Wiccan Ch. 6

         When Taylor got home all was quiet, save for the sounds of Bailey singing upstairs in her room. He shut the door and locked it, knowing all too well that his mother wouldn’t be home until late. Heading up to his sister’s room, he lightly tapped on her door, to which she immediately responded, “Come in, Taylor.”

         Taylor opened his sister’s door and walked into the warmth of the lighted room. Immediately, he noted a change, there was a script book lying open on her bed, next to where she sat.

          “Hey, did you get the part?” he asked excitedly.

         Smiling in a way that only she could, Bailey replied, “YEAH! I got the lead. After two years of being beneath Angela Bandel, I finally got it!”

         Taylor loved to see his sister so happy.

          “So what can I help you with this evening? I’m sure it has something to do with Aisling,” Bailey questioned, a knowing look on her face.

         He shook his head. It used to be different. She had used to come to him for advice. He wondered when that had changed.

          “It’s about her, yes. I don’t know why but I have this distinct feeling that I’m starting to...”

          “… Like her,” Bailey finished for him.

          “Yeah, how did you know?” He asked nervously. Had his sister been dabbling?

          “Because, every time you talk about her, you get this look in your eyes, like you’re not really here,” she replied, quelling her brother’s fears. “Besides,” she added, “I can tell that this freaks you out.”

         Taylor sighed. How was it that she seemed to know him so damn well?

          “Yeah, it kind of does. I mean, I’ve never had these feelings before. Like I’ll do anything to keep her safe,” he replied, surprised at the words coming out of his mouth.

         Bailey laughed, then said, “I had no idea that she’d be able to get under that tough exterior that you put up. Only I’ve been able to do that so far, and I’m related to you!”

         Taylor gave his sister a mock angry look, and then said in a quiet voice, “I didn’t think anyone else could get in, either.”

         Bailey looked at her brother. He was scared of these feelings, she could tell. What could she possibly say to make him realize that what was happening was good for him?

         Taylor interrupted his sister’s thoughts, saying, “So what do I do about it?”

         Bailey couldn’t keep herself from rolling her eyes at him, “Taylor, just tell her! I know it’s scary, but if it helps any, I’m positive that she cares just as much for you.”

         Taylor wondered how she could be so sure. Then he remembered just how right she had been in the past. She always seemed to be able to tell how people were feeling. This was especially true in his case, which he found annoying at times. Still it couldn’t hurt to try it.

          “You’re a lot of help,” Taylor said, slightly sarcastically. However he gave Bailey a grateful look.

          “You’re welcome, Taylor,” Bailey said sweetly.

          “Yeah,” Taylor replied getting up and heading for the door. When he got there he turned around and added, “I love you, Bailey.”

          “I love you too, Taylor,” she replied. As he closed the door he could already hear her singing again.


         The forest was misted over with a clingy fog that was almost magical in nature. All around dew clung to the grass, lilies and floppy leaves of the willow trees that populated the area. Although it was nine in the morning, you could only see about three feet in front of you, adding to the mystical atmosphere. Taylor looked around in wonder as Aisling led him through the forest expertly, along the footpath that she’d taken almost every day since she’d moved there. Aisling noticed the wonder and interest in Taylor’s eyes and smiled, even though the fog was making her intensely uncomfortable. It was too thick to be real; plus, her mind argued, the sun would have burned this off by now. Still the nagging feeling that Taylor was in danger had grown worse during the night and she’d called him early this morning to move up their ‘appointment’. In truth, she was worried.

         Taylor had noticed the worry in her voice that morning on the phone; that’s why, with Bailey’s help; he’d ducked out of church in order to meet her. He was now glad that he had. The fog created a pretense of suspense that made Taylor even more jumpy although he wasn’t too sure why. Happily, he wasn’t left to contemplate this because just then, Aisling stopped in front of one of the oldest trees he’d ever seen.

          “This is it,” Aisling announced as she de-shouldered her pack and carefully arranged the items on the ground, Taylor watching in interest. A pure white candle and a blue candle along with a simple necklace with a shell as the pendant set in between the two. Aisling directed Taylor to sit in front of her cross-legged before the white candle and she did the same with the blue. Gently she blew on both candles, lighting them with flames and then looked over at Taylor.

          “Okay, now you need to do what I tell you. Try not to laugh because this is important to me,” Aisling pleaded.

