Everyday Witches

James sat on the porch by the fire pit, watching the mini-manifestation of the Gaia rapid cycle through the same images it had shown them after the ceremonies. He had stared at them for quite a while, wishing the Gaia would give him more information as to Jude’s whereabouts or what to do from here. But the strange, jumbled puzzle pieces were the same. He took a sip from his bottle of Coke and leaned back against the wall with a sigh, mulling over their options.

Marge had gone on home to the kids as soon as they’d realized that the compass wasn’t going to work. He and Maria had stayed up for a little while, trying to come up with a plan; but eventually she had decided to go ahead and get some sleep. It had been a trying day and he didn’t blame her, but he was as wired as a nine tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs, and there was no way he would be getting any sleep right now. So he had decided to summon the Gaia and see if there were any new leads.

The shoe and the silhouette had to mean something. He just had no idea what it could be. And neither did any of the others. He didn’t see any way that the Gaia’s warning could be helpful; it was merely a representation of the disturbance the Gaia was experiencing at the moment. Perhaps the witch who had kidnapped Jude was performing too much magic, or some kind of spell so dark that it was upsetting the balance. He just didn’t know. Either way, they were going to have to come up with a new plan on how to locate and rescue him.

James was hesitant to waste any more time with spells to locate Jude, after the compass had malfunctioned so spectacularly. He knew that the spell was sound, so there must be some kind of interference that was preventing it from functioning properly. There was an elder who lived in the deep woods, some miles from the outskirts of town. It might be worth visiting him in the morning, but it still might not generate any concrete leads.

Although he still wasn’t sure of the best course of action, what he could do now though was to prepare for the eventuality of finding his son. It was obvious that there was foul play involved and it would be foolish to go in for a rescue unprepared. James was a master of the basic runic arts, but had never had a need to develop the skills of a warrior. It wouldn’t hurt to have some potions brewed in advance, in case he came across the attacker and needed to defend himself and Jude. The rune itself hadn’t been enough to protect Brandon from the Quepie’s wiles and he suspected that if he were to go up against a trained witch that protection runes wouldn’t be sufficient there either. And he was loathe to resort to blasting anyone with a burst of pure Gaia energy. Since Jude and Marge had had such great success with their spells in apprehending Tom, it might be worth working up a few to take with him once he did figure out how to rescue Jude.

Picking up the fire poker, he slowly raked the burning embers in the pit, in preparation for dousing the fire. When they were spread as thin as they were going to get he grabbed the watering can and poured it slowly into the pit until the fire was completely extinguished. Then he set the can back onto the table and watched as the voluminous cloud of smoke slowly narrowed into a thin rivulet that undulated its way to the ceiling and then disappeared. When he was sure that the fire was out he grabbed his Coke and made his way back into the house.

He was almost finished pulling out all of his potion making supplies when he heard a light rap on the front door. He froze and looked around warily and then rushed across the living room to the door, nearly tripping on a corner of the rug that lifted under the toe of his boot in his hurry. Maybe it was Jude! He wouldn’t usually need to knock, but he wouldn’t have had his keys with him when he was abducted. James quickly turned the knob and flung the door open without even bothering to check the peephole. He was surprised and a little disappointed to see that it was Callie standing on the doorstep.

“Oh, Callie, hi,” he said, trying to mask his upset. “What are you doing here at this hour?”

“I’m sorry,” Callie said hesitantly, noticing his crestfallen expression and taking a step back. “I just… I couldn’t sleep. I’ve been worrying so much about Jude. I thought maybe I could help you look for him. But… I’ll just go home and come back later.” She turned to leave, but James reached a hand out and softly grabbed her shoulder.

“No, wait. I’m sorry. It’s just that I was hoping that Jude might’ve made his way home. I wasn’t expecting visitors this late, so when I heard the door I just thought that maybe…” He let the words trail off, unable to finish the sentence.

