AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“It gets worse, lad,” Merlin said heavily. “There’s going to be a ceremony there tonight. They’ve shared the coordinates and invited one and all to come and dance and honor her spirit under the light of the full moon.”
“At the crime scene?” Nelson asked loudly, cutting the wheel as he took the exit back toward Roanoke and New Castle. “That wouldn’t work, would it? Why would anyone want to go to a crime scene?”
Nox gasped at Nelson. “Are you kidding and have you met people?” He laughed, sounding distressed. “A rave at the site of a ritual killing during a full moon on the eve of Samhain?” His hand was shaking as he rubbed his forehead. “Let’s hope they had a plan for parking because this could turn into Coachella.”
They heard Merlin’s worried moan. “The page was only up for about fifteen minutes before Howard took it down, but I’m afraid it went viral and Elsa and the coordinates have blown up across every social media platform.”
“This is so bad!” Nox translated for Nelson.
“Please, be careful!” Merlin begged before ending the call.
Nelson still couldn’t understand why anyone would go to a party in the woods right where the body of a young woman had been found. “I can’t believe that would work.”
“I’ll explain it to you later. All you need to understand right now is that this new, evil Tuath Dé is about to replace those six girls and turn their clandestine ritual into a spiritual super rally. We have to throw up the Bat Signal and call every available unit to those woods.”
Nelson nodded as he handed Nox his phone, then stepped on the gas. “Call Felton for me and then get a hold of your friend, the attorney general. Just out of curiosity: would there be any reason to bring weapons to this super rally?”
“Weapons?” Nox shook his head and laughed. “Aside from whoever’s behind this, I anticipate that we’ll see a lot of witchy teens, Wiccans, elder goths, and internet sleuths. They’re just there for the morbid vibes and moon magick. But this rally could be the weapon.” He lowered so he could see the sky. The sun was already setting as Nelson sped toward New Castle. “If you believe that a soul is a form of energy and that it can be gathered with others and used as a beacon or a bell to summon a sleeping god.” His voice had gone soft and hollow. “And all they need is six girls and an oak tree. Who would notice or hear them scream if a rave was going on just a couple hundred yards away?”
“Okay.” Nelson understood why Nox was scared, even if he wasn’t sure about the existence of sleeping gods. “We’ll tell them to get everyone they can out there to shut it down and search the woods.”
They got their first glimpse at the madness as soon as they entered New Castle, almost two hours later. The town’s small main drag was already overrun with young people and traffic. Disoriented locals could be spotted, scratching their heads and throwing their arms up. It was easy to differentiate the townsfolk from the crowd that had descended upon New Castle because they weren’t dressed to attend a pagan rave.
Nelson stopped when he saw Sheriff Boyle, attempting to direct traffic in the middle of the town’s biggest intersection. “You need to turn all these people back. Highway patrol’s already set up checkpoints on the offramps and the FBI is sending a search team and cadets,” Nelson informed him.
“What the hell is going on?” Boyle shouted. “I called for assistance and they said every available unit in the state was on the way.”
“Thank gods,” Nox murmured from inside the car. “We have to go, Nelson.” He had gotten unusually antsy as they got closer to New Castle.
“You’re about to have six more dead girls in those woods if we can’t shut this down,” Nelson told Boyle.
“Six!” His face went as white as a sheet. “Go. I’ll do what I can to turn them back.”
Nelson dropped into the driver’s seat, throwing a worried look at Nox. “Are you alright?”
“No.” He shook his head slowly, his focus locked on the trail of cars and pedestrians heading into the forest. “I know in my heart that they are wrong, that their dogma is warped. This is not Tuatha, but I feel something large…” His hand rolled vaguely and fluttered when it stopped. “Something large is building and I don’t know if it’s all these people and their energy or if it’s the full moon and Samhain or maybe it’s my own internal dread mixed with ravenous wonder. I have to stop this, but I need to see it and that doesn't feel…alright.”
“Okay.” Nelson grabbed Nox’s hand and squeezed it. “Stay with me. We’ll stop this and I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Nox offered him a brave smile and nodded. “I know.”
The traffic had narrowed into a crawling line when the narrow rural road running out of town and into the woods turned into dirt and was shrouded in heavy fog. Nelson was able to get around and cars eased out of the way after he stopped to get the flashing light out of the trunk and mounted it on the hood. One of the sheriff’s deputies had made it up before them and had parked his SUV at the entrance to the trail. He was attempting to maintain order when Nelson parked and got out.
“Help is on the way,” Nelson informed him, keeping a close eye on Nox. He looked paler than usual and dizzy, but a drunken smile tilted his lips. “Do what you can to turn everyone back until reinforcements get here,” Nelson advised the bewildered deputy and everyone froze when a soft tone carried through the trees. “What is that?” Nelson whispered and gripped Nox’s shoulder, halting him. “Was that a gong?”
Nox nodded, pulling his shoulder free. “Could be a summoning or signaling the beginning of the ritual.” He smiled when he heard a hard, thumping beat and tossed his chin toward the clearing. “Let’s go!”
They made their way through the woods toward blazing torches and Nelson’s hackles were fully up when he spotted all the bodies, writhing and bouncing to the beat as it grew louder and faster. Nox paused to yank his sweater over his head and quickly tied it around his waist.
Nelson grabbed his wrist. “What are you doing?”
“What does it look like?” Nox laughed and waved at the crowd in the clearing. “I want to get a closer look and when in Rome,” he yelled, gesturing around them. Nelson’s gaze flicked back to the dancers. There had to be at least a hundred, maybe close to two hundred, and they were scantily clad, many nude, and Nelson saw an array of occult-themed tattoos.
“No. I can’t protect you if I lose you.”
Nox’s lips split and spread into a wide grin. “Then, you’d better not lose me.” He winked and turned, skipping into the clearing and the throng of dancing bodies.
“Damn it!” Nelson spat. He took off his coat and gave it a hasty fold before draping it over his arm. He loosened his tie and unbuttoned his collar as he followed, but that was as undressed as he was getting outdoors. Nelson kept his arm and his coat tucked firmly against his side, covering his holster as he sidestepped past dancers.
