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A Prophecy of Shadows

Chapter 14

After Jessie’s revelations and Sam’s findings, they all agree to meet the next day at Jessie’s house and see if Casey felt they had found what needed to be found. Teal’c wouldn’t be joining them, however. He was off-world at the moment, meeting up with Jacob and Bra’tac. Something about a Tok’ra spy on Neowe, who had been sending very useful information back regarding Goa’uld movements, System Lords, and plans of a possible attack. They were in the process of coordinating positions and strategies to eliminate casualties, but not give away the fact they had a spy on the inside. Sam was the first to arrive, and they spent a few minutes discussing their findings before the doorbell rang. Going to the front door, Jessie found Cam, Daniel and Jack waiting on the porch.

"Hey, come on in." As Daniel stepped inside she asked, "Where’s Casey?"

"She was running a couple of errands. She’ll head this way as soon as she’s finished."

Sam and Jessie gave them a run down of the things they had found. Cam had filled the guys in regarding the earlier findings at Callie’s house.

Jack shook his head. "It sounds like she's a couple of tacos short of a combo platter". 

Cam agreed. "That’s putting it mildly."

Daniel set down the Starbucks he had in his hand. "Cam was saying there’s a book of Callie’s you thought was odd?"

"Yeah. Go ahead and sit down; I’ll bring them to you." Jessie went back in the bedroom and with Sam’s help brought out all of Callie’s books, setting them down on the coffee table. "These here are her personal journals. They span a time frame from when she was about eight years old, until the present." Jessie pulled a book from the bottom of the stack. "This one here is the one I can’t figure out." Reaching out, she handed it to Daniel.

Daniel examined the cover. "The Book of Shadows." Turning the book around, he examined the spine and then the binding. "Leather cover…nice, tight binding. Definitely seems to be modern." On opening the book, though, he paused, then took a page between his index finger and thumb, examining the texture and thickness. "Wow."

"It’s vellum, isn’t it," Jessie said matter-of-factly.

"Sure is." He moved closer to the lamp as he began an examination of the writing within.

"The ink is what’s throwing me off. It’s definitely Callie’s handwriting, but I would have sworn the ink was from the 1700 to 1800’s."

"Why is that?"

Jessie looked up, surprised, because the question came from Jack. "Because of its coloring." She motioned him over to take a look. "See how it’s kind of brownish? Ink back then contained ferrous sulfate, iron, and while the writing would originally be black, it would fade to brown over time because of the oxidation. But it takes a good amount of time to do that—too long for that theory to fit into the time frame of Callie writing something."

"I’d have to do some tests, break down the chemical composition." Daniel’s voice trailed off as he began reading what was actually written on the page. Flipped through several more. "If I didn’t know for certain that was Callie’s writing, given the vellum and the ink, I would have thought the text was much older than what it is."

"Almost looks like dried blood to me," Jack said offhandedly. Shrugged when all eyes turned on him. "The color looks like dried blood, not like ink."

Jessie noticed Daniel tensing up. "Daniel? What’s wrong?"

Daniel glanced up at his friends. "Jack may be right."

"About what?" Jack replied a split second before he realized what Daniel was saying. "Uh, no, I just said it looked like blood; I didn’t mean it actually is." He waited for Daniel to say something to back him up. Seconds ticked by. "Daniel? This is where you say I’m right." More silence. "Are you saying she wrote all those pages in blood?" Jack was beginning to feel mildly nauseous.

Daniel flipped the front cover over, looking at it once again before returning to the page he was on, making sure he wasn’t touching the writing. "Jessie, do me a favor. Call Casey’s cell and have her get over here right away." He was relieved to see her pull out her phone and begin dialing, without asking any questions. "Casey will know for sure, but I think Callie was using black witchcraft."

Cam snorted. "Black, white, purple, what does it matter? She’s a psycho who wrote some mumbo jumbo down in a journal and set up her own little voodoo table. It’s crap, pure and simple."

"If we’re lucky, you’ll be right."

"What do you mean, if we’re lucky? You’re not suggesting there’s actually anything to this, are you?"

"It depends. It might end up being nothing. But we need to know for sure."

"Are you serious?" Cam took in Daniel’s posture, and the look in his eyes. "Jesus, you are serious!"

"Cam, the stuff she has written in here is pure manipulation." He carefully flipped through the pages. "There are spells for breaking up a couple, spells for getting what you want, fire magic, candle magic, definitions for elemental rituals, and they are ALL written in the negative form. From what she has in her journal, it sounds like she’s been worshiping Ares."

"And that means?"

Daniel pushed the book back. "Ares is the embodiment of negativity, destruction, hatred. If she truly is worshipping him, who knows what she’s stirred up." Carefully closing the book, he went into the kitchen to wash his hands. "And we know where she’s been directing that energy."

It took Casey less than fifteen minutes to arrive after Jessie relayed Daniel’s message to her. "You found a what?" Casey asked as she stood in the middle of Jessie’s living room, staring at Cam and Daniel.

