Nova: Daughters of Darkness (14 page)

"I can see the smoke coming out of your ears girl. You are over-thinking this. Let go and allow the Universe to guide you for now. You cannot spend your days worrying about this when you have bigger issues that must be faced immediately."

"You mean Felken," Nova said. "Rían has decided that we have to call on the ancient ones, the seekers, to find them."

"Dear goddess! He cannot possibly think that is a solution at all!" Maryann exclaimed.

"Why isn't it a solution? What else can we do?" Nova asked.

"They do not come to your aid Nova; they come for your blood. The old druids are immortal because they use human blood in a sacrificial spell every decade or so to remain that way. To get their hands on blood as powerful as your's and your sisters' would make it hard for them to resist coming back...again...and again...you get the picture." Maryann said solemnly.

"Yeah, I think I do." Nova responded a little tremulously. "So what can we do instead?" she asked.

"Draw Felken out. You are witches with limitless, powerful abilities. Use them." Maryann said sternly.

Nova stood up from the table and thanked Maryann for all of her help. "I think it is time for me to go back and talk to everyone about coming up with a better way to draw Felken out, other than calling on the old ones."

"Splendid." Maryann said. "I will come along to make sure all goes well and offer assistance if needed."

"Thank you," Nova hugged Maryann, feeling grateful for her help.

Maryann gathered her cloak and a satchel that she loaded up with a bunch of dried herbs, small crystal bottle with stoppers on them, and a very large quartz.

"Well then, let's be on our way." Maryann said.

Nova lead the way out of the quaint cottage, hoping that they could come up with a solution to their Felken issue quickly. She also hoped that Drake's absence wasn't as ominous as it felt.

Chapter 21

Arriving back at her Granda's cottage, Nova and Maryann walked in on pandemonium. The yelling could be heard from the end of the old stone walkway. Nova rushed to enter.

Kyna burst from the living room and into the little hallway, "Oh Nova, thank god you're back," she said breathlessly. "Mum and Dad are here and they are epically pissed that we haven't called them to tell them everything that has been going on." Kyna's face scrunched up in irritation, thinking about what had obviously been a very trying argument.

"How did they know anything was going on? What made them come here?" Nova asked, making her way into the living room.

Nova's mother, Niamh, was the first to notice them come into the room. But instead of addressing Nova as she expected, she went directly to Maryann.

"Maryann, thank you for letting us know what's been going on. I can't imagine why our daughters would keep these things from us." she said, looking disapprovingly at each of them.

Nova sighed, listen, we didn't purposely keep things from you at first, but as time went on and things got more dangerous, we figured the less you knew right now the better."

"What makes you think that was your decision to make?" Craven asked, coming forward. "We are your parents, and we have a right to know when one of our daughters has been kidnapped and held hostage!" He yelled, becoming more frustrated.

Everyone started yelling at once, Branna screamed about how they must have known this was dangerous and sent us anyway; Kyna tried to calm Branna down and get everyone to talk civilly; while their parents lamented about how they should have come with them in the beginning and none of this would have happened. Meanwhile, Rían just leaned on the mantle over the fireplace, knowing not to interfere in family business.

Nova let loose with a loud whistle. "Alright! Can we all just shut up for one minute?" she yelled. "Seriously, how are any of you helping right now?"

They all sort of shuffled their feet and looked at the floor, knowing they were being ridiculous. Branna, being Branna, crossed her arms and plopped onto the couch in a huff, refusing to acknowledge that she was wrong.

"If I may," Rían asked, sounding mildly amused by their antics. "I see that you have found the witch Maryann. Nicely done, considering she remains hidden until she feel the need to interfere."

Maryann chuckled at the statement. "Interfere. Is that what you call me lending my obviously much needed assistance, my prince?" she asked, her demeanor deceptively calm.

"How, might I ask, do you feel you can assist the daughters in their fight against Felken?" Rían countered.

"If
I
may," she said. Walking over to the fireplace, she looked to Branna. "Branna if you wouldn't mind?" she asked, nodding toward the fireplace. Branna opened her palm and carelessly lobbed a ball of fire at the wood stacked in the fireplace, grinning like a Cheshire when it caught.

Maryann just looked at Rían as she pulled some herbs from her satchel. Tossing them into the fire, she chanted a spell.

I call to the elements of the East

Swiftly bring me the location I seek

Be friend or foe, be high or low

Give me Felken and the ones he knows

As I will, so mote it be!

The flames leapt at the whisper of air she commanded. They all watched as a small flame merged with a bubble of air and seemed to open a window to another location. Within, they could begin to see the landscape take shape. Trees came in to view first and then the buildings and other solid matter were made visible to them.

"Wow," said Nova. "This is incredible." She sat, mesmerized by the sight.

Niamh and Craven knew of Maryann's capabilities, so were less awed by what she was doing.

Kyna was the first to recognize what she was seeing, "It's the grove! Back home. He's at our house!" Sure enough, everyone could see that she was right.

"Oh Craven, we have to return home immediately! Our friends, our town; Felken will destroy everything." In a frenzy, Niamh began to push Kyna and Branna to get their things. As far as she was concerned, they were leaving immediately.

"Mom, wait, that's Drake coming through the trees." Nova peered into the flame, hoping there was a less sinister reason for his appearance other than him being in cahoots with Felken.

Branna paced agitatedly. "Perfect! That's just what we need, demon boy siding with the lizard king over there! With those two together, we don't stand a chance." Throwing her hands up, she went to get her weapons; screw the rest of her things, she may not need them after tonight anyway.

