Night Howls on the Hudson

Chapter 13: Airmid

For Maia, the seance had been her trial by fire. She'd been terrified the shaman or Peony would notice something connecting her to Electra. It had barely been twenty-four hours since Maia severed the link. According to Electra, she was now mortal, but she hadn't had a chance to test it. When the shaman hadn't commented on anything, Maia felt a weight lift off her heart.

After the men departed, Peony took the cauldron back to the kitchen. Maia also stood up. "I'll be right back," she told Chloe. "I'd like to check on Sam." Once she was in their room, she could use his pocket knife to cut her finger. If the wound didn't disappear within seconds, she'd have confirmation.

"Could you hold off for a few minutes?" Chloe asked. Her anxious expression made Maia's fears resurface. "I have a confession to make, and I hope you won't be upset. I probably should have checked with you first."

Maia sat back down, uneasy about what Chloe did.

"I asked Peony if there was any way for us to summon a common ancestor, and she's willing to try. She's preparing the infusion now. Please say you don't mind."

Panic gripped her once more. When the shaman's spirit left her, she could have burst into tears with relief. Now she was torn between happiness that Chloe hoped to confirm their blood relationship and abject terror she'd discover Maia's secret.

Peony reentered the room, carrying the cauldron, and placed it on the table. "Aren't you curious, Maia? I'll close the door so no one else will know of our experiment."

"I don't have any brothers or sisters," Chloe added. "I'd like to learn as much as possible about our common heritage."

All of Maia's relatives had died long ago. Would Peony be able to summon one of her brothers? Her mother? She blinked back unexpected tears, her emotions threatening to engulf her. Chloe's eyes looked bright as well. Maia swallowed and turned to Peony. "Thank you for your offer. I'm ready."

Peony smiled at them, her positive energy radiating onto Maia like a warm hug. "You should hold hands and relax. As I explained to Chloe, since I don't have anything personal from a shared ancestor to use, it's impossible to predict who may appear." She retrieved Airmid's Garden from the locked drawer in the bookcase and placed it on the table next to the cauldron. Maia breathed in the scents of yew and rose. Where had Peony found meadowsweet? It had grown in the fields outside her home in Connacht. She let her mind drift.

Peony began chanting softly an invocation in Latin to their ancestors.

The air grew heavy as mist swirled around them. The steam rising from the cauldron began to coalesce into the figure of a woman. She was dressed in a robe of buttercup yellow. Her long auburn hair formed a braided plait down her back. The woman approached Maia, and their spirits became one. Maia knew immediately who she was—Airmid. She spoke in the ancient Irish of Maia's childhood about their family. Tears flowed down Maia's cheeks as images formed in her mind. The voice she'd been hearing the past few months was Airmid's

Airmid then left her and entered Chloe. Chloe's face gazed upon Maia in new recognition. What was she telling her?

Peony continued to chant as she watched. A moment later the spirit vanished.

"Oh, my," Peony said, collapsing into her chair. "I think we all need a glass of wine after that. I have dandelion wine in the decanter." She went to the buffet and poured three glasses. "Do you know who that was?"

"Airmid herself," Chloe said, still looking dazed. She tightened her grip on Maia's hand. "Our line goes all the way back to her. She traced the family through Harriet Beaufort, Bridget Bishop, medieval Irish witches, and finally back to druids. She called us her daughters." She turned to Maia. "Is that what she said to you?"