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“As I said, we have a problem, and we want you to investigate. It is not something we are set up for. I believe, from our past discussions, that you have more information available than we do.”
“Do you mean me and my sisters, or me in particular?”
“You and your sisters. This quite possibly impacts your own investigations on the matter.” Aeval folded her arms across her chest. She glanced over at Bran, then back at me, and for a moment I thought I saw a flutter of doubt wash through her eyes, but then she shook her head. “One of our nobles—Lord Faerman—came to us two days past. His wife has run off, apparently seduced by the cult you call the Aleksais Psychic Network. Faerman wants her back.”
The inflection in her voice was clear. Bring her back. Alive. “What’s her name? What happened?”
Aeval cocked her head to the side, tapping her cheek with one long nail. “Her name is Syringa. She went to a meeting of the APN as a favor to a friend. Faerman says Syringa told him she wasn’t interested, but her friend Shirley didn’t want to go alone. This was last week. That night, she vanished. Shirley’s vanished, too.”
Syringa? That was the name of a lilac tree.
“Is she a dryad?” Dryads would never run off with a human group—they barely tolerated humans, just like most of the wood sprites, floraeds, and other woodland spirits. House sprites like Iris actually liked humans and paired up with families. But the Earthside woodland Fae? Not so much.
“Not fully. But yes, her lineage includes the woodland Fae. She’s doesn’t hold the human world as anathema, if that is what you are asking, but I don’t believe she would choose to run off from her home and family. She loves her husband. We would consider it a great favor if you would find her and bring her back where she belongs.”
I knew it wasn’t a favor she was asking, but a command. “As you will, my lady.” But actually, this might work in our favor, since I was going in undercover to check them out anyway. “We’ll do our best. I’ll need a few days, though.”
“I know you will. I will tell Lord Faerman to be patient.” And with that, she moved to the center of the pentagram. “And now, Titania, you and Morgaine may escort Bran back to the palace.”
Bran bowed to me. “Until later, my lovely priestess.”
I held his gaze for a moment. I had his number all right, smooth voice and suave demeanor notwithstanding. “Right. Later.”
Morgaine shot me another dirty look, but she and Titania escorted Bran out of the pentagram and began walking back toward the path leading out of the clearing. Aeval waited until they vanished from sight.
I let out a long breath. I liked Titania, though we didn’t have much in common, but I could do without the other two. I was running out of steam, and I still had the ritual ahead of me.
Aeval moved to the center of the pentagram and motioned me to kneel in front of her. I quickly obeyed. One thing I’d learned from childhood on up—when your teacher instructs you to do something, you do it. Yes, you could ask why, but you still obeyed.
As I knelt, she took a small bottle from her pocket and brushed my lips with her fingers. I opened them, and she poured three drops on my tongue.
I swallowed. A streak of fire raced down my throat, burning me through, and I reeled as the energy buoyed me up, recharging my muscles and clearing my mind. I glanced up at the sky and saw that the clouds had parted to reveal the stars, glimmering down from their icy perch.
Caught by their beauty, I raised my arm, reaching up to them. The moon, almost full, watched over the night, the Moon Mother’s power always present no matter what phase she was in.
Aeval remained silent, a soft smile replacing her usual serious expression. She wound her fingers through mine, closing them tightly over my hand. Her power, magnetic and sparkling, radiated through me, and once again, I felt a surge of rejuvenation as the weariness of the day fell away.
I laughed then and squeezed her hand. She gave me a quick nod and let go of my hand, stepping back. Motioning for me to stand, Aeval waited till I was on my feet; then she moved to each point of the pentagram, where she lit a candle and called out an invocation.
First came green for the Earth, in a hurricane glass so that it would neither go out in the wind nor start any inadvertent fires. Aeval lit the candle just outside the circle surrounding the pentagram.
“Spirits of Earth, this sovereign night, ground and center this sacred rite.”
The earth shifted, deep in the core beneath my feet, as a rush of energy rose through the soil to steady both me and the ritual to come. Aeval waited a moment, then nodded and moved to the next point—outside the circle again—where she lit a white candle for the Air.
“Spirits of Air, this sovereign night, buoy aloft this sacred rite.”
The words were simple, but as she spoke, a breeze sprang up to gust around me, and laughter lightly rolled in off the wind. My mind cleared, although the energy from the potion remained, and I could sense everything keenly, clearly, as if a veil had lifted.
Aeval moved to the next point and lit a red candle.
“Spirits of Fire, this sovereign night, burn bright with passion this sacred rite.”
Once again, the Elements sprang to her bidding and I responded. As it had when I was in the pool, my body began to ache with the most exquisite desire, and I found myself reeling, my pussy growing wet, my nipples stiffening. The breeze made it feel like a hundred hot fingers were tickling over my skin.
Aeval moved on to the fourth point, where she lit the blue candle.
“Spirits of Water, this sovereign night, wash through and cleanse this sacred rite.”
