Okay, peoples, it is story time! For those of you who know me, I'm an aspiring author. Mom suggested that in order to get my word out there, I post some teasers from the novels that are currently in the works (I'm working on three). So, here's the first section (I don't do chapters) of my third, and favorite novel (but don't tell the others that).*
“Ugh! Dani, this candle will not light! What is going on?” Bridgette asked, desperately trying to get the lighter to light.
“Leo, quit messing with Bridgette’s lighter,” Dani scolded while she lit the candle with a fling of energy.
Leo scowled. He could be so angry. It was peculiar that you would find someone with such an affinity for water with such a fiery temper. Dani sighed. She might not like Leo much, but if she had any chance of ever leading this coven, she was going to have to smooth some ruffled feathers.
“Leo, could you come here and help me with some of the cakes?” Dani asked. She was up to her elbows in flour, working fervidly to make enough cakes for the festival the next night.
The sullen boy migrated over to where she was, and silently began molding the cakes into perfect discs.
“Thank you. Would you mind finishing these up? Someone’s at the door,” Dani requested just as the doorbell rang.
Bridgette stared at Dani in surprise. This would be her first festival, and so she wasn’t aware of just how powerful Dani was. Dani smiled to herself. She will soon, she thought as she went towards the door.
“Hello, Mother,” Dani greeted as the door swung open, revealing a middle-aged woman with bright red hair cropped in a pixie and green eyes that sparked and danced with excitement.
“I know, I’m not supposed to be here, but saw this in town and simply had to get it for you. I’m sure you’ll love it, and you can wear it tomorrow for Imbolc!” Aisling chattered.
Dani didn’t catch the rest of her mother’s prattle because she was too busy staring at the swatch of fabric hanging over Aisling’s arm. It was her favorite color, a blue so dark it seemed black, and there was a satiny shimmer to it that hinted at sexy but wasn’t sleazy.
“So, what do you think, morning star?” Aisling begged, using the translation of Dani’s full name, as she always did when she wanted to butter Dani up.
“I love it, Mother. I really do!” Dani exclaimed.
“Oh, good, Danica, I was hoping you’d like it. You know, this is a very big ritual. It’s not every day someone as young as you gets to lead the entire coven in their circle!” Aisling continued to jabber, but Dani ignored her and took the dress to put it on.
She walked upstairs to her room and slipped out of her clothes. A fine cloud of flour mushroomed out from the heap as it hit the floor. Dani let the satin slip over her skin. The cloth settled properly in all the right places, hugging her arms and chest, and flaring out at the hips.
Dani turned to look in the mirror and caught her breath. She didn’t recognize the woman in the mirror. Her blonde hair was transformed from merely hair into a cascade of gold, and her normally pale skin gained a rosy flush. Most important, at least to Dani, her mismatched eyes no longer looked peculiar. The summer-sky blue and spring’s-first-leaves green were both set off perfectly by the deep shade of blue in the dress. As Dani turned in front of the mirror, she wasn’t a sixteen year old girl. She was a future High Priestess, about to conduct her first public circle fearlessly.
A surge of irritated energy from downstairs let her know that Leo was getting tired of waiting for her. Reluctantly, Dani took the dress off and hung it up. She got redressed and, with a sad look behind her at the dress, went back to the kitchen.
“So, star, how did you like it?” Aisling asked breaking off in mid-sentence from the conversation she’d been having with Bridgette.
“It was nice. I liked it.” Dani deliberately downplayed her excitement. She didn’t want anybody to see how happy she was over just a dress.
“Well, that’s lovely, darling. I’m glad. I just want this Imbolc to be special for you,” Aisling said tenderly. Dani smiled. Her mother might be a little ditzy, but she genuinely loved Dani.
Dani patted her mother’s hand with a smile.
“Mother, you know I love you, but you need to go now, so we can keep working on the circle,” Dani said.
Aisling smiled, chimed her goodbyes, and drifted happily out the door like a cheerful tumbleweed.
Leo was abusing the dough a little too roughly. With a little effort, Dani channeled a bit of soothing energy and sent it on its way over to Leo. Immediately he began to relax.
“Thanks,” he whispered so Bridgette wouldn’t hear.
“Dani, can I talk to you in private for a minute?” Bridgette asked; anxiety oozing off of her so thick Dani could practically see it.
