YOU'RE ALL MINE - ch 29

YOU’RE ALL MINE - ch 29

(the magic of Midnight)

^ ^

The Diehl family sat around the table, talked and laughed while across town, in a small wooden shack, Tim lit his black candles, picked up his scrying mirror.

Mia’s body jerked and she sat as though she were a wooden statue. She spoke quickly and abruptly, “Aintin, I need you outside. NOW!”

Brian asked worriedly, “Mia, what is it? What’s wrong?”

As Finola stood to follow Mia, the young girl said, “It’s Tim. He’s using black magic to spy on us. Dad, can you call the O’Malley’s and warn them. Tim’s up to no good. I can feel it. It felt like a sharp knife trying to slice open my back. Aintin, hurry.”

Finola demanded, “Morena, get me the large bucket of salt. I put it in your laundry room. Hurry.”

Morena looked a bit puzzled. Salt? In the laundry room? When did she do that? Rather than ask, she hurriedly walked to the small room and found the large bucket. Carrying it outside, she, then asked, “Finola, how will this help?”

While she pried off the lid, Mia ran to retrieve two small shovels from her green house and handed one to her great aunt.

“Morena, salt is a purifier. It wards off all evils.”

As they sprinkled the salt around the perimeter of the house, Morena heard them chant:

“Dear Goddess of all, our protector and light. Keep all of us safe from the darkness of night. Protect this house, bless it all. Bless the windows and door, and ceiling, and wall. Place us in a wing of protection only we can see. So, I desire it. So, mote it be.”

Morena watched as a glowing mist of light descended on the house. and yet, there was no rain, no dampness.

“Mom, Aintin and I need to do the same to her home and Uncle Ian’s, then hopefully, we’ll get to the O’Malley’s in time to do theirs.”

Morena nodded and said, “I understand. Hurry and be safe. I’ll keep supper warm for your return.”

Then she looked at her husband’s aunt, “Finola, please be careful and take care of our girl.”

“Trust me, mo stor, I will not allow anything to happen to her.” Although Morena smiled in appreciation, she still worried.

Midnight jumped on Mia’s shoulders and asked, “Mia, mo ghra (my love). Are you using the ley lines?”

“Yes, Midnight. Bury yourself inside my jacket and hold on. This will be a very fast ride.”

As Mia and Finola jumped on the first line, she heard Midnight mumble, “Fast? This wasn’t fast! This was a rocket launch! Oh please, stomach, don’t fly out of my mouth. Or worse, the other end!”

“Aintin? This isn’t the ley line to your house. It’s to Uncle Ian’s. We’re going there first?”

“Mo ghra (my love). His house is closer than mine. We’ll go by distance rather than back-track. Feel it. Mia. Feel his danger. He doesn’t know how strong your power is so he’s taking his time. Good thing for us. Gives us time to get all this done. Ah, here we are. Let’s get busy.”

She pried the lid off the bucket and said, “Aintin, I think we’re going to need more salt. I’m not sure we’ll have enough to even finish your house and then we still need to salt the O’Malley’s.”

“Mia, sweetness, we’ll be fine. Trust your old Aintin.”

They finished Ian’s house and headed for Finola’s small cottage. When Mia, once again removed the lid, she almost laughed aloud but said, “Aintin, I should have known! The salt we used was, wow, magically replaced! Oh, Aintin, I do wish I were more like you.”

Finola gently stroked Mia’s hair and said, “Oh mo ghra, but you are. You just don’t know it yet. Let’s finish this and get to the …. Oh my, I just remembered. After we do Francis’ house, we’ll need to do his dad’s pharmacy. Let’s hurry. I feel young Dwyer is now hurrying but also, being a bit more careless.”

They arrived at the O’Malley’s within minutes and Midnight asked, “Mia, is it alright if I sit out here and find my stomach? I know I lost it somewhere with this last ride.”

Mia shook her head and laughed. “Midnight, I thought you’d be used to traveling the lines by now. And yes, you can sit out here. We won’t be inside long.”

Midnight mumbled, “I’m used to the ley lines but not at light-speed.” She walked to a tree near the front door and plopped on the ground.

Walter and Evie and their son, Francis O’Malley opened the door before they had a chance to knock. Evie looked frightened but said, “Please do what you need to do and then come inside. You’ve made me more than curious and worry doesn’t come close to saying how I feel.”

Mia agreed but with a condition. “Mrs. O’Malley, I would love to do just that but before we do, we’ll need to salt the pharmacy. It should take us not more than half an hour.”

“Alright, then, I’ll leave you to what you need to do, and we’ll speak later.”

Francis walked out the door and said, “Mrs. Diehl, Mia, I’m coming with you.”

^ ^

After they salted all the buildings, Mia finally asked, “Aintin, why could I feel him? Why did I sense the danger? Considering that he’s into black magic, shouldn’t he have blocked me? He’s done that before.

“Mo bhinneas (my sweetness), revenge is a powerful emotion, and he was so riveted on what he was planning, and without him realizing it, it overtook him and weakened his power to block. You knew he was planning something. You felt it. You were more powerful to feel that but not powerful enough to see what he had in mind. We’ll work on that power of yours this week. I’ve a bad feeling you’re going to need it. Now, before we head home to that delicious stew your mother is keeping warm, let’s get back to the O’Malley’s and put their fears to rest.”