Page 42 of The Magic We Made

“Haley blames climate change onMother Nature?”

I know I shouldn’t laugh but I can’t help it. It takes a lot to surprise me. I’m pretty sure I’ve heard it all.

But this is a new one.

Ash doesn’t laugh. He looks dead serious as he says, “Haley blames Gaia, the ancient Greek primordial deity and ancestral mother of all life on earth, for everything that’s wrong with the world. War, famine, drought, hurricanes, floods... all Gaia’s fault.”

“But what about us?” I ask, still laughing a little. “Don’t we humans get any of the blame? I’m pretty sure Mother Nature hasn’t started any wars. That responsibility falls solely on us.”

“Oh, Haley’s got plenty of blame for humanity, too. She’s a big believer in punishing anyone who doesn’t agree with her beliefs.”

“Punish? Punish how?”

He gives me a piercing look... surprisingly piercing, given that his eyes are such a warm dark brown. “Death.”

“Death likemurder?”

He nods. “That’s what Meg meant earlier when she said she doesn’t want her family to die. Haley threatens the loved ones of any of her followers who she feels are going astray or not contributing as fully to the cause as she thinks they should be.”

“Contributing in what way?”

“Financially. Interestingly, for all her ranting against consumerism, Haley’s got almost a half million dollars in her own name in an offshore account in the Cayman Islands. How does an unemployed, recent college graduate get that much money?”

“My sister says all of these missing girls are witch influencers.”

“That’s true. But do you know how much money Emma Bridle has in her bank accounts? Zero. Her parents say it appears to all have been transferred to Haley’s account in the Caymans.”

“That doesn’t sound like a coven,” I say, beginning to see why he isn’t laughing. “It sounds more like a cult.”

And I should know, given how many covens have shown up in West Harbor lately. At first I was puzzled by the sight of all these women, standing in the dark in the front yards of their vacation rentals, holding candles, gazing up at the moon, and chanting softly. But later I realized that they were simply having a good time while enjoying a spiritual journey in the company of friends.

“A coven is a group of like-minded individuals who share a common interest,” I explain. “It’s generally leaderless, only requiring its members to be nurturing and supportive of one another. Both covens and cults attract the same kind of people, usually highly intelligent and idealistic, desirous of spiritual meaning in their lives. But a cult uses fear tactics to control, isolate, and exploit them. It’s generally led by a godlike leader who...” I stare at him as an unwelcome thought occurs to me. “How does Haley suggest they deal with Mother Nature?”

“According to a video she posted a few months ago, the only way to stop Gaia is to summon Hecate.”

I raise my eyebrows. “Who?”

“Hecate is Gaia’s granddaughter—or great-granddaughter, depending on which myth you believe. She’s a titan with powers over the earth, sea, and sky,” he replies. “Not to mention magic and the Underworld.”

“And Hecate is supposed to use those powers to do... what?”

“Well, according to Haley, she’s going to destroy Gaia and take control over the planet herself.”

I can’t help it. I start laughing all over again. “Okay. Well, I don’t think we have to worry too much aboutthathappening.”

He doesn’t smile in response. “You don’t understand. Haley is taggingherselfas Hecate.”

“I saw that. What does it mean?”

“Well, I’m not a therapist like you, so I don’t know for sure. But I think it means that Haley believes she’s the living personification of Hecate, goddess of the Occult,” he says. “And that that gives her the ability—and the right—to kill whoever gets in the way of her goals.”

Frankie

“Kill?” I lower the coffee mug onto the kitchen counter with a thump. “You’re telling me there’s a cult based around the belief that an ancient witch is going to save the world from another ancient witch—?”

“Goddess,” he corrects me. “Technically, Gaia is a goddess.”

“Whatever. I’m not judging anyone’s beliefs. But—”