Callie turned back toward the house, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. She wrapped her arms around James and hugged him fiercely. They stood there together for several moments, sharing an unspoken moment of grief, and then Callie stepped back, smoothing at her skirt nervously.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to get in the middle of things. I…”

“No, it’s okay,” James said quickly. “Really. Come on in. You’re welcome to stay as long as you’d like. I’m sure we could use the help looking for Jude.” He stepped back into the house, holding the door open for Callie.

“Okay, as long as it’s okay with you. I really appreciate it.” Callie hitched her bag up higher on her shoulder and then stepped softly across the porch and into the house.

**

Jude lay with his head against the wall, staring at the ceiling and listening to Chad and Daniella’s hushed conversation as they bundled the cart out of the room. They’d come in to take more of his blood and Jude was beginning to feel weak and dizzy. His eyes blurred and he tried to focus on a little spot near the top of the wall to steady himself.

“So, how much longer are we going to keep him,” Daniella asked, her voice muted by volume and the spinning rush of dizziness Jude was experiencing.

“Not too much longer,” Chad replied, sounding a bit irritated. “We can’t even try the ceremony again until the next full moon though, and if it takes a few tries for it to work I want to make sure we’ve got enough stored to make the spells.” He blew out his breath in an exasperated huff. “And we don’t want to kill him, so we can’t take it all at once. We’re going to have to give him a little time to recover after this.”

“Good,” Daniella said firmly, peeking back into the room as Chad disappeared from view, pushing the cart. Her face was creased in worry and something else, perhaps guilt or regret.

“We’re going to have to move as quickly as possible though, and be prepared with our spells and all that. We don’t know what might happen, since the dog managed to escape. I don’t know how he even pulled that off. It was the weirdest thing, like the leash had been cut right through with a knife.” Chad stood in the hallway, looking confused.

“I don’t think we’ll have to worry about him. He’s just a dog. And he was injured. What’s he going to do?” Daniella gave Jude one last worried look and then followed Chad out into the hall, closing the door behind her.

Jude gazed at after her, expressionless. He probably ought to cry out, he thought. Yell, berate, tell them this wasn’t right. But with his wrist shackled to the wall, it would be actionless complaint. And he probably shouldn’t tick them off. Instead, he sat motionless, waiting for something to happen.

**

James motioned for Callie to take a seat wherever she liked and then went in to the kitchen to retrieve his spell making supplies. It would give them something to do on this sleepless night and might be useful when they finally located Jude. He rummaged around the cabinet for a few minutes and then returned with an armful of ingredients and the big pot he used to mix his spells. He piled them on the table and then went over to the bookshelf to get the spell book.

“Can I borrow your candles,” Callie asked, getting up from the table and coming in to the living room to stand beside him.

James looked up, surprised. He replaced the paper backs that kept the spell volume hidden and carried the spell book itself into the kitchen, setting it down on the table beside the other supplies. Then he turned back to Callie. “Sure, what did you have in mind?”

He noticed that Callie looked a little bit more put together than she had this afternoon, but that her face was still much paler than usual and her habitual glow had dimmed, making her seem somehow less. Less perfect, less polished, less self assured. He hated seeing her that way and he moved in and gently patted her hand. Callie smiled faintly in response but it lacked her usual charm.

“I wanted to perform a three candle ritual, if you don’t mind. It’ll give me something to do, and it might help.”

“That’s a great idea,” James responded enthusiastically. It wasn’t his usual go-to, but Maria was a huge believer in those sort of things. It certainly couldn’t hurt.

He held up a finger in the ‘wait a second’ gesture and then moved quietly across the kitchen and into his bedroom. He returned a few moments later carrying a small cloth wrapped bundle. He laid it on the kitchen counter and unrolled the cloth, revealing a set of candles, a few packets of herbs, and a lighter. He stepped back and motioned for Callie to take what she needed.

Callie approached the counter and chose three of the candles and a packet of bay leaves. Often during candle rituals, various herbs were used in conjunction with the candles to assist in producing the desired outcome. Bay leaves were well known for their ability to aid in protection, manifestation, and several other things. The three candle ritual itself was a customary ritual used during times of transition in life. The candles represented the past, the present, and the future. After lighting the candles the initiate would reflect on where they had been, where they were now, and the type of future they’d like to invite into their lives. It wasn’t a surefire way of achieving a predictable outcome, but Callie believed in the wiles of fate, and the Gaia; and always found the ritual comforting. And if it might help to bring Jude home it was certainly worth a try.

