Innocent Blood

Two

Holly

    Most of the Coven had come out to celebrate the Harvest Moon. Around the bonfire at the campground were six other women, most were older than Holly. At twenty-five, Holly was one of the youngest in the group but every one of the women felt like family to her. One of the women, about Holly’s age, sat in a camp chair across the fire. She broke her conversation with the woman seated beside her to cast a glare at Holly.

    “You didn’t tell me that Lisa was going to be here. She hasn’t come to a gathering since we broke up,” Holly whispered to Amara. It’d been over a year since they split. Even after so many months, the wound was still raw.

    “The Harvest Moon is too important to miss, you know that. Why would you expect Lisa to miss her spiritual connection with the universe just to avoid you? This coven is our family. You two are just going to have to find a way to move past what happened.”

    “I know, Mara. It’s just hard.” Holly wiped sweat from her palms on her pants and bit her lip as she continued toward the fire.

    Lisa had returned to her conversation. Now that Holly had walked closer to the fire, she could see that Lisa was talking with the Coven’s unofficial matron, May.

    May, the eldest of the Coven, permanently rented this lot in the RV park at the national forest. It sat on the bank of a small lake and was away from other campers. She’d rented a few of the surrounding lots, too, to ensure that they’d never get any immediate neighbors. Most of the other lots were empty as the people who stayed in the South during their Northern winters wouldn’t return until later in the autumn. The solitude of this place was necessary to maintain their privacy and sacred space.

    Holly took her place among the gathered women as they abandoned their chairs to form a circle next to the fire.

    Amara’s voice rose among the chatter. “Sisters, let us begin this celebration of harvest, abundance, and gratitude. Our small family has much to be thankful this season.” Power emanated from Amara; her voice clear and strong, the fire highlighted her face. “Personally, I am grateful for each and every one of you. Your individual practices are welcome in this space and enrich our community. Let us join hands and each call upon our own personal divine entities.”

    The women joined hands around the bonfire and went around, each expressing their gratitude. When it was Holly’s turn, she drew a blank. From across the fire, Holly saw a frown etched on Lisa’s face. Lisa’s disapproval stung now as much as it did before. She turned her attention to May, who smiled at her. The firelight cast dark shadows between the creases on her face. “For this harvest, I would like to express my gratitude for this family, but especially for May. May’s love and wisdom have guided me, as I’m sure she has helped many of you. May, thank you for being the heart of our home.”

    May’s head bobbed ever so slightly in Holly’s direction. The other witches voiced agreement with Holly’s sentiment. Amara regained the group’s attention. “Now, you are all welcome to stay and conduct your individual rituals and visit with your sisters. Those of you that are leaving, I wish you safe travels.”

    The circle around the fire broke and the other women went about their own business in the campsite. Holly set up her white candles inside a chalk pentagram she drew on the sidewalk. “Soteria, hear my earnest plea. Guide my hand and my heart with compassion as I—”

    “As you hurt those around you with your secrets and lies?”

    Holly jumped to her feet and spun around, her heart pounding in her chest. That voice. Lisa stood with her fists on her hips.

    “Lisa,” Holly started. She reached her hand out to touch her shoulder but dropped it back to her side.

    “Don’t. I don’t want to hear more lies, Hol. I just can’t believe what a hypocrite you are, asking the gods for compassion.”

    “I’m sorry. I—”

    “It’s too late. You know what I saw in the bones. I’m not going down that path with you.”

    “So why are you even talking to me, then? Nothing’s changed.”

    Lisa crossed her arms across her chest and sighed.

    “Because I feel sorry for you and because I still care about you. I had another vision.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “You’re putting yourself in danger. Please stop.”

    “I can’t. I know you don’t understand, Lisa, and I’m really sorry. I have to.”

    “Whatever, Holly. I’ve cleared my conscience and warned you. Just be careful. Please.” She stalked back to the campfire.

    Holly watched Lisa as she hugged the others and then got into her car and drove off. Though the breakup was well over a year ago, Holly’s heart ached whenever she thought about what had happened between them. How everything was great until that one fight. . . It had been impossible to share everything with Lisa. Some secrets were too shameful to bring to light.

