LAST WEEK: Renna and Job’s dramatic rescue of Sera crescendoed into a standoff against Boss Bouc, a powerful spirit who had no intention of relinquishing Sera’s body without a bloody fight. Renna finally managed to invoke her Hexing on her terms with the help of her new training, and now all parties involved are patching up wounds and emotional sore spots the day after.
Read the previous installment here. See all installments here.
“Alright, last bandage, who wants it?”
Three scratched-up hands launched into the air at Job’s offer. There followed a short parley between injured parties until Job announced that they would just be taking it for themselves, and added it to the several others that now adorned both their arms.
Job, Renna, Sera, and Gibson were sitting in Gibson’s small but active kitchen, waiting for a late breakfast to be ready. None of them could account for more than a few short hours of sleep, and once they had awoken, their many flesh wounds made it quite clear that the events in the annex had not all been a strange dream. It was disconcerting to think that they might have been even worse for wear, had Gibson not had the good timing to show up when he did, just a short (or for some, a very long) minute after the birds had forced their way in. He had noticed the mass exodus of his flock late last night, and knew immediately that something was up; he had followed them the best he could, watching as they picked up more birds from other parts of town as they went through. He had been able to get to the annex through the woods behind Ebon’Tourelle and calm the birds down once he was inside. While the three witches would do no less than claim him as their savior, he still maintained that he hadn’t done much, that the birds seemed to have fulfilled the purpose of their frenzy by the time he had arrived on the scene.
The rest of the night, till nearly dawn, had been spent getting some of the more stubborn birds back to the house. As expected, the troublesome twins were nowhere to be found. Renna found herself strangely torn between worrying if they had gotten as badly scratched by the birds, and at the same time hoping that they had, for all the problems they had caused.
The topic of discussion amongst the group, still ongoing through the application of antiseptic and bandages, was Sera’s current situation and what to do from here. Gibson had offered a sincere apology to all of them, chiefly to Sera herself, about his general lack of attention and action towards her situation in the past. His better instincts had always been pushing him to intervene in the trouble he witnessed in Sera’s home life with Shane, but at the same time, his resolve had been dissolved by a gentle drizzle of doubts—concern that it wasn’t his business to be in, uncertainty of how he could actually help, and, most shamefully to him of all, simple fear that had kept him planted in the seat of a bystander.
Sera’s instant and genuine forgiveness had only caused the tears around the corners of his eyes to swell larger, as he continued to espouse his shortcomings and the unacceptability of his own inaction. Both Job and Renna could see that the greatest thing stressing Sera at the moment was her inability to stop the large man from emotionally flagellating himself.
Job decided to step in and get the discussion steered back in a progressive direction, starting with Sera’s magic. The previous night showed that there was still much to her powers as a witch that she did not have sufficient knowledge of or control over; to that end, Job believed it would be in Sera’s best interest to pay a visit to the Rectory as well, where she could further develop her Craft and come to terms with the complexities of her own Hexing.
It was her choice to make, of course, because she still technically had a home in Groutney. It was clear to no one but perhaps Sera herself what Shane’s true feelings were towards her as a ward, and her feelings towards him in the same manner. However, it did not take long for Sera to make her decision.
“I want to go with you and Renna. To the Rectory. I want to learn more about my own magic.”
Renna would have leapt from her chair in joy if her body wasn’t quick to remind her that it did not enjoy excessive movement, thanks to the night before. Job gave a satisfied nod and Gibson teared up again. He offered to go with her right there and then to talk to Shane and get the arrangements all sorted out. He would send her back with the necessary luggage for the trip, but he would stay there afterwards and continue his conversation with Shane. He gave the impression that while he would no longer keep his thoughts to himself, his ultimate aim was to offer his support to Shane. Perhaps if the troubled man had someone to count on, he might eventually find himself in a happier place, and would thus make a happier place for Sera to eventually return to. Renna didn’t really know what all that entailed, still being a teenager, but the sight of Gibson being back to his optimistic, chuckly self gave her a sense of hope towards the whole matter.
