Chapter Twenty-Nine

A TRICKLE OF magic wound its way through the assembled coven on the night of Mabon. Sparkles and shimmers danced through the night air within the witch wood.

Dev and Sparks had called all the remaining members of the defunct Guardians of the Night Grove, inviting them with the promise of creating a new coven. Everyone enthusiastically accepted.

Sparks had been placed in charge of the decorations and banquet table. Each attendee had brought various items to adorn the offering for the night. Pumpkins, apples, and sheaves of wheat had been placed elegantly in a towering centrepiece. Various bottles and decanters of wine were present, coupled with plump pomegranates, ears of corn, and clumps of grapes. Sparks had even taken to making dozens of corn dolls braided from the discarded husks. They peeked out from random spots on the table like spying imps.

Tully had whipped up a feast that awaited the coven and its guests after the ceremony. A crockpot of spiced carrot soup simmered, a chafing dish full of buttered, herbed yams lofted savoury aromas, while another warmer overflowed with buttered squash. Plates of figs with cheeses and a variety of home-made breads were on hand. A roast mutton, large enough for everyone to have seconds, had been propped up on a spit in the centre of the table. Several berry pies called out to those craving something sweet. A tray of frosted candied apples and drizzled salted caramel had been placed to the side to be served with the honey mead at midnight.

The witch wood had been strung up with fairy lights and candles, Dev had seen to the lighting arrangements. Braided vines of garlic cloves, ornamental gourds of all shapes, sizes, and colours, stalks of barley, and colourful Aztec corn draped the area in festive autumn colours. Woven into the garlands were strings of fairy lights.

Even the Higan cherry tree, so prominent in the witch wood, had participated in the evening festivities. Well on its way into fall, the massive tree sported golden leaves touched with crimson.

The organizers had done a smash-up job. Their first coven gathering would transpire with style.

There were some heart-wrenching moments as well. Tully carried Cam out from the house and laid him near the cherry tree to rest. Discovering Cam’s potential salvation had taken dedicated study of the ancient text to finally find the appropriate Eldritch Royal fae entry. The section for males consisted of a few short paragraphs, whereas the mating and progeny outlines had been extensive. Even then, the care and treatment of fae who contracted isolation sickness was nothing more than a footnote buried in an old customs section which would have been missed if it hadn’t been for the perseverance of Tully, Dev, and Sparks.

Because of Cam’s exile, the tethers connecting him to his fae family had been severed and as the fairy folk are fiercely dependent on one another and their customs, cast-away individuals immediately contracted isolation sickness. Only one method to cure the disease had been written about. For the Eldritch clan, an old tree would have to voluntarily agree to enshroud his body until the sickness passed—basically until Cam’s body learned to live on its own. But the merging with a tree would also alter Cam’s physical appearance yet again. Diagrams in the book showed the final transformation. Cam would end up with bark-like skin, an additional set of horns, and his wings would change to resemble branches more than the membranous fur-lined ones he currently had.

And so the first part of the night had been the offering of Cam by laying him at the base of the thick-trunked Higan cherry tree that stood guard at the end of the witch wood.

Cam had lost so much weight his appearance startled some of the guests who hadn’t seen the fae recently. He had dwindled to nothing more than skin and bones. Everton had never left his side, constantly whining and pawing at his boyfriend. Despite the fact his elongated shifted muzzle wasn’t capable of forming words, he still managed to convey all the worry, hurt, grief, and loss he suffered. The crowd surrounding the cherry tree bore witness to the pain in Everton’s eyes for the inflicted and exiled fae.

But as soon as the failing Eldritch had been lain at the base of the tree, branches swooped down, gently picked up Cam, and cradled him.

“Well, I guess that’s a good sign.” Tully grasped Dev and Sparks’s hands.

Cam inhaled deeply, and for the first time in weeks his eyes opened, and he glanced around, lucid and aware. To Sparks, Cam appeared to have found a peaceful moment. The constant shine of sweat on the fevered fae’s skin evaporated. Cam’s mouth ticked up into the slightest of grins as he stretched out a feeble hand and laid it across Everton’s muzzle. He closed his eyes and fell asleep.

The cherry tree brought Cam close to its main trunk.

The bark split, and the thick layers of wood peeled open with creaks and cracks until a hollow formed, a small womb. The tree limbs, moving carefully and nimbly, tucked Cam inside the heart of the wood, then the fleshy wood stitched itself up leaving a fine line of a scar on the tree trunk.

Having Cam be put to sleep within a tree sat well with Sparks. The Earth aspect fit with Cam being Eldritch. Dev, on the other hand, shuddered when he considered being entombed within a living organism. Hope flourished with all the boys that Cam would heal and eventually re-emerge.

The evening’s planned events would ensure Cam’s safety, initiate a new coven, acknowledge the Gods, give thanks, and celebrate new beginnings.

