Page 36 of Rekindled Prophecy

Everyone in the workroom joined in the circle to pray for the safety and fortification of Kelly and her child. Sofia entered the center of the circle where she lit a couple sage leaves and dripped holy water over the obsidian sphere placed on the new makeshift altar. In front of the sphere were two white ceramic figurines – a mother and child in a cradle, most likely replicas of Mary and Baby Jesus from someone’s nativity set.

As the group joined hands, they began their prayers in earnest. Within moments, the hum was back as each person said his or her part. Sofia took a small, serrated kitchen knife and cut a cross-shaped incision diagonally on the inside of her right wrist while a young man with long blond hair pulled into a ponytail carved the Star of David into his left wrist. With their other hands, they both squeezed their arms to propel the blood to fall onto the figurines: Sofia’s blood onto the Virgin Mary and the young man’s blood onto the child statue.

Greylyn hoped he was still a virgin because it was male virgin blood that had been missing from the earlier spell, as well as some vital words of blessing over both mother and child. The blood of a male virgin was such a rare commodity, it was not surprising that Isabel skipped that part. But Sofia had insisted she had all the ingredients, so she was just going to have to trust her on that. For a moment, sadness gripped Greylyn’s heart. If Sofia was providing the female blood for the spell, that meant she was also … the truth was too sad to dwell on.

The chanting continued for the better part of the next hour. Voices raised and lowered in praise as they beseeched assistance from Above and Beyond.

Finally, Greylyn stepped forward to the altar to offer up her own prayers for the health, happiness, and safety for the body, mind, and spirit of Kelly’s child and any future children she may have. She stared at the obsidian sphere as she recited the ancient Aramaic words.

“…and the evil spells and the one who sends…” Greylyn continued, “…the evils from those afflicted and the people of that house…,” and “…a day and from now unto forever.”

Candle flames reflected in the sphere, dancing like swirling ballerinas. The sage smoke wafted around the group until she could no longer see the others in the room. Her vision blurred. The sphere became the one point of focus. Everything else disappeared from her view until an unnaturally bright cerulean glow rose from the black stone. If anyone else in the circle noticed, they showed no outward surprise.

As she finished, the candles flickered wildly as if a window had been opened with a giant gust of hurricane-force wind. The others were clearly amazed, but Greylyn knew it was a small indication that the spell had been successful. All the candles, except the one burning behind the obsidian sphere, were extinguished. The flame from the lone candle flickered higher, changing colors as it grew and then receded to its natural color, shape, and size. A calming peace settled over everyone in the room.

Greylyn turned to Sofia with a smile of satisfaction.

Chapter 15

Sunrise

The antique Grandfather clock in the foyer chimed five times. Greylyn hastily took her leave of the psychic and her circle, promising to contact Sofia soon.

Before she left, they performed a quick incantation to remove the dangerous entities hovering outside the building. It was unfortunate the spell had not been invoked earlier. “I felt the evil surrounding us for the last few days and could see the dense fog of spirits. We have never experienced anything quite like it so we put extra protections on the building, and I would not allow anyone to leave. But I must admit I was curious why they were all congregating here so I didn’t obliterate them. Guessing you’re the cause.” She winked at Greylyn before pulling her into a grandmotherly embrace.

Intelligent black eyes squinted up at her, unsettling Greylyn’s temporary feeling of ease. “Something else is wrong, isn’t there?”

Sofia smiled weakly and patted the top of her hands. “I don’t know quite what to make of it, but the spirits are in a turmoil, but not over Kelly. Seems they desperately want to tell you something, warn you, but they cannot. The lamentations swirling in my head are chaotic, and don’t make any sense to me.” Her body trembled so much that a couple of her friends took her arms, urging her to sit. She refused.

Greylyn’s heart seized. Sofia was indeed a legitimate medium. Anything she said could be taken as truth. This news did not bode well, but she was accustomed to always being in danger. “Anything specific you can tell me?”

Sofia shook her head sadly. “I will have blessings and protection spells cast for you. God speed, lovely one.” Greylyn turned to walk away but was stopped again when the woman’s eyes lit up as if in a trance. Her normal dark eyes shone stark white.

“There’s a dark entity circling you. You believe him to be a threat, but he is not. At least not now. He is not what you need fear for a greater evil holds you both in his grasp.” Suddenly, Sofia collapsed, but Greylyn caught her frail body before she hit the floor. A couple other womenfrom the group ran over to tend to their matriarch by laying her on the ragged couch.

After making sure she was okay, Greylyn left her in the care of her friends. She trusted Sofia was in good hands. The woman’s entire life had been devoid of a loving, supportive family, but she felt a strong bond between them already. Like the grandmother she had never had, or at least, did not remember having.

The front door of the building was splintered, but still mostly intact. Perhaps she had used too much force on it when trying to escape the mix-matched demonic army earlier. Pushing it open, it thudded against something soft, but solid. Dread rose like bile in her throat. Looking down, she saw the mangled body of Isabel, barely recognizable and covered in her own blood. There were too many wounds to count, some deep cuts, others where something had impaled her entire body. A wave of guilt slammed into Greylyn. No one deserved to die like this. Her conscience weighed heavy because she had not thought to protect the woman when she left. Her focus had been completely on Kelly and the child. Admittedly, she had also been highly annoyed at the woman for all the nasty names she had called her.

Perhaps the banshee from earlier had been sent to signal Isabel’s impending death.

Greylyn knelt beside the body and whispered, “Through this holy anointing may the Lord in his love and mercy help you with the grace of the Holy Spirit. May the Lord who frees you from sin save you and raise you up.”

She moved to scoop up Isabel’s body, but a couple of the gentlemen from Sofia’s group had followed her outside. Without a word, they motioned for her to go. Making an effort to put aside her sadness, she forced herself not to dwell on the loss. There would always be casualties in the war between good and evil. And quite frankly, she was not sure which side of the equation Isabel had been on. Sadly, she could not protect them all.

But I knew a demon army was outside the building and I just let her go. Her death is on me.

The walk back to her car was long. By the time she slid behind the driver’s seat, a sharp pain radiated from her side. It would be gone in no time, she knew. Probably before she arrived back at the inn.

Being up all night started to take its toll as she turned the Camaro back west onto Interstate 66. At this time of the morning, the vibrant nation’s capital and the surrounding metropolitan area were still and quiet. Her eyelids drooped so she cranked up her radio. AC/DC on full blast would have to do the trick.

Even though the sun had already started its ascent into the sky, the thickening cloud cover gave the illusion of a dismal night. With the world bathed in a relentless violet hue, Greylyn pressed the gas pedal to the floor. The windows were down, and her hair whipped about her face as she raced over the Roosevelt Bridge. The music changed and through the antiquated stereo system blared Motley Crue’s “Primal Scream.” She could certainly use “Dr. Feelgood” about now.

A stinging sensation from a slash across her face irked her. It would heal soon. Strange that it had not already. However, the ripping agony in her side only increased as she drove. Adrenaline had kicked in during the fight and while casting the spell, so she had not paid much attention to the pain or the still seeping blood until now. Besides, she never had to worry about such superficial wounds before. It was odd that they had not started to heal yet. Very unusual.

She hoped she could get inside her room at the Carriage House before anyone else woke up and glimpsed her in this state, looking like something fromNight of the Living Dead.

A large silver form streaked across four lanes of highway and disappeared down a deep gully. Jerking the wheel to one side, the Camaro skidded off the road slightly. Deer were abundant in the Shenandoah, butthathad not been a deer.

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