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Your mate shall ground you when you need grounding, and keep you from falling when you need to let the magic in you fly free.
On the seventh shelf of the seventh cupboard to the right of the door as you face it, you will find a collection of sacred items. You will need to choose one for the final step, as I’m sure you remember. Personally, I‘d choose the phoenix stone one. Quite apt, don’t you think? Though the choice is entirely yours, just remember to follow the call of the magic in your blood, my dear.
May the power of the earth beneath your feet, the moon above you, and the goodness of your heart guide you.
Someday we’ll once again sit and laugh over the chipmunks as they play by the lake. Be safe.
Leraie
He saw the slow fall of a tear slide down Jezzie’s cheek, and he moved to cup her face gently in his hands, wiping the moisture away with his thumb. A small smile trembled on her lips as he placed a soft kiss atop her head and drew her into his arms. He wanted to keep her there forever, but after one shuddering sigh she pulled herself together, and they got to work.
His task was to pit as many cherries as would fit into the bowl she placed before him, probably about a third of what he’d picked. Jezzie prepped the oven and took one of the many trays from a shelf and laid out a few handfuls of chestnuts for roasting before she popped it in to do its thing. The cloves were placed into a heated pan on one of the burners, tossed gently for a few minutes then removed from the heat to cool. Their fragrance filled the room.
Many a summer he’d spent sneaking cherries from his stepfather’s orchard. His fingers flew from one cherry to the next as he watched his love grab a board and knife to finely chop the herbs, before placing each one into a mortar and pestle, then wiping everything down to start again. Mint, dandelion, horehound, licorice root, and cowslip flowers.
In a small pot she placed some dogwood berries and water from a tap near the door he hadn’t even noticed before, and set it to boil. As she waited for them to be done, she started to work the pestle in the first mortar, then moved onto the next.
Nithe finished the cherries and set them aside. He washed his hands, then started to grind the horehound. Jezzie told him the properties of each of the items as they worked.
Cherries for muscle relaxation and taste. Chestnuts and cinnamon for strength of mind and endurance. Cloves and dandelions for contentment and comfort. Cowslip for privacy. Dogwood berries for sleep. Horehound for healing. Licorice root to slow the libido, and mint for happiness.
Once the cherries were blended and the berries were crushed and strained Jezzie mixed them together. The chestnuts had been removed and allowed to cool slightly before being crushed in the blender as well. Once everything was prepared to Jezzie’s liking Nithe started the fire under the cauldron with one burst of green flame. Jezzie was surprised the acid didn’t melt everything, but he explained he’d always been able to control the ratio of acid to fire in his flames.
Into the cauldron Jezzie poured the dark red liquid. Wine by the smell of it as it hit the base of the cast iron. One by one the other ingredients were added. With every addition Jezzie repeated a lilting chant.
“Spirits, we thank you.”
The last thing she placed into the now bubbling brew was a length of plain white, soft cotton fabric she’d had him cut from a spool, which had appeared on the bench without warning. They banked the fire allowing the brew to simmer. All they could do next was sit back, watch, and wait.
Chapter 30
Jezzie paced in circles around the room, checking the cauldron every so often, waiting for the spark of mystical flame to burst free. She’d already grabbed a bag and filled it with the black candles she would need for the ritual, along with a jar of equal parts sand and salt, and two strips of black fabric. There was only one more thing to gather, but still she hesitated. Every now and then she’d investigate the contents of a shelf or flip through the pages of some heavy tome as she wandered, all the while knowing she’d have to slip a sacred athame into her pocket for when it was needed. Thank the heavens for deep pockets, and that she’d chosen to wear this particular knee-length dress and leggings set this morning. She wasn’t sure how Nithe would react to what needed to be done, but she couldn’t risk him going all overbearing dragon mate on her ass until after the fact.
“Jez, love, stop. You’re making me dizzy over here. You’ve been walking in circles for the past forty minutes. I swear, if you open the same damn book again, for the sixth time in a row, I’m going to have to drag you over here and put those hands of yours to work elsewhere, and that pretty, pouty mouth of yours too. Just go ahead and get whatever it is Leraie said you were going to need. I trust you to do what you need to do, and to keep yourself safe while doing it, okay?”
“The link?” she asked, looking sheepish.
Nithe made his way over to her, cupped her face in his palms, inched her chin up until she looked into his eyes, his head tilted to the side, and placed a soft kiss close to her ear. The warmth of his breath sent sparks of desire through her blood as his whispered words began.
“Even without the link, a stór, I’d know something was up. I know you now, remember? You are a part of my soul. Plus, you read Leraie’s letter out loud. You’ve also been a jittery bundle of nerves ever since you suddenly gasped, jumped up, and tried to look busy about an hour ago. How could I not know something was up?” Nithe’s amused chuckle made her heart flutter in her chest and the lead ball in her stomach dissolved.
“I just don’t want you to worry, I guess. It’s stupid really, considering everything we’ve both been through, and the fact I hunt monsters in order to survive. But, you’re right, I wasn’t thinking straight. I’d end up doing more harm to you if it were a surprise.”
Nithe’s thumbs rubbed gentle circles on the sensitive skin beneath her ears, and she felt the tense adrenaline leave her body in a rush. Damn, that felt good.
“Share with me, a stór,” he whispered. His tongue traveled languidly around the outer edge of her ear before his lips suckled on her earlobe. She gasped wordlessly as his teeth grazed the malleable flesh an instant before he released her and stepped back, his own breathing labored.
“Hop to it, you seductress, you. Else I’ll just have to ravish you in the here and now.”
His wink was playful and Jezzie couldn’t stop the giggle which bubbled up and out of her mouth. Both at his over the top expression and the release of the mental tension she’d been carrying within.
“Well, as tempting as that is, Ni, you’re right. I better ‘hop to it’. Any release of sexual tension needs to be kept far away from this potion until it can take effect on Tana. Otherwise, it will have the opposite effect to what we want.”
She turned and made her way to the seventh bookcase whereupon she pressed a small, hidden button she’d noted earlier. A row of fake books dissipated into nothing but air revealing a rather large, flat, decorative inlaid box. Cherry wood, mahogany, and black walnut if she guessed right. All those decades of studying the different types of plants and their uses under her aunt’s strict and watchful eye meant she was pretty confident she was correct. Those damn herbology lessons had been tedious as fuck, but surprisingly useful it would seem.
Lifting the heavy case out she carried it carefully to the seat she’d earlier abandoned and laid it down with reverent care. A quick look at Nithe showed him watching her with curiosity and love. Her fingers shook slightly as she unhooked the latch and raised the lid to reveal the powerful objects that awaited within.
She felt Nithe shift to stand behind her, his warmth seeped into her as his scent calmed her nerves, but she couldn’t take her eyes off the powerful blades before her.
