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Holy shit!
“Hey, what’s wrong?” Hanlen asked, placing her soft palm on my cheek and bringing me back to the present. “Are you seeing something?”
“Message from spirit,” I lied. How in the world did I tell her that her murdered best friend wasmymurdered cousin without bringing up all sorts of hurt? I decided it could wait until later. Nothing about this was pressing at the moment.
“So,” I said, “are you ready to get up and get set for a long-ass day and night?”
She sat and stretched. “I am. Make me another cup of coffee while I hop in the shower?”
“Absolutely,” I said and grasped her cheek and neck, bringing her in for a thorough kiss, moving down to swirl my tongue over the pulse point in her neck and then moving up to nibble on her earlobe.
“Mmm,” she said. “If you keep doing that, I’m going to say screw the show and keep you in bed all day.”
I nipped her again and then moved to place another kiss to her delectable lips. “I would like nothing more. But . . . as they say, the show must go on.” I rose, bringing her with me, a small squeak escaping her lips. When I let her back to her feet, I made sure to let her body slide down mine so she could feel how much I wished that answer was different.
“Deveraux Glapion, you tease.”
“Guilty as charged,” I said and kissed her again before swatting her bitable ass. “Off with you. I need to make my goddess some coffee.”
“Goddess, huh? I like it. I think I could get used to that.” She raised a brow with a quirk of her lips and then sauntered off to the bathroom, an extra sway in her hips. Just as she was about to disappear into the room, she looked over her shoulder, threw me a sassy wink, blew me a kiss, and then disappeared.
I groaned and shook my head.
She might be the death of me.
* * *
The plantation lookedamazing in the mid-afternoon light, the live oaks casting shadows on the façade and creeping across the ground like searching hands. I’d asked Aaron and James to get some additional shots of the place because it looked so good right now. Almost as if she were dressing up for the party to come.
The gang was gathered a bit down the driveway where Larken had set her circle the other day. I’d just gotten off the phone with Remy, and he’d walked me through what he’d done to get things ready. I was grateful that he’d come out here while he wasn’t feeling well, but because he was still sick, we would be without our best tech.
To add insult to injury, Van had called about a family emergency, something with their grandmother up north, so we were navigating the first shooting day without my two engineers, too. I’d called in another temp that we used from time to time, Jeremy. I didn’t know him all that well and thought he was a little odd, truth be told. He was super quiet and seemed to lookthroughpeople at times, and there was always a hint of that warning energy I got when people weren’t all the way on the side of good, but he was a hard worker and, sometimes, beggars couldn’t be choosy. Which was where I stood now. I needed the help, he was available, and he was ready to do the job. I just hoped that nothing went wrong that needed to be fixed immediately, and that Remy and the super twins would be back to work soon. I was spoiled. My team was the best, and I hated to be without even one of them.
I looked back at Lark. The witch stood near the salt and dirt line, her long, black duster sweater blowing in the breeze, the pentagram necklace at her throat winking in the light. She’d smudged us all with sage earlier and gave us each a unique, charged and blessed crystal to carry with us in our pockets.
She raised her blade high overhead and then turned to each of the four cardinal directions, her lips moving with her invocation.
Hanlen leaned in to me to whisper, “What’s with the dagger?”
“It’s called an athame. It’s a ceremonial tool that she uses to direct energy. Have you ever seen theHarry Pottermovies?” I asked, and she nodded. “You know how they use their wands? It’s the same concept, albeit greatly simplified.”
She nodded and backed away a bit, rubbing her arms. She was most definitely sensitive if she could feel the energy that Lark was currently raising.
Lark made an upward slicing motion in front of her, ground to sky, and then said, “From north to east and south to west, hale to the guardians. I, Larken, sister, daughter, friend, enter this circle with perfect love and perfect trust, for the good of all, according to free will, so mote it be.” She stepped across the salt and graveyard dirt line and then turned to face us.
“Now, each of you. Step across the line and say, ‘I enter this circle with perfect love and perfect trust.’” She looked at Hanlen. “I know this is new and probably really weird to you. Are you okay?”
Hanlen glanced at me and then back to Lark. “Yeah, I’m good,” she said. “Actually, I’ll go first.” She smiled. “I enter this circle with perfect love and perfect trust.” She stepped over the line and went to stand behind Lark.
I was so proud of her. I knew she still had some reservations, but she was taking to this bright new world with surprising aplomb.
We each followed suit, entering the sacred space that Lark had created.
“I ask the Lord and Lady to bless this circle so that we may be free and protected within this space.” She ran her athame down the same line she’d drawn up earlier. “The circle is now cast, sacred space is made, and all within its boundaries, both living and not, are under the protection of the maiden, mother, and crone until the circle is closed. So mote it be.”
When I knew the cameras weren’t on us, I turned off my microphone and pulled Hanlen to me to kiss the top of her head. “Are you ready? Now you get to seemein action.” I smiled, and she grinned up at me.
“Abso-frickin-lutely,” she said.
