Page 23 of Solstice

“In what way?” Dori asked. Her words sounded clipped. She was angry, but she reminded herself she was not angry at Helen from Burning Bright, but at the idiot who had done this. And at Jason for exposing her secret and at this town in general.

“Well, when we met the other night, I had the distinct impression you’d lost your faith.”

“So?”

“Well, assuming the article in the paper this morning is the cause of this, you must have found it again. True faith—of any sort—tends to bring tests, trials. And this seems like one to me.”

Dori narrowed her eyes on the old woman. “My life has been nothing but a series of tests and trials for the past year.”

“Really? And have you passed them?”

She blinked because the words had hit her right between the eyes. How had she responded to the tests of the past year? By complaining, whining, fighting against her fate and turning her back on her calling, her religion and her Goddess.

“Tell me, what’s the significance of that star?” As she said it, she pointed to the blotch on Dori’s vehicle.

Dori frowned and examined the stain again—seeing this time that the way the paint had landed formed a rough shape of an inverted pentagram. “I hadn’t even noticed...” She had the feeling the other woman already knew the shape’s meaning, but she decided to explain it as if she didn’t, just in case. “The five points represent the five elements—Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Spirit,” she said. “Spirit is usually on top. We often put a circle around it, to symbolize the elements all being connected, all part of the greater whole.”

“I see. And inverted, like it is here? Does that have any special meaning to you?”

She sighed. “The Satanists have adopted it, made it so well-known that Wiccans in the U.S. rarely use it anymore. But to us it represents the journey of the Second Degree. For most Wiccans it’s a time of....” She let her voice trail off and looked up, searching the craggy face.

The old woman remained there, silver brows raised, waiting for her to finish. “A time of what, dear?”

“Tests and trials. Challenges and obstacles.”

“Tests and trials? Really?” Helen asked. Though Dori got the feeling she wasn’t the least bit surprised. “Well, isn’t that interesting?”

Dori sighed. “Don’t read anything into it. I got through my Second Degree long, long ago. I’m way beyond it now.”

“That’s right, isn’t it? The newspaper called you an elder.” She shrugged. “Then again, I guess the learning and growing never really stop, do they? Why, in any faith the initiations are an endless cycle. Don’t you think?”

Dori sent her a swift frown.

“Why don’t you run into BK’s Grocery and see if she has some nail-polish remover?”

“Nail polish?” Dori looked again at the paint on her windshield, ran a finger over it, and finally bent closer and sniffed, realizing it wasn’t paint after all. “Itisnail polish, isn’t it?” she asked, turning again to the old woman.

But Helen was gone.

Dori walked to BK’s, located the nail-polish remover and took it to the front to pay. There was only one register open, which was usual on a weeknight. She waited in line behind a woman she didn’t at first recognize, and when she did, she instantly bristled.

The dark-haired woman had started all this by refusing to process Dori’s application for a table at the craft fair.

“Hello there, Mrs. Redmond,” she said, feeling decidedly evil. Oh, deep down she knew a respectable woman like her probably hadn’t vandalized her car. But for the moment, she would do.

The woman snapped her head around and her eyes widened. “Uh... hello.”

Mrs. Redmond opened her checkbook to make out a check as if it were 1967 or something.

Dori peeked over her shoulder, read her full name. Alice W. Redmond. The woman scribbled quickly and paused at the date space, then shot a look at the middle aged brunette behind the register, whose name tag read Kate. “What’s the date?”

“Twenty-first,” Kate replied. She shifted her glance between the two of them with confused amusement. And no wonder. Alice Redmond was in such a hurry to get out of the store you’d have thought she was afraid Dori was going to pull out a wand and transform her into a toad at any moment.

Kate sent Dori a wink. “Happy Solstice.”

The Winter Solstice. She hadn’t even realized it was tonight. “Thanks. You know, I’d almost decided to give up practicing Witchcraft. I have Alice here to thank for changing my mind.”

“Really?” Kate appeared stunned.

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