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CHAPTER TWELVE

I didn’t know what to do. Should I tell my aunt, or ask for the initiation to be postponed? I couldn’t call Crystal because she’d be getting ready for her own vision quest. After a moment, I decided to wait. I’d talk to Astra tomorrow morning. In the meantime, I sat down on the bed and once again lowered myself into trance.

I took three deep breaths and cleared my thoughts, then built a barricade, keeping everything from the outside out, including my worry over Zandre. When I felt settled again, I finished dressing.

The dress made me feel exceptional—it was the fanciest dress I’d ever owned, beyond my wedding dress. I pulled my hair back on the sides, clipping the strands in the back with a silver barrette, then slid on a pair of witchy granny boots that were pre-laced, with zippers on the sides. When I finished dressing, I did my makeup, then gathered a few of my magical items into a bag and headed downstairs.

Astra was waiting for me. She looked over at me and her jaw dropped. “That dress is so perfect.”

“I know—I love it. What else do I need to bring with me tonight? I have my dagger, a couple of my favorite crystals…and I’m wearing my Aphrodite necklace.”

“Leave your personal athame at home,” Astra said. “You don’t ever want to chance losing it. You’ll find a dagger to use in the Dark Moon Society, and while that will also be magical, if you lose it, it’s not like losing a part of your magical self. You won’t need it tonight, anyway.”

I took the dagger out of my bag and set it on the counter. “All right.”

“You can also leave your crystals at home, for tonight. This evening’s all about drawing you into the Society. There will be times to take your personal gear, but tonight it’s not necessary.”

I glanced at the time on my phone. Crystal had sent me a quick text that she was headed out for her quest, and to wish her luck. I didn’t bother answering, not wanting to interrupt her.

“When do we leave?”

“Now,” Astra said.

As we headed for the meeting, I tried to keep the events with Zandre out of my thoughts, but deep down, I could still feel the worry, hiding there, among my other thoughts.

* * *

The Dark Moon Society met at a small cabin on the outskirts of town, on a one-acre parcel of land. The Society owned the cabin, and the secretary for the coven lived there in exchange for keeping watch over the land and the ritual space. A ring of standing stones had been erected, to mark the eight sections of the year, and the eight pillars of the circle were aligned with eight of our sacred trees: oak, holly, willow, apple, cedar, rowan, yew, hazel, and elder. The trees stood in back of the stones, watching over the quarters and cross-quarters, sentinels for the rituals.

The circle of stones was large, but not so large that the Society hadn’t figured out a way to keep the rain out when need be. A large circular awning had been created that attached to hooks hewed into the back of the stones, and for particularly nasty weather, clip-on rainproof sides formed a tent to protect the participants as much as possible.

A firepit was in the center. As I stood there, watching the flames lick the sides of the large metal cylinder, crackling away, the chill of the outer world began to fade. There was more than just the heat from the bonfire warming up the inside of the tent—but I had no idea what else was at work. Was it magic? It seemed a lot to expect a spell to act as a large-scale heater, but maybe I didn’t understand the full extent of what our magic could do.

As the other women gathered, the only ones I recognized were Nightshade and Astra. I silently counted heads. Eleven other women, including my aunt and the high priestess. I knew this wasn’t the full extent of the Dark Moon Society, but it appeared to be the magical core.

A few of the covens run by the Order of the Moon had male participants—and male members of the witchblood were as common as women, but there was something special about the energy of women gathering together that made other groups pale in comparison.

My thoughts were interrupted by Nightshade, who—after a moment—whistled and held up her hands.

“Welcome, Sisters of the Dark Moon. As you know, tonight we’re welcoming our newest member—Maisy Tripwater. She passed her magical quest and tonight we’ll initiate her.”

A cheer went up from the others, including Astra. She winked at me, as if to say, “See, you’re welcome here.”

I blushed a little, then cleared my throat and said, “Thank you for welcoming me. I’m excited to be here and looking forward to working with you in the future.”

It felt a little contrived, but really, there wasn’t much else that I could say.

Nightshade flashed me a warm smile. “We’re happy you’re with us. Since it’s a chilly night, let’s get down to it, shall we?”

I nodded, having no idea what to expect.

The others started to move into position, Nightshade in the center by the firepit, with Astra at her side. Eight of the others each took their place by one of the eight stone pillars. And the last—a youngish woman with shining blond hair—moved over to my side.

“I’m Nedra, and I’ll be your guide,” she said. “Please place your hands behind your back.”

I glanced at Astra, who nodded.

As I did, Nedra bound them loosely with a rope. Then she held up a blindfold. I nodded for her to do whatever it was she needed to do. She slid it over my eyes, and I couldn’t see a thing.

