Chapter 53: Solstice

I didn't see Remi for the rest of the evening nor for the next two days. The solstice was tomorrow and my birthday was today. I spent my time studying books upon books. I focused on anything that said fracture. I had a feeling I was on my own for this. After day one, I was still hopeful, but on day two, no matter how many times I called, Remi did not appear.

I flipped open the book I took from my mother's library. It was getting harder to call her Mother. She never really treated me like a daughter. There was no love between us. I was more of a slave. And now my distrust in her was growing. I sat in my truck in front of the emporium as I poured over the pages. I really hoped I was getting this right. I had found a fracture spell to split a person into mind, body, and soul. It was close enough to the solstice spell, all I had to do was reverse it, at least that's what it looked like.

I squeezed my eyes shut. My brain hurt from all of this. I wanted so much to be able to do this, but I just felt like I couldn't process. I felt overloaded. I opened back up my eyes and wrote a list of ingredients.

I stepped down from the truck with my backpack over my shoulder. I shuffled into the store quickly. The store was getting busier with the solstice tomorrow. I wore a long-sleeved shirt to cover up the spiral. I didn't want anyone else gawking at it. It made me nervous just having it on my arm. If I was some item for a spell, anyone might want me.

I pulled a few herbs off the shelf. Some of them were decoys so the clerk didn't ask too many questions, but I did need one thing in particular. I walked up to the counter with my basket.

"Oh, hello again. How are your preparations coming?" He asked.

I nodded in greeting. "Just fine. I am just picking a few items per our usual. And I do need an anchor from a ship lost at sea."

He nodded. "Of course." He pulled the other objects of my basket and rung them up. "That will be $568.82 and 1000 Joules." He pushed a small green crystal towards me.

I handed him the money and transferred the power. He wrapped up the herbs and other items then hefted the anchor across the counter towards me.

"Thanks." I put the items in my backpack and tucked the anchor up under my arm. A few people glanced at me as I walked by, but none of their eyes lingered.

I drove home. I didn't turn the radio on. I needed to think. I had to get the words to the spell right. I had to get my mind focused. By the time I got home, I was even more tangled up than before. I dumped the useless ingredients on the counter and stuffed the rest, along with the anchor and the book, in my backpack. I slung it over my shoulder then headed outside to the backyard.

I dropped the backpack in the middle of the grass. I decided to start with Tai Chi. I cleared my mind and moved through the movements slowly. Eventually movements turned to thoughts. The rhythm of my movements directed the course of my thoughts. All I had to do was reverse the spell. I had to remove the power. I had to turn the flow. These three things ran through my mind. The night spun on as I worked through the movements, adding in bits of other martial arts from there. Before long, I was flipping across the lawn and up over my backpack.

"Lanie," Mother's voice called from the edge of the forest.

I stopped my movement. I bit back a snide comment, cleared my head, and turned to her with a blank expression.

"Come with me."

I snatched up my backpack then followed her cloaked form into the dark forest. This was it. I was on my own. I had to make this happen or else I was done for.

Torches lit the woods. As we approached the outer circle, hooded forms came into view. The deep hum of throat singing filled the trees. The power here made the hair on my arms and legs stand on end.

"Mother, shouldn't this wait until tomorrow night?"

She didn't answer.

I continued to follow her into the woods. We passed the second circle of trees. Naked figures danced and moved, this time they were in unison. It was eerie, like they were one entity, of one mind. We passed the inner circle of trees. The ten pines stood skinny and short. The complex circle pattern covered the ground in deep grooves. The rose bushes I had bought were planted around at intersecting points. Gemstones glittered in the firelight.

"Walk to the center," Mother ordered.

My heart jumped in my throat. This was it. I had to get this right. I walked to the center of the giant circle. A giant stake taller than my head stood at the center.

"Remi," Mother said.

I turned to face her. Remi coalesced beside me. His face was stony, but his eyes were pained. He took my hand and tied a rope around my wrist.