Renna, in the meantime, had a library book to return. The sisters had left it behind when they fled, and Renna had made sure it wasn’t forgotten about in the dusty annex. It sat on the table now, between her and Job, looking out of place anywhere besides a dusty, mysterious library. Sera wanted to make the trip with her though, so Renna had promised to wait until she came back.
This left student and teacher alone, without much to do, for the first time in a while—possibly since they had first met. So much had happened in the past twelve hours that she wasn’t sure what to ask about, or what was even okay to ask about. Her mind flashed to the tense confrontation they had had in the underground tunnel. However, nothing but bad feelings came from recalling that, so she pushed it away. It did remind her of another incident she wanted more answers about, though.
At first she was too tentative in her questioning to get her meaning across, but after a deep breath and a sense of openness from Job, she was able to ask it.
“Back in the annex, would you really have used … wicked magic on the twins?”
Job seemed a bit surprised, as if they had forgotten about that moment themselves. They leaned back in their chair and tousled their hair (that hardly needed tousling) as their thoughts played about beneath their fingertips.
“I’m not really sure what I would have done. I can assure you I wouldn’t have used any wicked magic, though—I honestly don’t know any. It was mostly a bluff, made in the heat of the moment.”
“Good thing you managed to fool us—fool them then.”
“That’s not to say I would have stood down. Between the cursed charm and the possession ritual, those two have proven that they’re capable of very dangerous magic, far beyond what witches should know at their age and caliber.”
Renna could hear Job’s voice start to frost over again. “I guess so, but hey, we managed alright in the end, right? Besides, while I normally don’t like people using this reasoning, they’re teenagers, y’know? Sometimes we do crazy things. But hey, maybe black magic is a better hobby than drugs or joyriding. You’ve been a witch for a while, right? Didn’t you ever do stuff to blow off steam or go a bit overboard when you were angry? Then again, I guess I’m sort of talking to the paragon of discipline over here …”
Job raised an eyebrow. “Maybe you wouldn’t believe me, but I was more of a hellion than you’d expect in my earlier years.”
Renna cracked a smile. “Yeah, maybe I wouldn’t believe you. Get caught meditating in class?”
“Actually, there was a period when I was homeless because I ran away from the very Rectory we’re headed to. I constantly lashed out at the only people willing to put up with me, and I had little faith in God or man to keep me from doing terrible things to myself and others. I did a lot to keep myself alive during that time, stealing not being the worst of it. But yes, I did actually get caught meditating in class once or twice too.”
“Oh.” Despite Job’s attempt to end their anecdote on a light note, Renna felt a bit ashamed that they had pushed Job into revealing that part of their past, and shocked that it had happened at all.
“Anyway,” Job continued on, “those girls were working with a plan. They said so themselves, and it seems that a more experienced witch named Ragana has been giving them instructions. While the girls are meddlesome, this unknown conspirator is the true danger.”
“Well, maybe we should track the twins down then, and find out what’s going on, if that’s the case. They couldn’t have gone far.”
“We don’t have the time. We need to get back on the road as soon as possible.”
“Oh?” Renna felt the reason she already knew trying to hide in the back of her head. She waited for Job’s answer.
“Last night, Gibson got a call from a member of our network. They were doing an investigation of a supernatural attack, and they found evidence that solidly connected it to our demon. It’s the most activity we’ve encountered to date. To our advantage, the location is quite far off, and I’m pretty certain that it hasn’t caught our trail yet. Regardless, what was until now hide-and-seek has now become a race.”
The contents of Renna’s stomach, which had been happily digesting up to this point, suddenly became leaden. Her skin felt scratchy all over, especially her cuts. She began to run her fingers across the ragged page-ends of the closed book on the table. She wasn’t sure why she was handling herself so poorly at this point. She had always known the demon was after them—after her. But it was the difference between hearing about a storm on the daily forecast, and then feeling the pressure drop and seeing the dark clouds loom over the horizon.
