Page 59 of Peacock Me Like a Hurricane

I enter the center of the space, eyeballing the distance, and measuring in my mind before creating the circle. Pulling the blanket out of the first tote, I walk out three feet from where I think the circle will end, spreading it out to lay the ingredients on. I open the second tote, placing bottles and boxes on the blanket so they won’t spill. The cedar case where my ceremonial knives—the athame and the bolline—are stored is followed by the sandalwood puzzle box containing my vials of essential oils.

Next, I set out the cardboard box of tapers, incense, and extra-long fireplace matches. That’s followed by the God and Goddess pillars, the besom, baggies full of soil, feathers, holy water, sea salt, and oak leaves. The last things I spread out are the robes—including my own.

It’s one of the few things from my past I kept when I moved here and it’s integral to this ceremony.

My robe is hand sewn and anointed with dried herbs and oils that particularly enhance my own powers. It was made by the healer of a coven that I spent time with in France during high school, and it hums with imbued enchantments that I couldn’t sense until I moved to the Rift. The two extra robes are not nearly as fancy, but they’ll do.

Once everything is ready, I prepare to cleanse and find balance within while I wait for others. This will be an interestingevening and I want to be completely prepared. Calling the Goddess into myself on this balmy Beltane night means I’m inviting her consort—the Horned God and King of May— as the honorary guest of all Beltane festivals.

I’ve read about the mating aspect of this celebration, and I hope for nothing less this evening. A reconnection with my true mate via the goddess will strengthen the ties that exist. I’ve always wondered what would happen if you mix the Rift science with traditional Earth magick, and tonight, I will find out. I can only hope that all of my powers will mesh with the Universe harmoniously so that I can accept my destiny.

The sun sinks slowly over the horizon and I glance at my phone lying on the blanket to catch the time.

Any time now, it will begin.

The Cat Welcomes The Beauties To Beltane

DELILAH

Twenty minutes later, Sari steps through the circle of trees followed by Calista, Amanda, and Lily. All of them are chattering away nervously. I stand to brush myself off, waving. When they approach, I follow tradition and hug them one at a time.

Please let this not be a royal fuck-up.

Sari grips me tightly, and it takes everything I have inside not to shudder. I realize Rafe may be correct in his recent assessment of our situation with them—no matter what they do to repent, the damage done is too severe. We will never forgive them. I don’t have time to analyze that, though, so I paste on a smile.

“Merry meet and bright blessings on this beautiful Beltane,” I say. My brow furrows when it occurs to me that I sound like the pagan Cat in the Hat. Shaking my head to clear it of silliness, I force a smile at my erstwhile mate.

Sari grins, “MM.” She thinks she’s super cool by not saying the entire greeting. Abbreviating it means she’s so familiar that she doesn’t even have to say the complete sentence.

Spare me.

She and Amanda are ready and raring to go by the looks on their faces. Calista and Lily look apprehensive. It’s worrisome when the actual pagans look like scared rabbits and the pretenders are firing on all cylinders. I turn to Sari and ask her to set up the bonfire with Amanda, trying to get them to focus.

“These are your flowers to spread around the circle while I’m casting,” I tell Lily, holding up the buttercups. “Calista, you’ll spread the oak leaves. Sari will sprinkle violets, mine are red roses, and Amanda’s are irises.” I wrinkle my nose at the cute yellow flowers, glad that they’re not mine, and they all giggle.

“Is there some reason that we have specific flowers?” Lily asks curiously.

“Oak leaves are a symbol of Beltane and the Horned God,” Calista offers helpfully, opening the small bag she has. She places two robes—obviously for her and Sari—on the blanket before taking her baggie.

I nod. “Each of the flowers are tied to the element you represent. Calista is the spirit anchor, so she has the leaves. The rest of us are calling the quarters—fire, water, air and earth.”

“No fair explaining without us,” Amanda exclaims, rushing into the clearing with Sari. Their arms full of kindling as they huff up to the circle.

“I’m not explaining, only answering questions.” I pull out several labelled sets of note cards with each person’s parts, courtesy of Hex.

The boys have been extremely helpful in this endeavor. It makes me wonder if there’s a more nefarious reason—like cameras in the trees. I narrow my eyes and look closely at the nearby foliage, straining to access my kitty vision without shifting.

“We don’t know who we will call as our God, right?” Lily asks, eyeing her cards anxiously.

“No. I assume that calling the Lady—my Goddess— into me will tap into my heart and soul. For me, that also includes my primal side. When the Goddess calls her mate, it will include all aspects of you. Those of us with dual natures will most likely experience that part with our other part present, so be ready for that.”

Sari gives me a smirk, her expression saying that she knows who my beast will pick. I smile wanly because her thoughts are dead bloody wrong. There’s no way in Heaven or Hell that she will pick her primary’s jackass demon. I am, however, a little worried about who will be chosen.

Will the Goddess pick someone that will re-open a wound as a way of telling me I’ve made mistakes?

Now I’m as nervous as a vampire in Italy. I know that when the Goddess calls her true mate to the ceremony, it doesn’t mean that she is the true mate for the person called. Sometimes, the God and the Goddess have multiple true mates. I didn’t tell the others that because I thought it would cause issues. But what if my true fucking mate is someone that Icannotbe with?

I’m such a walking goddamned disaster.

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