    After a while, the remaining women dispersed one by one, back to their homes. Holly and Amara helped May clean up the campsite after the last witch left. Holly yawned as she put the last dish back into the camper’s cupboard, “I’m beat. Thanks for hosting, Miss May, as always.”

    May’s smile lit up her face. The smile lines and crow’s feet that etched her face did nothing but accentuate her natural beauty. Though she’d aged, she maintained an earthy, natural look. “My dear,” her warm Southern accent sweetened every word that came out of her mouth, “it is so nice to have found such a family. I’d do anything to keep us together. Providing a place where we can gather without persecution is the least I can do.” A shadow passed over her face in the dim camper light. May never talked about her past but Holly had gathered that whatever happened, happened because she was a witch in a much different time than the present.

    May wiped her brow with a dish rag and tucked stray white hairs back into her tight up do. She winced as she raised her arms above her head and swayed a bit on her feet. Amara pulled a wooden chair from the small kitchen table. “You look exhausted. Please sit, Holly and I can finish this up.”

    May waved the chair away. “No, no. Thank you, honey, but I’m fine. It’s going to take more than this to knock me down, I’m sure of it.” She rearranged her mouth into a smile. The deep furrows across her brow and bags under her warm eyes, contradicted her statement.

    “How are you since the surgery, Miss May?” Holly asked.

    “Modern medicine is really something, you know? That operation took all the cancer from my breast. The doc wants me to do chemo for the spots on my liver. I don’t know.” She leaned back against the counter, resting her slight, hunched frame against the sturdy surface. “Enough about me. I’m going to be fine. It’s getting late. You all go home before you’re too tired to drive.”

    They all exchanged hugs and May ushered Holly and Amara out of the camper.

    Holly watched the trees blur together in the night sky from the passenger seat of Amara’s sedan. Miles and minutes passed. Holly watched the country landscape slowly fade to the more manicured landscape of Ocala in the moonlight.

    They’d come back into town before Amara spoke, “What were you doing before I came to the store?” Her voice had taken on a protective, matronly quality.

    “I’d just closed up the shop, why?” Holly knew where this was going.

    “You looked like you were setting up an altar.” They’d come to a stop light. Amara looked at Holly, her face stern.

    s**t, here we go. Holly thought quickly. “I was going to do the ritual on my own since it was a full moon. I have so much to be thankful for, it wouldn’t feel right to not give thanks.” Her words flew from her mouth and, to her, her voice sounded higher pitched than normal. Strained. She held eye contact with Amara until the light changed and Amara was forced to look back to the road. She tucked her hands into her sweater pockets to hide the shaking.

    Amara sighed, “Okay. For a minute, I thought you were practicing Blood Magic again. You know how dangerous that is.”

    “Yes, I remember, Mara.”

    She looked back at Holly. “I’m serious.”

    Holly said nothing. Within a few moments, they’d pulled up to the curb outside the store. Holly unbuckled her seatbelt and wrapped her arms around Amara in a hug. She breathed in the scent of Amara’s coconut shampoo and her perfume. “Thanks for dragging me out tonight. I needed that recharge.”

    Amara didn’t say anything but smiled warmly as Holly got out of the car. Holly could feel her eyes on her as she walked to the store. She waited for Holly to close herself inside before pulling away.

    Upstairs in her apartment, Holly slumped against the door. Finch came up to her and rubbed his body on her black yoga pants. “You know, it’s a good thing you aren’t physically here or I’d be covered in cat hair.” Without thinking, she reached down to pet Finch and her hand passed right through him. Sadness and regret clinched her chest. Though she’d restrained his physical form to that of a cat with her spell work, he retained enough control over his form to be solid when he wished. He never let her pet him anymore.

    The moon had peaked hours ago. Another lost opportunity to right her wrong.

    She set up her pentagram again with the candles. If she couldn’t undo the bond she’d made, she’d need to refresh the protection spell she’d created to keep the peace between her and Finch.