Gods of Chaos (Red Magic) (15 page)

“It’s a Bronze Age site,” Marcus remarked quietly at my side. “No one is sure of the purpose, but they do know the doorway of that cairn,” he gestured to the left, “lines up with the sunrise on the Winter Solstice.”

“We’re a few days late, but it’ll still work.” Izzy grabbed my hand, tugging me toward the cairn.

“What will work?”

“Why, contacting our patrons! The stones are a passageway to death, so the rules of geography don’t apply.”

Her face fell when I stared at her in fear.

“I thought you’d be excited! You said you felt cut off from Persephone here.”

I nodded. “I do. But it’s just, um … ” I trailed off, uncertain.

Marcus glared at me. “Hecate must know you’re here. She’s choosing not to act for reasons of her own. Talking to your god won’t hurt you.”

I glanced at Izzy. “You said
our
patrons?”

She nodded vigorously. “Isis was everywhere in the ancient world, so I can talk to her easier than some, but she’s like your Persephone: she’s married to the lord of the dead, so this is one way I know I can reach her. Sort of like a hotline.”

I turned to Marcus. “And who’s your patron?”

“You can see me for yourself, Witch.” The voice spoke from within the cairn to the left, and chills ran down my spine. Marcus hurried ahead, dropping to his knees in the passageway that led to the center of the cairn. Izzy hung back, but curiosity compelled me, and I stepped into the cairn. Frozen, I stood behind Marcus, staring at a face I’d seen before.

It was the woman from my cauldron dream. She was swathed in black robes like the Queen wore, but her eyes burned like emeralds and her wild hair looked more like vines and roots than cobwebs. However, the similarities were startling, and the goddess before me put me on edge.

“Who are you?”

Marcus, still kneeling, spoke in a powerful voice. “Hail to my lady, Cerridwen, keeper of the cauldron of life.”

I racked my brain, looking at the goddess in front of me. “I’ve met you, I think.”

She raised one eyebrow and said nothing.

Marcus glowered up at me. “Would you leave? I need to speak to my patron.”

“She can stay, Marcus.” Her voice was like a bell, but it held no warmth.

We both looked at the goddess in surprise, and he clenched his jaw. “Whatever my lady wishes.”

“So, another Red Witch. What brings you so far from your realm?”

I backed up involuntarily. “I was seeking help.”

“And have you found it?”

I glared at Marcus as he rose to stand beside me. “I’m not sure.”

“A word of caution, then, Witch. The Red gods are rising. The help you seek may already be worthless.”

“But I can’t stop.”

“Are you afraid?”

I paused, sensing some kind of trap in her words. “Not exactly. But I know that I’m not ready to do what I must. So I still need help, and I’ll stay until I find it.”

Her black eyes bored into mine for a moment, but then she waved her hand in dismissal. “I would speak to my Witch alone.”

Angry, I bowed stiffly and walked out of the cairn. What was wrong with that goddess? She’d said she wanted to talk to me, but then after two minutes, she was done? Cranky, I started walking back toward Izzy. The buzzing in my ears became an unbearable roar, and I sank to the ground outside the circle of standing stones, clutching my head. Izzy came over to me and sat down glumly.

“At least you got to meet her.”

“What?” My head hurt too much to listen. I closed my eyes, willing the strange pain to stop.

“I’ve never met his patron.”

My eyes opened slightly. “Why not?”

She folded her arms around herself and shivered. “He says it’s too dangerous for me. I’ve never come here with him before.”

Despite the pain, I opened my eyes wide and stared at her. “Then why did he let you come today?”

She shrugged. “I guess I begged enough this time.”

I felt a chill, and my head started to clear. “Who thought of inviting me?”

I knew the answer before she even spoke. “He did.”

Despite the fact that I might be able to contact Persephone, despite my desire to meet Izzy’s patron, I rushed back to the car. It offered little protection; Marcus had locked it, and the keys were in his pocket.

“How could I have been so stupid? I walked into this trap.” I slammed my fist against the roof of the car, frantically thinking of some way to protect myself. If Marcus had brought me here, I was sure he had a reason, and after meeting his patron, I didn’t want to wait around and find out what it was.

Something touched my shoulder, and I shot into the air. Izzy looked at me, startled.

“What’s the matter with you?”

I drew a deep breath, trying to calm down. Izzy wasn’t a threat … was she? I looked at her intently, choosing my words with care. “Izzy, I don’t think it was a good idea for me to come here.”

Her eyes were wide and innocent. “Why not?”

I wanted to trust her, but I still wasn’t sure. I ground my teeth and hedged. “I think Marcus’s patron is a little too connected to Hecate. I might be in danger.”

“We would never let anything happen to you!”

“I know
you
wouldn’t.”

“But neither would Marcus.” She looked like I’d smacked her.

I shook my head. “I don’t know. I just know that I shouldn’t be here.” I didn’t think now was the time to explain to her how I’d met her brother, although I realized she’d never really introduced us; did she already know everything? I stared at her, trying to read her mind, but I couldn’t think straight over the buzzing in my ears. Weary, I pressed my hands to my eyes. “This was a mistake.”

