Innocent Blood

Four

Holly

    Thankfully, Saturdays were May’s day to open the store. Even with May’s recent illness, she insisted that she keep her schedule. Holly had stayed up until nearly dawn refreshing the spell on her amulet with the remaining energy from the full moon. Another failure. It would be months before the moon would be in a position that she could try that spell again. Regular full moons were a wealth of cosmic power but they weren’t enough for what she needed.

    She rolled out of bed in time to shower and be ready for her shift at three. The thick curtains in her bedroom were perfect for blocking out the sunlight and allowing her to sleep when she stayed up all night practicing in secret.

    Clutching her biggest mug of coffee, Holly shuffled down the stairs to the shop. There were several customers milling between the mahogany bookshelves, looking at spell books and various crystals. Another couple looking at the incense seemed particularly interested in the scent that May had lit for the store today, lavender. They were all regulars, and Holly had grown familiar with their faces over her years.  May was talking to a younger witch about the differences between the crystals and stones they stocked.

    Even though May was easily in her sixties, her wild gray hair and expressive face made her seem so vibrant, especially when she was mentoring less experienced practitioners. Holly could hear the excited way she discussed the different colors of agate and each of their properties. Holly smiled as her heart filled with gratitude for the family she’d found here after choosing to leave her own.

    She set herself to work right away, still downing her scalding coffee as fast as her tongue would allow. May had finally finished helping the young woman and acknowledged Holly, “Good morning, my dear. You look a little worse for the wear.”

    “Gee, thanks, May,” Holly said.

    May’s eyes squinted as she examined Holly.

    “I couldn’t sleep last night. I’m exhausted.” The lie was acid in her mouth. There was no way around it. She had to break the bond and the only way she knew how was through blood. Right on cue, Finch flitted down the stairs and perched in the bay window at the front of the store. Rather than looking out the window as a normal cat would, he glared at Holly. He was a constant reminder of a bad decision coupled with a selfish choice.

    “Anyway, I’m here and ready to man the ship if you want to take off and enjoy your Saturday.”

    May said nothing but smiled. The smile was kind and Holly thought that she caught a glimpse of pity in her expression.

    May grabbed a rag and some glass cleaner. She sprayed the blue liquid onto the jewelry display case and rubbed the cloth across the glass. Holly grabbed a second rag and cleaned alongside May.

    “May, I’ve got this. It’s a beautiful day. Go home.”

    May had to know something was up. She always left as soon as Holly arrived. She decided not to engage her any longer and hoped they’d find something else to talk about. She grabbed a dry rag and moved to dust the bookshelves on the other side of the store.

    “Wait, we need to talk.” May’s voice was firm.

    “Okay, what’s up?”

    May sprayed another panel before speaking again. “I talked to Amara and we are worried about you. She’s on her way too but I wanted to get you first. Are you still practicing Blood Magic?” she whispered.

    “I—”

    “Before you say anything, I want you to know that I respect you and your decisions. With that said, I will know if you lie to me. Please give me enough respect to tell me the truth.” She crossed her arms over her chest and waited, holding eye contact. Holly didn’t break it.

    Wow. Holly’s stomach lurched into her throat. What choice did she have? May had always been an expert at fishing out the truth and Holly suspected that she’d worked a little magic of her own to sort it out. She’d been so careful to keep it hidden.

    “Yes.” This time Holly looked down. She felt like a child being scorned for stealing cookies from the cookie jar.

    “Thank you for telling me the truth.” To Holly’s surprise, May didn’t sound angry. Her voice was soft, almost sad. “Of course, I already knew the truth and have known it for some time. Seven years. You haven’t stopped at all, have you?”

    “No. May, can I expl—,”

    “I don’t need to know your reasons. Amara feels strongly about the dangers of blood magic and so do I. It’s just not safe and it goes against our beliefs.”

    “Harm ye none, I know. But—,”

     “Stop interrupting and let me talk, chil’,” her Southern twang got stronger as she spoke. She raised her voice enough that it drew the attention of the nearest customers. Holly felt her cheeks flush.

    “I’m sorry.”

    “We need to hurry because Amara is going to be here any time. She’s going to sit us down and ask you. Please let me talk when she asks questions.”

    What was going on? Why was May coming to her defense? May’s face softened along with her tone, “Whatever your purpose is, it doesn’t matter. I know you are coming at it with good intentions. You have a good heart. Please just be careful.” May grabbed her hands and held her gaze for a long moment.

    May sighed. “Blood magic is powerful but that power comes with a price. Using another’s life force to gain power isn’t without consequence. The cravings for more simply don’t go away. It’s enough to drive even the strongest of us to insanity.” May’s eyes lost focus and a shadow crossed her wrinkled face.

    “How do you—”

    The little bells on the shop door jingled as the door was pushed open. Amara entered. She looked beautiful in her colorful maxi-dress, her gold hoop earrings, and her small braids piled on top of her head in an elegant up-do.

    “Good afternoon, May. Holly,” Amara’s speech was terse. She sat on the stool behind the counter and motioned for Holly to take a seat on the other one. There was not even a trace of a smile on Amara’s usually bright face. With a sideways glance and a raised eyebrow, Holly thanked May for giving her a heads up. Holly and May walked back to the counter, Holly took a seat next to Amara and May leaned against the counter.

