Chapters 16-22

By Nikki

15 Killburn Abbey

Morgan is unhappy about her parents reaction to her books. She goes with Mary K on a field trip to a local Abbey and is surprised that she feels really connected to the herbs and to the place. She enjoys the visit quite a bit.The trip only reinforces Morgan’s desire to be a witch.

16 Blood Witch

Morgan makes an after school trip to Practical Magick with Robbie and buys what will be her Book of Shadows. They then go to Bree’s house where she tells them about a book she has been reading. The book outlines the 7 great clans of Wicca and describes that Woodbanes are seen as evil and Rowanwands are considered good. While the other five sort of lie in the middle, between good and evil. The clans have been battling for thousands of years, each fighting in the way they know how. Cal tells them all that about three hundred years prior, around the time of the Salem Witch trials, all of the clans were pretty much decimated and it’s unclear why. But it’s possible the Trials played a part in it. The decimation was followed by a dark period for blood witches. Much of the ancient knowledge and ways were lost during this time. Cal then tells them that only about a hundred years ago, a group of witches decided to try to start a Wiccan Renaissance. In this rebirth, there would be no individual clans, just unity, all witches together as one group. Morgan remembers the clerk at the book store asking her something about a Blood Witch and she asks Cal. He tells her that a Blood Witch is someone that has one of the 7 clans in their bloodline and also have more power than someone that only practices Wicca. Cal then tells the coven that he is a Blood Witch and his mother is quite knowledgeable about Wicca. Although he doesn’t know what clan he hails from, but he suspects it could be Woodbane. Morgan has to leave and just can’t get Blood Witch out of her mind.

17 Trapped

The next day at school Morgan tells the group about the herb garden and they discuss that they are starting to see Wicca’s influences in lots of things. Morgan isn’t sure if she can go to the Circle the next night, but she really wants to. Plus, Cal has a gift for her. Morgan takes the opportunity to go to the Circle when her parents head to a show in a nearby town. She quickly gets ready and heads to Jenna’s house. Morgan is crushed when her Mother’s co-worker calls and needs to stop by and grab some things. She has to stick around the house for an hour waiting for the lady to arrive and get what she needs. She has unfortunately missed the Circle, but decides she will stop by Practical Magick the next day and get some things to practice on her own.

18 Consequences

Morgan gets the ingredients she will need and decides to make a “Clarifying the skin” potion. She has to know if she is as sensitive to Magick as Cal says. She says the words for the potion and the hairs stand up on her arms, followed by a loud thunder boom. The next day she gives the mix to Robbie and tells him its a face wash her Mom likes. Bree tells Morgan that she is having a hard time getting closer to Cal, but she is determined. Morgan apologizes to Cal for missing the Circle and he dismisses it. Robbie walks up then and already his skin has cleared quite a bit. Everyone is shocked. By Friday, his skin looks amazing and he decides to tell Bree and Cal. They go to Morgan’s house to ask her about it. Morgan explains that she didn’t have much faith that it would even work. It had just been a beginner’s spell. Robbie and Bree both seem angry and hurt. Robbie feels betrayed that she did magick on him without asking or telling him. She apologizes and he accepts, but only if she will be upfront from now on. Halloween is drawing close now.

19 A Dream

Aunt Eileen shows up for dinner and Morgan asks her about realizing she was gay. Morgan feels like she can sympathize with her Aunt, she is something her parents disapprove of too. She knows that becoming a witch will make her happier, but not necessarily her family. Morgan has a bad dream that night. Morgan is flying, circling Widow’s Vale like a hawk and recognizes Bree’s voice calling her. She follows the voice to a bog, where Bree is stuck. She begins pulling her out and feels the Magick working in her. She finally gets Bree out and flies off into the night. She then finds herself in a dark room where a woman is cradling Morgan as a baby and she can feel that the woman loves her and she feels the same. She then wakes up. Morgan feels a bit like she has the flu and Mary K becomes concerned for her. They discuss Wicca a bit and Mary K clearly doesn’t approve. She explains to her sister that the more she learns, the more she is drawn to Wicca. Her mother reminds her that evening that they have dinner at Aunt Margaret’s house. Morgan gets out of going by telling her mother she desperately needs to help Bree with homework.

20 Broken

Bree and Morgan head to Matt’s house and have an argument in the car on the way. Bree accuses Morgan of going after Cal and thinking she is better than the rest of them. Morgan is shocked and hurt. Morgan explains that she feels she is awakening. Bree tells Morgan that she doesn’t want her to practice Wicca with her anymore, she just wants to do it alone. Morgan is angry and accuses Bree of choosing Cal over her friendship. Bree tells Morgan that she loves Cal and turns around to drive Morgan home. Morgan decides she will just get out of the car and walk and Bree tells her she will “get over it”. Morgan seriously doubts it and can’t think of a time the two of them have ever fought like this before. She is afraid they may never be friends again. She also realizes that Bree will definitely get Cal now and that’s makes her sad because she will have to turn her back on Wicca.

