Marker of Faith

CHAPTER 43

CHAPTER 43

The cottage was warm and stuffy, having captured the day's heat inside its closed up walls, and the group sat on the floor of the main room while Minerva worked her magic. John felt safer keeping everyone within sight; no more separation. John sat staring at the walls, at the cracked plaster, the lines and squiggles like some ancient text that beckoned to be translated, while Minerva placed wards and talismans around the cottage. Her bag of goods was emptied, jars opened, herbs placed over the windowsills and jamb, and now she was marking runes and symbols over the walls with a small nub of chalk.

Minerva explained what she was doing as she went along, but her words fell on deaf ears. John was lost in his own world, transfixed by the memories trying to awaken in his brain. They were so close --almost there just at the edge of remembering. He felt like a stroke victim or someone with Alzheimer's trying to patch up holes in the Swiss cheese that was his brain.

Roddy and Rattle sat against the opposite wall, their heads bowed in hushed conversation. Roddy was remembering his cat, Magpie, and would occasionally swipe away a tear. Rattle was doing his best to comfort the man.

Everyone was lost or numb to the world except Minerva; she couldn't afford that luxury just yet.

She stepped into the middle of the room and raised her arms. Her voice filled the room and charged the air around her. Roddy and Rattle sat forward and watched wide-eyed as the energy built around them, her husky voice raising the hair on their arms.

"I am Minerva, daughter of Ebony, daughter of Lizzie, daughter of Illiweh and I call for you, Great Mother of us all, the power of many names.

"Morrigan the warrior goddess of three -- Babd. Macha, Morgu, The mother Danu, Hecate, Freya, Maseekwa, Ezrulie protect us here, bathe us in your light so that we may fight this darkness."

John shielded his eyes as the symbols on the wall pulsed with power, lighting up the small room in a flash of warm energy.

"I call the elements," Minerva said as she pointed to the four walls. "Earth, Air, Fire, Water, spirits of life, those above and below, those that exist within and without, bind this sanctuary." Energy pulsed down Minerva's arm and crackled to the corners. John heard something like music, pleasant, the tinkling of tiny bells as a warm presence settled in the cottage, and he stared open-mouthed at Minerva as she manipulated the energy around the room. She looked over at him and smiled as she spoke to the visitor, or visitors.

"Give us your blessings, protect us and give us peace in this place so that we may be strong in the coming fight. Hold back the shadows. So mote it be, Blessed Be," she said, and Light surged then faded, leaving behind the odor of ozone and magic. John drew in the scent and smiled -- it tasted like rain in the forest. The memories were closer...little glimpses peeking through the fog in his mind.

"It is done." Minerva sat down on the floor next to John with a heavy sigh. He put his arm around her and she leaned in.

"Wow." John hugged her.

"Not really. I thought it was time to call in the big guns," Minerva said. She felt Roddy and Rattle's stare and she looked over at them with a gentle smile.

"You got you some mojo, woman." Rattle smiled and gave her the thumbs-up. "Beautiful, man. I almost feel good."

"How you holding up, sugar?" she asked Roddy.

"That was awesome and I'm sure I would have been pissing myself if I'd seen that a few days ago."

"That wasn't anything special, not really. Just a little bit of wow." Minerva winked at John and he smiled back.