    Before Amara could start, the young witch that May had been helping just a few moment ago stood at the register, ready to pay for her crystal. “Pink quartz, great choice,” May said cheerfully as she ran the credit card through the machine.

    With the customer gone and the store now empty, Amara opened her mouth to start again, “Holly, we need to talk.” Amara held her purse on her lap and fiddled with the zipper.

    “Okay?”

    “Answer me. Yes or no. Are you practicing blood magic?”

    Before Holly could form a response, May chimed in, “You know how serious this is, don’t you?”

    Holly nodded. Finch wound his way between Amara’s feet, never looking away from Holly. She tried to keep her focus on Amara’s face.

    The bells on the door tinkled again and Amara broke their eye contact. Holly followed her gaze toward the open door. Her pulse quickened and her focus was solely on the man that had walked through the door. He radiated pure s****l energy tinted with something dark. Dangerous. Tall and lean, clad in a white tee shirt and blue jeans, the man sauntered up to the desk.

     As he got closer, the energy felt more potent. His muscles moved under his tee shirt as he removed his motorcycle helmet, revealing shoulder length-brown hair, and a full, but well-groomed beard. Now that he was right at the counter, the s****l energy was nearly unbearable. There was something else underlying, something that made the back of Holly’s gust twist with a visceral warning.

    He said nothing and neither did the three women behind the counter. His honey eyes scanned the shop before settling on Holly’s face.

    “You.”

    Words escaped Holly; her brain fogged with the strength of the lust in the air. Her heart raced and her breaths quickened. Finally, she managed to string a few words together, “What are you?”

    “Leave and do us no harm!” May had grabbed a package of table salt and drew a protection circle around the three of them.

    The man took a step back and put his hands in the air. “I do not mean you any harm. I am here for the blood mage, that is all. I need to speak with her.” His speech was slow and enunciated and he had the strangest accent. It sounded almost French. He never looked away from Holly. He knew, but how?

    There was no point in hiding it anymore. Holly focused her attention on the man and tried to drown out the very graphic images of what she’d like to do to him right now. “What do you want? Why are you here?”

    He looked her up and down, appraising her. “You’re the blood mage I’ve been searching for?” He laughed.

    May pushed Holly aside and stood between Holly and their visitor. “She’s not what you seek. Surely this is a mistake?”

    He squinted at May. Even with her stooped shoulders, she held a commanding presence. “No, I think not.”

    Holly could feel Amara’s gaze on her as she spoke, “I’ll say it again, what do you want?” She stepped around May to confront him. She held eye contact with him, refusing to let him stare her down. Rising to her full five-foot three stature, she stood from the stool. Still, she remained unwavering as the man towered over her from behind the counter.

    He broke eye contact first and looked at Finch who was now sitting on the counter near the cash register. Holly wasn’t sure at first that he was looking at Finch until his gaze followed the cat as he jumped off the counter and sat near his feet.

    “ Ah, maybe we can help each other. I have an otherworldly problem, too.”  He continued to look at Finch as the cat sat at his feet and Holly was convinced he could see him.

    “What are you?” she asked again.

    “My name is Salix. I’m staying at the Best Western down the road. Room three eighty-eight. I’ve a feeling my welcome here is wearing thin, so why don’t you meet me there later. We will talk more.” He turned around and left without saying another word.

    “What? Why?” she called after him. He acted as if he didn’t hear her.

    The prickling on the back of Holly’s neck stopped as soon as he left.

    Holly turned to look at her mentors. May had a slight frown while Amara’s face was beet red. Her stare all but bore a hole right through Holly. “What was that all about?” Amara asked through gritted teeth.

    “I don’t know, but that guy gave me the creeps.” Holly rubbed her hands against the goosebumps on her arms.

    “Is it true, what he said? Blood mage?” Amara’s voice was so quiet, Holly had to strain to hear her.

    Holly looked at May, hoping for some sort of guidance. May remained silent and stared, unfocused, at the shop’s entrance.

    “Well?”

    There wasn’t anything left to say. The truth had come barging through the door and stared her right in the face. “Yes.” She couldn’t look at either May or Amara when she spoke, so she looked at her shoes instead.

    “After everything we’ve done for you for seven years, seven years, you’ve still been practicing blood magic?”

    “Yes.”

    “Did you feel the energy rolling off that creature? That was no human. Disappointing me is one thing, but to bring something so dangerous upon our Coven is unforgivable.” Amara stood, knocking the stool over and paced back and forth.

    “But, Amara, I didn’t mean—”

    “It doesn’t matter what you meant. I took you in as an eighteen-year-old runaway and treated you like family. I set you on your feet and gave you guidance. For seven years you have been lying to me and casting this unnatural magic right under my nose. I don’t even know what to say right now. Your actions put us all in danger.” Amara waved her arms as she talked, still pacing the small area behind the counter. Her crystal amulet hung from her neck and bounced as she waved her arms.

    Holly’s heart sunk. She wanted so badly to explain why she’d been using blood magic all this time, but the words just wouldn’t form in her mind. All these years and she’d never asked for help or guidance in fixing her mistake. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

    “Just go.”