Page 33 of First Ritual

“My bullshit? Don’t kid yourself. You feel this too.” He strode forward, crouched, then set his hand on my chest directly over the aching discomfort I’d felt since our magic met at esbat.

My gasp was the only sound in the room until his cold chuckle replaced it.

He was feeling the same thing?

“Very curious,” he said in a dreamlike tone. He was like a snake weaving in its dance a second before striking. “You’re not here to join the coven, Tempest, and I will find out the real reason you’re here.” He frowned at his hand on my chest and removed it.

I took a full breath. “You’re searching for something that isn’t there.”

Wild’s gaze lifted to mine. “I can only hope.”

9

I walked the Buried Knolls absorbing the healing energy from nature to soothe the stresses of my mind, of my body, and my magic. Simply being amongst the flora and fauna sharpened my mind. Humans had a word for this phenomenon. Biophilia. As creatures of this Earth, even unable to fully channel the mother’s gifts, they recognized their instinctual connection to the world around them and its ability to heal.

Nature at dawn was so powerful. I’d expected to be walking amongst many other magus for that reason. Yet the Buried Knolls were vacant but for me.

I wouldn’t complain.

Barefoot, I brushed through the tall grass lit silver by the last of the moon’s light and the first of the sun’s. Inhaling deeply when my magic curled around me, I widened my focus to see where I’d been led.

Mist hovered over the small lake like a mother’s bracing hands as her child took his first steps. A few splashes—fish having their morning meal. I paused at the water’s edge and a cooling sensation swept over me.

A sigh fell from my lips. A place of power. This was the perfect place to decide whether or not I would stay at the Buried Knolls. Thank you, magic of mine.

The cooling sensation brushed up and down my arms in a caress, and the ache in my chest heightened. Masculine power encircled my forearm before stroking the sensitive skin at the inside of my wrist.

I traced the magic back to its source, already well aware whom it belonged to. Sure enough, back through the trees walked Wild, barefoot in the long grass with his eyes closed.

“Oi,” I hollered, enjoying the way his eyes popped open.

I held up my arm. “Mind drawing in your groping magic?”

His attention slammed to the strand that had escaped to find me. He reeled it without comment.

“I’d appreciate if you could keep your magic to yourself,” I yelled. He winced as my piercing voice violated the dawn’s calm.

My glee vanished when Wild walked to join me at the lake.

“I’m usually the only one out here,” he said.

About that. “Why don’t the other magus walk at dawn?”

He tilted his face to the sky. Wild was about as relaxed as I’d ever seen him. This was about the most relaxed I got, too, aside from esbat and sabbats.

“Other things fill their minds,” he murmured.

Cryptic. “Okay, well, unless you have a letter to give me, I’d appreciate some solitude without magical caresses.”

Wild lowered his chin and dark eyes stared at me across the ten feet between us. “Why would I give you a letter?”

“I thought you may be trying to reenact that scene in Pride and Prejudice, where Mr. Darcy gives Lizzy a letter.”

His brows drew together. “What’s Pride and Prejudice?”

“Oh, you’d love it. It’s a romance. There’s a lot of angst between Mr. Darcy and Lizzy. Some misunderstandings. Like us. They get together in the end. He’s high and mighty. She’s more down-to-earth and loveable. I’m sure you can see the parallels. Anyway, she moves into his big house, and I bet they had tons of kids.”

His face hardened.

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