Page 14 of Carnal Magic
Redwine daughter,
Keeper of the Spring,
The mountain rejoices each time your bare foot touches its earth. Air sings with your every breath. Waters of life spring from the earth, heated with your fire. Every living thing on the mountain revels in your presence.
Her blood flows in your veins, and the dark god knows you.
He felt the first moment you stepped foot on his mountain.
He smells you. He tastes you. He hears every beat of your heart and burns to drink your pleasure again and again.
He will never be satisfied.
He sends minions to lure you to him. They will tend your smallest wish and desire, but beware. The dark god does not forgive. He is not merciful. He is not gentle, or tender, or kind, and he has been waiting.
For centuries.
For you.
Well,fuck.
10
Iread the new page over and over, analyzing each word. Trying to make connections to what Martha had told me. She’d said we were descended from an ancient goddess of this land. The mountain.Hismountain…
If there was a goddess, I supposed it made sense that there was a local version of the god too. Every Persephone had her Hades.
Shivering, I rubbed my arms briskly. The day started sunny and warm, but the temperature had dropped significantly. Autumn was here, and it’d be much colder in the mountainous hills than I was used to in New Orleans. Winter would be even worse. So it was probably a very good thing that I planned to go home to help Keneesha soon.
Though something in me yearned to stay and embrace the wild forests of the mountain. I was scared of this so-called dark god, but I’d never felt so much… potential. I wanted to stay and see what I could do. How far I could go.
A wave of guilt flooded me. I was a selfish asshole. My second mother was battling for her life, and I was moping like a toddler because I couldn’t stay on my mountain and live like a wild woman. I had my whole life ahead of me to figure my shit out. I had to take care of Keneesha first.
While I washed my bowl in the sink, it occurred to me that I hadn’t cleaned up my plate from the delicious chicken. It wasn’t in the sink—but the plate was gone from the table when I got back. Minions who’d take care of my smallest wish and desire? I supposed that meant dishes andPopeye’schicken.
I tried not to remember the dream from last night. The super-hot water, thick with steam. The hands stroking me, pulling me deeper. They were meant to lure me to him. Entrap me, like Persephone had been kidnapped to the underworld for half of the year.
“Note to self,” I muttered aloud, shaking my head. “Don’t eat any pomegranate seeds.”
A little freaked out, I decided to forego the wine to keep my wits about me, head to bed, and read the rest of Martha’s journal for a while, even if it was just random notes about her life and the surrounding woods. I wanted to know more about her and my family.
I took my time getting ready for bed, making sure to do my normal routine that I’d do at home. I changed into my sleep shorts and tank, washed and moisturized my face, and braided my hair so it would be easy to brush out in the morning. I had long, straight hair with fine texture, so it tangled easily. Plus I’d lightened my caramel blonde to platinum. My hair stylist always used the best protective products on the market, but they were still chemicals, and my ends were fragile.
Curled up in the warm, cozy nest of pillows and downy blankets, my intention of reading quickly faded away. Eyes heavy, I blinked, trying to focus on Martha’s notes, but my mind kept wandering. Minions. Like the little yellow guys fromDespicable Me? My grin turned to a yawn. I turned on my side, tucking my arm beneath the pillow.
Which movie made me think of a dark god? The dark lord fromThe Lord of the Ringswith the flaming eye? What was his name…? Sauron. No, no, the red horned guy from that older movie with Tom Cruise.Legend.Damn, Tim Curry had been hot as the dark lord. Or back to my original idea of Hades. Hopefully his hair didn’t burn like blue flames.
Snickering, I closed my eyes to rest them for just a moment.
11
Steam billowed around me, thick and moist and heavy in my lungs. My hair plastered to my forehead and neck. My skin glistened with sweat, as if I’d been sitting in a sauna for hours. At least I still had my pajamas on, though the damp cotton clung to me.
I looked around for anything familiar. This wasn’t the hot spring alcove in the side of the mountain like last night. At least I hadn’t had to make that climb again. My aching thighs would never be the same. I couldn’t see much with all the steam. I tipped my head back, but I couldn’t make out the stars. Steam? Or clouds? I couldn’t be sure.
Dark rock felt hot beneath my bare feet. Gingerly, I edged forward step by step, feeling my way with my hands out before me. I wasn’t sure if the ground would suddenly fall out from beneath me, if I’d tumble over a cliff, or run straight into a wall.
“So.” A heavy voice echoed around me, loud and thunderous. “At last, she comes.”