JOIN US IN THE FORUM TO DISCUSS THESE CHAPTERS AND TO READ THE REST OF THE SUMMARIES

Questions:

How did you feel when Bree freaked on Morgan?

Did you suspect Morgan was indeed a Blood Witch? What tipped you off?

How would you react to a friend making a spell that worked on you, without you knowing it?

What do you think is Morgan’s parents problem with Wicca? Why did they have such a strong reaction?

CHAPTERS 12- 15 By Caro

Chapter 12 – What Goes Around

When Morgan got home from church she found Bree already waiting for her. Bree was made and confronted Morgan about what she had seen last night between Cal and her. Bree questioned her about their friendship. That she really had feeling for Cal and even loved him. Morgan had already made up her mind about Bree and Cal, and was not going to interfere. Morgan made Bree understand that nothing was going on between her and Cal, that she cared for her and that she should know better after how well they knew each other.

Morgan confessed that Cal had left his coven when he moved and hoped that some of them would help him make a new one. She also told her that he thought that she could be a good witch. Bree still didn’t understand why Morgan hadn’t joined them in the pool by her own will. Morgan was embarrassed by Bree’s 36C and all the other girls’ better bodies that she thought of leaving but Cal stopped her. At the end everything was solved and Mary K. joined them after over hearing of the events of last night.

Chapter 13 – Stirring

Morgan skipped chess club and went to Practical Magick to look for more book about Wicca. There she met with Paula, her aunt Eileen’s new girlfriend. What Morgan thought to be a private afternoon adventure turned out to be something else. On her way to the counter she came across Mrs. Petrie, a woman from her church, who was there to supply herbs to the owners of the store. When she was paying for her books, the clerk told her that she had the mark of the Goddess and that if she knew her Clan. Morgan denied everything and left as quickly as she could.

Back at home Morgan thought over what the clerk had said and about the Seven Clans. There was no way she could belong to one, for all she knew the Clans had been disbanded and hardly existed anymore. All of a sudden the feeling of a storm coming invaded her body and when she noticed her parents were standing in the entrance of the kitchen looking at her. Morgan’s mom asked her about the Wicca books telling her about her dislike about her reading witchcraft. The tension grew so much that she yelled at Morgan that she did not want those books in her house and sent her to her room.

Chapter 14 – Deeper

Morgan talked to Bree and the others about how her mother had reacted. Bree told her that if she wanted the books could be kept at her house. Her father could hardly care less. Cal sympathized to how Morgan felt and that made her feelings for him grow even more.

Morgan kept the books at Bree’s house and in the afternoons visited her to finish reading them. Morgan thought that her mom was acting just like the clerk, she seemed to be relived but yet it looked like she expected for horns to sprout from her head or something. Cal called her to invite her to another circle promising that no one would get naked this time or carry her into the water. Morgan wanted so bad to go and be with him, but she couldn’t. She said no, hanged up, and cried.

Chapter 15 – Killburn Abbey

Morgan thought that other kids her age did worse thing than bring home some books, like get pregnant or do drugs. And now she was stoked in a bus with her family and people from church on their way to Killburn Abbey. When they got there Mary K. thought that that it looked like a jail which Morgan could not agree more. But for some reason once she was inside all of Morgan’s anger faded and was replaced by a wave of calmness. The Abbey was lifeless. Gray and lonely, but yet peaceful. Morgan imagined all the things the nuns did there in their time. It was more of a sanctuary.

She felt impressed about all the herbs the nuns had and were waiting for the spring. While she was looking at them her mom got closer and asked her if she found it interesting. Morgan commented her new idea to ask her father for a small space in the yard to grow some of their own. Her mom agreed on talking with her father about.

Her visit to the Abbey made up her mind. She wanted to be a witch.

Questions:

1. What do you think the clerk meant by “you have the mark of the Goddess”?

2. Do you think there is more than just the religious reasons Morgan’s mom is letting know? Could it be something related to what the clerk said? Morgan did mention that her mom had never acted like that.

3. Do you think that Morgan and Cal’s relationship take a different course?

4. Do you think that now that Morgan has made her decision she’ll start studying the Wicca no matter what her parents say? Or will she keep it in secret?

Join us in the forum to discuss these chapters!

CHAPTERS 9-11 – By Caro

Chapter 9 – Thirsty

Morgan woke up early after having vivid dreams about Cal and Bree. She was definitely not okay with the idea of them going out together, but Bree’s friendship was more important.