“Please, do as I say. We won’t hurt you.” Her voice was low in my ear.

“All right,” I whispered back.

The next moment, Nightshade’s voice echoed out, and I realized she was casting the Circle. I stood still, keeping silent.

Circle of power, I cast thee first, in the maiden’s name, in song and verse.

Circle of power, I cast thee twice, in the mother’s name, we pay the price.

Circle of power, I cast thee thrice, in the crone’s name, under her advice.

The energy began to form, creeping through my body, through the air, touching every molecule and atom, enlivening everything in its path as it swept through, a wave of power, a wave of magic.

Spirits of the North, Spirits of Earth, please heed my call and bring us strength.

Spirits of the East, Spirits of Air, please heed my call and bring us thought.

Spirits of the South, Spirits of Fire, please heed my call and bring us passion.

Spirits of the West, Spirits of Water, please heed my call and bring us balance.

Earth and Air, and Fire, and Water, We, magic’s daughters, weave the spell.

Even though the invocation was a simple one, the force behind it rocked me and threw me off balance. Nedra reached out to steady me.

Nightshade and the Dark Moon Society were powerhouses. If they could manage this much magic for an initiation, then what could they do when they were working one of the older, more powerful spells?

My thoughts were interrupted when Nightshade began to speak.

“We are here tonight to welcome a new sister into our coven—to bind her to the Dark Moon Society, by word and by oath, for as long as the magic of this life lasts. Bring forth the supplicant.”

Nedra took hold of my forearm, leading me by her side. We had begun against the north pillar, that much I remembered, and now we walked in what felt like a zigzag manner. I quieted my thoughts and focused on the feel of the movement until I realized we were spiraling inward, first going deosil—clockwise, and then turning widdershins—counterclockwise, and I followed the pattern of the labyrinth in my mind until we reached a point where Nedra patted my arm for me to stop.

We were in front of the firepit. I could feel the warmth of the flames flickering on my face. Nedra gently led me a few steps farther and I could sense someone standing in front of us. By the perfume, I surmised it must be Nightshade. She wore a hyacinth-scented fragrance.

“Nedra, Sister of the Dark Moon, why have you come before me?”

Nedra cleared her throat. “I bring to you, Lady Nightshade, a woman who wishes to join our ranks and our coven.”

Another pause, then Nightshade said, “Let the supplicant state her name.”

That was my cue. “Maisy Ellen Tripwater.”

“Maisy Ellen Tripwater, you stand before me, seeking entrance to our coven. I give you this chance: if you have changed your mind, tell me, and I will set you free, unbound by any oath.”

“I haven’t changed my mind,” I said.

“Then listen well, to the words of the Witch Queen Heliesa, to these rites that have been passed down through generations and centuries of the Court Magika.” Nightshade fell silent, but that moment, a woman spoke, loud and clear. I knew approximately which way I was facing, and the voice came from the north.

“Hear now the Troth of Nine, the binding oath that all who wear the mantle of the Order of the Moon must pledge. First: I pledge my life to the Order, my loyalty, my honor. Once I am in the Order of the Moon, none save the Queen and her envoys may cast me out, and I pledge to honor this oath for the rest of my life.”

Next came a voice from the northeast—they were moving around the circle. “Second: I pledge to honor the Order of the Moon by my actions. I shall break no rules of the Court Magika, unless given leave by the Witch Queen Heliesa.”

From the east: “Third, I pledge to honor the Order of the Moon by my words. I will tell no secrets, I will keep silence when necessary, and will think before I speak, lest my words cast a cloud over the Order.”

The woman in the southeast corner was next. “Fourth: I will honor my fellow members, for there is no divisiveness within the Order of the Moon, nor room for hatred and combativeness.”

South came next. “Fifth: I will be present for all meetings, unless illness or special circumstances warrant my absence. I will notify the High Priestess if and when I cannot attend the meetings.”

After that, from the southwest came: “I will put in the work required, I will cast the spells, chant the chants, till the garden, stir the cauldron. I will not shirk my work unless previously excused.”

As I listened, I realized I had glazed over, sliding into a deep trance. The words were spoken like a catechism, and the even-tempered delivery helped me let go of my thoughts and fully take in what was being said to me. The blindfold helped too, heightening my listening.

The woman to the west said, “I promise to honor my gods, the gods of the Dark Moon Society, and the gods of the earth.”

And northwest spoke up: “I promise to honor the Queen, for she is our leader and she is the heart of magic incarnate within this world.”

Finally, when all eight had spoken, I recognized my aunt’s voice.