Everton panted and drooled, glanced between Dev, Sparks, and Tully, and the tree where Cam had disappeared. He found himself a comfortable spot at the base, nestled amongst the roots, where he hunkered down with his eyes focused on the tree’s trunk scar where Cam had been enveloped. He never shifted his gaze away.

Dev caressed the gnarled bark of the tree and whispered, “We’ll be here for you when you’re ready. Sleep well, my friend.” He knelt and scratched behind the ears of the werewolf. Normally, a gesture no one would attempt, but Everton peered up at Dev and huffed, agony in his eyes, but solace too.

Sparks found it hard to swallow watching the werewolf. A lump had formed. As relieved as the guys were in figuring out how to help Cam, the resting spot signalled the first step in the journey Cam would have to take in curing the isolation sickness. The rest would be up to him. Hopefully he would arise in the spring, but there were no guarantees.

Dev turned to the rest of the invited crowd, and a few special guests, addressing them. “Good evening, men, and esteemed guests. Welcome to the first gathering of our newly formed coven. This evening marks the night of Mabon. The second harvest celebration and a time for us to look back and be thankful for all the things we have been blessed with. It is also the time to sanctify our home, and the hearth. Tonight, we look forward to the coming darkness and the cold winter nights allowing us time to rest before the sun returns at Yule. Some fear the dark, for the dark holds things we cannot see, and what we cannot see, we do not understand. So let us embrace that which we cannot know and put our faith and trust in our Gods and Goddesses who guide us. Welcome to our witch wood.”

As Dev raised and spread his arms wide, the invited guests moved to the back. Franco and Serge were present, in part to make sure Everton would behave, but also to mend fences with the witch community. Uncle Bart had come to participate, too, sitting in an Adirondack chair and made comfortable with cushions and a blanket. Amna and a couple of her coven sisters were also in attendance, to stand as witnesses to the new all-male coven blessing ceremony. They also wanted good ties to the group who had been mandated to keep Edmonton’s city boundaries and its magical community a neutral zone. Dev and his new band of men would take over the job the Guardians of the Night Grove had once held. And a representative from the Montreal coven had arrived only days before, Bastien Toussaint, who had agreed to come help them with the ley lines. His dark complexion offset the myriad of silver pentacles he wore around his neck, a skull ring on his finger, and an interesting ear cuff mimicking the horns of the horned God. He also loved to wear shimmering gold eye shadow, and his thick beard sported silver round clips where braids hung from his chin. Even though he’d only been there a handful of days, he’d become popular with the new coven members, getting along famously with everyone.

Dev nodded to his men.

The watch towers were called upon. Tully, responsible for the North, the element of Earth, called the energy to the witch wood. Phineas deemed himself necessary in the proceedings and helped. He squirmed his way off Tully’s arm as his vines penetrated the ground. All around the perimeter of the circle a ripple of tendrils tore through the soil and disappeared again, churning up the dirt, making small boulders erupt, each of them tipped and dotted with iron ore deposits. They sparkled and created tiny prisms as the moonlight and candlelight glinted off the shiny metallic spots.

Sparks had been assigned to the realm of the South, the element of Fire. After all, lightning was a combination of Air and Fire. As he called the flames forth, the bonfire in the middle of the circle burst to life, consuming the air in the vicinity and creating a woomp as the blaze flickered and danced. Sparks had practiced for weeks to separate his talent down to one of the basic elements. Dev and Tully had helped him hone his abilities. But tonight, several fire salamanders crawled out of the fire pit and inched their way to the outside of the circle, where they perched on top of Tully’s rocks. The result heated the metal within the stones, casting a warmth across the glade. Sparks glanced at his lovers, shock and awe on his face. The salamanders were new.

Dev beamed with pride. Tully’s perpetual smile grew larger.

Marcus, who had always called upon Water for the Guardians of the Night Grove, was only too happy to join them now, and as he thrust his hands down to the ground, puddles of dark liquid emerged. They snaked their way in ribbon rivulets toward the circle’s perimeter and wound themselves around the boulders. The water hissed as they grazed up against the heated rocks from the fire salamanders, who kept their distance from the writhing water snakes, eyeing them with distrust.

Finally, Scott, another returning witch from the Guardians, called forth the Air, creating gentle whirlwinds, tossing around robes, and gently ruffling everyone’s hair. The candles in the witch wood flickered and the garlands swayed. The gentle breeze brought in the aromas from the banquet table and the scent of spices and earthly delights consecrated the protective circle.

Recognizing their watchtowers were in place, and the protective circle glowed with their presence, Dev turned to the altar. All the items the Guardians had once owned had been cleansed and were now in their possession, adorning the altar. The guys had taken a couple of weeks to wash and purify every artifact Ester and her comrades had hauled over from Byron’s house.

They also spent countless hours in the new secret library, which had a massive atrium on one side overlooking the witch wood. The guys catalogued and inventoried everything transferred from the old coven to the new one.