Later in school Cal invited Morgan to his house on Saturday night. Some friends would be coming over and he wanted to do a circle. Morgan wasn’t so sure, but at the end agreed. She told him she had read about Wicca and Cal told her about his idea to form a new coven, that his mom was the high priestess of the Starlocket coven and that she was pretty famous among Wiccans and that if Morgan studied she could be a witch, too.

Chapter 10 – Fire

Mary K. helped Morgan choose something to wear for Cal’s party since she was in a serious crisis of “I have nothing to wear”. When she was finally ready, Bree was already waiting for her downstairs to leave.

When they got to Cal’s house, Selene, his mother greeted them and told them how happy she was that Cal had made new friends. Cal´s room was the whole attic and everyone was already there. When everything was ready cal drew a circle, just like the one in the woods, into which he called the four elements to do a purifying and focusing ritual. While everyone chanted and concentrated on the circle Morgan felt the energy flow all over her body and then she could see every aura in the room.

When everything had ended, Morgan had channeled so much energy that she thought that she would be sick, but Cal helped her relax.

Chapter 11 – Water

Cal indicated the group to the patio where the pool was. Morgan felt awkward since she had not planned to bring a bathing suit and her fears grew even bigger when she saw that everyone else was already getting naked and jumping in to the pool.

All the other girls where perfect to Morgan’s eyes which made her feel so plain. How could she even think of taking off her clothes? Morgan was about to leave when Cal saw her. Told her that it would be fine and that she didn’t have to fear that this would turn into an orgy, but Morgan was too embarrassed and tried to leave.

Cal caught her off guard and picked her up in his arms. Morgan felt how he carried her down the pool steps without protesting. The water was the exact temperature as her blood. Being with him made everything feel magical.

Questions:

1. What do you think of Morgan’s decision not to let Bree know how she feels about Cal?

2. Why do you Morgan can see the auras of others?

3. What do you think the color of everyones’ aura means? (black, silver, green, red, orange, brown, pink.)

4. Do you think that Morgan has what it takes to be a witch?

5. Why do you think Cal wanted Morgan so desperately to be in the water?

Join us in the forum to discuss these chapters!

CHAPTERS 4- 8 By Dawn

Chapter 4 Banishing

Cal begins the circle by purifying it with salt and then they all link hands. Cal and Morgan end up holding hands. Cal teaches them a chant and they go around the circle saying what each of them would banish. Raven would banish small minds, Jenna – hatred, Matt – jealousy, Robbie – anger, Todd- school, Alessandra – plaid golf pants, Suzanne – fat free hot dogs, Sharon – stupidity, Ethan – his stepmother, Beth – powerlessness. And finally, Morgan banishes limitations. Suddenly, Morgan feels a pain in her chest. Cal whispers that he banishes loneliness.

Chapter 5 Headachy

On Sunday morning, Morgan’s mom wakes her up for church. Her parents are very Catholic and even though Morgan doesn’t feel well, she goes with them.

Chapter 6 Practical Magic

Later on Sunday, Bree wants Morgan to go to an occult bookstore with her. They’re looking for a book on Wiccan history.

The store clerk suggests they purchase their items for Samhain. Bree asks why magick is spelled with a K and he tells them it’s to distinguish it from illusionary magic. The clerk looks closely at Morgan and says “Who are you?” He then suggests she read a book The Seven Great Clans: Origins of Witchcraft Examined.

Chapter 7 Metamorphosis

Aunt Eileen and her girlfriend come over for dinner. Morgan is in her room trying to figure out why so much of the Wiccan information seems familiar to her.

The next day at school, Raven mentions their next circle to Cal. Cal proceeds to tell them that Suzanne, Todd and Alessandra are not invited because they didn’t do it right.

Chapter 8 Cal and Bree

Morgan goes over to Bree’s house and Morgan wonders out loud if the circle was dangerous. Bree thinks she’s over reacting. They discuss a Book of Shadows that every witch should have.

Bree announces that she broke up with Chris and her next target is Cal. Morgan is shocked and upset because she has feelings for Cal too.

Questions:
1. What did you think of what Morgan and Cal banished?
2. Why do you think Morgan got dizzy and then had a pain in her chest?
3. What did you think of the way the clerk reacted to Morgan? What do you think this might foreshadow for Morgan?
4. Why do you think Cal cut out some of the people from the circle?
5. Why do you think Morgan thought the circle might be dangerous?

Join us in the forum to discuss these chapters!

It’s a new month, so here at OBS, that means it’s a new book club! We hope you’ll enjoy Cate Tiernan’s Book of Shadows book club!

CHAPTERS 1-3 By Dawn

Chapter 1 Cal Blaire.

Each chapter begins with a quote or an excerpt from a letter from the 1600’s-1800’s.

The story is told from Morgan Rowland’s point of view. Morgan’s best friend is Bree and they are beginning their Junior year of high school at Widows Veil High. Bree is beautiful and knows it, while Morgan considers herself just plain.

