Chapter Three
7:00pm
Four of the coven members stood in a circle around the bonfire. Athena, Aimee, and Nasira stood away from the group, down a small lane. The opening rites had just been finished, and the three women were about to return to the circle. This was a perfect time to do a Triple Goddess Ceremony.
"Athena, come to the circle." Chakira intoned."
Athena walked up the lane and lit the first pair of torches, furthest from the circle. When the torches had been lit, Athena began to head slowly up the avenue, toward to the other coveners. Her step was light, and her poise, soft.
M'Lila welcomed Athena into the circle, and then Chakira covered Athena's head with a translucent blue veil. Athena stood in the center of the circle, M'Lila returned to her place, and Chakira turned to face the coven.
"Great Goddess Brid!" Athena called. "Hear you faithful priestess Athena. Bless me with your maidenhood, and come into me. I invoke thee!"
There was a different reaction from each covener. Some shivered, some saw a white light, and still others felt or heard different things. Unfazed, Chakira continued leading the ritual. She merely turned, offered Brid her hand, and led her to her place in front of the altar.
"Aimee, come to the circle."
Without hesitation, Aimee walked up the avenue, lit the middle pair of torches, and continued to the circle. Her step was a little faster than Athena's as if she were eager to get to the circle. As with Athena, M'Lila welcomed Aimee, Chakira crowned her, and then Chakira and M'Lila took their places.
"Great Goddess Dana!" Aimee called. "Hear the words of your faithful priestess, Aimee. Bless me with your motherhood and come into me! I invoke thee!"
A flash of light filled the air. When it had dies down, Chakira turned and took Dana's hand, guiding her to her place beside Brid. Without being called, Nasira came up the avenue, lit the last pair of torches, and joined the circle.
As with the others, M'Lila welcomed Nasira, and then Chakira draped a long, black cloak around Nasira and fastened it, before giving her a golden mask and then turning her back. When Chakira faced the rest of the coven that was their signal to turn their backs as well. When Nasira was sure no one was looking, she put on the mask and drew the hood up around her head.
"Great Goddess of the night, hear the words of your faithful servant Nasira! I call upon The Morrígan to bless me with her crone-hood and come into me! I invoke thee!"
This time, the result was more than a flash of light. It was akin to a thunderstorm. While the commotion was going on, The Morrígan merely turned on her heel and stalked over to her spot near Brid and Dana.
When the thunderstorm had blown over, the coven turned back around. Chakira shook her head as she surveyed the scene. This whole thing had been a bad idea. Why, oh why, had Echo come up with this idea? Never, never again. They would choose a nicer crone next time. Hecate, perhaps.
"Well? You called me up, now what're you going to do with me?" a voice with a slight Irish accent asked waspishly.
Chakira knew without even looking that it was The Morrígan talking to her. Moreover, she would have to come up with an answer. The High Priestess took a deep breath before turning back around.
2:30pm, Wednesday, April 22
A few days later, the coven had gotten together again to do a community service project. Along with four other covens, The Dark Mesa Temple had gathered at a youth center in Queens to paint a mural. This, of course, happened to be the day that Val had chosen to meet with Chakira and the other members of the Grove.
When Val arrived, he found he had no way to tell who the members of the Grove were. Every coven wore the exact same outfit; white painter's suits, white boot, white rubber gloves and masks. The only difference between anyone was that everyone wore a dewrag in one of five colors, each emblazoned with silver stars.
Suddenly, Val felt something tickle his sandaled feet. He bent over and retrieved a hot pink brochure from where his left foot had trapped it. Where had this come from? Surely, it hadn't been here before?
Val opened it up. The brochure explained about the project and gave a list of the covens that were participating. There was even a little key- code to identify the members of the individual covens. It read:
Each coven has it's own color, covered in silver stars. The High Priestesses have a headband of gold stars on their dewrags. Covens are as follows:
Silver stars, white field- Sisters of the Silver Moon
Silver stars, black field- Dark Mesa Temple
Silver stars, green field- Grove of the Sacred Well
Silver stars; blue field- Brid's Cauldron
Silver stars, burgundy field- Circle Rising Sun
Once Val had read every bit of information, the brochure dissolved from his fingertips.
Therefore, the High Priestess he was looking for wore a black dewrag, with a headband of gold stars printed on it. Easy enough. Not wanting to get paint on his nice Italian suit, he waited until the five covens took their break, before he approached the High Priestess and the rest of the Temple.
"Hi! My name is Val. Yours is Chakira, isn't it?"
Chakira glared at the man in front of her with suspicion, not bothering to take off her mask. However, she kept her tone polite. "That is correct. May I help you, sir?"
Val looked around before he answered. "Look. This is not a real safe place to talk. Could you meet me at MingNa's Fine Food at eight o'clock tonight? I have a private dining room where we can talk, and I'll treat you to dinner."
Chakira did not deign to answer. Unsure of what to do, Val said, "You can bring one of your coveners, if you'd like."
"I'll meet you there." Chakira agreed.
Once Val left, Chakira finally took off her mask and began to eat the apple she had taken out of the coven cooler. Was this person to be trusted? Well...It certainly would be interesting to find out. After all, if he really wanted to help her, he would be true to his word.