“Maisy Ellen Tripwater, do you pledge to these oaths, and above all, to honor yourself and keep to actions within this world that makes you true to yourself?”

“I do,” I said, feeling the weight of what I was pledging to descend on my shoulders.

Oaths among the witchblood weren’t just a string of words or a fair-weather promise. Oaths were binding, honor was integral, and when we made a promise, we did our best to keep it. Oh, sometimes you couldn’t avoid breaking a promise—but when that happened, we were honest about not being able to meet the expectation. And oaths made under the sight of the gods were soul-binding, which was why so many of witchblood never vowed “till death” in marriage vows.

“As long as love shall last” was a vow we could meet, and most of us felt it made us work harder on the relationship, since there wasn’t the expectation that we were locked in. But oaths to societies and to witchblood organizations, those could require lifelong loyalty.

“Will you uphold all the rules and expectations of the Dark Moon Society and the Order of the Moon, as long as you shall live?”

“I will,” I said, relaxing as I felt Aphrodite’s presence surround me, gently buoying me up. I was doing the right thing. This was what I was meant to do.

“Are you ready to enter our order, as a full member of the Dark Moon Society, with your oath to stand with us?”

I thought for a moment, but I already knew the answer. “I am.”

“Then remove the blindfold.”

Nedra quickly lifted the blindfold. I found myself standing in front of Nightshade, and her sword was pointed directly at me, the tip barely touching my heart.

“Maisy Ellen Tripwater, it is better to fall on the tip of my sword than to enter the Dark Moon Society unwilling, or with deceit in your heart. This is your last chance to turn and walk away. I ask again, are you ready to enter our order, as a full member of the Dark Moon Society, with your oath to stand with us?”

“I am,” I said, the ritual energy soaking in fully. I felt honored to be chosen, willing to do my part, and in my heart, I felt like my family was expanding.

“Then kiss the blade of the Priestess, and be welcome among us.” Nightshade turned the sword away from me, holding it in both her hands. She held it out, at a level where I could gently bend my head and kiss the cold metal.

I placed my lips on the gleaming blade, and all around me, the magic swirled and rose, and a great sense of joy rushed through me.

“Welcome, Sister.” Nightshade handed the sword to Astra and stepped forward, hugging me and kissing my forehead. She turned to Nedra. “Present her to the others.”

Nedra, beaming, said, “Yes, Lady.” She gave me a hug. “Welcome. Let me introduce you to the others.”

She led me around the ring, stopping at each pillar to introduce me to the woman watching over it. As each one hugged me, greeting me warmly, the energy began to dance, and a smile washed over me. I felt free, strong, and part of a society as old as magic itself.

After the introductions, we filed into the cabin for the party, where the table was filled with pastries, fruit salad, crackers and cheeses, deli meat, and there were two pizzas ready to go in the oven. For drinks, there was sparkling cider, sodas, and lemonade—we all had to drive, so booze wasn’t a good option.

As I chatted with the others, I realized they knew far more about me than I knew about them. But everyone seemed nice, and there were two women there in particular that I gravitated to. One was a woman around my age, named Breony Earthdaughter, who was an earth witch, and the other was a woman in her fifties named Familia Sparks, who was a fire witch.

As the evening wore on, they each gave me a gift from their altar—a custom, apparently—and my aunt handed me a box.

“This was your mother’s,” she said.

I opened it. There, nestled in velvet, was a dagger. It had a bronze blade, and the hilt felt familiar and comforting. As I touched it, I realized the hilt was carved from apple wood, almost white as bone, and it had detailed etchings on it of apples and leaves, twining around hearts.

I looked at Astra, a question in my eyes.

“Your mother was a matchmaker of sorts, and she was gifted by Aphrodite with the ability to bring people together, both in love and in friendship. She found this athame when she was young, in a thrift shop of all places, and bonded with it immediately. I thought perhaps you might want it, but I was guided to save it for a special occasion.”

Overcome by emotion—the dagger was a part of my mother, a part I missed every day but seldom gave much thought to—I set the blade down on the table and fell into my aunt’s arms.

“Thank you…I needed this.”

“Your mother would have been a member of the Dark Moon Society eventually,” Nightshade said. “Had she lived, she would have been one of us. But now, you are, and so you carry on the tradition she would have started.”

I turned to the high priestess. “Thank you for accepting me. I’ll do my best to uphold the standards of the organization.”

“You wouldn’t be standing here with us if we didn’t think you would,” Nightshade said. “Now, box up your dagger, take it home and keep it safe on your altar. And in the meantime, eat and get to know your new circle. Because the sisters of the Dark Moon are truly that—family.”