Mary K, Morgan’s younger sister, has finally made it to high school too.

Bree’s boyfriend, Chris, drags her off but Morgan doesn’t like their clique. Bree turns to leave and Morgan sees her gaping at something or someone….Cal Blaire, the new kid. Morgan thinks he’s gorgeous. Cal is a senior and Morgan realizes she may share classes with him because she takes senior math and science.

Times goes by…Morgan and Cal speak occasionally in class. Cal tries to get to know Morgan, but it’s difficult for her to respond to him. She’s not quite sure why he has that affect on her.

Chapter 2 I Wish

Bree, Robbie, Tamara and Morgan are discussing Cal at Morgan’s house while she cooks dinner. As Morgan’s parents come in, you see what seems like a happy, close family.

At school, Tamara and Morgan grill Janice about dating Cal. He’s dated a few girls already and they have dubbed him a player. Cal wanders over and invites them to a party at his house.

Chapter 3 The Circle

Morgan’s car lovingly called Das Boot (German for boat) is a white ‘71 Chrysler Valiant . Morgan picks Bree up and they head to Cal’s party. They see everyone gathered in the woods around a fire.

Cal explains that the party is to celebrate Mabon, a Wiccan sabbat, the autumn equinox. He explains Wicca to everyone. He suggests they make a circle as the others seem uncomfortable. In the circle, they hold hands and give thanks for the harvest. Most of the party-goers leave but Raven, Morgan and Bree stay for the circle as well as Jenna and Matt, Beth, Alessandra, Todd, and Suzanne. Sharon, Ethan, and Robbie also stick around.

Characters Mentioned:
Morgan Rowlands
Bree Warren
Raven Meltzer
Ethan Sharpe
Chip Newton
Mary K Rowlands
Robbie Gurevitch
Chris Holly
Cal Blaire
Sharon Goodfine
Tamara Pritchett
Alessandra
Dr. Gonzalez
Justin Bartlett
Mr. Rowlands
Mrs. Rowlands
Janice Yutoh
Suzanne Herbert
Beth Nielson
Ben Reggio
Jenna
Matt
Todd Ellsworth
Mrs. Lavender
Father Hotchkiss
Deacon Benes
Joey Markovich
Aunt Eileen
Paula Steen
Betty Fiorello
Mr. Warren

Questions:
1. What do you think of Morgan?
2. What is your impression of Morgan’s friends and family?
3. Why do you think Cal invited them to his party?
4. What did you think of Cal’s announcement that he practices Wicca?

Join us in the forum to discuss!

Chapters 35-37 – Dawn

Chapter 35

Ever races home to show Riley her Valentine’s lollipop. Riley is there waiting on the couch. Ever begins to question her about why she’s not with their parents and Buttercup. Ever lets Riley know that she should be with them and stop coming to her. Riley and Ever have an intense discussion about their parents. It ends with Ever telling Riley to stop coming to her, as they both cry about it. But it ends in them laughing together.

Chapter 36

Once Riley is gone, Ever has a good cry. Next, Ever looks up the meaning of certain flowers and realized that Damen has been testing her all along. He has been trying to see what her feelings are and if she will accept or reject her new life.

Ever has an epiphany, she has always loved Damen, from the very beginning.

Chapter 37

Ever heads downstairs to get some ice cream and Drina is there. Drina proceeds to mock and make fun of Ever. Drina taunts Ever about causing the accident that killed her family. Drina and Ever fight and Ever is beyond angry at Drina for killing her family. As Drina tries to kill Ever, Ever reaches inside herself to find the love and laughter. Once Ever regains her power, she throws Drina across the room. Drina laughs, but comes right back at her. Ever again throws her and she goes through the French door, breaking the glass. Just when Ever thinks she may have the upper hand, Drina causes pain in Ever’s head. But Ever will not give up, not after knowing Drina is responsible for the accident. Ever swings her fist toward Drina and is shocked when she hits her in the chest. Ever closes her eyes, thinking this is the end, but when she opens her eyes Drina is struggling with her hands on her chest.

Drina cries out to Damen, who tells her it’s time for her to go. Drina shrivels up and dies. Ever is confused but Damen explains that she hit Drina in one of her chakras.

Ever finally tells Damen she loves him and he promises to teach her all he knows.

Questions:

1. Were you surprised that Ever decided to be unselfish and let go of Riley?

2. Did you think Ever would admit she has always loved Damen?

3. What did you think when you found out Drina killed Ever’s parents?

4. Did you think Drina would just kill Ever? How do you think Ever won that fight?

5. What kinds of obstacles do you think will be in Ever and Damen’s future?

Join us in the FORUM to discuss these chapters!

This ends our The Immortals: Evermore Book Club. We hope you enjoyed it!