          “I promise, I won’t laugh,” He replied, knowing that he wouldn’t do anything to hurt her.

         Aisling smiled, and Taylor realized he would give anything for her to smile like that at him every day, and then said, “Take my hands, close your eyes and visualize a blue globe of flame surrounding you.”

         As soon as he took her hands, he felt the electricity eradiate from her, and he found himself wishing that was around him always. Using that image, he imagined the globe around him, in the form of her electricity; the form of light from her soul.

         Aisling’s quiet voice began to chant softly, “Craft the spell in the fire; Craft it well, Weave it higher. Weave it now of shining flame. None shall come to hurt or maim. None shall pass this fiery wall; none shall pass, NO none at all!” she repeated it again and again, quietly almost as if to herself. Curiosity soon begot him and he squinted open an eye. A ring of blue flamed raged all around him, brilliantly flickering like fireflies on a fall night. Aisling sat beside him, glowing crystal white.

         Then all of a sudden, it all vanished and he was in a forest kneeling by a cold stream of water. Slowly, Taylor stood up, and there she was, a middle-aged woman; she resembled everyone’s grandma. She stood across the stream waiting for him.

          “Hello, my son,” The Goddess greeted him.

          “Where’s Aisling?” Taylor asked frantically as he glanced at the ancient willow trees that seemed to lead off in every direction.

          “She’s fine, for now. She’s in the protected circle,” the Goddess replied but soon spouted a gray hair in spite of her good attempts to calm him.

          “Oh, goo…wait,” Taylor interrupted himself, suddenly getting a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.

          “What do you mean, for now?” he asked, feeling queasy.

         The Goddess gazed at him sadly. “I’m afraid that Aisling’s tough journey isn’t quite over yet. Whoever this evil person is, he’s bound and determined to finish off any chance of her being happy, no matter what the consequences. He will stop at nothing, even if he ends up killing her,” the Goddess stated, watching as Taylor paled considerably, and then continued, “Which is why this conversation has to take place now. I would have preferred talking to you in better circumstances, but sadly we cannot always have things our way. Aisling knows she’s in danger, my son, but she will take care of others before worrying about herself. This is why you must help her.”

          “How?” Taylor asked wearily, not sure if he really wanted to know.

          “Talk to her, my son. Talk to Aisling,” the Goddess said, then paused, “I believe you have a twin sister. Talk to her as well. The power to save Aisling lies within bo…,” cocking her head to one side, then frowned.

          “Something’s wrong. I must say farewell. Goodbye my son,” the Goddess said as the trees suddenly vanished. The running water of the stream which had seemed so real a moment ago materialized until the Goddess was standing there. A second later she too evaporated into thin air.

         As Taylor came rushing back to the real world he noticed something quite odd. There were no birds, no chipmunks, no bunnies, and no other small critters hustling around the forest. This made him feel uneasy, for even on a foggy morning there should be some activity going on, but the weight of Aisling hands in his and the excitement that surrounded that, quickly brought the rest of him fully awake.

         He was just beginning to fully grasp the real world when he caught sight of Aisling’s face. She looked oddly pale to him.

          “Aisling, are you okay?” he posed the question even though all his senses, now uncommonly and keenly alert, already knew the answer.

         She had become aware that something was amiss the minute the spell was complete. Once her circle of protection vanished from around her, she could feel her energy being zapped away, her powers being depleted as the precious moments went on. She grasped suddenly for anything, knowing with awful realization that she’d made a mistake in doing this outside. She should have done this in her protected room, where no one with any magic could intrude.

         Somehow, she knew that the attack on Taylor had been a trick, one in which would cause her to try to protect him; this person could then gain access through magic, her life-force. She could feel it being pulled out of her, and knew that if it didn’t stop, she’d die.

         Frantically, she answered, “No, I’m not, Taylor. Something’s attacking me, please help!”

         Taylor was at a loss, “What can I do? I don’t know how to help!”

         He could feel the panic rising as he heard her respond, “Trust. Please…need you.”

         Taylor blinked back the tears that were soon to come, as he watched Aisling collapse onto her back, breathing heavily. He then noticed a string of pure white being pulled away through the forest from a tennis sized ball of white in the middle of her chest. Where was her power going? He questioned without even realizing that he should not be able to see what he was seeing.

