Page 50 of Haunted Eclipse

“Who are you?” I whispered, keeping my voice low.

You know who I am,the woman’s voice whispered back.

“Aphrodite,” I said. I was right, I knew it from my inner heart to my outer core.

I am the essence of love and passion,she said.And I come to you now, when you stand at the crossroads. You stand between worlds. You must either choose my path, or to walk on your own. If you come into my service, the road may not always be easy, but it will always be paved with love. Do you choose to follow me?

I thought about it. I’d never thought of having a patron goddess before, of pledging to the gods. But Aphrodite was the heart of what I worked for—to help people bring love into their lives. It made so much sense.

“What do you require, my Lady?”

You work with me and only with me, unless I give you permission. I will do what I can to protect you and further your magic. And you in turn, pay homage to me. This is the moment, Maisy. Will you walk this earth as my priestess?

And right then, I knew that I was destined to belong to her. Aphrodite embodied everything I stood for. I caught my breath, held it for a moment, then let it rush out in one big breath.

“I will. I choose to walk your path, Lady.” I wasn’t sure what to do next, but I figured she’d tell me, and I wasn’t disappointed.

Then gather to you the tools of our trade…you will need a crystal ball and a deck of cards dedicated only to me. An apple wand, which you will make by hand, and an athame whose hilt is silver as the night sky. A necklace, to honor me—you will wear it at all times.

“What kind of necklace?”

You will know it when you see it,Aphrodite said.And then, she added,Pledge to me when the moon is next full. Until then, know I am watching over you.

Before I could answer, as quickly as it had come, the mist departed and I was alone again. Only, I wasn’t alone in my heart. And never again, would I be isolated and totally lonely.

As I turned around, I caught sight of something on my desk that hadn’t been there before.

It was a gorgeous shell—a conch shell that was the size of a cantaloupe. The spiral curves were a warm peachy color, with a perfectly shaped spire that reminded me of a Ram Thai Crown Dancer headdress, laid on its side. The little bumps along the curving ridges made me think of jewels on the headdresses.

I picked up the shell and magic tingled through my fingers. As I brought it to my ear, I heard the swirl of ocean waves, and a light breeze sprang up, bringing with it the scent of seaweed and brine. It calmed my worries, sending a wave of peace through me, and I could feel Aphrodite’s energy behind it.

Use this whenever you need to reconnect with yourself and with me. Make certain it’s part of your pledging ritual.

I silently assented. I had to hurry. The full moon was tomorrow, and I could feel Aphrodite there, ready to claim me for her own.

Astra arrivedhome and I immediately told her what had gone down with Aphrodite. “I need someone to oversee my pledging ritual and it has to be tomorrow. Can you do it?”

Astra didn’t hesitate. “Of course,” she said, sitting down. “First, you need to invite Crystal to be here. I’m not certain why, but she’s a necessary part of the ritual. It can be just the three of us, but she’s necessary. Second…you need a new dress for this. Sexy and comfortable, but it needs to represent Aphrodite, so something in a pastel pink or seafoam would be perfect. Or peach. Third, the necklace. You must have it before the ritual.”

“So, I have to go shopping tomorrow. I hope I can find something that looks good on me.” I wasn’t used to wearing revealing clothing. When Dan had been alive, I’d been far less self-conscious.

“Yes, you do. And you’ll find something. I know it.” Astra glanced at the clock. “Why don’t I make a light dinner before Brenda gets here?”

“Thanks,” I said. “A sandwich or soup would be great.”

As my aunt headed into the kitchen, I let out a long breath. Everything was changing so much that I wasn’t sure what to expect next. All I knew was that the next few days would change my life in numerous ways, and I hoped those changes would be for the best.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Astra droveme over to Brenda’s, since my car was out of action. We followed Brenda, who stopped at our house before heading home from the hotel.

“Are you coming in?” I wanted her there, in case I messed up.

“Nightshade wants you to tackle this yourself, but I’ll come in. I won’t take the lead on anything.” She glanced at me quickly, then back at the road. “I know you’re scared, but you can do this. You’ll be fine.”

“I hope so. I hope I can keep us all safe.” I stared out the window, wondering how life had suddenly become so complicated. “Being an adult isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, is it?”

She laughed. “No, it’s not. And it doesn’t get any easier as you get older. We can eat candy for breakfast if we want, but then we feel the consequences from that. Nothing’s ever free in life, not even when it’s given freely. There will always be ramifications to whatever you choose to do. That’s why there’s no such thing as the perfect crime. There will always be something left behind…it may take a skilled detective to find it, and it may not be found right away, but there will always be something that leaves a crack.”

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