Sprinkling a pinch of the herbs into her hand, she picked each candle and rolled them all around in the leaves. Then she lit the candles one by one, while focusing on the purpose of the ritual. She remembered Jude and herself as they had been- the two of them sitting on the blanket at the campground after Ricky’s ceremony, talking and holding hands. She pictured where they were now, with him gone. The empty chair across the table from her seat on her apartment balcony, where she’d contemplated their future together over coffee. And the silent home that was not nearly as full of life without him in it. Finally, she pictured the future she hoped for. Jude walking through the front door, safe and sound. She imagined him holding her tightly and then hugging his parents, and maybe coming home with her when all was said and done. She kept her eyes closed, breathing in the fragrant aroma of the candles and the Earthy scent of the herbs. All the while she tried to keep her hope in check, knowing that the Gaia didn’t grant wishes. Although she very much wanted a future with Jude she was hoping not only for herself, but also to align her purpose with the best possible outcome. Whatever the Gaia decided that may be. She extinguished the candles and took them over to the sink, to clean off the bits of leaves and melted wax before giving them back to James.

As she was brushing the remaining bay leaves off the sides of one of the candles, a scratching sound came from somewhere at the front of the house. She looked over at James, who sat at the kitchen table working on his spells, in alarm.

“What the heck is that?” James looked at Callie in surprise, and then over towards the front door. Callie shook her head and James got up from the table, walking slowly across the living room towards the door. There was a brief pause and then the scratching noise came again, followed by a bark.

“Kojack!” James looked at Callie in excitement, and then flew towards the door and flung it open. Kojack stood on the porch, a little worse for wear but alive and returned to them. There was a wound on his head, above his left ear and the ear was folded over and matted with dried blood. And one of his forelegs was injured and held tightly to his chest. James watched in sorrow and amazement as he stepped across the threshhold of the room and padded across the floor towards him. The large dog came close, nuzzling his face against James’ leg and whining softly.

James knelt beside him and petted his head softly. Then he spoke to him soothingly as he examined the injuries. They were nothing to scoff at, but they should heal up fine with the right treatment. Callie came up and knelt beside James, leaning forward to hug Kojack gently around the neck. James patted her shoulder and then, leaving Kojack in her care, went to the kitchen to get a healing salve and some bandages. He opened a drawer and pulled out a small bottle containing a potion similar to the one Marge always kept on hand. Then he quickly closed the drawer and hurried back into the living room.

He motioned for Callie to step aside and then he poured some of the liquid into his hand before smoothing it gently over Kojack’s wounds. The dog winced at first but then seemed to experience some relief, his legs buckling as he sunk to the floor and closed his eyes. When James was done applying the potion, he wrapped the bandage around Kojack’s injured leg and then went back into the kitchen to wash his hands and return the bottle to the drawer.

“Let’s let him sleep for a little bit while we finish the spells we’ll need to rescue Jude, and then we’ll head out to look for him,” James said, poking his head around the wall between the kitchen and the living room. “With the tight bond Kojack and Jude have I’m sure he’ll be able to help us find him.”

Callie nodded and patted Kojack one more time. Then she got up and headed into the kitchen to help with the remainder of the spells. Together they worked for several hours before deciding to get a few hours sleep themselves. Kojack was still out and they would need every bit of strength and wisdom they’d be able to muster to pull this off.

**

The alarm that James had set went off at six a.m. and he climbed out of bed, still tired and groggy. He yawned and rubbed a hand across the top of his head, wincing at the bristles. He needed a shave. Balding already at his age hadn’t been fun, but he’d decided that shaving it off beat the alternative of a comb over or a monk’s wreath; and so he went with it even if it did look a bit silly with a cowboy hat. He swung his feet over the side of the bed and sat there for a minute, mentally preparing himself for the upcoming mission. He had shield and plank spells for back up and he was pretty sure that Kojack should be able to lead them to Jude, but he was still worried about how things would turn out.

