Palindrome

“Do you have everything you need for the ritual, Hannah?”

Samuel had to ask twice before he got a reaction out of me, I was studying the back of William`s head, sitting behind him in the car. Belinda and Benjamin had changed and rose on majestic wings, while Samuel, William and I took the car back.

I nodded absentmindedly, half of my mind on the day and the rest on William. He glanced my way often, the familiar tingling swelling in the air. Samuel gave up on me and turned to William instead, the car driving fast through the dark.

“Do you think we should act right away? Bridget will be here within the hour, and there something ominous floating around the city. I don’t feel comfortable in my own skin anymore.” He scratched his arm as if to empathize the words. William looked at me in the mirror again, a frown on his forehead. Did he have second thoughts?

“The sooner the better, that`s my advice. I feel it too.” The two men looked at each other with perfect understanding, I felt left out. I didn’t feel the “thing” they were feeling, I was just happy to be safe for a while. I closed my eyes and rested my head, trying to concentrate, but the only thing I could think about was Will`s eyes flashing purple, telling me he loved me. He seemed so sure, so confident, but had he realised he was about to go against his whole family, his legacy? For five hundred years, his main belief was that witches needed to spill or die, and here he was – determined to save us? And love one? Why was Natan in their dungeon? When had he arrived there? Was there a possibility that they had killed my parents even though Noah claimed it couldn’t be done? I grabbed my head, it hurt from all the questions. But I had one answer, I DID love him. The part of him I knew anyway.

“Won`t they come straight to my house?” They weren`t stupid, they would look her first. William smiled, “They`ve already been here, that`s why we took the first meeting of Misfits-club another place. But they...I mean we,” he smirked with regret, “are a bit too sure of ourselves, so by now they are probably back at the house, plotting how to make you surrender.”

The car stopped in front of the house, it felt vacant. So much had happened in the last day, I`d forgotten about Mrs Jensen`s part in all this. I glared at the fence bordering her property while I exited the car, hugging Will`s hoodie tight around me. William followed my stare and his eyes turned completely purple again, but this time with hate.

“It`s taken care of.”

I stopped in my tracks, “What do you mean “taken care of”?”

William gave me a sinister smile, “She got a spot at an excellent retirement-home. She won`t be a problem no more.”

Had he killed her? Did I care? Yes, I did. She`d been our neighbour for so many years, she had a good heart in her, I was sure. William saw my expression and came over to me, lifting my chin up.

“You don’t know her. I can smell all the dead bodies in her house.” He cast a dark look over to the house and then let me go. What? I ran after him, but before I got to ask him some more, another car screeched to a stop behind us. Bridget came falling out of the car almost before she`d parked it, running towards me and jumped into my arms. Bridget seemed to have stopped growing when she was twelve, but when you looked at her two times, there was no mistaking her for the woman she`d become.

She put a warm hand to my cheek, studying me.

“Oh, Hannah. It`ll be alright. In the end.” With that she swirled around to William, looking at him like he was some weird artefact in a museum.

“Hmm, I can see the attraction, but not for me.”

William shrugged confused and reached for my hand. We could hear the joyful screams as Bridget found Belinda and Benjamin in the backyard, as Beasts.

“Sorry, she`s always been like that.” Samuel smiled with pride as we walked into the house to join the others.

When we caught up with them, Benjamin smiled his big smile, making me fist-bump him.

“And then we are all summoned. Let the quest begin!”

I had to ruin his moment, “You know we are about to go against your Fathers, right?” He got serious, “Yes, I hope they will take to their senses, but if it comes to show, then we know who`s side we`ll take.” He didn’t look at me, he squeezed William`s shoulder hard.

I twisted my hands standing in front of the mansion, this was a bad idea. Invoking an old deity, hoping to get an end to a terror-regime that`s been going on for millennials, without anyone noticing? Stupid, stupid, stupid. It was nearing dawn, but it was still dark, the house gloomy and spooky. I could feel the restless Beasts within, wandering around, waiting for me. William had called his Father and told him he`d found me alongside the road, passed out. When I woke up, he had persuaded me, or forced me, to come back with him and help them get in touch with Lil. We needed them to think it was their idea, not ours, then they would never let me do magic near them. William had told me about the big hall, where they usually gathered for festive events, like this. He had told Samuel about the small room, intended for waiting servants, where he could hide. The only uplifting thing was that right now Belinda, Benjamin and Bridget were on their way down to the cellar and soon Natan would be free.

“Ok, I`m ready.”

I wasn’t ready. Their stares burned a hole in my head, so many different colours even though they were in human form.

“So, you claim you can summon Lil, and make her give us the spell we need?”

I cleared my throat, avoiding William there he stood behind Jafet.

“I promise I will try my best. But since I will be invoking her, you must do the talking. So it`s up to you guys, if she`ll listen.”

The Beasts started talking to each other in a foreign language, probably long extinct. Noah slammed his cane into the floor, ending the flourishing talk.

“We will take your offer. I have heard much about Nin-Lil, it will be…my pleasure to meet her.”

His tone was obnoxious, making me even more nervous.

You can do this. You`ve done it before.

It wasn’t the Goddess speaking, it was my mother. Tears swelled in my eyes; it was so long ago I`d heard her speak.

I held out my arms, encouraging them to silence. A new calmness had settled over me, I COULD do this. It was in my blood; it was my heritage. It was fate that landed me here.

This is the Season of the Goddess

The Fullness of the Moon waxing

Feel the ancient power

Make our Dream

Live our love

Be the one

Wake her up

Let her rise again

Let the bones be alive

Long time gone, I summon thee

Goddess, let the long gone walk again

I recited the spell three times, the atmosphere in the room changing, it got darker until all you could see was eyes glowing in the dark. A loud bang made me jump in the air, but the Beasts just turned to the source of the sound. Samuel fell out the door, ashen in his face.

“You forgot the name, sweet Goddess, you forgot the name. What have you done?”

My answer drowned in screams.

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