Job tapped her hand, which was still sliding across the pages. “There’s no reason to panic about it. I just wanted to make you fully aware of the situation. As long as we’re timely and smart, we’ll arrive at the Rectory just fine. Plus, you still have that amulet I gave you, right?”
“Of course.” Renna fished it out of her pocket. It was never far from her, not only because Job required it, but also because Renna had quickly grown attached to it as an object of mysterious comfort. She sometimes found herself rubbing it when she was puzzling over a page in the Book of Abramelin, or when she was trying to get herself through Job’s meditation exercises. She didn’t know if it was the magic of the item that was working on her, but it always managed to calm her mind a bit. She looked at it now in the light, thinking it seemed just a bit brighter from all of her reflexive polishing.
“Good.” Job nodded at it. “A last resort is no good if it’s not always at the ready.”
Renna understood their concern, but at the same time, knowing the pendant would be “used up” and disappear, as Job had told her, made her hope all the more its true power would remain unseen.
“Hey Job, do you think my magic has improved at all?”
“Do you honestly not know, or are you looking for compliments?”
Renna shrugged bashfully. “Mostly the latter, I guess.”
Job sat back in their chair and folded their arms, letting their gaze take a thoughtful walk around the room.
“I’m not sure I can give a comprehensive assessment. Your work with me has been slow but steady, as it should be. But it’s also become clear you’re not the kind of learner who tolerates too much of that. You seem to connect the dots in your own way in your mind—it’s not a method I would normally approve of, but I guess I can’t say much against it, since you were the hero of the hour last night.”
While Renna enjoyed the praise from Job that felt as rare as a double snow day, she instantly felt the need to be humble. “Not really, I honestly had no idea what I was doing, I just … felt I had to try something. And the thing is, I was only able to do it because of your training—I was able to focus my mind and feel without touching and all that stuff. I don’t know if I could do it again, but I definitely haven’t had that much control over my Hexing before.”
The teacher looked across the table at their student, who was tracing invisible lines across the leather-bound cover of the old book, her thoughts lost in the spaces between them.
“Between you and this book, I have a really good feeling about how fast I’ll grow as a witch,” Renna said, smiling to herself.
“Just remember, it’s not about speed,” Job reminded her in a prickly voice. “Believe me, I know how good it feels when you have a breakthrough in your studies, but you can’t be riding that feeling the whole time. You still have plenty of difficult, frustrating and mundane work ahead of you. And you know that you can’t keep that book with you once we leave.”
Renna’s smile slipped like a raindrop off a window. “Yeah, I know. I wish I could though. It’s been so helpful …”
“I can understand that. But you can also understand how a grimoire like that can be potentially dangerous. The twins made use of it for their possession ritual last night. It’s hard to tell what else lies within it, and with the energies your Hexing gives out, there’s too great a risk for something to go terribly wrong.”
Renna sighed and pushed the book away from her, sliding down in her chair a bit. “Yep. Seems like near-everything magical has the chance of doing that.”
Job switched gears, seeming to sense her mood. “But I hope that, going forward from here, I can be more accommodating as your instructor. I have a better idea of what you’re capable of now, and what I should be trusting you with. You might be a new student to magic, but I’m also a new teacher, you know?”
Renna nodded. “Yeah. I’ll try to be more … patient with the material. I know you’re doing your best, and I shouldn’t be making a fuss about it. I trust you.”
The pair of them let the warm, fuzzy, awkward feeling between them sit for a minute, undisturbed by further words, until Sera came in through the kitchen door, hauling a couple of large shoulder bags in with her. Renna could see that the luggage was, unsurprisingly, spattered with paint. Sera let them drop to the floor and caught herself on the edge of the counter so she didn’t join them.