Seeing the state that Kojack was in when he returned, he was afraid that they might not get there in time to rescue Jude. They had obviously attacked the dog, and there was no telling what they might have done to his son. But it was no use thinking that way. He had to assume that Jude was alive until he knew otherwise. There was nothing to do but carry on with the plan, hoping for the best. Besides, the Gaia had still been broadcasting the disturbance when he’d checked last night. If whatever had been going on was finished, it likely wouldn’t have been. So there was still hope.

He rose from the bed and clicked on the little lamp on the bedside table. He walked around the bed to rouse Maria and then went to shower while she fixed a quick breakfast. By the time he was done showering, Maria and Callie were sitting at the kitchen table quietly eating their eggs and bacon.

He walked into the kitchen and gave Maria a quick kiss, then headed into the living room to check on Kojack. The German shepherd was sitting quietly on his little cushioned bed by the couch, but he got up and rushed over to James as soon as he rounded the corner into the living room. Coming up to him, the dog began to whine anxiously. Acting on his training as a service dog, he stared into James’ eyes and gently pawed at his leg several times. Then he went over to the door and turned back to look at James again. Whatever had happened to them, Kojack seemed to think that a rescue was still indicated here too. It was a very good sign, and James went over to where Kojack stood by the door and patted his head, praising him effusively.

“Good boy Kojack. We’ll go look for him very soon, I promise.” He held his hands up in front of himself in the ‘wait’ motion and then turned to go back into the kitchen. As he started to walk away, a low rumbling growl issued from Kojack, and James turned back around in surprise. As soon as he turned around, the large dog once again looked at him very intently, stepping forward to paw frantically at his leg, and then turning expectantly towards the door. James felt terrible, knowing that Kojack must be just as worried about Jude as they were. The two were a tightly bonded pair, and not knowing what was going on with Jude must be awful for him too. James knelt down beside him and gently ran his hands through the thick fur around his neck and chest. He continued petting him for a minute or so, whispering soothing words to him and then finally stood back up, warily issuing the ‘wait’ motion again. This time when he made to head back to the kitchen Kojack didn’t growl. Instead, he slunk back over to the front door, stretching out and laying with his head facing the door.

James rushed through breakfast and then the three of them, plus Kojack gathered up their potions and supplies and headed out to the truck. James went to the passenger seat first and opened it for Kojack. The dog was already moving around much better than the previous night, but his normally graceful leap into the truck cab was more labored than usual. His spirits were fine though and as James closed the truck door after him, he issued a little howl of excitement and leaned forward until his nose was almost pushing against the front windshield, as if he would move the truck forward himself.

James chuckled at his eagerness and circled back around the truck to the driver’s side. Callie and Maria were already seated in the back. He jumped up into the cab and started the engine and then rolled down the passenger side window for Kojack, so that he could scent the air if need be. Then he looked over expectantly at the dog, who stuck his head out the window and sniffed. The dog moved his head back and forth as if getting his bearings and then pulled his head back into the cab. He turned to the side and issued a low whine.

James figured that it must be a good sign, because Kojack had signaled in the same direction the compass had on their original search for Jude. He eagerly turned the truck onto the main road, following the same path they’d searched before. He continued along boldly until he got to the last turn they’d made before the compass had gone haywire. He took the turn slowly and then crept along, hoping that Kojack would be able to tell if he got off track. He had no idea where to search otherwise. He followed the road along for a while, watching to see if Kojack would object, but he remained watchful and silent.

“Isn’t this the road that the Mayhew family live on,” Maria asked suddenly, her voice sounding shaky at the idea.

“Yes, I think it is,” James replied. He squinted and scrutinized the houses along the road. This neighborhood was definitely familiar. He didn’t think that any of the houses that were visible looked like the right one, but he wasn’t sure he’d recognize the house again anyway. He had only been out to visit the Mayhews a time or two, and even that was many years ago. He slowed the truck to a near crawl and plodded along, his attention split between the road ahead, the houses, and Kojack. Suddenly, Kojack began to whine loudly and reached over to paw at James’ arm. They must be getting close to the house.