Having decided he had seen enough, Craven approached Rían with a determined look on his face. "It's about time you started acting like the guardian you are supposed to be, don't you think?"

Bowing his head in a show of respect, Rían didn't argue that he had been doing his best. It was useless to argue with a father in protection mode.

"As you wish. I am at your service sir. What would you have me do right now?"

"Right now, I want you to open a portal to my home. That is where those scums are, and that is not where they are staying."

"You want me to willingly take Branna and her sisters into danger?" His voice was menacingly low, Rían revealed more in that one question than he had meant to.

Eyeing him appraisingly, he asked, "So, that's the way of it then? Can't say as I'm surprised." With a sigh Craven rubbed his eyes tiredly. "We also don't have time for your feelings to get in the way of what must be done. So you'll have to set that aside for now, son, and open the portal."

Pushing off of the mantel he had been leaning on, Rían stalked over to the middle of the room and waved his hand, summoning a portal directly into the living room of the O'Reilly's home.

"I'll go through first to make sure the inside of the house is clear." Stepping through, Rían briefly admired the loving warmth with which Niamh had decorated their home. He imagined the family gathered around the large dining table, laughing and loving. He had always admired the human's brief, simple lives.

Stealthily making his way through the house, he checked every room, even the basement and attic, before returning to the portal he had left open. Stepping back through, he gave the all clear.

Craven nodded and looked at Niamh.

"It's time. We must go and fight beside our daughters."

With a smile full of love and understanding, Niamh linked her fingers with his in a show of solidarity, letting him know that she was with him until the end.

Nova admired the quiet strength of their love, wishing for that for herself, knowing that she could have that with Drake. She rubbed the mark on her side, knowing he had placed it there out of love for her and not some possessive sense of ownership. Squaring her shoulders, she decided that come hell or high water, she would save her family, the world, and Drake...whatever it took.

Chapter 22

Branna's knives clinked off the zippers and buckles of her pants as she walked. The sound reassured her that she was a well-trained, badass witch, and she was ready for the fight of their lives.

"Ahhh, I think things just got sent into fast forward." Kyna scrambled for a closer look. "Drake is fighting some of the demons!"

Taking the lead, knowing it was her destiny, Nova grinned, preparing to go through the portal. With her family on one side and Drake on the other, she knew they couldn't fail. With a single, synchronized battle cry, the sisters jumped through the portal together, followed by Rían, their parents, and Maryann.

Bursting out their front door, they ran for woods and the battle beyond. Kyna, being faster than her sisters, came upon the fighting demons first. Without hesitation, she engaged them in combat. Whipping her swords around her like a whirlwind, she drove them home in the heart of an approaching demon. Back flipping away to avoid the two right behind him, she kicked out, catching an ugly, deformed looking one in the gut. He stumbled back but recovered fast and kept coming with a snarly grin, thinking she was easy prey. A burst of fire hit him in the side of his head and within seconds he was fully engulfed in flames. His screams of agony were cut short when Nova's sword sliced through his neck, ending his misery.

"Whoop!" Branna ran up to her sisters. "Let's kick some demon ass witches!" Ripping her staff from its sheath on her back, she joined Nova with her sword and Kyna with her knives and as one they fought like the demons of hell were at their door...which they were.

Niamh, Craven, and Maryann got busy creating a circle.

"Craven, is this going to work?" Niamh questioned as she laid the crystals at the four cardinal directions, within the circle.

Right behind her with a blessing and a candle for every crystal, Craven stopped and gave her an earnest look.

"I don't know, love, but it's the only chance we have to help them."

Maryann was in the center, calling the elements to their circle. The wind picked up as air entered the circle; the fire in the center shot up ten feet as fire entered the circle, the Earth trembled slightly as Earth entered the circle, and a slight drizzle began as water entered the circle.

"We must all come together to call spirit. Without Kyna, it takes a lot of power to get it to come in to our circle." Maryann motioned for them to come join hands with her.

Gripping each other tightly, their joined hands rose above their heads as they called for spirit to come and lend them its infinite power. The air shifted and rippled, the drizzle became a downpour, and the fire burned hotter, brighter, and rose higher as spirit joined them in the circle. Giving thanks to all the elements for heeding their call, they released each other and stepped to the edge of the large circle they had created.

Niamh searched the raging battle for her daughters, needing to see for herself that what they did had a positive impact on the strength of their powers. Seeing Nova use the rain like shards of glass and how she was able to whip them as fast as she could throw her hands, she felt reassured that they were indeed helping.

Craven walked up and placed his arm around her lower back, pulling her close. "We have done all we can here" Leaning down, he kissed her lips passionately, then he turned to Maryann. "Open the circle, it is time I joined my daughters."

Gripping his arms tight, Niamh protested, though she knew, as their mother, she was thinking the same thing. "No, Craven, we do not have the powers they have. We are witches with no elements; we wouldn't last long out there against that kind of evil."

Tipping her chin up with his fingers, he kissed her gently this time. "Listen, love, we gave life to the strongest witches this world will ever know. The great creator didn't bless us with them to have us stand here and watch them die. Those are my daughters, and I will fight with them, die for them if necessary."

Knowing he was right, she fought back the tears gathering in her eyes. "Then go, but we go together. Is é do shaol mo shaol; your life is my life."

Nodding in acceptance, having already known she would join him, he again asked Maryann, "Open the circle, please."

"I will remain here and keep the elements grounded and keep the circle open until..." there was no need to finish, they all knew the only way she would close the circle was if all was lost.