Wild Hunt

~ Chapter Twenty-Nine ~

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~ Chapter Twenty-Nine ~

"Witchcraft is an evil thing, an enemy to light, an ally of the powers of darkness, disruption, and decay. Witches are the bane of all social order; they injure not only persons but property. They are the active members of a vast revolutionary body, a conspiracy against civilization."

Malleus Maleficarum, Heinrich Kramer and Jacob Sprenger

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I opened my eyes groggily as a curt knock at the door disturbed my slumber. I glanced around the room confusedly before my eyes settled on the clock above the mantlepiece. Midnight. I quickly threw away the covers and made my way towards the door. The lock clicked as I peered out into the hallway. Diana's bright eyes greeted me in the darkness. She slipped into my room, her body seeming to blend into the shadows as she moved. The ceremonial gown was gone.

"You need to wear black." she whispered sharply. The frantic strain in her voice caused a shiver to run down my spine. I did not hesitate to pull on some jeans and a turtleneck. Diana paced the room as I bent to pull on some boots. I silently thanked the Goddess that Maicoh had not returned from his hunt. As I watched Diana fidget with her hands I realised he was not welcome in the pack house. Whatever he had done was more than mere taboo.

"What are we doing?" I asked. Diana managed to stand still as she looked at me worriedly.

"We need to cleanse the pack. To spill blood the day before Beltane is a very bad omen. It brings pain and suffering to the pack." I stood and rested my hands on Diana's shoulders.

"We'll fix this." I assured her. She didn't seem convinced but we did not linger to discuss the matter further. We slid out of the room and nimbly descended the stairs. My eyes skirted around the empty hallway. Every echoing sound caused my heart to jump in my throat as I imagined one of the pack members catching us. The crisp night air bit into our clothes as we snuck into the courtyard. Diana quickly knelt to the ground and began to carve a circle into the dirt where Jaron had been attacked. The hair on the back of my neck bristled and I turned to look up at the pack house. There was no light shining from within and I couldn't detect any movement at the windows, yet something made me feel uneasy.

"Maeve." Diana hissed under her breath. Ignoring the strange feeling, I knelt to the ground beside Diana and patiently awaited her instruction. She grabbed my hand and held it above the bloodstained ground. I frowned.

"What about the elements?" I questioned. Diana shook her head.

"We don't have time. We do this the old way." My eyes widened as she retrieved a dagger from beneath her jacket. She sensed my hesitation and I felt her grip around my hand tighten.

"Trust me, Maeve." she said sternly. I looked away and winced as the dagger cut into my hand.

"With sacrificial blood we cleanse this land. In the name of the maiden, the mother and the crone I sanctify this ground and ward away ill omens." Diana recited as she placed my palm against the dirt of the courtyard. After a few moments she lifted the blade to her own hand and repeated the incantation, pressing her blood into the ground beside my own. I felt the hair stand on the back of my neck as our blood pooled together and slowly began to sink into the earth, feeding its ancient roots. We do this the old way.

I found my eyes wondering back to the house once more. Perhaps Diana was too engrossed in the ritual to sense it but something felt...wrong. I gasped as Diana grabbed my hand and cut through my palm once more. She went on chanting, pressing the welling blood into the soil. I started as the distant howl of wolves interrupted her steady voice. I instinctively moved to stand but Diana held me steady.