The Coven Read Online Free Page A

“Really?”
    I stared at him. “What? Do you recognize that name?”
    “It sounds familiar.” He looked out the window, thinking, frowning, then shook his head.“No, maybe not. I can’t place it.”
    “Oh.” I swallowed my disappointment.
    “What are you going to do now? Do you want to come to my house?” He smiled. “We could go swimming.”
    “No, thank you,” I said, remembering when the circle had all gone skinny-dipping in his pool. I was the only one who had kept her clothes on.
    Cal laughed. “I was disappointed that night, you know,” he said, looking at me.
    “No, you weren’t,” I replied, crossing my arms over my chest. He chuckled softly.
    “Seriously, do you want to come over? Or do you want me to come to your house, help you talk to your parents?”
    “Thanks,” I said, touched by his offer. “But I think I should just go home by myself. With any luck, they all went to church, anyway. It’s All Saints’ Day.”
    “What’s that?” Cal asked.
    I remembered he wasn’t Catholic—wasn’t even Christian. “All Saints’ Day,” I said. “It’s the day after Halloween. It’s a special day of observance for Catholics. That’s when we go tend our family graves in cemeteries. Trim the grass, put out fresh flowers.”
    “Cool,” said Cal. “That’s a nice tradition. It’s funny that it’s the day after Samhain. But then, it seems like a lot of Christian holidays came out of Wiccan ones, way back when.”
    I nodded. “I know. But do me a favor and don’t mention that to my parents,” I said. “Anyway, I’d better get home.”
    “Okay. Can I call you later?”
    “Yes,” I said. I couldn’t stop myself from smiling.
    “I think I’ll use the telephone,” he said, grinning.
    I thought of how he had come when I had said my rhyme. I was still amazed that it had worked.
    He let himself out of Das Boot into the chilly, crisp November air. He walked to his car and took off as I waved.
    My world was flooded with sunlight. Cal loved me.

4
    Maeve
    February 7, 1978
    Two nights ago someone sprayed “Bloody Witch” on the side of Morag Sheehan’s shop. We’ve moved our circle to meeting out by the cliffs, down the coast a ways.
    Last night, late, Mathair and I went out to Morag’s. Lucky it was a new moon—no light and a good time for spells.
     
    Rite of Healing,Protection from Evil, Cleansing
    1. Cast a circle completely around what you want to protect. (I had to include old Burdock’s sweetshop since the two buildings are joined.)
    2. Purify the circle with salt. We used no lights or incense but salt, water, and earth.
    3. Call on the Goddess. I wore my copper bracelets and held a chunk of sulfur, a chunk of marble from the garden, a chunk of petrified wood, and a bit of shell.
    Then Ma and I said (quietly): “Goddess, hear us where we stand, with your protection bless this land, Morag is a servant true, protect her from those who mischief do.” Then we invoked the Goddess and the God and walked around the shop three times.
    No one saw us, that I could tell. Ma and I went home, feeling strong. That should help protect Morag.—Bradhadair
     
    I drove slowly up my street, looking ahead anxiously as if my parents might still be standing on the front lawn of our house. When I was close enough, I saw that Dad’s car was gone. I figured that they must have gone to church.
    Inside, the house was quiet and still, though I felt the shocked vibrations of this morning’s events lingering in the air like a scent.
    “Mom? Dad? Mary K.?” I called. No answer. I wandered slowly through the house, seeing breakfast untouched on the kitchen table. I turned off the coffeemaker. The newspaper was folded neatly, obviously unread. Not at all a normal Sunday morning.
    Realizing this was my chance, I hurried to the office. But the torn birth certificate was gone, and my dad’s files were locked for the first time that I could remember.
    Moving quickly, listening for sounds of their return, I