“Witches don’t believe in coincidences.” I zipped into the kitchen and ransacked the cabinets until I’d found everything I needed.
“Eye of newt? Hemlock?” Asher asked, following me. “I don’t think we’re stocked for rituals.”
“I’ll make do.”
Asher watched skeptically as I put everything into a canvas grocery sack.
“We’re good to go,” I said. “Come on.”
“That’s it? No magic robes or anything?”
“It’s best if I do this skyclad.”
“Skywhat?”
Grabbing the bag off the counter, I slipped past him and headed for the front door, not wanting to see his expression.
Not wanting him to see mine.
“Gray, what’s—”
“Naked, Asher. I need to be naked. Butyoudon’t, so please put something on and stop gawking at me like you’ve never seen a woman without her clothes on.”
I was nervous enough for the both of us.
But for the first time in days, that fragile, soap-bubble of a thing that’d been so doggedly eluding us was finally making an appearance: hope.
Four
GRAY
The demon could not stop smiling. That should’ve been my first clue that bringing him along was a terrible idea.
But it’d been years since I’d done a ritual, and neither the nudity nor the companionship were optional. I wasn’t an earth witch—my power generally came from my realm—so in order to tap into the earth’s energy, I needed an unobstructed connection. I also needed to know someone had my back in case things went sideways.
My magic was highly unpredictable these days, and I couldn’t afford to take chances. There were too many lives at stake now.
About a quarter mile into the woods that backed up to the house, Asher helped me find a level spot nestled between two large sugar pines, and I set my stuff down and took a deep breath, filling up on the damp, earthy scent of the Pacific Northwest. Autumn had arrived early in the Bay area this year, and though it was still October, the oak and sycamore trees had already shed much of their coats, giving us a clear view of the full moon.
“This is perfect,” I said. “Thank you.”
Asher nodded and leaned back against a tree, folding his arms across his chest. He’d thrown on a faded red sweatshirt, but he’d left it unzipped, the dark lines of his tattoos still visible. “What happens now?”
“Now you do a perimeter check to make sure we’re alone, then find a quiet spot at a safe distance to keep an eye on things.”
“And you’re just going to strip down to your birthday suit, say a few magic words, and roll around in the dirt?”
“Something like that.”
Asher grunted, but he didn’t move away from the tree.
“We’re clear that you’re to stay at least twenty feet away from me at all times unless I’m literally bleeding or on fire, right?” I asked, my cheeks burning at the thought of him seeing me up close. Naked.
“Define bleeding or on fire.”
“Severed-artery-level blood loss and/or actual flames shooting from my eyeballs. Got it?”
“Now that you’ve given me a visual, yes.” The smile he’d worn since we’d left the house disappeared, and he stepped forward, his eyes gleaming in the darkness. “Do what you gotta do, Gray. But the minute I sense anything evenremotelyfucked about this, I’ll haul you back to the house before you can say frostbitten nipples.”