         Aisling’s breathing had become slow and shallow; causing Taylor to scramble over by her side and pull her gently into his arms. Slowly, he came to the only conclusion that he could.

         Closing his eyes and willing the words to come, Taylor slowly sang out, “Fire is gone, No wind is here, water is lost, the earth is not clear. There is only one thing to help her now. Goddess, bless this kiss the power to heal. Hurry it fast, for this is real.”

         Finishing, he opened his eyes and leaned down to the now sheet white Aisling, and softly brought his lips against hers. Taylor felt his heart stop beating as an electrical charge shot through his body, stronger than anything he’d ever felt before. It ignited all his senses, including ones that were not too useful in this particular situation. Pulling back, he found his brain charged with worry. What the hell had he just done? That was not a platonic kiss, of this he was sure. What would she say, once she realized that? He had no doubt that she would. His mind hummed with these worries, as well as the strange feeling that he’d done something he shouldn’t have been able to do. The Goddess had called him her son. Was he?

         Aisling opened her eyes to see Taylor pulling away, his face flushed and eyes worried. She felt her body surge with energy as her depleted life force flowed back into her. He’d saved her. Without thinking beyond this point, she wrapped her arms around Taylor’s neck and pulled him down to her.

         Taylor was so lost in thought; he didn’t even realize what was happening until Aisling’s amazingly soft lips landed on his. He started in shock and then relaxed, straightening slightly as he pulled her closer. He could feel her already familiar electricity leak through his body, flooding his emotions, and exciting him in more places than he ever could have imagined. Aisling pulled away too soon, her green eyes focusing on his in the most intimate way. There was no need for words, her eyes said it all. You saved me.

         Aisling’s heart was still beating hard as she breathed in a deep breath of air. Sighing, she told him, “I don’t think I’ll make it back to the house. I’m too weak.”

         It was true, so much of her energy had gone into casting her protection spell and then fighting her predator that she was barely able to sit up, let alone walk. Taylor nodded, and slowly helped her to her feet. As Aisling leaned against the willow tree, Taylor gathered up their items and put them in her pack. Swinging it onto his shoulder, he turned and gently hung the shell necklace around the branch of the tree. When he looked at Aisling again, she had a peculiar smile on her face.

          “What?” he asked, curiously.

          “She talked to you, didn’t she?” Aisling observed quietly, biting her lip to keep from blushing. She was starting to feel the aftermath of kissing him. All sorts of thoughts swirled in her head; had he enjoyed it as much as she had?

         Taylor shrugged, and then admitted, “Yeah she did. I’m a little confused right now about…”

          “…saving me?” Aisling interrupted.

         Taylor shook his head and walked over to lean against the willow tree next to her.

          “No, I’m confused about what just happened between us,” he replied, his heart beating faster with each word.

         Aisling blushed, looking down at her feet. As hard as she’d tried not to, she’d fallen for him. This fact alone put him in danger. She wasn’t willing to let him get hurt, but she couldn’t just ignore the connection they had; her body and mind wouldn’t let her.

         Taylor watched as conflicting emotions chased themselves around on her face. Deciding that maybe he needed to take the initiative, he took one hand and placed it under her chin, lifting her face to look up at his. Then he gently pushed a stray stand of purple hair and tucked it behind her ear. Sighing, he informed her quietly, “She told me to take care of you. To talk to you. Aisling, you don’t always have to be alone.” Taylor finished, knowingly.

         Aisling allowed her eyes to meet his. He knew. Somehow, he knew how she felt. How hard it was for her to trust someone. Aisling bit her lip, then said, “I…I need someone. I’ve needed someone for a long time. The right person was never there. I care about you, Taylor, a lot,” she put extra emphasis on the last word, and then continued, “I’m just worried about what’s going to happen. I don’t want you to get hurt, just because someone is full bent on destroying me and everything I lo... care about.”

         Taylor, however, continued to hold her gaze as he replied, “I can take care of myself. Plus if you let me, between the two of us, I know we can figure something about. I’m not going to let anything happen to you, if I can help it.”

         Aisling felt a warm feeling spread through her. She knew that what they were up against was extremely strong, but she felt better just knowing she wasn’t alone. Nodding, Aisling tried to stand up, and immediately fell back against the tree.

          “I think we have a problem,” Aisling told Taylor nervously.

