Abominations (American Horror AU 3)

Chapter 16

Knock-Knock!

Later that week, Eleonora was expecting Julie to come to the academy as promised—Zoe and Madison were also told about the matter, and Queenie and Nan soon found out. When she went to answer the door, she brushed her white button-up shirt clean before unlocking the door and turning the knob to see the ice-blonde, tall woman dressed in a rich, cobalt blue ceremonial gown that was belted at the waist with Viking designs going down the center of the neckline. Around her neck were a few amulets, some of which Eleonora had seen before. Her snow-white tresses were braided and woven in with red ribbons. It was nighttime, just after sunset, and her hair was bright enough to be distinguished from a distance, even. How many stares did she get for wearing this, she thought to herself as she welcomed her into the manor.

Julie stepped in and looked around as Chase followed close behind, wearing a long sleeve under a short sleeved shirt with jeans, sneakers, and his hands gloved with the same gray mittens as when she last saw him. His gray eyes also looked around nostalgically, smiling sadly as he looked at his sister and at Eleonora.

"We were here before," he finally said.

"Shh," Eleonora lulled softly, putting a finger to her lips. "My mother is in the office down the hall. You have to be silent. Let's go upstairs. He's up there."

Upon arrival, the rest of the witches, Zoe, Madison, Queenie, and Nan were all sitting in a circle in Zoe's room, where Kyle was sitting in the very middle as he rocked back and forth mindlessly. Chase and Eleonora joined by taking their places in the perimeter of the circle—the man was flabbergasted to see so many girls in one place, but he looked at Kyle, whose dark eyes stared off blankly. Julie, however, sat in front of him slowly as not to intimidate him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"You'll be much better, Kyle," she told him.

The ritual began—Julie took from her bag a candle holder with a canary yellow candle, which smelled earthy but sweet, and set it up to light it. She looked at everyone, who watched with intrigue as the woman continued to take out a few other supplies needed for the spell, including a sterile sewing needle, frankincense stick, a wineglass with and an elaborate, large book with a brown leather cover and brass prongs on the binding. Eleonora's green eyes widened in the extremely dim, candle-lit room at the book Julie had in her possession.

"Liber umbrarum et lux," Julie said. "The Book of Shadows and Light. There are only a few left in the world. I have the pleasure of owning one of them."

"Ugh, can we just get on with it?" Madison begged rudely, rolling her soft brown eyes back into her head with annoyance. Julie maintained the calmness of Buddha as she glanced over at her, opening the clasp of the book.

"Patience is a virtue," the woman replied, opening the book and flipping to a page entitled Loquitur—Eleonora, who had previously studied Latin in high school, recognized the word and immediately related it to 'speech'. Julie's soulful gray eyes peered down at the scripted text, comprehending every word exactly how it was written before looking at Kyle, whose dark, dead-looking eyes bore holes into her soul; she sighed sympathetically, and took the wine and poured it into the glass before taking the needle.

"A drop of blood is needed from each finger here with the intention of making him speak coherently," she told everyone. She looked at Chase in specific for some undefined period of time, and he felt worried—he said the first words since coming into the manor.

"I-I don't want to," he hesitated. Julie sighed, realizing he had to remove his prized, trademark gray mittens in order to get the drop of blood from him necessary to complete the ritual.

"Chase," Julie said, crawling over toward him and taking one of his mittened hands. "I'll prick your finger for you. You can't leave. The circle is already cast."