"Her journal…well, journals." Cam slid the book from the surface of the coffee table. "She’s kept a personal journal for years, but this one is different…The Book of Shadows."

The shiver that went over the slender frame of the seer was visible from across the room.

"Case?" Daniel asked, a worried frown on his face.

"That's not exactly a journal," Casey said softly.

"It's got her handwriting," Cam said, opening the book and flipping through the pages. "Right here it says-"

"Don't!" Casey practically shouted the word.

Daniel crossed the room. Cupped Casey's cheek gently. She was shaking like a leaf. "Angel?" he asked softly. Jack and Sam came down the hallway into the living room when they heard Casey’s voice.

"A 'Book of Shadows' is a collection of spells," Casey explained. "That's...that's black magic. The worst kind. I can...feel...it. There are very few strong enough to control that darkness. And far too many who believe they can, and get themselves into a situation they can't get out of. Apparently Callie is one of the many who dabbled with something best left alone."

Daniel and Cam exchanged a look. "Case, Dr. Caballero has already diagnosed Callie," Daniel said gently. "We know that she's suffering from an entire medical textbook of disorders."

Casey nodded. "I know. The thing of it is, I'm betting that at one time she only suffered from one, maybe two disorders. And then she started messing around with," she nodded toward the journal Cam was holding, "that. And she turned loose something she never should have. No matter what she tells herself, it controls her, she doesn't control it. She wouldn't have become as...violent...as she did, if that wasn't true."

Daniel frowned. The bulk of Calandra's 'violence' had been written in her blog. Although that had been disturbing in and of itself.

Casey continued to eye the shadow journal as if it were a Goa'uld. "We need protection. I know a couple of people I can call. They're strong spiritually. I know they'll be happy to help. We also need to cleanse ourselves. Leave whatever is here within that book."

"Casey-" Cam started, trying to think of something that would calm her agitation, make her see that Callie was just a delusional nitwit…nothing more.

Daniel caught Cam's attention, gave a subtle shake of his head. "What do we need to do?"

"I need white candles. Beeswax. And I need myrrh."

"Myrrh?" Cam asked. "Like 'frankincense and myrrh'?"

"Yes. I can pick some up at the health food store."

"Then what?" Daniel asked, still caressing his wife's cheek.

"We pray."

Sam and Jack had left in order to pick up the items Casey needed, dividing the list so they could return as quickly as possible. A few phone calls were made, and two of Casey’s friends showed up at Jessie’s house. "Everyone, this is Melanie and Ariel. They’re going to help us with this…" Casey gestured to the coffee table, "thing."

The women politely nodded to everyone present, but made no move to greet anyone beyond that. "They’ve handled the book?" Melanie asked.

"Yes, but they didn’t know the significance of it."

Ariel stepped forward. "You said the contents seemed to be directed towards a specific couple?"

Casey nodded her head, glancing at Cam and Jessie.

"Did they touch it?"

She swallowed convulsively, nodding in the affirmative. Worried glances were exchanged among the three women. "I’m going to do a cleansing. I was hoping you could do a protection ritual for us after it’s been destroyed?"

"Of course, Casey, " Melanie assured her. "Not a problem. Given the circumstances, we’ll call on a few others to lend a hand, hopefully diminish the possible…consequences, especially for the couple involved."

"Thank you," she said softly, slight tremors running through her.

Her friend pulled out a length of white silk, spreading it on the floor. "Whoever touched the book last, would you please set it in the middle of the cloth?"

Cam stepped forward, and despite his own skepticism he handled the book very carefully, placing it where the woman had indicated. What bothered him the most was the sad look in the woman’s eyes when she looked at him, almost as if he had been diagnosed with a terminal disease. It was reinforced by her next statement.

"Washing your hands might help some," trying to offer a little encouragement, but it fell short of the goal.

Cam did what had been suggested, scrubbing his hands vigorously to remove whatever might have been there sight unseen. Returned to the living room to find them waiting for him. Jessie was standing next to Casey, and Casey motioned him over to join them.

"It’s best for you to witness the binding of the book," Melanie said. "From here, we’ll take it to be destroyed in the appropriate manner." Taking the far end of the silk, she brought it straight up, then over the book. Careful never to touch the book itself, she went to the other side and repeated the action. Folding up the sides a couple of inches to ‘seal’ the book within, she then folded the sides to completely crisscross the book. Her companion brought forth an attaché case, setting it on the floor next to the silk covered bundle before opening the lid. Taking two white clothes resembling kerchiefs from within, she used those to drape her hands before gingerly picking up the book and placing it inside, along with the kerchiefs, then latching and locking the case.

"I can’t thank you enough for this favor," Casey said softly.

"We’re happy to help. Things such as this," Melanie said as she looked at the attaché case, "are dangerous. They don’t need to fall into the wrong hands." The two ladies moved to the door. "Will you be doing the cleansing soon?"

"As soon as I can gather the supplies I need."

"Good." Melanie nodded politely to the others present. "There’s strength in numbers, Casey. We should be able to neutralize the negativity, or at least decrease it enough that its power is significantly diminished." With that, they took their leave.

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