Free Almost to Die For by Tate Hallaway

furiously at the air, as though trying to chase off a hoard of bad energy. Very self-conscious that it was my bad attitude he was battling, I tried to help by clearing my mind and centering. Closing my eyes, I drew on my inner stillness until, finally, he continued around the circle. I noticed he stopped and worked furiously at each direction, though not nearly with such animation as he had by me.
    All too soon he returned to his place and it was time to begin.
    I took a steadying breath, and my eyes scanned the coven and the woods beyond. In the oak trees that lined the circle, I thought I saw movement. Yes, definitely. I saw it again, a flash, almost as if there was someone waving at me, trying to get my attention. I squinted until I was almost certain that someone squatted in the branches of the trees, watching the proceedings with penetrating, unearthly eyes. In fact, there seemed to be a number of someones lurking just outside the circle. I thought I could hear their panting breath, like wolves just beyond the fold.
    Others seemed to sense it too. Nikolai suddenly twisted his neck to look over his shoulder, up into the branches. Someone in the circle stifled a gasp. Diane raised her hands as though to remind everyone to focus on the Initiation. “The circle is not yet cast,” she said with a note of urgency in her voice. Until the circle was complete, we weren’t safe from outside magical attack. I thought Diane must sense the others’ presence too. With a look to me, she said, “Let us begin.”
    I shook out a match from the box. I struck the head, and the flame flared for a second, then blew out. I tried again. The next one went out a moment after it lit as well.
    A dark chuckle echoed through the treetops.
    Whatever was out there was mocking me. I tried again, and the light disappeared in a puff. My hands shook so hard, the matches spilled out of the box into the low grass, wet with dew. Now they’d never start!
    I should probably just say the words and forget trying to get the candle going, but I knelt down and felt around until I found one. Everyone was watching me, even whatever hovered just outside the light of the circle in the trees.
    “Welcome, east,” I croaked, my voice cracking with tension.
    Just then, as though by my command, all the candles went out with a whoosh. The circle was plunged into darkness.

Seven
    I n the sudden darkness, someone let out a bloodcurdling scream. I flinched. The coven’s coherence began to disintegrate as people tried to figure out what was happening. No one left the circle, though. Instead, as if by silent cue, everyone turned to face the woods and locked hands. Diane started up the circle song: “We are a circle, within a circle, with no beginning and never ending.”
    The coven picked up the words; the song grew louder, more confident.
    Something in the woods hooted sarcastically.
    I didn’t know what to do. I looked to Diane, but the high priestess was busily concentrating on keeping everyone focused on holding off the outside threat, whatever it was. Bea caught my eye and, with an uplifted chin, urged me to try calling the element again.
    My fingers fumbled for a match.
    “Forget that,” Nikolai said, shouting to be heard over the singing. “Let the moon be our light. Just say the words. Draw the wind. Kick a little magical ass.”
    Diane nodded encouragingly.
    Straightening, I stood and faced the east. It was almost impossible to find my calm center when I could see the others, the shadowy things, pacing through the woods and hiding among the branches of the thick trees. Their shape seemed human, but not much else about them did. Tall and powerful figures, they snarled and snapped like animals. Who were they? Some kind of weird gang? Or were they the enemy that Mom spoke of, the ones from the “other side” that the coven was at war with?
    “Come on,” whined Shannon nervously. “We need to have a circle. Now.”
    I let the familiarity of the repetitive