“From the east I summon air—the element that fills us at birth and surrounds us all the days of our lives.” She touched the match to the yellow candle.
Kevin felt his hair flutter and heard the sound of wind sighing through leaves. He looked around, trying to see if he’d missed something. Was a window open?
Zoey and Damien were staring at him.
“Anything?” she asked.
“I—I felt wind in my hair and heard leaves rustling.”
Damien grinned. “That’s one.”
“Seriously? I really have an affinity for wind?”
“Absolutely,” said Zo.
“Wow. Just wow, wow, wow!” Kevin said.
“Come on. Let’s see what else you have.”
Everyone turned to their right while he and Zoey approached Shaunee, who was holding a red candle.
“From the south I summon fire—that element that warms us and gives us light.” She didn’t have to touch the match to the red candle. It spontaneously lit and Kevin jumped. He was surrounded by heat, as if he was standing a little too close to a bonfire. A light sweat broke out on his face, and he automatically wiped at his forehead.
“My guess is that’s two,” Shaunee said.
Zo raised her brows at him.
He nodded, unable to stop his gleeful grin. “Definitely felt that. It’s awesome!”
They turned to their right and walked to Shaylin, who was holding a blue candle.
“From the west I summon water—the element that washes us and quenches us.” She lit the blue candle.
The sound of waves filled Kevin’s ears, and the scent of the sea filled his nose.
“I hear it! I smell it!”
“That’s three,” Shaylin said.
They turned to the right again and ended up in front of Stevie Rae and her green candle.
“Hey there Z and Z’s bro,” she said, smiling at them both.
Kevin thought he automatically liked this girl, and decided right then he wanted to get to know her better.
“From the north I summon earth—we come from you, and return to you.” She lit the green candle.
Kevin could feel the softness of a grassy meadow under his feet. He smelled hay and heard birdsong.
“That’s four. Right, Kev?”
“Right!” Kevin told the little blond.
“Now for the fifth.” Zo led him back to the table and the fat purple candle that rested there. “Last, I summon spirit to our circle—it is our connection to each other and to our Goddess.” Zo lit the purple candle.
Unbelievably, Kevin felt his own spirit leap, like there were birds fluttering around inside his chest. He gazed down at Zoey, surprised to see her eyes filled with tears.
“You feel it, don’t you?”
“Yes. I feel it.” Then something caught his eye and Kevin’s gaze went to the circle itself. All around it was a glowing silver thread, like a ribbon of mercury. “Holy crap! Can you guys see that?”
He heard soft laughter from everyone. They were smiling at him and nodding their heads. G-ma was clapping her hands. Zoey was the only one who looked sad.
“While our circle is open I want to do something,” Zo said. Her eyes traveled the circumference, meeting the gaze of each of her friends. “Help me, okay?”
All four nodded.
Zoey turned to her brother. “Bend down so that I can put my hand on your head.”
Kevin did one better. He knelt before his sister, and as he did so he felt the rightness of it. She rested her hand gently on his head, and when she began to speak, her voice was completely changed—filled with otherworldly power and the strength of a goddess.
For my brother I ask a blessing from elements five
Air, fire, water, earth, spirit
No matter where he might go—what hardships he
might know
Follow him. Strengthen him. If his heart is empty—fill it.
Keep him happy, safe, and alive.
I ask of our Goddess Nyx from above
To hold him close, wrapped in love … always love.
“So she has spoken—so mote it be,” intoned her friends.
Instantly, Kevin was bathed in such a sense of compassion—of endless, unconditional love—that he knew beyond any doubt Nyx was his goddess, too.
Zo smiled through her tears at him. “How about you close our circle?”
He had to wipe his eyes and clear his throat before he could answer her. “I don’t know how, Zo.”
“It’s easy. Just go backwards—that always closes a circle, ends a ritual or spell. Start here. Release the element and blow out the candle.”
“Um, spirit. Thank you for coming. And you can go now.” He felt awkward, but he blew out the candle and felt the release of a little spark within him that he knew was spirit.
Grinning in spite of his nerves, he made his way around the circle in the opposite direction, releasing each of the elements. When he was finished, they all rushed to congratulate him—all talking at once. All except Zoey.
He knew what was wrong with her, but he didn’t want to think about it just then. Didn’t want to talk about it just then.
Aphrodite approached him. “Ya know, you’re not bad for a kid.”
Buoyed by the miracle that had just happened to him, Kevin put a hand over his heart and bowed to her. “Aphrodite, Goddess of Love, Prophetess, Savior, and beauty—if you would spend some alone time with me, I’d show you youth has its benefits.”
Aphrodite’s smile was a cat licking cream. “Ooooh, Z, I know who got all the game in your family.”
“I’d like to add smart to my list of compliments,” Kev quipped.
The mountain of muscle called Darius stepped forward. “Back off, boy.”
Aphrodite slid her arm around the Warrior’s waist. “Oh, handsome, you’re adorable when you’re jealous.” As she and Darius walked away, she batted her impossibly long eyelashes at Kevin and blew him a kiss over her shoulder.
He fell back, pretending to catch her kiss, and almost knocked his sister over.
Zoey rolled her eyes.
“Yep, he’s totally threatened by me. I can tell.”
“You’re gonna get your butt kicked. I can tell,” Zo said.
Kevin took a Karate Kid stance, arms out like a crane. One foot lifted, he waved his hands like a giant bird and made a “Waaaa-chaw!” cry, jumping up and kicking out ridiculously. “That’s right. Um hum. He can try to kick my butt.”
Stark shook his head. “Pathetic. Truly pathetic. But also there’s no doubt that you’re Z’s brother.”
Zoey was staring at him. Kevin could see her struggling not to laugh and he jumped up again, yelling another “Waaaa-chaw!”
Zo started to giggle. She tried to stop, which made her snort, which in turn made Kevin snort. Then the whole room was laughing.
That’s when it happened.
It hit Kevin hard. He knew what he had to do. He didn’t want to. He wanted to do anything but that—except he really didn’t have any choice. He realized then he’d never really had any choice.
And his laughter changed. Turned to tears. The tears turned to sobs. Kevin stumbled to the statue of Nyx and knelt at her feet, as he had at his sister’s feet just a few minutes before.
Zo was there. So was G-ma. They put their arms around him. He felt the other four—air, fire, water, and earth join them in their tight circle of support and comfort, hope and love.