“Okay, everybody on the lookout,” James said to Maria and Callie, glancing in the rearview mirror. The ladies nodded and began to scour the street for anything suspicious. About a half mile further down the road, Kojack barked sharply and began to growl. The Mayhew house came into view. Turned out it was familiar to James, even though it had been a while. The landscaping looked just like it had when he’d visited before and the front porch swing was easily recognizable. James drove past the house and continued along down the road, even though Kojack was whining and pawing frantically at his arm. He took one hand off of the wheel to pat and shush him.

“I’m going to park a little ways away, so that they don’t see us coming,” James said to Maria and Callie. They nodded in understanding, waiting in tense anticipation until he found a grassy area to the side of the road where he could pull over and park the truck. When he had the truck positioned, he cut off the engine and turned around in his seat to face the others. Kojack was still whining frantically and pacing back and forth in the seat as much as the cab would allow, so James reached over to gently ruffle the fur around his ears and tried to him.

“Well guys, this is it,” he said to Maria and Callie in the back seat. We’re going to need to move with stealth but also quickly, so that we can get in and get out before they notice us and have the chance to attack. The main aim here will be to rescue Jude, but if we get the opportunity to nab the Mayhews along the way, then let’s do it.” His expression turned dark and his eyebrows knit together. In a lower, more gravelly voice he said. “And if they’ve already murdered my son, then may the Gaia have mercy on them, because I sure won’t.”

James climbed out of the truck and went to let Kojack out, worry warring with a fierce resolve to see this thing through, no matter what. Callie waited in the cab while Maria dug through the canvass bag they’d brought along, separating the prepared potions into three shares. Each one of them would have several of the plank potions, in case they came across Scott or Chad; and they would each apply the shield potions before venturing onto the Mayhew turf.

James waited with Kojack by the passenger door, hidden from view of the road by the truck, until Maria and Callie came up beside him. Maria handed him a handful of vials, shoving several of her own into the pocket of her skirt.

“I’m going to set a rune protection spell before we apply the potions, just to be safe, okay?” James pulled his alabaster focusing stone out of his shirt pocket and motioned for Maria and Callie to come closer.

They stood in a small circle, with Kojack in the middle while James performed the runic spell. When he was finished they uncapped the bottles holding the shield potions and then applied the liquid to their skin. A shimmering opacity crept over their auras, causing them to waver as if they were each surrounded by a sheen of steam. James nodded in satisfaction.

“Okay guys, it worked.”

Maria turned and started to set off towards the Mayhew house, but James caught her hand and brought her in for a quick hug. He held her tightly, breathing in the soft scent of the lavender shampoo she used and reveling in the feel of her smooth skin against his own, hoping that it wouldn’t be for the final time. She held him tightly in return and whispered to him that everything would be okay. Then she moved in to give Callie a reassuring hug, while James addressed Kojack.

James knelt beside the dog, pulling one of Jude’s bandannas out of his pocket. He held it up in front of his nose, and Kojack sniffed at it eagerly. James looked at him intently and then turned to point up the road, towards the Mayhew house with the hand that held the bandanna. Kojack whined in restrained excitement as James got to his feet, shoving the bandanna back into his pocket.

James surveyed the street closely. “We’ll stick to the cover of trees as much as we’re able to, and then once we get to the house we’ll head inside and start searching. Hopefully they won’t be armed to the teeth.” When he was sure that there were no cars or passersby to worry about he led the way across the street and back towards the Mayhew’s.

When they got to within about a hundred feet of the house, the air suddenly became thick and choked with magic. The overwhelming presence was so dense that it became hard to breathe. James coughed as quietly as he could manage, and the other two cleared their throats repeatedly. Kojack rubbed his muzzle across the ground, whining pitiably. The trio slowed and moved behind a tree, out of view of the road.

James coughed again and patted a hand on his throat, attempting to breathe deeply. “They’re definitely up to something big,” he said, pounding a hand gently against his chest. “I don’t know how they can stand it in there. I guess they must’ve gotten used to it.”