Renna jumped up. “Ready to go, Finnie? Wait, let me grab a couple things from upstairs first.” She was headed up before she even finished speaking.
As Job watched Sera gather her supplies together at her own ponderous pace, their thoughts slid back over the conversation they just had. They were surprised to hear Renna admit that their training had actually had a positive effect on her. They assumed her opinions about their methods were clearly reflected in her bitter-mouthed pessimism whenever they trained. But perhaps she had needed the time and space at the library to allow it all to settle in on her own terms. This hadn’t occurred to Job until just then; they had simply been watching how frustrated their pupil was becoming, and in turn becoming more frustrated themselves. At many points, Renna seemed so similar to Mab, so why couldn’t Job connect with her better? Mab had had no problem with Job as her student. At least as far as Job knew.
Job watched the colorful girl slide down into Renna’s vacated chair, her splotchy affairs finally in order. “Finnie, huh? An interesting nickname Renna’s decided on for you.”
Sera gave a shy smile. “Yeah. But I like it. Even though Sera’s a nickname. This one feels more personal.”
Job nodded. “Names are an interesting thing in themselves, magically speaking. Names hold power, and the more meaning a name has to a person or entity, the more they are beholden to it. Our history’s renowned witches, mages or mythical beings are known by many names, often for the protection of their own magical identity. This is particularly true with supernatural creatures, who often have little connection to our material plane aside from the names we use to invoke them …” At this point, Job realized that they had transitioned into a lecture, and checked to see if Sera had tuned them out already. Her usual distant expression hadn’t changed, but something about her demeanor made it seem like she was listening, so Job continued.
“Do you know the story of Rumpelstiltskin?”
“I think I’ve read it. In some story book. It’s about a little fairy creature, right?”
Job nodded. “Along those lines, yes. The point is, the heroine was able to overcome him by learning his true name. This weakness is shared with all kinds of magical beings, all the way up to demons.”
Sera contemplated this for a moment. “I think I’ve heard that too. That many demons have a true name. And if the summoner knows it. They can control them.”
Job was impressed, and said so.
“I used to like reading those kinds of books,” Sera explained. “Stories about fantasy and magic. But I stopped when I moved up here. It’s one thing to read about it. It’s another thing to live it, I guess.”
Job nodded and wondered what words might be comforting to her at that point, but Sera continued speaking.
“So. I was just wondering if it’s true. That demons can be controlled by using their real names. Does that mean. That you can stop the demon who’s after Renna. By finding its true name?”
Job grimaced and shook their head. “I wish it were that easy. Although I shouldn’t say that such a feat is easy in itself. The thing is, the best people we have in our Rectory’s network have already exhaustively combed through their records and resources and found nothing. Whatever it is, it seems to have crawled out of a very old corner of Hell. It might not even have a recorded name. So in that respect, it has no weakness we can take advantage of.”
“That’s not good.” The simplicity of Sera’s statement felt burdened by the innumerable heavy implications of the situation the two were discussing.
Job shrugged. “Indeed. But that doesn’t mean we’re powerless. Far from it. Once we’re inside the walls of the Rectory, it should be more entertaining than fearful to see it try and get in. Name or no name, we’ll find a way to put it away for good.”
Sera watched Job’s fist smack the table to emphasize their point, in a more lighthearted manner than their words called for. She had been listening attentively to everything this older witch had been saying, and believed just about all of the confidence they put behind their words. Still, she sensed something deeper within their declaration that looked out beyond this time and place—to a future that was blotted with smoke from the flames that burned in the past.
***
The sunlight of a warm spring afternoon seeped through the dusty windows of Ebon’Tourelle, and the two girls cut shadows through the echoing interior as they headed for the room where Renna had first discovered the Book of Abramelin. Before they completed their errand, however, Renna wanted to drop by and visit the librarians one last time. She offered them several different kinds of raw food in gratitude for their role in saving Sera, but the felines remained as stoically dignified as ever, not even checking to see if the offering was a request. Sera assured her that they acknowledged her appreciation nonetheless.
