Page 143 of Castings & Curses

Ricky escorted Sage out the rear door. Uncertainty set up a padded room in Sage’s mind. The bobcat sounds didn’t mirror the animals from her forest escapade.What the what?

“What’s wrong?” Ricky shut the door behind them. Music and the cheerful clamor of the festival gatherings and games drowned out the racket in the witch-house. Sage tipped her head back for his view, and he recoiled, his shoulders shuddering. “Your aether?” Only a few people in her life had ever seen her aether rising, or even knew about it.

She nodded. “I didn’t want anyone to see. For all they know, the bobcat scared me and I left to regroup.” She knuckled her eyes, leaned against his bracing arm. “The animals that threatened me this morning sounded different.”

“Are you sure?” Ricky led her to a weathered picnic table behind the witch-house, an area off bounds from the festival. He unfolded a dusty lawn chair, and she sagged into it, elbows on her knees, chin in her hands.

“Positive. But she could’ve used magic to throw me off.” The aether retreated into her core, boiling and popping, waiting for Sage’s call to action.

“True.” Ricky crouched, picking at weeds growing between the pavers. “By the way, congrats.”

“Gee, thanks. How does it feel to be the number one warlock of the entire western region?” Ice, her bonding familiar, peeked out from the neck of his T-shirt and cooed at her with adoring eyes.

He grinned, his mouth stretching out his trim goatee. “Can’t say I feel any different. Guess I will once you bond three other warlocks, considering I’m only temporary.”

Sage waggled her head. “What do you mean temporary?”

Ricky rose and paced the patio. He kicked at more weeds in the pavers, toed pine cones in a pile. Always ready to clean up any mess when Sage needed him. “I want to ask Leah to marry me. I can’t be bonded to two witches, and it’s not fair to her if I remain tied to you.”

“Oh, Ricky. Of course you two must marry and bond.” Sage sat back, her eyes normal and her headache a dull throb. “I love Leah. She’s a great earth witch to have in my coven and to mentor my cousin.” Although not a blood relative, Leah had joined the Wilde coven two years ago. In her mid-thirties and an only child, her parents had moved to Spain and abandoned her except for the occasional phone call. She’d found a home with the Wildes and lived in a cabin on the property with Ricky. “You ready to learn earth magic?” She tossed him a smile.

“How hard can it be? I’ll miss your witch-fire though.” He held out his hand. “Come on. You need a drink.”

“I’ll grant you earth magic and you can take it for a spin. With our ley lines, you’ll eat your words.” Sage took his hand, and he tugged her up. With her aether, the melting pot of all elements, she possessed the ability to wield air, water, earth, and fire magic. But she only granted fire to her warlocks, the magic of all magics.

“Any warlocks catch your eye? Other than Joshua?”

“You heard that BS?”

“Aspen made him the butt of several jokes making the rounds.”

Sage cringed. Just what she needed. Another angry warlock hovering around. Speaking of, would Rafael Reyes return, or had the door slammed on his delectable rear? A wistful tweak on her heart proved how much she detested never seeing him again. She needed to track him down. After the festival, when normal life resumed. First, she needed to wake up and smell the roses. Every High Priestess in the region will badger her to form her protection team. Especially with the constant Helwig threats.

“I had my eye on one warlock.” Movement in the gazebo sheltered by the trees and decorated in floral vines and fairy lights caught her attention. A young couple sucking each other’s faces off sat on a marble bench. Wistfulness blossomed around her heart.

“Is he powerful? A good connection?”

More than she cared to blab to the world. “Very.”

“Make a play for him. He’ll boot everyone off your back until you find two more.”

The door opened, and Aspen bounced onto the patio. She shut out the drama in the witch-house. “Those biotches won’t let up.”

Sage’s spine arrowed straight. “Did the Helwigs leave?”

“Nope. The Council banished them, but allowed them to finish today’s Council biz and attend the warlock lottery.” Aspen hid a burp behind her hand and brushed her long, lustrous red hair behind her shoulders. Strawberries-and-rum-scented breath wafted from her. Sage had no plans to rat out her sister. The resulting hangover would be fitting punishment.

She spun her thoughts to more persistent matters. Thank the goddess Rafael had split, after all. Or else Zelda would snare him. Sage didn’t want that fight on her scorecard.

“Better finish the meeting before we end up stomping down a revolution.” Aspen headed to the door. “FY in your eye. Every High Priestess here’s gonna force you to bag at least one warlock tomorrow.”

Sage cringed. “How many available warlocks are there? I saw seven last night. Including The Tool.” She traded wicked grins with Aspen.

“A dozen, give or take. They’ll be on display”—she did air quotes—“at the party tonight. Maybe one or two will catch your eye, or another body part. Now get your rear in gear.”

Sage plodded through the day to finish Council business. Unrestrained magic dwelled in every corner of the witch-house, the bulk stemming from the Helwig table. Lunch came and went, and the meeting ended at four o’clock.

Exhausted and jittery, Sage left, Ricky on one side and Aspen on the other. She plucked another drink from Aspen’s hands and sucked down a gulp, gagged. “What god-awful concoction are you drinking now?” She jammed the glass into Aspen’s grabby hand.

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