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Suddenly, he disappears altogether.
“Shit, it was better when we could see him,” Giles yells as we all look around frantically, searching for the witch hunter.
“There!” Breena points to the tapestry. It’s suddenly changed from a scene of celebrating townspeople of Hallows End and instead depicts one lone figure standing in the middle of the scene, his mouth open on a silent scream, and a look of pure fury on his stitched face.
Robert.
“Burn it!” Xander calls out as he and several other men rush to pull the stake out of the ground and toss it into the fire.
The heat and intensity as the tapestry ignites is insane. Suddenly, there’s a sharp and loud scream, and the blackest smoke I’ve ever seen billows. When it clears, the very air itself feels different, and I know without a doubt that he’s gone.
We’ve finally defeated him.
For a moment, we’re all quiet as we simply stare at each other, taking it all in. The guides, ancestors, and dead witches all fade back but don’t leave, almost as if they’re waiting for something else.
“Now, how do we lift the curse?” Breena finally asks, her voice trembling. “The tapestry. Oh, goddess, the tapestry.”
“That beautiful piece of art and magick did its job magnificently,” Sandra says and then walks quickly to Breena, framing her face in her hands. “You may not have known it when you weaved it, but this is exactly what it was supposed to do.”
“Lifting the curse is all about intention,” I say, nodding as all the pieces begin to fit into place for me. “Yes, we have tools, but the power is within us. We have the spell words, and we have powerful magic full of the intention to free everyone in Hallows End, witch or not. That’s how we lift it.”
“Can we have one minute to do the bad-guy-is-dead happy dance?” Lucy asks, still holding her mom’s hand. “Hi, Mom.”
“Hi, darling girl.”
“Goddess, I’ve missed you.” Lucy hugs her mom close and wipes away a tear. “And I don’t know what magic is letting me do this, but I’m so grateful.”
“I am so proud of you,” Agatha says. “And whether you can see me or not, I’m always here. Don’t ever forget that.”
“Maybe show yourself to me once in a while. Like, for my birthday or something.”
Agatha brushes Lucy’s hair off her face and kisses her cheek.
“I’m always nearby. Now, set Jonas and the others free, my powerful witch.”
And with that, Agatha steps back with the other dead witches, ancestors, and guides. They all hover on the fringes of our circle, just beyond the firelight, but we know they’re there.
“We’re not quite done tonight,” Xander says as he turns to address all of us. “We have the spell that was written to lift the curse, but we’re going to need to use all our individual talents to complete it. We’ll need assistance from all the elements again, as well as the planets, and we’ll also need to use every trick we have up our sleeves. It’s not a matter of simply reciting the words; it’s putting every ounce of power we have into those words.”
“We’ve come prepared,” Shelly reminds him. “With all the tools at our disposal.”
I turn and watch as several witches pull crystals out of their satchels and pockets. Others have wands or crystal balls. The cloaks they wear have magic embroidered into the fabric, with runes and sigils of protection and love.
I turn back to Xander and pull in a long, deep breath as I feel the energy around us begin to build once more, the way it did when we were out with the spiral during the Labyrinth spell.
“Breena,” Xander says, turning to my cousin. “You begin the incantation so we can all hear and learn it. You’re the one who knows it by heart. You wrote it.”
Breena licks her lips and nods, moving forward.
“We all need to make a more connected circle around the fire, with Jonas at the head to the north, as it was when he first cast the curse.”
We all follow her directions, evenly circling the fire. Some join hands. Others close their eyes.
Each witch will have to use the energy and wisdom that suits them for this very special spell.
“After I recite the words once,” Breena continues, “we need to say it together three times. Then, we’ll begin walking counterclockwise and repeat it another three times to banish the curse. Finally, we’ll switch directions and walk clockwise, saying it three more times to bring in all our intentions. Each of you…as you speak the spell, visualize what it will look like when it’s lifted. Manifest it into being. Think of how we will celebrate with the townspeople here and teach them what they need to know about the modern world. Visualize how they’ll be our friends and part of our community.”