Up in the second-floor room, Renna looked at the last remaining hole in the large shelf, while feeling the weight of the book she had to return to it.
“You can always come back. I’m sure my uncle will let you.” Sera gave her reassurance from a few feet back.
“I know. I just wish I had time to copy some notes out of it or something.”
“It is a very useful book, isn’t it,” came a third voice.
Renna whirled about quickly—and Sera turned slowly—to see Noita standing in the doorway. Her outfit was as dark as ever, despite dressing for the warmer weather. Her pale skin had no bandages stuck to it, and only a few noticeable scratches.
“Wait. What do you want.” Renna suddenly remembered her manners towards someone who had nearly harmed her friend and teacher.
Noita held up her hands defensively. “Nothing! Don’t worry, I’m not here to give you any more trouble. My sister and I are going to be leaving town soon anyway.”
Renna let herself relax a little bit, but she was still highly suspicious. “Then what did you come here for? Maybe to apologize for everything you guys have done to Finnie?”
Noita cast her dark eyes over to Sera for a moment before moving on. “Not quite. I will say for myself, though, I regret things going how they did last night. We would not have let Sera come to any harm, if you and your teacher hadn’t suddenly interrupted the ritual.”
Renna snorted. “Pardon me for preferring my friends’ bodies to be demon-free.”
Noita waved a placating hand. “I know that our few interactions so far have been … unnecessarily hostile. I think there’s a lot of misunderstandings going on. We’re simply witches like you, who are interested in delving into the deeper realms of unknown magics.”
“I can’t imagine you’ll find much but danger there, when you seem to have little idea of what you’re doing,” Renna retorted.
Noita gave her a shrewd smirk. “That sounds like something your teacher would say. We know what we’re doing, thanks to that book you’re holding there, and thanks to an excellent teacher of our own. You’re still new to this side of the world, Renna. And right now you’re just listening to what one person tells you.”
“One person that I trust.”
“Trusting someone to be right doesn’t mean that they are right.”
Renna faltered a bit, surprised at how glib the quieter sister was. “So you’re saying Job’s wrong about things?”
“I’m just trying to say that the whole world of magic can’t be seen where you are now. I think you realized that once you began looking at the Book of Abramelin. You suddenly felt yourself opening up, right? You became more powerful because you were experiencing things from a different point of view. You shouldn’t try and fool yourself—more is better. If you limit yourself to a single path, your talent won’t reach its full potential.”
Renna didn’t like how much Noita’s words were resonating with her. “You sound like you know me so well, even though you first saw me last night.”
“Actually, this wasn’t our first meeting, but I’m not surprised you don’t remember. It’s sad that we lost touch for so long … Being cousins and all.”
Renna had been readying another comeback, but her train of thought suddenly derailed, and words thoroughly failed her for a moment.
“What. I don’t. But, that’s not—I don’t have any cousins. That I don’t know about. I think.”
Noita seemed to be enjoying Renna’s confusion. “Well, now you know, again. Your grandmother, the great witch Mab, had an older sister called Ragana. And Czaronica and I are her grandchildren, making us your proper cousins. As you can see, witchcraft runs in the family.”
Renna finally managed to get her thoughts back in order. “Wait a second, that can’t be right. Cousins would be my parents’ siblings, and my grandmother is one generation up … we’re like … second cousins? At the most?”
Noita put on a pouting face. “Never mind those details. Cousins are cousins. Besides, after the tragedy in your life, one would think you’d be a little more accepting towards living family members.”
Renna crossed her arms. “I have plenty of family members already. They might not be related by blood, but as far as I know none of them have tried to kidnap and demonically possess any of my friends.”
Renna looked warily at the small black envelope that Noita was now holding out to her.
