Hallowed Circle

"Earlier, Xerxadrea, you said I'd protected those I care about with my anonymity. But the fey took Beverley, they already know who I am."

"Other witches do not. The news media do not."

My brows furrowed. "Are you suggesting that other witches and humans are more dangerous than the fairies?"

"I am saying the fey will make a grand plan and they will use a secret to their advantage, as leverage. And knowing that, we can use it too."

"Beverley and my Nana must be safe." I disliked how thin my voice sounded.

"We will see to that," Vilna-Daluca said. She and Xerxadrea exchanged nods.

"Hunter, you and Lydia will be conducting the public ritual shortly," Xerxadrea said. "Afterward, Hunter, you must remain."

"You want to clean up tonight?" she asked with slight exasperation. "I hired a crew to come in tomorrow to do that."

I remembered her cleanser allergies and wasn't surprised by her strategy.

"This isn't cleanup," Vilna said. "We're initiating you and Persephone into the lucusi tonight."

I stayed with Beverley. Joh

With the comfy desk chair near Beverley, I arranged another chair so I could prop my feet in it. My fingers stroked Beverley's head as Vilna's had.

She had to be safe.

I killed a fairy. I took a life! Instigated war. Nana had warned me.

The weight of it all filled my chest, tightened my throat.

I won't cry. I'll fix it. No matter what. I'll find a way.

I drifted to sleep. Even when Joh

I sat up.

Joh

"Who wanted you to leave?"

"The witches. They're getting ready to do something up there, so I can't stay. They allowed me to come and wake you, but they also said I could take this drowsy mermaid with me." He poked Beverley in the ribs.

"Do I get to ride your motorcycle?" Beverley asked, eyes widening.

"No, take my car," I said quickly, reaching into the Tarot pouch for my car keys.

"Aw," Beverley whined.

"I don't have a helmet that'd fit you, anyway," Joh

"Then how will Seph get home?"

Joh

"We'll see that she gets home," Vilna-Daluca said from the doorway. "Come with me, Beverley, and give them a moment?"

She followed Vilna from the office.

I stood, stretched my arms high. Joh

My arms fell about his shoulders.

His arms wrapped around me too, then his hands cupped my backside. "Oooo. Velvet."

When we left the office and emerged at the base of the eastern stairwell, a black-robed woman whose face was hidden in the depths of her hood stood silently waiting.

"This is where I move along," Joh

The woman before me, obviously one of the lucusi, lifted another cape just like her own and offered it in a ma

She led me up the stairs, where another cloaked woman stood beside Hunter, who I recognized only because of what I could see of her Isis costume.

I took in the Covenstead. The hush of emptiness had fallen and four women, all cloaked with hoods up, waited around the pentacle in the floor. It was only the eight of us now.

The two women led Hunter and me across the Covenstead floor and indicated where we should stand. I was surprised our places were not on any of the star's points, but rather in between them.

The women who'd led us took places at the points, and the other four filled in the other points, leaving one, where Xerxadrea with her staff and raven took up a position to triangulate mine and Hunter's.

Xerxadrea called up a circle, then strode around us making her quarter calls and Goddess invocation. Then, around us, the five women on the points began chanting. Their movements were stiff, but it was clear they were calling up energy from the nucleus below. I could feel something physical manifesting with their sorcery. In moments I could see a dark mist floating in the center, but where Xerxadrea stood she blocked what was forming from my view.

The Eldre

"For you," the ley line whispered. Power shot upward, like a geyser erupting at the center. White light shone from it. Mist curled around our feet.

The chant ended and the hooded women stood with their arms outstretched before them.

"A gift," Xerxadrea called. "By accepting this gift, you are inducted into my lucusi," she said. "And on your honor you vow to follow my commands." She paused. "Do you so swear, Hunter Hopewell?"

"So I swear," she said.

"Do you so swear, Persephone Alcmedi?"

I wanted to know what they had created, but I trusted Xerxadrea. "So I swear."

Immediately, two brooms skittered across the floor and rose up, broomsticks in Xerxadrea's hands. She offered the brooms to us.

From the broomstick tip to the dried straw making its base, it was black. In my palm, the broomstick was smooth despite the beautiful symbols etched along its length. And, as newly created matter, it was warm. This symbol of women's labor tingled in my hand.

"Thank you," I said. Hunter did likewise.

"You are welcome," Xerxadrea said. Then each of the lucusi members repeated her. They had all created these, for us.

"Awaken them," Vilna-Daluca said.

Holding the broom before me, I whispered, "Awaken ye to life."

The end lifted into the air. The broom floated in front of me, suspended horizontally about two feet above the floor. I looked up to the assembled women, to Hunter. They laughed. So did I.

"Is this what I think it is?" Hunter asked.

Xerxadrea gestured to the eastern doors and they flung open. "Try them out," she said.

And the lucusi materialized their brooms, spoke the awakening, and sat on their floating broomsticks. Hunter and I still stood stu

Then the witches flew out into the night.

Hunter and I exchanged a look before hurriedly mounting our brooms.

I sat upon the straw where it was bound to the broomstick. It held my weight easily, steadily. Copying what I had seen the others do, my legs bent so my knees pointed down, and, hovering there, I tucked my toes under my bottom. "East," I said.

I rode the broom from the Covenstead as if I'd been doing it all my life.