7:00pm
Four of the coven members stood in a circle around the bonfire. Athena, Aimee, and Nasira stood away from the group, down a small lane. The opening rites had just been finished, and the three women were about to return to the circle. This was a perfect time to do a Triple Goddess Ceremony.
"Athena, come to the circle." Chakira intoned."
Athena walked up the lane and lit the first pair of torches, furthest from the circle. When the torches had been lit, Athena began to head slowly up the avenue, toward to the other coveners. Her step was light, and her poise, soft.
M'Lila welcomed Athena into the circle, and then Chakira covered Athena's head with a translucent blue veil. Athena stood in the center of the circle, M'Lila returned to her place, and Chakira turned to face the coven.
"Great Goddess Brid!" Athena called. "Hear you faithful priestess Athena. Bless me with your maidenhood, and come into me. I invoke thee!"
There was a different reaction from each covener. Some shivered, some saw a white light, and still others felt or heard different things. Unfazed, Chakira continued leading the ritual. She merely turned, offered Brid her hand, and led her to her place in front of the altar.
"Aimee, come to the circle."
Without hesitation, Aimee walked up the avenue, lit the middle pair of torches, and continued to the circle. Her step was a little faster than Athena's as if she were eager to get to the circle. As with Athena, M'Lila welcomed Aimee, Chakira crowned her, and then Chakira and M'Lila took their places.
"Great Goddess Dana!" Aimee called. "Hear the words of your faithful priestess, Aimee. Bless me with your motherhood and come into me! I invoke thee!"
A flash of light filled the air. When it had dies down, Chakira turned and took Dana's hand, guiding her to her place beside Brid. Without being called, Nasira came up the avenue, lit the last pair of torches, and joined the circle.
As with the others, M'Lila welcomed Nasira, and then Chakira draped a long, black cloak around Nasira and fastened it, before giving her a golden mask and then turning her back. When Chakira faced the rest of the coven that was their signal to turn their backs as well. When Nasira was sure no one was looking, she put on the mask and drew the hood up around her head.
"Great Goddess of the night, hear the words of your faithful servant Nasira! I call upon The Morrígan to bless me with her crone-hood and come into me! I invoke thee!"
This time, the result was more than a flash of light. It was akin to a thunderstorm. While the commotion was going on, The Morrígan merely turned on her heel and stalked over to her spot near Brid and Dana.
When the thunderstorm had blown over, the coven turned back around. Chakira shook her head as she surveyed the scene. This whole thing had been a bad idea. Why, oh why, had Echo come up with this idea? Never, never again. They would choose a nicer crone next time. Hecate, perhaps.
"Well? You called me up, now what're you going to do with me?" a voice with a slight Irish accent asked waspishly.
Chakira knew without even looking that it was The Morrígan talking to her. Moreover, she would have to come up with an answer. The High Priestess took a deep breath before turning back around.
2:30pm, Wednesday, April 22
A few days later, the coven had gotten together again to do a community service project. Along with four other covens, The Dark Mesa Temple had gathered at a youth center in Queens to paint a mural. This, of course, happened to be the day that Val had chosen to meet with Chakira and the other members of the Grove.
When Val arrived, he found he had no way to tell who the members of the Grove were. Every coven wore the exact same outfit; white painter's suits, white boot, white rubber gloves and masks. The only difference between anyone was that everyone wore a dewrag in one of five colors, each emblazoned with silver stars.
Suddenly, Val felt something tickle his sandaled feet. He bent over and retrieved a hot pink brochure from where his left foot had trapped it. Where had this come from? Surely, it hadn't been here before?
Val opened it up. The brochure explained about the project and gave a list of the covens that were participating. There was even a little key- code to identify the members of the individual covens. It read:
Each coven has it's own color, covered in silver stars. The High Priestesses have a headband of gold stars on their dewrags. Covens are as follows:
Silver stars, white field- Sisters of the Silver Moon
Silver stars, black field- Dark Mesa Temple
Silver stars, green field- Grove of the Sacred Well
Silver stars; blue field- Brid's Cauldron
Silver stars, burgundy field- Circle Rising Sun
Once Val had read every bit of information, the brochure dissolved from his fingertips.
Therefore, the High Priestess he was looking for wore a black dewrag, with a headband of gold stars printed on it. Easy enough. Not wanting to get paint on his nice Italian suit, he waited until the five covens took their break, before he approached the High Priestess and the rest of the Temple.
"Hi! My name is Val. Yours is Chakira, isn't it?"
Chakira glared at the man in front of her with suspicion, not bothering to take off her mask. However, she kept her tone polite. "That is correct. May I help you, sir?"
Val looked around before he answered. "Look. This is not a real safe place to talk. Could you meet me at MingNa's Fine Food at eight o'clock tonight? I have a private dining room where we can talk, and I'll treat you to dinner."
Chakira did not deign to answer. Unsure of what to do, Val said, "You can bring one of your coveners, if you'd like."
"I'll meet you there." Chakira agreed.
Once Val left, Chakira finally took off her mask and began to eat the apple she had taken out of the coven cooler. Was this person to be trusted? Well...It certainly would be interesting to find out. After all, if he really wanted to help her, he would be true to his word.