Conjurer at the Crossroads

Pebbles stood and dusted off her jeans. She started back on her way, mentally cataloguing the books she had on demonology, wondering if one of them would hold an answer to her question.

When she reached her grandmother’s shop, she bypassed it, putting her key in the iron gate just beyond its walls. She closed it after her, making sure it was locked, then walked under the stone archway into the moonlit garden. There was a huge oak tree in the center, its trunk surrounded by wrought-iron benches. The smell of flowers and herbs filled the air as Pebbles walked to the right. Her mother and grandmother lived in the main part of the house, and Pebbles had turned the slave quarters into an apartment for herself. At least she had the semblance of privacy that way.

She was almost to her door when the sharp sound of her grandmother clearing her throat filled her ears. She stopped in her tracks, but didn’t turn.

“You stink of evil.”

“It’s nice to see you too, Grandmother.”

“Where have you been? It’s almost demon hour.”

How well she knew that. She turned her head up toward the woman who had rescued her from the misery she’d lived in. She stood on the balcony of the second floor. In the moonlight, her light brown skin glowed beautifully. Her long, dark hair flowed past her shoulders and her sixty-year-old face held not one wrinkle.

“Answer me.” She held up her hand before Pebbles could open her mouth. “Wait, don’t bother. I know where you’ve been— with those friends of yours who mess with things they shouldn’t mess with.”

Her cultured voice was full of reproach.

Pebbles exhaled warily. “I’m tired. I’m going to bed.” She turned toward her apartment, but the sharp, horrified gasp that escaped her grandmother’s mouth froze her in her tracks.

She looked over her shoulder to find her grandmother making the sign of the cross. “You been messing with demons. That’s why you’re out at this time of night. Lord above have mercy on you.”

“What are you talking about? You don’t know—” She stopped talking when her grandmother hurried down the circular stairway at the end of the landing. The woman rushed toward her and Pebbles took a step back. “What?”

She flinched when her grandmother reached out and tugged on her long hair.

“Ouch!” She looked to where the older woman’s hand still held the tresses. It took her a few moments to realize the gasp she heard was hers.

Her black hair was stained with white streaks. Well, when her grandmother let go, it would probably be only a lock or two of white hair hanging down her back.

“What is this?”

“Hair color?”

Her grandmother let go of her hair, then bowed her head. Pebbles knew she was praying. Then her grandmother stopped and hurried to the house; moments later she was back with a large bowl that Pebbles knew held sea salt. She sprinkled it under the windows in the walls and made a long line of it across the gateway. When she’d covered all the entrances, including the ones to Pebbles’ apartment, she turned to her granddaughter.

“You will tell me everything.”

“There’s nothing to tell,” she whispered. “I helped banish an incubus tonight. That’s all. I’m going inside.”

“No!” Her grandmother stepped in front of her. “You stay here and undress. I’ll get the oils and herbs.”

“Grandmother, I—”

“You will listen to me. Banishing an evil spirit will not turn your hair white like that. He’s attached himself to you. You’ll listen to me on this.”

Pebbles wanted to say no, but she respected her grandmother too much.

She stepped toward the stone garden tub they used for purification rituals and started to undress. It was built against the back wall of the structure. They kept the tub outside, so that evil released in the cleansings couldn’t be trapped in the walls. It was chilly outside, but the hot water would warm her. Her grandmother would burn the clothing, she knew. When she was naked, she turned on the water, keeping it cold, but not so cold that it would be hard to take.

As she tested the temperature, her grandmother was back, pouring herbal mixtures into the water, stirring it with a long wooden paddle. When she was done, she pointed to the tub. “Get in.”

Pebbles obeyed her. The water seemed to swirl around her as she settled herself in and watched her grandmother walk to the four tall brass candlesticks that surrounded the tub. She lit white candles, then inserted a stick of incense at the base.

When the air was saturated with the smells of frankincense, myrrh and sandalwood, her grandmother returned to the tub with a white cloth. She started to wash Pebbles, rubbing her skin until it burned, going behind her ears, between her fingers and toes. She washed her hair, then helped her to stand and gave her a towel.

Her fingers again went to Pebbles’ hair. “It’s still there. He’s not done with you. Tell me everything so I can help you.”

“There’s nothing to help. He might have marked my hair, but he hasn’t marked my soul.” Not yet.

The look of sadness that passed over her grandmother’s face tore at Pebbles’ heart. The older woman pointed to the tub. “You know how to clean it. You call your friends tomorrow. I don’t approve of them messing with the spirit world, but they need to be cleansed too. I’ll do the same for them.”

“I will.” She wrapped the towel around her body. “I don’t know how many of them will come, though, but there were nine of us there.”

Her grandmother moved toward the house, stopping at the foot of the stairs. “I’ll make up more powder. Tell them it’s important they come as soon as possible.”

“I will.” She watched as the woman who had given her mother life climbed the stairs. “Grandmother?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you.”

There was a slight nod in return, then she disappeared into the house. Pebbles turned to her apartment. The night was fading to morning, and if she was lucky she could get a few hours sleep before she had to help her grandmother teach classes on how to make mojo bags and which candles to use for what purpose.

Once inside her sparsely decorated home she threw off the towel and fell into her bed. As soon as she hit the mattress, though, she jumped back up and went to her bureau, grabbing a nightgown that covered her from head to toe. If the demon managed to somehow get past the salt she didn’t want to make things too easy for him.