“Yes. Leo, don’t forget to set the oven to three seventy-five, okay?” Dani said, slipping out into the living room with Bridgette following close behind.
Bridgette flopped down onto the main couch while Dani took the chair across from it.
“Dani… what’s tomorrow going to be like?” Bridgette asked, looking and sounding very small. Suddenly, Dani was reminded that Bridgette was only twelve.
“It’s going to be wonderful. Imbolc is all about women. The men will only participate in the opening of the coven. Imbolc is all about spring, the first signs of it. Candles will light up all the trees, healing and cleansing rituals will be done, and then we’ll cast the Initiate’s circle. All the girls who haven’t been officially recognized by the coven will step into the center with me. Together, we will cast a full circle, and the group of you will represent spirit. Then, they’ll leave to set up the feast inside. The women will stay outside, and then we’ll begin to celebrate. There’s no reason to be worried. I already know you have more power than most girls do at your age. I mean, tornadoes in New York? Whoever heard of that happening? You have some serious power, and now you can learn to use it. Bridgette, tomorrow is going to be one of the best nights of your life.” Dani put as much soothing energy into her words as possible, hoping to ease some of Bridgette’s anxieties. “Plus, this whole thing is in honor of the goddess, Brigid. Your namesake. How lucky can one girl get?”
“Thank you, Danica. Thank you,” Bridgette sighed, relaxing into the couch.
“Any time, Bridgette.” Dani left to go help Leo, but Bridgette’s words stopped her.
“And Dani? You’re going to be a great High Priestess.”
Dani smiled happily and went back to the kitchen to work on the cakes.
Throughout the day, members of her coven circled in and out on shifts to help with the feast’s food. Only the youngest were allowed to help in this aspect, by tradition. It was a festival of new beginnings, and so the youth were encouraged to do as much as possible. After the cakes were done, all the young women gathered inside Dani’s home for Bridgid’s bed.
Aisling had been unceremoniously kicked out to a neighbor’s home the night before, so the women had the run of the house. They spent the hours before sundown making dolls out of corn husks Dani had bought at the supermarket. The girls decorated the dolls with various ribbons and trinkets everyone had brought. After the dolls were done, they began on the beds for the half dozen dolls. As Dani worked on building a fire in the hearth, a knock sounded at the door.
“Boys are here!” she called out as she moved to the door. On her stoop stood all the young men of the coven, ranging from ten to nineteen.
“Merry meet. May we enter?” the oldest, Brian, asked. It was all part of the festival. Men had to ask to enter the home, and then they had to treat both the girls and the dolls with respect.
“Merry meet. Girls, should we let them in?”
“I suppose we should…” one of the older girls laughed.
“You may enter,” Dani said, stepping back to let the boys in.
The young men piled in, and they had a small celebration. Punch and cookies materialized seemingly out of thin air. Everyone was laughing and having a nice time when the doorbell rang.
Dani stepped away from the conversation she was having with Nikolai, earth in her circle, and went to the door once more. Peculiarly enough, she didn’t recognize the energy swirling around on the other side of the door.
“Hello?” she asked more then said as the door opened.
“Merry meet, Danica. I’m sorry I’m so late, but I had some difficulty finding the house. May I enter?”
“Uh… merry meet. Of course, come right in,” Dani said, surprised into stumbling over her words. She took in the young man as he entered and removed his shoes.
Dark black bangs fell sloppily over deep brown eyes that were deeply set into a suntanned face, something rarely seen in Lake Placid, New York. He was sturdily built and looked like he played sports. That was as far as Dani got before the boy realized she was watching him.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I haven’t introduced myself yet. I’m Robert, Robert Vanator. I just moved into the area. My old High Priestess, Diana, spoke very highly of you. It’s very nice to meet you,” Robert said formally, extending a hand out for Dani to shake.
Warily, Dani took his hand. Covens weren’t supposed to be simple to find. True enough, she and a girl Diana had bonded one summer years ago before Diana moved south, but they’d lost contact. How had Robert found the coven?
So, there you go! If you like it, drop me a line. If you hate it, drop me a line. Heck, at this point, I'll accept anything, so long as it's a response!*Just to clarify, this is fiction. I have taken a lot of liberties here, and I am in no way supporting, discouraging, or claiming to know anything about Wiccan or Paganism. So nobody get angry. It's all fictitious.
