Devil Dead by Linda Ladd Page A

she’d never seen before.
    When she lifted her gaze to the ceiling, she saw some more that were drawn up there, too, and made with a magic paint that glowed white and yellow and crimson, high above in the dusky rafters. It was real pretty to look at. And there was a sweet scent in the air, not just candle smoke, but also an aroma floating off her mommy’s incense sticks that were stuck down in their big copper planter that used to be on the front porch. It smelled sort of strange, but sort of good, too.
    â€œYou’re not supposed to come inside the Sanctuary, baby girl.”
    Startled, the little girl jerked her head toward her mother. Mommy was still sitting in the same position, eyes still closed, as if she could see the little girl without even looking. Like magic. But she’d always thought her mommy knew magic tricks. “I’m sorry, Mommy. Spirit woke me up. He was thirsty, and then he ran out here, and I heard your voice and got all scared. I thought maybe some swamp monster had got you and was hurting you and you were moaning and you needed us to help you slay them, like in my bedtime stories.”
    Her mommy laughed a little bit at that, and the child felt better about coming into the Sanctuary. “Do not worry, little one. You come over here to me. Maybe the time has come for you to learn how to pray to our blessed deities. Maybe you are old enough now to understand the truth about this world of ours.”
    The child stepped carefully through all the candles on the floor, taking care that her long nightgown didn’t brush up against the flames. She avoided the glow-in-the-dark drawings, too, the ones that were so bright and lit up all around on the dirt floor. When she reached the bathtub, she realized that her mommy was naked, not wearing a stitch of clothing, but her eyes were open and she was smiling and seemed happy to see her little girl in her secret Sanctuary. Whew, that was good. She didn’t like it when her mommy lost her temper. Her mommy got real scary when she got mad. So the little girl breathed a lot easier about coming outside the house in the dark. She did not like to upset her mommy and make her cry, either. Her mommy cried a lot, some days all day long, and she did not like to see Mommy get so upset. Sometimes Mommy didn’t act like Mommy at all. The little girl didn’t like her when she acted like the crazy one.
    â€œWhat kind of water is that, Mommy? It’s all white.”
    Her mommy kept up the smiling. “It’s just milk, sweetie. I am praying and purifying myself before I begin the sacred ritual for May Eve.”
    â€œMilk? You mean, like I drink with my peanut butter and strawberry jelly sandwiches?”
    â€œYes, sweetie, that’s exactly what it is.”
    â€œOkay.”
    â€œWould you like to cleanse yourself and pray to our god and goddess, too?”
    The child nodded, thinking it would be fun to hum in that deep voice and look at all the fluttering candles and bright paintings lit up on the ceiling and the walls and the floor.
    â€œThen come, let me help you get into the tub with me.”
    Her mommy reached out and lifted her into the bathtub, not even removing her Cinderella nightgown. Shocked first at how cold the milk felt against her warm skin, the little girl shivered all over, but she sat down, right in front of her mother. The milk was very deep and rose up to just beneath her chin. Mommy was humming again and seemed very happy that the little girl had broken the rules and come outside and found her. Spirit was lying on the floor beside the tub, very still now, just watching them, his dark eyes glittering in the glow of all the pretty candles.
    â€œWhere’s your god and goddess, Mommy? I don’t see them anywhere.”
    â€œThey are all around us, my love. All around in the air and the woods and the water and the fire and the sky.”
    That surprised the child. “Really? I’ve never seen