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“Haven’t you wondered about that?” Shaking his head, he leaned against the cupboard, eyeing me. “Firstly, I got into magic because for most of my life, I thought I was the only dragon shifter and I needed to protect myself. It won’t surprise you to know how many supernaturals, or mortals for that fact, want my blood. I’ve already been held hostage to one pagan god who bled me.”
I winced.
Gesturing, he continued, “Secondly, eternity is a long time, I wanted to learn. The occult challenges your mind. It forces you to think about subjects, philosophies, in a different way. It changes how you think, how you see life, the world. Thirdly, I suspect Mattie was holding you back. It’s clear your intentions are pure, you don’t lack power, Elsa. Just confidence in yourself and that power. But you have courage. Anthony and I were talking when you were sleeping. We’re just going to nudge you. You don’t even know your potential. So?”
Whoa. Another rush flowed through me, my cheeks burned.
People helping me… I know I’d had some encouragement in the coven, but these were virtual strangers. Helping me! Potential? Before all of this, I’d contented myself with working with Luna and being an average witch.Potential!
To mask my embarrassment and bewilderment, I scanned the contents of the cupboards and told him everything I could remember from Ellsworth Manor.
As I was talking, I heard voices downstairs, then Austin hollered, “We’re on our way up. Luke, you’d better be decent, old chap.”
Trampling their feet, Austin, Grace and Anthony arrived.
“I brought the book, Elsa, The Secrets of Magic. We’ve had a look through it. I had to nab a copy from Lucius. He was going to help, but I told him we don’t need him.”
Luke’s face wrinkled. “Are you mad? He was your teacher… oh, you think you're smarter? Arrogant mage.”
Now Austin’s boyish face turned scarlet. “Lucius himself told me I exceeded him. I don’t want him involved, he’s risked his life too many times. He’s married now, leave him be.” Austin paused, holding Luke’s angry stare. “I am arrogant anyway, but only in jest. You’re a bit slow if you don’t know that already.”
With a wry grin, Anthony pushed past Austin and chided, “Now, now children. So this witch's grimoire, what have you got?”
Austin handed it over and I opened it on the desk. We all stood around it. “Well, I was thinking, Adara is killing witches and werewolves. They’re using Loren’s soul, they have control over it, as they have control over the souls of those they’ve killed, right?We takecontrol of those souls, but not by force, but by pleading with them. Think about it, we’re trying to establish right against wrong, to give others freedom of choice. Adara is suppressing that, and annihilating all and any who disagree with them. If we can convince these tortured souls to help us, we could, in theory, deflect Adara’s evil back onto them?”
Grace smiled. “Quite genius. How do we do that though? Tortured souls, how the heck can we convince them to help?”
“We’ll bless them. At Stanton Drew stone circle, now. With your power of transporting, gather the artefacts from Ellsworth. They had werewolf skulls, vampire and witches’ skulls. They will be, Ill-gotten. Then we’ll send them to the stone circle. A blessing plea and a spell. Then go directly to Savernake, call Adara and deflect their magic back at them.”
“Huh, that might work,” Austin huffed. “But it’s the best we got. I like it, it’s simple. What if their magic is stronger?”
Luke chided him, “You said you’re the best.”
Austin glared at Luke. “I was asking hypothetically.”
Luke grunted.
“It doesn’t matter,” I added. “We deflect it back, in fact, I hope their magic is powerful and destructive. It’ll destroy them quicker.”
Austin smirked, looking at Anthony, then Luke. “I agree. She’s smart. I wouldn’t have thought to deflect their destruction back onto them. Luke, you, me and Grace will go to Ellsworth now, collect what we can. Anthony, you and Elsa ok to get the tools ready for the spell? But Elsa?”
“Yes?”
“I insist we use wands. I know we don’t need them, but I, well, I just have a fondness for them, that's all.”
Luke mumbled, “Not the wand in your trousers, Anthony.”
“Well, imbue it with magic, that could work, it would certainly shock Adara,” I added, staring at Anthony.
I’d never seen a vampire blush before. But at least the blood was running to his face!
Slapping Austin’s shoulder, Luke smiled. “Lucky for you, I’m a fan of wands, too. Old school magic. You’ll find wands in the top drawer of the desk, on the left. Don’t use the one in the gilded box, that’s mine.”
As they left, Anthony and I went over to the cupboards.
“Henbane is a no-brainer, sage, mugwort, mandrake. Lavender for purification, what else?” he asked, rooting through the jars.
“Looks like you’ve got it covered. Are you sure you’re not a witch?”
