Chapter 6

6

LECTURE NOTES FROM SPELLCASTING AND CURATION:

Never perform spellwork alone. There is a high risk of hemorrhage and head trauma.

T hessa stood frozen. She was in another realm, one cast in dark shadows and mist. The wind whipped past, blowing her hair violently across her face. There was no glimmer, no light, and nothing pretty in sight. The air was heavy and too thick to see anything.

“Thessa.” Her name boomed from a feminine, majestic voice. “You’ve come.”

She spun in place, looking for the owner of that voice. There was nothing but darkness. She blurted the first thing that came to mind. “I thought we couldn’t talk in the In-Between?”

“This is not what they refer to as the In-Between.” The response was snappy and short.

Thessa would’ve left if she could. Regret weighed on her shoulders like two boulders. “Then where am I? ”

“This is your soul. Dark and lovely, isn’t it?”

“What?”

“The English language, and other customs your realm adopted from the mortals are nonsensical, my translation may not be perfect, but it will do. The soul is best for direct communication, you can hear me, can you not?”

She kept looking for the owner of that curt voice, an exit … anything. “We’re inside my soul?”

“Well, technically ours. Our soul, yes.”

“How?”

“Thessa. Too many questions. Our souls are connected, of course, otherwise this communication would not be possible.”

She paused, then asked, “Are you, my mother?”

“That I am, but I am you, and you are me, well, soon to be.”

A riddle.

Thessa shook her head, confusion taking over. “What?”

The voice spoke again, “On the Shadow Moon you will know.”

“I don’t follow the moons.”

“You will understand soon.”

It was too vague. “You’re my mother, but you’re me? You realize that doesn’t add up.”

The majestic voice continued, “You called for your mother, did you not? I did not birth you, but I am your mother. You are of my essence and my blood.”

“Hekate?” Was this the goddess of witchcraft? This was far from soothing, as described by Leora. In fact, it felt like quite the opposite.

The feminine voice laughed, sending a rumble beneath Thessa’s feet. “No, no. Not Hekate.”

“Gaia then?” Could this be the goddess of all living things?

“Oh Thessa, so many questions. There is more to your world than Hekate, and her great grandmother, Gaia. Is that all they taught you in your history lessons? Why am I not surprised.”

She wasn’t sure the voice knew what she was saying, after all it was working off translations. “So you’re not me, not quite my mother, and you’re not our goddess, or the goddess. So, who are you then?”

“I am all of those things.”

Thessa palmed her forehead, mumbling about tricks.

“You will understand soon, the Shadow Moon is coming,” the voice continued.

This was not making sense, and Thessa was losing her grip. She sank down and sat on the cool substrate. “Just tell me who you are. Your name. I cast this spell to find my true mother,” her voice shook. “And why do you keep talking about the moon?”

“Enough. We don’t have the time for all this. I am your mother. I am the mother of thousands. The mother of the forgotten . The mother whose children were taken, murdered, tortured, and banished.” The voice continued, urgently. “My bloodline has been shunned for two centuries, executed cowardly. What you see is not the darkness to fear, witchling. You cannot escape this.”

She blinked, unsure what any of it meant.

“Our time is ending.” The thunderous voice faded. “I’m sorry, there’s nothing left to hold me here.”

Thessa gasped. Air shot in her lungs at the same time her eyes popped open.

Perched over her like a crow, Leora screeched, “Tess!”

Thessa rubbed her temples. “Woah.”

Leora wore the face of utter concern as she helped her up to sit. “I almost lost my mind waiting for you to wake up. Are you okay? What happened?”

Thessa babbled while Leora fetched her a cup of water. “I have no idea what just happened. When did you get back? How long was I out for?”

Kneeling beside her, Leora passed her the glass. “Here, drink.” Resting her hand atop Thessa’s shoulder, Leora said, “I got back a few minutes ago. I ended up not going. I had a bad feeling about leaving, and now I know why.”

Thessa looked down at her wrapped hand, then back to Leora. “Thank you.”

“When I found you in the circle, I knew what you did. You know better than to perform spellwork alone, especially a spell like this.” Leora’s worry shifted to an impressed look. “I can’t believe it worked, how’d you do that alone?”

“Ivy must’ve been right.” Thessa scanned the room before continuing, “This room is possessed.”

Leora laughed, “Is it?” Her face shifted back to a serious one. “Do you want to talk about what happened?”

Mustering an unfamiliar strength, the witch who’d held in too much, for too long, started to speak. Thessa’s words poured out. They were muddled, and there were many, but they came to the surface. She had no home, no family, no love, and now no certainty or purpose.

But there was Leora, the witch full of light and hope despite the darkness she’d been served, listening to her every jumbled word.