"Don't do this," I whispered.

He was gentle, but he tied the rope firmly to the stake behind my back then did my other arm.

"Please don't do this," I begged.

He squeezed his eyes shut, then turned away. He walked two steps then disappeared into a shadow. A moment later, someone, was tied behind me. I could hear their frantic muffled whines. They must have been gagged. Their hands were tied above mine behind my back.

The anchor dug into my back through the backpack. I cleared my mind. I tried to calm my breathing and my heart beat. This was it. I had to get this right.

Hooded figures closed in. Remi stood to Mother's side. Mother stood at the edge of the circle, where the caster usually stood to transfer power. The naked figures continued to dance behind her. The throat singing increased, vibrating the air in pulses.

Mother lifted her arms above her head. "Juno, mother of the Gemini. I offer up this soul. Grant me the power tenfold. Grant me the power of the mother. I ask to thee, bless me in trade for these offering on the birthing night."

Green light flared through the runes dug in the ground. The gemstones glittered. The herbs broke apart releasing their sent. The roses flared to life with huge blooms.

"Juno!" I screamed. "Mother of the Gemini! I offer up this soul. Split this woman, mind, body, and soul. Send her to Hades, send her to madness, send her hell! I trade you these offering in which I have procured with my own blood, sweat, and power!" My voice screamed through the forest.

The throat singing abruptly halted. The naked dancers fell in fleshy heaps. Mother stood frozen with a look of horror on her face and her arms in the sky. The earth rumbled beneath my feet. The green light of the runes turned pink then coalesced into a figure.

As the light faded, the figure turned solid. She wore a pink gown over pearly white skin. Her ears were pointed and partially hidden under long pale blonde hair. The fabric looked to be made out of glittering light. It clung to her form as she moved. Her hips were wide and her legs curvy as they moved out of the slit with each step.

She turned between me and my mother. "My, what a solstice we have here!" She clapped her hands. "A battle between mother and daughter, how fantastic!" Her melodic voice rang like a lullaby. It was hard to concentrate.

I tried to speak. I wanted to plead my case, but my throat was closed up. No matter what I did, I couldn't get words past my lips.

Juno walked around the circle. As she touched the roses, they flared even larger. She looked between me and Remi. "And budding love? My goodness, how exciting." She walked to my mother. She cocked her head to the side as she looked at her.

My mother's arms started shaking, but it looked like she couldn't move them. She was trying to speak, too, but nothing came out.

Juno flicked her hand in front of my mother. "You don't need to say anything. I can read your aura. I know what you offer." She looked back over her shoulder at me. "I also know what you have to offer little one. Now, the choice is up to me."

She placed her hand on the side of my mother's face. "Mmm... I see." Her voice drifted to me as if it was far away. Juno walked over to me next. She placed a cool hand on the side of my face then laughed. I could feel her digging through my mind. I felt violated . "Oh my, so much you do not know, little one. How exciting." She withdrew her hand from my face and started doing rapid little claps. "What a play you've brought me. How fun! I don't think I want this to be over so soon." She looked between me and my mother. She snapped her fingers.

Mother's mouth twisted as a scream rose from her throat. Her arms remained upright. A golden sliver of cloud slipped from her mouth as the scream filled the forest. It shook me down to my very core. A dark cloud billowed around her as the soul slipped upward towards the sky. Juno snapped again and all three vanished including Remi with them.

Juno turned back to me. "Shall I grant your Mother's last request as well? I do think this will make this more fun." She leaned in closer and whispered. "Do you know what she requested?" She giggled, "It wasn't very nice. She said, "Split that bitch". Not very nice is it?" She cocked her head to the side again. "But that sounds like so much fun. And we have to be fair. Yes, that would be fair." She snapped again.

My soul rose up from my own center through my throat and out my mouth. I watched it slip away into the sky. It was like losing a limb. No, it was more. I was losing myself. I watched it leave. My head dropped suddenly and everything went dark.