Page 58 of Peacock Me Like a Hurricane

“Christ, what a mess. I mean, if you’re right… You ended up mating with the git.”

Brother, you are preaching to the wrong kitty. I know it’s a mess.

“He bit me the first night we went out. Back then, he didn’t even bite Sari. I didn’t mind and I baited him, but it worked more quickly than I expected.”

“He mated with you on the first night?” he asks incredulously.

“No, just a sip. I got him drunk, if that makes a difference.”

“I didn’t mean for this to be such a big deal. I was hoping for some time alone with you before I fell asleep. I won’t be around much tomorrow—job issues. This is not how tonight was supposed to go.”

I scoot closer and lay my cheek on his tummy. “I’m here, regardless. Plus, you don’t have to decide now. You and Talia will discuss what I shared, I’m sure.”

“Why can’t anyone come to me about simple things like smiting the wicked?”

“I’m trying to be supportive, baby.”

“Wilde wants into Talia’s knickers! Fuck supportive, tell me how you really feel. I need your honesty, my minx.”

“I think it’s a catastrophe in the making. Absolute idiocy,” I finally sigh, giving in to his plea.

He sighs. “Can we curl up here and sleep? Hopefully, I won’t have to think about this again when I wake up?”

I nod, maneuvering to let him into the soft sheets with me. “Definitely.”

He has no idea how badly this can go if he and Talia agree to Wilde’s request. I have to stop them before it gets serious, right? I can’t let anyone else run into that miasma of despair, even if it means facing things that I’m not ready to face.

Right?

The Cat Prepares The Circle

DELILAH

Idrive up to the clearing that Rafe and I set up for the ritual.

The space comes into view, and I marvel at the feeling of home that comes over me when I enter one of my sacred spaces. Breathing the air in deeply, I unload the totes of equipment we’ll need. The others will arrive soon, but at least they can appreciate the natural beauty of our site before we get ready.

The Company is built on death and destruction, but the beauty of the Rift is something to behold each day.

I’ve been doing rituals at the sacred space behind my home for years. It’s how I hide our community from the prying eyes of our enemies. That space has wards and traps all around it to keep people from entering without my permission. This space is in the open and that makes me uncomfortable, but I can’t protect it as I would my own space. The chosen have to be able to locate it and enter without our help, so I’m stuck with the edge of paranoia in my consciousness.

This is Beltane, the spring festival of fertility, and the odds are that this will be wild. I set a few little hexes at key points along the road to discourage anyone who doesn’t belong from following the path and to block unwanted outsiders. They’rewatered down versions of the spell leading to the gateways to the Resistance community. That’s the best I can do to hide us for the evening.

The spell I use to cloak the Resistance Quarter is both simple and complex—which is why no one’s figured it out.

It allows for those whoshouldbe able to enter while keeping those shouldn’t from crossing the barrier. The intricacy lies in weaving the spell so that people can’t trick their way in with ‘good intentions’ or third-party invitations. There’s a little psychology and a little science woven into the magick. It took me a long time to perfect it, and due to the scale, it must be renewed once every six months.

I grunt as I lift my heavy tote bag out of the trunk. Doing another scan for unwanted guests with my beast senses, I sigh when I don’t find any. I arrived an hour earlier than I instructed the others so I can get a feel for the energy here this evening. Then I have to set up, cleanse all the items, and get myself prepared. With no one else around, I can do this the easy way.

My lips quirk as I float the bag, plastic totes, and garment bags to the space in a neat line. I’m sure it looks reminiscent of a mouse and some brooms, but it’s a hell of a lot simpler than lugging it by hand.

The air in the space is charged with anticipation. I’ve been jazzed all day myself.

Everything for tonight is freshly made or brand new except my personal tools. I anointed them for the ceremony, but I’ve had them since I was in middle school. The oils, incense, and candles were made in my kitchen. The specially blended Beltane incense and Sabbat Oil that was easy to get fresh ingredients for with the exception of the worm ruff and neroli oil. Those I sent Leo and Hex to find via a scavenger hunt through occult stores on the other side.

The specific blends are very important, and I didn’t have time to brew or grow them myself. I will next time.

Luckily, they also picked up refills for some of my supplies while they were out, so it wasn’t a complete wild goose chase. They also stopped at the florist to pick up the flowers and the fern, helped me make new candles, and bought the materials for the bonfire. Rafe went along to supervise, and true to form, he came back with two extra robes he’d picked out because we didn’t know if Sari and Amanda would have the same equipment as Lily and Calista do.

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