There was a loud crack from the cairns, and my eyes shot open. Before I could react, Izzy had shouted her brother’s name and taken off running toward the stones. A red glow lit up the sky, and it looked like it was coming from the cairn where Marcus had been meeting with Cerridwen. For a moment, I hesitated. If something was happening out there, maybe it would be better if I used this as a distraction to escape. I tried the car door again, but it was locked. I knew I could have jimmied the lock with a simple spell, but I looked over my shoulder at the glowing cairns again.

“I hope I don’t regret this,” I muttered as I took off after Izzy. I drew on Red magic as I ran, and when I skidded to a stop in front of the largest cairn, red sparks were dancing up and down my arms. The ringing in my ears had turned into a dull throb, and I clenched my jaw, trying to force the headache away. Based on how much my head already hurt, I was on the edge of one killer migraine. With my arms up defensively, I crept into the cairn.

Izzy stood in the center of the stones, circling like a confused cat. The cairn was empty, except for her. Marcus and his patron were nowhere to be seen. Wary of a trap, I moved forward. I looked at the stones surrounding me and fought back images of mass burials behind the rock.

“Where is he?” Izzy’s voice shook, but she didn’t stop pacing. I wanted to laugh; she was acting like her brother might materialize out of the stones, but the panic on her face was real. Whatever had happened, Izzy hadn’t known about it.

Someone behind me spoke softly. “He’s gone.”

Her voice hadn’t changed, but I hadn’t been expecting to hear it anytime soon. I jumped and spun around, wondering if this was a trick. Izzy stared at the shimmering image of Persephone, spellbound.

“What do you mean?”

The goddess smiled. “Where’s your sense of formality, Darlena? Or haven’t you missed me?” She spread her hands at her sides, as if waiting for me to embrace her.

I dipped my head slightly, but I didn’t move forward. “I have. I’ve never felt so alone.” My voice broke, and I drew in a ragged breath, struggling for control. I met Persephone’s eye. “I didn’t think I could reach you here.”

She gestured to Izzy, who was still gaping silently. “The young one told you that you could. Why didn’t you believe her?”

I shrugged. “I guess I didn’t think it was possible. You hadn’t shown up until now.”

The goddess frowned. “You sound like you blame me for that. Surely you have learned of the geography that binds the gods.”

My anger surged, simmering close to the surface. “It might have been nice if someone had thought to tell me before I traveled halfway around the world!” A blast of Red magic shot off of me, uncontrolled, and smashed into the stones beside us. Izzy gave a startled yelp and took a step back.

“I’m sorry,” I hurried to tell her, trying to extinguish the red sparks on my arms, but she just stared at me, frightened. I sighed. “I’m sorry,” I said again, this time to Persephone, “but it really wasn’t fair not to tell me that I wouldn’t have help here in Scotland.”

The goddess glared at me. “Perhaps I would have, if you had thought to discuss your plans with me. But I cannot offer you assistance if you insist on keeping things from me.”

“I’ve been keeping things from you? What about you? What else haven’t you told me?”

“Darlena, you have no right to be angry with me. You undertook this quest. It was not I who sent you after the other Red.”

Sullenly, I looked away from her. I wanted to ask her how she knew what I was doing in Scotland, but she kept talking before I had a chance.

“You have found him, but has he proved to be any great help? Would it not be better for you to return with me to continue your training?”

I didn’t like her tone; it was as if she were sure I’d agree with her, no matter what she said. “Wait a minute. You just said that you didn’t have anything to do with me being here. I didn’t tell you anything. So explain to me why you suddenly seem to know so much.”

Izzy let out a frightened squeak. “You shouldn’t fight with her!”

I ignored the girl and faced Persephone with my hands on my hips. “Well?”

She sighed. “I have been watching out for you, Darlena. Have you forgotten my assistance last fall?”

“But then you went back to the Underworld for the winter, and you didn’t try to stay in touch. What right do you have to keep spying on me?” My stomach churned, and I realized I was angry that the goddess had abandoned me. It felt almost too good to be true to be talking to her now, and I couldn’t bring myself to tell her how much I’d missed her.

“Just because I was with my lord does not mean I gave up on you, child. Of course I have been watching you. There is much at stake, and much you could change.”

I snapped at her. “But you have no responsibility to me. You aren’t my patron. I don’t have a patron anymore, and if I did, why do you think it would be you?”

Izzy inhaled sharply, but then everything went still. My words hung in the silence for a moment, and Persephone’s face fell. She actually looked hurt.

“Darlena,” she finally said, “just because you are not my sworn Witch does not mean you are not important. I recognize your power, even if you don’t, and I know that you want to find balance. You matter to me, Darlena Agara, whether you want to or not.”

Surprised, I dropped my arms to my side. “You aren’t just following me to make me swear to you?”

“I am not like some of the other Red gods, Darlena. I will not force you.”