12/15/17

The seance

I started the night out by pulling August’s card. The Eight of Cups reversed suggests a stubborn refusal to move on or change destructive behavior, which is August in a nutshell. Maybe me, too, I was starting to realize. I hoped the negative card wouldn’t sour the night…

We began at 3:00am. Mal, Willow, and I sat in a circle holding hands while August floated in the center. Willow had drawn a protective circle around us and candles flickered in the darkness.

“Please hold hands,” Willow said, her voice calm but authoritative. I slid my hands into theirs and hoped they couldn’t feel me shaking. Willow continued:

“Sister Evelyn Nevernight, we call to you as friends and fellows of your infernal station. Please come to us.” The response was immediate, every candle blew out and we were plunged into darkness.

“Shall I?” Mal asked.

“No, leave them,” Willow instructed. “Evelyn, we know why you are upset. We understand your undying love for your husband, but you cannot threaten his poor host. She merely bought the umbrella his spirit was attached to, there is no malice in her heart toward you.”

“Evelyn, I’ve been trying to get August to go to you. He won’t listen to me. Maybe you can convince him, sweetly…” A hot wind came screeching across the seance circle, obliterating the salt. August screamed. I felt myself lifted from the ground. I clung to Mal and Willow, who stood and tried to pull me down as I levitated higher.

“Evelyn! Why are you so angry? If you want him, take him! I hate him!” I screamed.

August roared beside me, a look of horror on his face. Then Mal spoke.

“Enough! By order of Grand President Malphas, you will not hurt this innocent!”

Everything went black.