Jolene raised her broom and swung with all her strength at the evil creature. Screeching even louder, the raven flew up a few feet to avoid the broom. With glistening talons extended it attacked Jolene.
Lilly opened the palms of her tingling hands repelling the creature as Jolene brought the broom up again, swatting the creature on the side of its head. It plunged to the ground for a moment. Jolene quickly hit it again. Screeching wildly, the raven extended its wings and flew from the courtyard.
Landing on the edge of the rooftop, it stopped to give one last piercing screech as it tilted its head to stare at them with one eye. Lilly lifted her hands sending repellent energy as the avian creature swiftly flapped its huge wings and fled.
The three witches sat on the edge of the fountain. Jolene sat with broom in hand, ready to take another swipe at the hideous creature if it returned. “This won’t do,” Sabine said seriously.
Jolene nodded her head in agreement. “The question is, what are we going to do about it?
Sabine shrugged and said, “Well, you are adept with the broom. Possibly you could train us in the use of your implement.”
Jolene looked at the broom in her hand and laughed. “I grabbed the closest thing at hand. It worked pretty well.”
She and Sabine sat on the edge of the fountain their momentary mirth overshadowed by the grim look on their young friends’ face. Lilly chewed her lower lip, took a deep breath, put her hand over her heart and tried not to cry. Her voice cracked as she shared her outrage, “Regina grows more brazen every day. She is sending her creature after me in my own territory, in broad daylight. She has the Jewel of Inanna! What more does she want?”
The two older witches looked at her, eyebrows raised, “Indeed, what does she want?”
“I know,” Lilly gasped, “She wants to draw magic from me. I remember her stating I had power over her in the past. In this lifetime she said she would take my power and destroy my life. How could she take my inner power? The idea seems ludicrous.”
Sabine said in a hard voice. “It is ludicrous and vicious. Do you know where Roland has disappeared to?”
“He went to talk to Jason about playing music at Valentines.”
Sabine pursed her lips, “Uh huh, and I bet he went down Decatur Street, right past Raven Moon. Possibly Regina saw him go by and decided to attack while he wasn’t here.”
Lilly shrugged her shoulders, “I don’t know, Sabine. I don’t think Regina has seen Roland. If he walked by there, he was betting on his belief she has never seen him.”
“You forget, Lilly, she could have seen his face when he was rescuing you, plus she obviously has psychic abilities.”
“I don’t doubt her psychic abilities,” Jolene injected, “but we know the crystal is dormant in her hands. It did not choose her. There has not been even a shadow of its energy in my awareness. I would recognize it. I think it has gone dormant. I could still feel the energy when Lilly was wearing it. The glowing violet stone, filled with potential, is nothing more than a dull rock in Regina’s hands.”
Lilly nodded in agreement. “I have felt nothing from the stone. As long as it remains in Regina’s hands, let’s hope it remains a dull rock.”
Jolene nodded at Lilly, “ma chere, you are right about her motives. She wants something more of you. She wants your magickal essence. The raven is her tool, but it will only comply with her wishes for a time. The raven spirit is strong, it does not bow to control easily or for long.
“She is getting desperate, stepping up her game. We don’t know how she plans to obtain your energy, however we are going to put a stop to this. We are going to free the Raven and get the Inanna’s sacred crystal out of her hands and back to you, my dear.”
Lilly nodded automatically, her mouth dry and her heart pounding. As Sabine and Jolene left to close the shop, Gemma and Forest came in the front gate and found Lilly standing in the courtyard scanning the roof. She filled them in on the incident. Gemma hugged her, “You’ve had enough. I am here to help in any way I can.”
Forest echoed, “Me too.” They hugged and Lilly knew a moment of peace, grateful she had friends who would protect and support her.
As the shadows lengthened, Lilly decided to take a walk through the Square. Reinforcing her mirrored-egg protection, she grabbed her hat and left. The crowd of people would be safe and she needed to focus on something else and let go of the knot in her stomach.
She walked around Jackson Square aimlessly for a while, stopping to listen to a tall black man wail on his saxophone. The blues filled the square, purging sorrow from the soul, pouring healing balm over the pedestrians walking nearby. She felt Roland’s energy coming toward her.
Seconds later, Roland touched her arm as she swayed, eyes closed, absorbing the magick of the music. He smiled at the site of her, and pulled her gently into an embrace. “How is everything? I was feeling strange vibes and rushed back.”
Lilly took his hands and walked towards Panthea’s, filling him in on the raven attack and Jolene’s retaliation with her broom.
“Wait, Jolene attacked the huge raven with a broom?”
Lilly nodded smiling, “Yep, it was the closest thing at hand and she used it with great precision.”
~
Roland devoured one of Felix’s extra large oyster po-boys as Lilly sat picking the shrimp out of the french bread on her plate. “You need to eat, Lil, you have to build up your strength.”
“I’m not hungry right now.”
“Do you want to wrap it up and bring it with us?” Lilly nodded assent and had
