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Authors: Love in a Mist
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they would sit together beneath the mighty oaks where her mother passed the Golden Thread of Knowledge to her.
Tears welled up in Keely's eyes and spilled down her cheeks. Surrendering to her sorrow, she wept until sobbing exhaustion put her to sleep.
Keely awakened during those hushed magical moments before dawn. Her chamber held the crisp bite of late September's early morning chill. Wrapping herself in her white ceremonial robe, Keely wandered to the room's tiny window. The eastern horizon blazed with orange light as dawn quickly approached.
Her gaze dropped from the sky's oceanic horizon to the narrow lanes below. Civilization? Keely thought. How could these English even breathe? She felt as though London's crowded conditions were suffocating her.
Keely's thoughts drifted to the man she would meet that day. What kind of man had sired her? Could she really find happiness as an English lord's daughter? It seemed a preposterous notion, yet her mother had seen it.
Bright streaks of orange light crept higher over the horizon. The rising sun, different each day of the year, seemed especially inspiring on this fateful morn. Was that a good omen?
Keely drew the hood of her robe up and covered her head. If only she could be outside to feel the rising sun.
"Myrddin, greatest of Druids, guide my words," Keely began her greeting of the dawn. Trying to get closer to the rising sun, she pressed the palm of her hand to the window pane and chanted, "Father Sun kisses Mother Earth.... Father Sun kisses Mother Earth."
After completing this morning ritual, Keely sat down on the edge of the bed and tried to concentrate on the impending meeting with her father. Unfortunately, a certain copper-haired earl paraded across her mind's eye instead, and that made her think of the danger threatening her cousins. The Earl of Basildon had remarked that Odo and Hew looked familiar; it would be only a matter of time before he realized that her cousins were the culprits who'd robbed him.
Keely pondered her dilemma. According to her mother's teachings, she could cast the magic circle and beg a favor. A single favor—anything more insulted the Goddess's generosity.
Keely sighed. She had planned on asking for her father's acknowledgment, but now her cousins faced life-threatening danger—the earl's retribution. Her choice was no choice at all.
Fetching her satchel, Keely withdrew a black cloth bag and emptied the holy stones it contained into her hand. From these she chose nine: one white agate for spiritual guidance, two dark carnelians for courage and protection, two rose quartzes for healing, two black obsidians for positive power, and two purple beryls for breaking bad luck. Then she pulled her tiny golden sickle from the satchel.
Keely walked to the center of the room and made a makeshift circle with the stones, keeping only the white agate and the golden sickle in her hands. Entering the circle from the west, she closed it with the agate and said once again, "All disturbing thoughts remain outside."
Walking clockwise around the inside of the circle, Keely pointed the golden sickle toward its invisible periphery and fused it shut. She walked to the center of the circle, faced the east, and whispered: "Stones of power, love, and lore, aid my spell, I do implore.... Spirit of my journey, spirit of my ancestors, spirit of my tribe—aid my cause. Keep Odo and Hew safe from harm. Let Richard Devereux drink without injury from the River of Forgetfulness." Bowing her head, she added, "I give thanks to these holy stones, my venerable spirits, and this sickle of gold."
Keely walked to the circle's western periphery and picked the agate up, breaking the enchantment. She gathered the rest of her stones, put them back into the cloth bag, and sat on the edge of the bed to meditate on her father and await the appointed time.
At noon, Keely and her cousins dismounted in the front courtyard of Talbot House, London's most magnificent mansion. Keely
Tears welled up in Keely's eyes and spilled down her cheeks. Surrendering to her sorrow, she wept until sobbing exhaustion put her to sleep.
Keely awakened during those hushed magical moments before dawn. Her chamber held the crisp bite of late September's early morning chill. Wrapping herself in her white ceremonial robe, Keely wandered to the room's tiny window. The eastern horizon blazed with orange light as dawn quickly approached.
Her gaze dropped from the sky's oceanic horizon to the narrow lanes below. Civilization? Keely thought. How could these English even breathe? She felt as though London's crowded conditions were suffocating her.
Keely's thoughts drifted to the man she would meet that day. What kind of man had sired her? Could she really find happiness as an English lord's daughter? It seemed a preposterous notion, yet her mother had seen it.
Bright streaks of orange light crept higher over the horizon. The rising sun, different each day of the year, seemed especially inspiring on this fateful morn. Was that a good omen?
Keely drew the hood of her robe up and covered her head. If only she could be outside to feel the rising sun.
"Myrddin, greatest of Druids, guide my words," Keely began her greeting of the dawn. Trying to get closer to the rising sun, she pressed the palm of her hand to the window pane and chanted, "Father Sun kisses Mother Earth.... Father Sun kisses Mother Earth."
After completing this morning ritual, Keely sat down on the edge of the bed and tried to concentrate on the impending meeting with her father. Unfortunately, a certain copper-haired earl paraded across her mind's eye instead, and that made her think of the danger threatening her cousins. The Earl of Basildon had remarked that Odo and Hew looked familiar; it would be only a matter of time before he realized that her cousins were the culprits who'd robbed him.
Keely pondered her dilemma. According to her mother's teachings, she could cast the magic circle and beg a favor. A single favor—anything more insulted the Goddess's generosity.
Keely sighed. She had planned on asking for her father's acknowledgment, but now her cousins faced life-threatening danger—the earl's retribution. Her choice was no choice at all.
Fetching her satchel, Keely withdrew a black cloth bag and emptied the holy stones it contained into her hand. From these she chose nine: one white agate for spiritual guidance, two dark carnelians for courage and protection, two rose quartzes for healing, two black obsidians for positive power, and two purple beryls for breaking bad luck. Then she pulled her tiny golden sickle from the satchel.
Keely walked to the center of the room and made a makeshift circle with the stones, keeping only the white agate and the golden sickle in her hands. Entering the circle from the west, she closed it with the agate and said once again, "All disturbing thoughts remain outside."
Walking clockwise around the inside of the circle, Keely pointed the golden sickle toward its invisible periphery and fused it shut. She walked to the center of the circle, faced the east, and whispered: "Stones of power, love, and lore, aid my spell, I do implore.... Spirit of my journey, spirit of my ancestors, spirit of my tribe—aid my cause. Keep Odo and Hew safe from harm. Let Richard Devereux drink without injury from the River of Forgetfulness." Bowing her head, she added, "I give thanks to these holy stones, my venerable spirits, and this sickle of gold."
Keely walked to the circle's western periphery and picked the agate up, breaking the enchantment. She gathered the rest of her stones, put them back into the cloth bag, and sat on the edge of the bed to meditate on her father and await the appointed time.
At noon, Keely and her cousins dismounted in the front courtyard of Talbot House, London's most magnificent mansion. Keely
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