Page 12 of Pure Magic
Lowering my head, I have to catch my breath. “I’m not worthy of such an honor, Goddess.”
When I find the courage to look at her again, Hecate smiles. “That is for me to decide.”
“Forgive me.” I’m asking for more than my current statement. I long to be forgiven for a lifetime of sins.
Hecate places her less-than-solid hand on my head. “You have no control over the acts of others. Know you that your sires are safe in my arms. All things must occur in their order. Live in the light, as you have, and let go of that which is not your doing.”
“I don’t know how to do that.” My gaze flits to Sara Beth, who watches without a hint of emotion. I can’t tell if she’s awed by Goddess or curious about my sins.
Floating back so that she can look at Sara Beth and me at once, Goddess smiles. “It has been a long road to come to this place, children. Trouble is coming, as it always does. Darkness will always beat at light’s door. It is the nature of the world and the nature of magic. Find strength in each other. You will not find peace apart.”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to demand some clarity, but I’m too stunned to voice anything. Goddess magic covers me like a blanket before Hecate shimmers and is gone from the sacred circle.
Sara Beth looks at me as if she’s seeing me for the first time. “You may stay in Windsor, as clearly, it is the wish of Goddess that your path has led you here.”
Too shocked to respond, I sit back on my heels. The calm of Hecate’s magic flows through me, and while it remains, my chaotic magic works its way to the forefront. After a moment, I ask, “Does that mean my testing is over?”
As Sara Beth moves to the center, her chest rises and falls more quickly, and it’s the first indication that seeing Goddess had any effect on her. When she reaches me, she kneels, facing me. “I have many questions about your magic. While I want to see you use it, we can return to Windsor if you are tired or overwhelmed.”
I take her hands and stand, pulling her with me. “I am both, but I’ll deny you nothing. What would you like me to show you?”
“Let’s sit for a while.” She walks to the stones and sits. “Will you start the fire?”
Slightly off center of the ring, wood is piled. I draw in my fire magic and send it from my hand to the wood. It can be used as a projectile to harm, but I release it gently, and the wood sparks before the flames catch. Realizing a moment later that she could have lit the fire herself, I’m impressed by her clever way of testing without making me feel under scrutiny. “Did I pass?”
She pats the stone next to her and smiles. “You wield fire with more flair than I would have expected. No great explosions or drama, just enough to accomplish the task.”
“That sounded like a compliment.” Besides the clear fact that I’m attracted to her, I’ve never wanted to impress a woman more. I sit and watch the fire.
“It is only recently that I’ve grown to understand the magic of male witches.” The admission is hesitant, and a long pause follows where she looks from me to the fire. “My mother’s beliefs prejudiced me against men. Changing something so ingrained has not come easily to me.”
“I wouldn’t expect it to.” I draw a breath and force myself not to defend male witches. “I have traveled for three years and have met witches, both male and female, who are of light and dark. Your mother wasn’t completely wrong. Many men dabble in the gaining of power and will use it for ill in the attempt to gain more. It appears the more they get, the more they crave.”
“But there are women who fall prey to this as well.” She draws a shaky breath.
“Yes. Some witches are dark, and their sex is irrelevant. Your mother might have worried that a male witch within the coven may have tried to usurp her place, like a king who outranks the queen.”
Sara Beth’s shoulders stiffen, and her eyes narrow. “We have no such hierarchy in a coven. If my sister and brother witches find me unfit or find another better suited to the job, they will ask me to step down.”
“And would you leave the post without argument?” It would take moving my hand only an inch to take hers and feel her warmth. Resisting is not an easy task, but I don’t touch her.
Her shoulders relax. “I respect my coven family. I was a girl when I took over for my mother. It might be nice to be led rather than lead.” As sad smile pulls at her lips. “How would you extinguish the fire?”
The testing continues. “I would remove the air from the fire ring.”
“Why not douse it with water or earth?” She studies me with her hands placed demurely in her lap like a schoolmarm.
I love this staid version as much as the soft caring side and the fiery protector. “At this moment, the wood is still a viable resource. If I douse it with earth or water, it creates more work should I need to start it again.”
Her smile lights her dark eyes. “Show me.”
Drawing the air within me, I raise my hand and pull breath away from the fire pit.
The fire gutters and gasps, then blinks out, leaving only a whiff of smoke behind.
“Impressive.”
I feel like a man on top of the world. “Thank you.”