“I came here to give you an option,” the twin explained. “You might not be interested in it now, but I can assure you that the time will come in the future when you find yourself wanting more than what your teacher can offer you. Ragana will be able to show you more than you can even imagine from that book. She’s family—she can give you answers about yourself and your Hexing that Job knows nothing of. And we’re family too, Ronnie and I. We’d love to spend more time with you.”
Renna took the envelope between the tip of her index finger and thumb, turning it over to see its strange, sleek gloss. She had half a mind to tear it up right in front of Noita.
“Please just keep it,” Noita said, suddenly becoming more demure. “That’s all I ask. If you’re kind enough to do me a favor.” Her gaze was averted now, and her shoulders slumped inward, a demeanor that was common when she was anywhere near her brash sister. Sera, at least, had been around the twins long enough to see the deceptively complex interactions between them. While it always appeared that Czaronica got her way when she demanded it, Sera had never seen the loudmouthed witch deny her sister anything when Noita acted like a smacked puppy. It was clear that both girls were forces to be reckoned with, each in their own way.
Renna looked over at Sera, who correctly interpreted her friend’s expression as one desiring a moment of emotional support. The two girls came together and opened the envelope, inside of which was a black card that had an address written on it in thin, swooping silver lettering. The part that stood out most to Renna was the name of the place—Karanarthex. She had no idea what the place looked like, but at the same time, she couldn’t think of a more perfectly foreboding name for a house full of gothy, dark-magic-loving witches.
On the back was a telephone number, also shining in silver, but this appeared to have been written with a colored-ink pen rather than printed. Renna looked again at her friend but received no further input, so she shrugged and, replacing the card in the envelope, slid it into her back pocket.
“Alright, fine. I’ll keep it for now, but don’t think I’m going to—”
Renna turned around and saw that she was talking to an empty doorway. She peered out into the hall and saw no trace of the witch.
“Jeez. Never even heard her leave … She’s a creepy one alright. Family or not, I wouldn’t be upset if I never saw her again.”
“You don’t think you’ll call?” Sera asked as Renna returned to the bookshelf.
“I can’t imagine why I would. Job’s an excellent teacher, and I think things will be better from here on out. I just …”
Renna stopped as she held the old book in her hands again, back in front of the hole that awaited it. Sera waited until her friend was ready to complete her thought.
“I just don’t really know though. Some of what she said did kind of ring true, as much as I don’t like to admit it. If I could just keep this book for a little while longer …”
Renna fell into silence again, landing among her swirling thoughts. The sunlight crept its way across the book stacks, and Sera watched one of the longer beams reach out to touch the toe of her shoe.
“What if I … What if I just borrowed it for a little while. This is a library, right? One that, like, no one else uses—I can’t imagine this book has moved in at least twenty years before I found it, given the amount of dust it had collected. Maybe just until this whole demon thing blows over—heck, I might even be able to find a way to defeat it in here!” Renna turned to Sera, her eyes shining. “What do you think?”
Sera gave her an indulgent shrug. “It’s your choice. I’ve taken many books out of here. The librarians don’t mind. As long as you bring them back.”
Renna nodded animatedly. “I definitely will! And … you don’t mind if we don’t mention this to Job, right?”
Sera sealed her lips with her fingers. “A friend’s promise.”
“That’s settled then!” said Renna, hopping out of the room with the book. “I have a feeling this will work out great. I can’t wait to start in on it again! But come on, I’m starving, and we’re gonna have one more meal with Gibson before we go.”
The two girls pulled the creaking front door shut, and then made their way among the weeds, out to the garden gate. The many front windows of the stately old mansion watched its two young patrons go, and from within them, the eyes of several cats observed the young witches wave their goodbyes to the house and carry on down the street, until they disappeared among the spring greenery.
Hear the author read this week’s installment in the video below:
MetaStellar fiction editor Geordie Morse works primarily as a personal language coach, developing curricula and working with clients remotely. His first book, Renna's Crossing, is out now. His various other projects are cataloged on his site Arnamantle.