Sacrifice in Blood

Chapter 5: Initiation

As I stared at my reflection in the mirror I couldn't ignore the butterflies in my stomach and something else. A feeling of unease, I had a bad feeling about tonight. Which was ridiculous, right?

**

It was a warm December night. The coven had set up in a clearing in the forest and decorated the scenery. There were lanterns hanging from the trees and candles everywhere. Everybody was dressed in beautiful dresses and suits. It looked well, magical.

I still felt uneasy and started to feel slightly sick when we arrived at the spot in the forest. Get a grip Leina! I thought, annoyed at myself, I had waited for so long for this night and I wouldn't let my paranoid mind ruin it.

"Wow, Leina you look..." Tyler started as he greeted me, his brown eyes wide.

"Hot? Sexy? Beautiful?" Ava chimed in, I blushed and knocked her with my hip playfully.

"Yeah..." Tyler responded, continuing to stare. "Um." Tyler cleared his throat then, smiling. "A gift from the coven, Bridget sent me over to give this to you." Tyler came around and fastened a delicate silver necklace on me. I looked down, it was a pentacle, to show I was a part of the coven.

Tonight our circle would be complete- I looked around at the group of witches that I hoped I could soon call family: we were a mixed bunch, of different ages and professions- brought together through the craft.

Each member of our coven had a pentacle and each one was unique to the person who wore it. I turned around to face Tyler, his hung out of his shirt. His was decorated with emeralds and the pentacle symbol was formed by tree branches and leaves, symbolising his affinity for earth.

Each member had an affinity with something and their pentacles were made accordingly. Ava's, with her affinity for charms, was decorated with the many symbols associated with charm making, Stephen, with his affinity for runes' pentacle had an intricate design of runes on it, Kayleigh's was decorated around her gift for healing and so on. Bridget made everyone a pentacle unique to them on the night of their initiation. Being as clairvoyant as she was, she always had a clue what our gifts would be.

I looked down at my pentacle, it was made up of an intricate design of swirls and had five gemstones at each of the five points of the pentacle: a ruby, yellow topaz, emerald, sapphire and an amethyst. It was beautiful. I wasn't sure what exactly it meant but I was sure it would make sense later.

"Thank you." I whispered as I hugged Tyler, a warm feeling filling me and dissolving my apprehension. Tyler wrapped his arms around me and squeezed. I liked the feeling of being in his arms. I felt safe.

I made eye contact with Bridget across the clearing and mouthed Thank you to her, she smiled at me in return.

Tyler cleared his throat again as I pulled back from the hug and grinned, "You ready?" He asked.

"Ready!" I replied, excitement and adrenaline coursing through my veins.

You can do this, I repeated to myself like a mantra.

Bridget called for us to form the circle. After officially opening the sacred circle and calling the elements and the God and Goddess, Bridget spoke;

"Tonight we come before you, Great Blessed Lady and Great Horned One, for one of your children wishes to pledge herself forevermore as one of your own and a full member of our circle." She motioned for me to step into the centre of the circle. "Who challenges her?" Bridget called in her strong ethereal voice.

"I do" Tyler answered.

Breathe Leina, you can do this! I reminded myself as I turned to face where Tyler had stepped forward into the centre. He wore black suit pants, a grey dress shirt which hugged his figure, showing off his toned body and a black tie. He looked damn good. He brushed his brown hair out of his face, sending me a quick smile before he took the Athame from Bridget, a blade used by witches in their sacred circle and faced me, placing the tip of the blade at my neck and said;