         Taylor shook his head, saying, “No, we don’t.” Then he leaned down, put one arm under her knees, and using the other arm to support her back, he pulled her securely up into his arms. Once he had her up he was amazed at how light she seemed. She laid her head on his shoulder as he started back to her house, following the directions she gave him.

         When they arrived back at her house, Taylor put her down and reached for the door handle.

          “Taylor, I can get up to my room by myself. I’ve already kept you way too long. I don’t want to get you in any more trouble,” Aisling said, trying hard to keep a straight face.

          “And how are you going to get up three flights of stairs, Aisling?” he asked, shaking his head, “I don’t think so. I’m not in trouble, besides if my mom gets upset, Bailey will cover for me. Don’t worry about me right now. We need to get you upstairs,” and seeing her stifle a yawn, he added, “and possibly into bed for a nap.”

         Aisling rolled her eyes, “A nap? Taylor, I’m probably going to sleep through till tomorrow.”

         Laughing, Taylor opened the back door, wrapped an arm around Aisling’s waist, and started inside.

         As Aisling climbed slowly up her aunt’s steps, she discovered that her brave statement made to Taylor was absurd. She was barely able to walk on her own and now, with every single step, she found sharp new aches and pains. Sighing, she was glad that Taylor had insisted on helping her upstairs.

         By the time they reached the third flight, Aisling was leaning so heavily on Taylor that he was almost dragging her with him. Pausing, he turned toward her haggard face and pleaded, “Aisling, please let me carry you the rest of the way, you’re barely walking as it is.”

         Aisling shook her head stubbornly. He’d already had to carry her through the woods; she didn’t want him to think she was completely helpless.

         Taylor growled, frustrated. “Fine!” he shouted as he swung her up into his arms, “I won’t ask for your permission.”

         Aisling struggled, demanding, “Taylor, Put me down!”

         Taylor didn’t listen, just continued up the last flight of steps. She sighed frustrated as well and relaxed in his arms. Taylor paused at her door, puzzling over something in his mind. Aisling’s electricity, which was normally a crackling heat that ignited all his senses, seemed somewhat dulled and subdued. He wasn’t any less attracted to her; his skin was still tingling and his heart pounding. However, she definitely seemed drained. Of what, he wasn’t sure. It wasn’t her power, he’d seen that get replenished. Suddenly Taylor stopped, horrified as he realized that she seemed semi lifeless. Aisling’s attacker had been draining her of life, not of her powers.

         Taylor came abruptly out of this revelation when Aisling laid her head over his heart and then rested her left hand on the side of his neck. Looking down, he saw that she’d fallen fast asleep. He smiled, thinking, Well at least the person hadn’t succeeded. Aisling was tired, but alive. Sighing he carried her over to her bed, laying her down. Remembering that he’d seen an old patchwork quilt in her room, he glanced around. He spotted it on the floor by her psychedelic bookshelf and used it to cover her up. Aisling’s head was resting against her pillow, her purple locks blending in to the tie-dyed background. Fleetingly, he thought of how peaceful she looked, and then gently set her pack on the ground. Reaching her door, Taylor hesitated, went back over to her bed in order to lean over her and gently brush his lips against hers.

         Aisling’s eyes opened sleepily as she whispered, “Thanks, Taylor,” then closed her eyes again. Taylor smiled, and headed out to his mustang. Once inside, he took a few deep breaths, then turned the key in the ignition and started home. His mind was racing with thoughts, but one thing was sure. His relationship with Aisling had definitely changed. He wondered where it was headed.


         The black figure cursed, frustrated at the clearly happy look on Aisling’s face. He slapped his hand hard against the water, destroying the image in its murky depths. If only it were that simple to destroy her. He paced, slowly in the darkness, thinking of what he could possibly do to destroy her once and for all. She’d gotten so strong, and now the appearance of this new young man at her side, even if he didn’t know what powers he’d been endowed with, still posed a very real threat. He’d managed to snap that spell right in two, with one thought and a makeshift spell. If only… but that wasn’t possible. Suddenly a thought came to him and he smiled. Maybe he didn’t have to…hm. The plan would have to be carried out tomorrow. Also, if it was to work, he’d have to scare her, scare her in a way that this new young man couldn’t thwart. As a plan slowly formed in his head, the dark figure laughed, switching on the light to prepare everything for the next day.