I stared out at the winter wonderland as we trudged through the park. It was like nothing bad had happened—like the snow had covered all of our mistakes and made things new again.
The thought held as we looked down on the spot that had caused so much to go wrong—and right—the night before.
Oh, my Goddess! How could it have all happened in only twenty-four hours?
In the distance I could see snowy mounds and the reflection of streetlights off of yellow crime-scene tape, and understood that the storm had made it impossible for the wreckage that the vampyres had caused to be cleared. From this far away it looked so benign—almost like toys children had abandoned because they’d been called from their play to get ready for bedtime.
Get your head in the game, Zoey! Tonight a mistake could hurt Kevin. I shook myself mentally and checked with Stark.
“Is it time?”
“Yep.” Stark went to Kevin and held out his hand. “It was really good to know you. I wish you could stay. Hey, when you see Other Stark and you want to get through to him, tell him William Chidsey would be ashamed that he’s working with Neferet. He won’t like it, but it will get through to him.”
“Who’s that?” Kev asked.
“He was my mentor, and a big part of my life. More importantly, he was a good man. A very good man. And no matter what world—I can’t believe he’d be for Neferet.”
“Thanks. I’ll remember. It was good to know you, too. Take care of our Zo, will ya?”
“Absolutely.”
Then Kevin pulled Stark in for a manly, back-slapping hug.
“I have to stay up here, like I did last night. I’m glad we met, too. Stay safe, okay?” Damien didn’t hold out his hand. He went straight for the hug, which Kevin returned.
“I’m glad Jack is with you. Don’t let him come back to our world. It’s not good for him there,” Kevin said.
“I won’t. He’ll stay here with me. Always,” Damien assured him.
Kevin turned to me. “I’m ready.”
“That wall is surrounding Neferet’s grotto,” I explained to Kevin as we made our way carefully down the snow-covered stairs.
He studied it curiously. “The grotto’s inside there?”
“Yep.”
“It’s smaller than I pictured it.”
“The Woodward Park Association told me it was a fox’s den.”
“Weird. It’d simplify things if I could just stuff her in there and seal her up.”
“Yeah, it sure would,” I said.
“Good luck with that,” Shaunee told him. “She’s a lot harder to stuff than you’d think.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Kevin muttered.
“Hey, you’re a resourceful guy. You’ll figure it out.” Aphrodite sent him a flirty grin.
Kevin lit up like a Christmas tree. “Well, Goddess of Love—if you say it, then I believe it is so.”
Darius snorted and mumbled something under his breath.
“See,” Kevin whispered to me. “He’s totally worried.”
I shook my head at him and almost slipped down a step. Kevin took my hand and steadied me, and then he didn’t give it back.
I didn’t mind. At all.
We didn’t talk much as we worked to ready the space. It was harder than it had been the first time. We were dealing with snow that in some places had drifted to our knees. We were also moving through a myriad of emotions—fear, anticipation, worry—and all the while I kept reminding my circle to focus on our intent. We took our places. I was concentrating super hard, trying to remember exactly what words I’d used in what order to invoke the elements—and feeling relieved that I hadn’t made up some elaborate craziness that I’d never remember.
When we were ready, I called Other Kevin into the center of the circle with me.
“This is going to be like what we did in Nyx’s Temple, only I’m going to be using different words and each of them is going to give me something. It’s going to be weird, because we’re working backwards. I’ve never called elements this way, or cast a circle like this. I’m not sure it’s going to work.”
Kevin’s gaze was full of confidence. “I’m sure. One hundred percent. This is going to be easy. The hard part was the first time. Now, you know what you’re doing.”
“That’s a real good way to look at it,” Stevie Rae said, dimpling at him.
“Thank you.”
Kevin looked super pleased with himself, and I suddenly realized that my friends liked him. Really liked him.
And I had to struggle not to burst into tears.
“Okay, everyone think what we were thinking then. Protection. We’re casting a protection spell. Got it?”
“Got it!” the four of them echoed.
“Okay, we call spirit first.” I closed my eyes, concentrated, and centered myself. Please, Nyx, help me get this right. I opened my eyes and knelt in the small area Kev and I had cleared of snow. “Oh, strong and powerful, all-knowing spirit, I call for you. Cast your mighty blessing upon the magick I work here. Spirit, come forth and complete my circle!”
I lit my purple candle and felt the soft, familiar brush of spirit rush through my body. Kevin’s intake of breath told me that he’d felt it, too.
I thought that was an excellent sign.
Then I reached up and released the braid that held my redbird feather, just like I had the night before, saying, “I offer this feather—the spirit of my people—free and strong. It is my wish that it fills our circle and focuses our intent for our spellwork tonight.”
I stood, and with Kevin by my side we went to Stevie Rae. I spoke the words to call earth, and Stevie Rae did her part, handing me the rowan twig. She smiled at Kevin and mouthed, Bye—we’ll miss you, then she brushed away a tear.
We went to Shaylin next, and collected the rock with the watermark.
“Stay safe,” she whispered to him.
Shaunee and fire were next. When she handed me the crystal tetrahedron she told Kevin, “Watch your back. We’ll miss you.”
Then we were standing in front of Aphrodite.
I called air and lit her yellow candle, and Aphrodite handed me the wickedly sharp athame. Then she looked up at Kevin.
“When you talk to Other Aphrodite, be exactly who you are. She’ll love you, too.”
Then she totally shocked me by kissing him. Softly, sweetly, right on the lips.
“Goodbye, my Goddess of Love.” The kid stepped forward, cupped Aphrodite’s face in his hands and kissed her—not sweetly, not softly—sexily. I didn’t look at Darius, and was real glad he’d taken the same position he’d had last night—outside the other side of the circle.
I bumped Kevin with my shoulder. He let her go. Finally.
Kevin and I turned to head back to the center of the circle, and I felt the breath leave my lungs. Our circle was completely ringed in a ribbon of glowing red light.
“Is that normal?” Kevin whispered.
“No. But I think it’s good.”
When we were back in the center I crouched and started to recreate the last part of the spell. That’s when I noticed the redbird feather was gone. I started to look around for it and a jolt of surprise lightened through my body.
It had been gone last time, too. I’d made a mistake I didn’t even realize I’d made, but somehow I repeated it.
I’m doing this right!
Okay, work backwards. Cut yourself.