wrong person,” Tessa continued, her voice radiating comfort despite the words she used. “You’d suddenly have the Elders of the Witch Council knocking at your door. And you know that all they come around for is for instances of -”
“Dark magic,” Daisy finished.
Tessa had a grim look on her face. “Something like that could do something worse than destroy your life.”
“What’s worse than that?”
“Getting your magic taken away.”
Daisy paled. Dizziness swayed her for a moment, but she grounded herself. The panic and worry was hard to ignore, but the constant presence of Tessa’s calming powers brought an undeniable ease. She could make it home. And once she was there, all alone for the evening, she’d let the panic and worry take over her then.
Daisy pulled herself out of Tessa’s tight grasp. “Go on home, Tess.”
“Are you alright?”
She gave her a thin smile. “You’re such an empath.”
Tessa laughed.
Turning on her heel, Daisy began to make her way up the sidewalk towards her house. The evening came upon steadily, nighttime falling across Willowbrook. A haunting future presented itself to Daisy, and she walked straight towards it.
Her whisper came out as gentle as the air.
“Blessed be.”
8
Daisy
“I call upon thee, Earth and thine Shadow, Holy Mother of all things:Hecate!”
Maroon candles positioned around a neatly drawn pentagram suddenly held plumes of fire in their wicks. The dark arcane room glowed an ominous burnt orange as the flames danced and swayed to the constant beating of bare feet against the old wood floor. The pentagram held a candle at each of its points, while a bowl of objects sat in the very center. A few strands from Daisy’s long, brown hair mixed around with sprigs of freshly picked lavender and rosemary. A rat’s tail, dried up and almost leathered, sat on top of it all.
Daisy began to march around the pentagram, keeping her step in place with the beat. The floor of the arcane shop creaked and moaned but she shoved the thought away. To stray from the spell, as powerful as it was, could ruin the overall effect. She could ruin it before the magic even began.
The energy in the small room shifted the moment they set up for their spell. Daisy dragged the white paint along the floor.Tessa preferred to draw the pentagram and runes, but couldn’t deny Daisy’s needle straight hand. Now, when she managed to catch a glimpse of herself, Daisy trembled and shook from the excitement alone.
No matter how long she practiced witchcraft, felt the very essence of the earth running through her veins, Daisy felt it all as though it was the first time. The dirt deep below her feet hummed with anticipation, the early morning sun pressed in from the outside, delivering a stunning heat. Every piece of the world reached into the arcane room to touch Daisy, and the spell reminded her of why she ran Fields’ Herbalsin the first place.
Across the way, Tessa swirled, her steps syncing to the music effortlessly. “Come, Hecate,” she called, following the lines of the spell. “Come forth, Hecate!”
“Grant me the will, Hecate,” Daisy rang out next, “to reveal the spell set upon me!”
The thumping continued as the flames began to join in, the reddish yellow hue bouncing rhythmically in the darkness. Daisy’s eyes grew wide with anticipation. The spell pressed further on, the power growing stronger and stronger. Unlike other spoken spells, the ceremonial kind drew in the power from Hecate, the figure that acts as the Mother of all things Witchcraft. Hecate was the very world itself, from deep within the soil to the stars beyond the sky. For Daisy to see the spell that was latched onto her soul, she might be able to see who cast it, and how it may be removed.
But now, all she needed was the ability to see it done.
Smoke from the candles curled in the air. Jewels and crystals that once lined the floor began to stand on their edges before rising above the floor. Daisy could hardly believe it, but barely paid them any mind. The longer she stared, the quicker the magic would scare away, and she would be left with nothing but more questions.
Daisy twirled and danced around the floating crystals. Her eyes landed on a floating Carnelian. It resembled the flames themselves, if only they were deeply dark with age. The stone was curved and smooth, rising higher and higher. Jagged stumps of Quartz rose along Tessa’s path, some larger than the others. Black Tourmaline almost blended into the shadows but were incredibly surplus in number, due to their natural ability for added protection. Purple Amethyst and Hematite came next, their spiritually protective properties keeping both Daisy and Tessa safe from any dark forces lingering nearby.
