Page 94 of Lost

I nodded.

“Ohmygoddess, yes!”

Jack hurried around the circle, collecting the sage sticks and placing them, with mine, in a smoking pile.

“Shaunee, anytime you’re ready,” I said.

“Easy-peasy. Burn, baby, burn!” Shaunee flicked her wrist at the pile and it instantly blazed with light and the scent of sage.

“Perfect,” I said. “Thank you.” Then I sobered, and my gaze went to Stevie Rae, still standing in the north, with Rephaim beside her. “Are you two ready?”

Rephaim nodded nervously.

“As I’ll ever be,” Stevie Rae said.

“We’re going to have to offer a payment to the sprite,” I explained. “I have an idea for it, but you two need to be okay with it. I’m going to need some blood from each of you.”

Stevie Rae and Rephaim exchanged a look.

“Okie dokie, Z. We’re cool with that,” said Stevie Rae.

“Thank you,” I said sincerely before getting into my backpack again and carefully pulling out the sharp athame. Surrounded by the magickally cleansing smoke of sage and the support of my circle, I called. “Oak, ancient, Old Magick sprite, with the power in my blood, and the gifts given to me by the Goddess Nyx, I summon you to this circle. Oak, please appear!”

And then I held my breath.

She didn’t make me wait long. In seconds the center of the newly cleansed tree began to shimmer and with the sound of a sigh, Oak emerged from the broken trunk.

The sprite didn’t come to me. She didn’t acknowledge any of my friends or me. First, she turned to the tree. She placed her delicate hands on it and slowly, intimately, leaned forward until her forehead rested against it. I could hear that she was speaking, but I couldn’t understand the language. When she finished, she kissed the gnarled bark softly, sweetly, before finally turning and gliding to me.

“Redbird Girl, I am glad that you completed your payment.”Her darkly beautiful, almond-shaped eyes looked around our intact circle, taking in each of the vampyres standing there.“The strength of your circle is pleasing to me. It feels of love and laughter, friendship and sacrifice. I approve.”

“Thank you. And thank you for answering my call.”

She bowed her head slightly in acknowledgment.“I find that I am enjoying this rare awakening. Between you and the Redbird Boy, the days and nights have become more interesting. What is it you wish ofme now?”

I didn’t hesitate. “I want you to take me and two of my friends with you to the Other World where my brother, who you call Redbird Boy, lives. And I want you to bring us back too. When we’re ready.”

In a birdlike movement, the exquisite sprite cocked her head and studied me. For too many long, uncomfortable moments she said nothing at all, and when she finally spoke, I felt like I’d been waiting for time to unfreeze.

“I can do what you ask, but the payment will be great.”

“How about blood from three kinds of beings?”

Her mossy brows shot up to the ivy that was her hairline.“Which type of beings?”

“One is me, a blue vampyre and High Priestess who has an affinity for all five elements. The second is Stevie Rae, a red vampyre and High Priestess whose affinity is also yours—earth. And the third is Rephaim, Stevie Rae’s mate, a being who—”

“Was created by Old Magick,”she finished for me, swiveling her head like an owl to peer at Rephaim and Stevie Rae.“Do the two of you give this offering freely?”

“Yes, ma’am, I do,” said Stevie Rae.

“Yes. I give my word that I do,” answered Rephaim.

Oak’s gaze returned to me.“That payment is interesting. It will get you to the Other World. It will not return you, though.

“For that a new payment must be

And what that is we shall see