Maria’s ever so lightly tanned Spanish skin had reddened with all the coughing and throat clearing, and her eyes watered slightly. “I don’t know mi amor, I suppose that they must’ve been casting spell after spell and it just kept building. Do you think that this is why the compass didn’t work?”

James looked thoughtful. “You know what? I bet it is. They might have placed some sort of shield spell over the house.” He peeked around the tree to the Mayhew house that lay on the other side, across the lawn. “It’d have to be one hell of a spell to cover the whole house and the surrounding yard. That would explain the presence of this much magic though.” He paused. “And it would explain the disturbance that the Gaia showed us.”

Callie had been silent during most of the car ride and the walk over, but finally she spoke. “Is there any way we can dissolve the spell? What should we do about it?” Even after the little bit of sleep they’d had she looked worn and nervous and there were dark circles under her eyes.

“I can try it,” James said slowly. “But if it does work, the dissolution of the spell will probably alert them to the fact that we’re here. We’d have to be quick.” He looked at the others in question.

Maria sighed and then nodded. “I don’t see what other choice we have. The air is so thick that we’ll never get through to the house without dissolving the spell. We’ll just have to take the chance.”

“I agree,” Callie said with a stoic expression. “It’s the only way.”

James nodded and then pulled out his focusing stone again. He completed the motions and the ritual words quickly, forming the spell that would negate any other magic spells nearby. He waited for a moment, but nothing happened. He looked at Maria, dubiously and she shrugged.

“Why didn’t it work?” Callie looked frustrated, two small red spots forming high on each cheek. She exhaled loudly and tugged at the dowsing pendant that she was now wearing as a necklace.

James held up a hand in a ‘wait here’ gesture and then slowly crept closer to the house. He carefully examined the area on the way there, checking the grassy ground, the perimeter of the road, and the trunks of the trees. When he reached the property line of the Mayhew house, he found what he was looking for. There, up in one of the trees, was a rune carved into the bark. He followed the property line away from the road and, sure enough the next tree he encountered had the same type of rune carved in the trunk, near the leafy canopy. That explained it. They had cast a huge net around the property, using runic magic just like the type he and Jude had used at the initiation ceremony. Only on a much larger scale. A spell this large and intense would require more than just one witch with a focusing stone to negate. He crept through the trees that bordered the Mayhew property, back out to the road side where Maria and Callie waited with Kojack.

Coming up beside them he said softly, “It’s a runic spell. And a large one. They must’ve had a bunch of witches working on this. Or they worked on it for quite some time. It’s going to take some effort to remove.”

Maria’s eyes were wide, but she nodded in agreement. “Okay, let’s do it. What do you need us to do?”

“You remember the motions for the spell,” James asked. Maria and Callie both nodded. “Okay, I want you two to stand on either side of me. We need to be touching so that our efforts will combine. Then when I say so, we’ll begin the spell together, and hopefully it’ll be enough to dissolve this thing.”

Maria and Callie moved in on either side of him until their arms brushed up against his. It didn’t leave much room for unrestricted arm movement, but it would have to do. James brought his focusing stone up and said, “Now.” He began to recite the litany of words that would form the spell, and together the three of them went through the hand motions until the spell was completed. A rush of wind, or maybe the absence of it, became the air around them. The leaves on the trees and every blade of grass trembled, and the very air itself appeared to shake. It was as if someone had turned on a monstrously large vacuum cleaner and then proceeded to suck all of the air out of the world around them. Suddenly the pressure shifted. Their ears popped and the shaking stopped and normal sensation flooded back into the world. A preternatural silence followed. Not a bird or a cricket, or a blade of grass made a sound. Then a wren called from somewhere in the yard and a dog barked somewhere down the street, and the world became right again.

With the spell removed, the trio would have to move quickly. The dissolution had been extremely powerful and it surely wouldn’t go unnoticed. James hoped that it wouldn’t prompt the Mayhews to harm Jude, but the only way to find that out would be to hurry up and get in there. He glanced at Maria and Callie and then pointed towards the house and began to run.