Dev struck a match and lit both the Goddess and God candles.

“Great Goddess, maiden, mother, and crone, hear us, and bless us. If it pleases you, be present with us tonight as we call upon you to join our circle as we initiate our new all-male coven.

“Great God, oh Horned One, father, sage, and son, hear us, and bless us. Be present with us as we start anew.”

As the flame took light on the God’s taper, the spark on the tip of the wick crackled, sputtered, then grew tall and fiery. For a moment, Dev considered dousing the flame for fear of setting everything else around him on fire. But the candle simmered down.

Not before the hedge around the witch wood trembled, and the ground shook. A fog formed outside the circle, making the candlelight halo, casting shadows and fashioning an ethereal ambience.

The hedge creaked and groaned. The wind gusted and blew through the witch wood. From the far end of the wood, behind the cherry tree, the hedge parted, and from the cleaved bramble a giant set of horns appeared. In the fog and candlelight, they glowed.

A shadow formed, and the body of a giant man appeared. The enormity of the Horned One stilled the witch wood. In awe of His presence, a silence settled. Not even the background noises from the city disturbed the grove.

Everyone took a knee.

“Now that’s a reception!” bellowed the Ancient One. “Dev, Tully, and Sparks, you boys have been busy.” The cloven-hoofed God clomped forward toward the circle, and as He did, He shed the mighty horns, the faun-like legs, and hooves. As He stepped into the circle, He transformed from beast to man, albeit taller, more muscular, and commanding authority. “Now my men, and exceptional guests—” The Ancient One glanced in Amna and her sisters’ direction and graced them with a nod to acknowledge their presence. Sparks stifled the urge to giggle at the look of shock on Dev’s sister’s face. After all, how often is one gifted with the presence of a God? “Come forward, all. Gather around. Let me see who is here.”

All in attendance drew in close and no one took their eyes off the Ancient One.

The God glanced at every person present.

“My men, I am proud. You have done well. But our tasks have only just begun. I am pleased to see Dev, Tully, and Sparks are acting as your lead, for they were hand chosen and wed together by myself. They will father your studies, be your brothers at arms, and your comrades in the Shadow Realm.

“But know this. There is danger afoot. The darkness has crept in, and as much as the shadows harbour the beasts of the Shadow Realm we call home, we must do our best to keep them at bay. Remember there is as much light as there is dark in the Realm. All creatures belong, but we don’t all play well together. So tonight, I proclaim this coven to be mine, and on behalf of myself you shall be the doers of dangerous things. You are my champions of quests others fear to take. This is the clan who casts the spells most fear to attempt.

“You are my Magus Malefica. My badass magicians—the men I will call upon to do the work others cannot. There will be strife and heartache. There will be death and sacrifice. But I shall also see to it that you are rewarded in kind. Dev, Tully, and Sparks, teach them well. Mentor them and be strong. Kerr, talker of truths, brother witch of sound, Lazaro, witch of the green, controller of plants, Marcus, diviner of futures and wielder of Water, Wiatt, witch of the dead, and keeper of secrets, and Scott, scribe and lover of language, whisperer of history and controller of Air, you are my Magus Malefica. And there will be others.

“As new witches come to you, present them before me so I may know them. But before the night is through, I shall visit each of you. There is much to discuss, to learn, to do, but until the work begins, let us celebrate our inauguration, and to the paths that led us here. Let us be thankful for all we have, and all that shall come.

“I bless each of you, this witch wood, and the home that guards this land.”

The Horned One, who stood before them as a man, and yet so much more, raised His arms skyward, and as He did so, He returned to his magnificent glory. A rack of horns grew from His temples and glowed from the crown of His head. The multitude of prongs stretched high into the night sky, tickling the stars above. His legs furred over and His black cloven feet formed. He clomped them, setting off sparks as His hooves hit the granite stones encircling the coven’s magical circle.

His head morphed into the wild stag, but His body remained human, taut, muscular, and filled with power. He exemplified the warrior, the hunter, the protector. He was the son, the father, and the sage. The black eyes of the stag stared at all who were present.

He let out a huff in the cool night air. Vapour bloomed into swirling clouds. The fog thickened and condensed, and in the woosh of a fall breeze and the rustle of the dying leaves of the Higan Cherry, the God disappeared into the night.

“I love it when he does that,” Tully whispered to Dev as he stared at the spot where the God had been with love and peace in his eyes.

Amna came and stood beside her brother. She asked, “Does He come every ritual?”

Dev chuckled. “Nope. Just the important ones, and for important people.” He slid his arm around his sister’s shoulder. Tully took up one side and placed his hand in Dev’s. Sparks came up behind them and wrapped his arms around Dev and Tully.

The Higan cherry branches swayed in the breeze left by the God’s exit. A shower of crimson and gold rained down upon them.

Within the sacred circle, the Magus Malefica had been born, and tonight they feasted.

Tomorrow? Well, that would hold a whole new adventure.