Page 66 of Power Shift
Chapter
Twenty
Full of pizza and beer, I dug my bare toes into the carpet and stretched. Ash and Tess lay tangled together on the couch, the dryad trailing a lazy finger through Tess’s hair. Moira sat cross legged on the lounge chair, and I’d chosen the loveseat because it had a cup holder.
And I was currently on my fourth glass of wine, mentally applauding my foresight because the others had to shift position or,gasp, sit up to reach their booze, and all I had to do was pick it up and shift it a few inches to my mouth.
Music played through the Bluetooth speakers, one of Moira’s numerous playlists, this one with hours of mixed genre music. We needed tonight, the chance to get together and take a load off for a little while.
The seed’s shadow hung over us, no one wanting to broach tonight’s peace. But we needed to talk about it. Whatever this was felt big. A portent of doom hung over our heads. Overdramatic? Six months ago, I would have said yes. Now? Everything felt like a portent of doom these days.
“Got any dessert?” Moira said.
Ash snorted. “I’m convinced your stomach and the Mary Poppins purse are related.”
Moira patted her flat stomach. “It is bigger on the inside.”
“You’re lucky it’s not bigger on the outside,” Ash said, laughing when Moira tossed a napkin at him.
He shifted Tess and sat up. “Thanks for this evening. It’s been far too long since we’ve all hung out like this.”
“We see each other every day,” Tess said. “But that’s work. This is…friendship.” She blinked owlishly. “It’s nice.”
I made a mental note to gather everyone at the house at least once a month in the future. “Then we’ll do it more often,” I vowed.
“I’ll bring the wine!” Moira grinned and reached for her glass.
“Snacks are on us,” Ash said, winking at Tess.
“Oooh, you’re officially an ‘us’ now?” Moira teased.
The dryad tugged Tess closer. “Official,” he confirmed.
“Yay!” I lurched from my seat, swayed, and reached for Ash and Tess, dragging them into a sloppy hug.
Moira snickered. “Oh yeah. I’m definitely bringing the wine next time.” She uncurled herself from the chair and plopped beside me, throwing her arms over us.
We sat hugging each other for a while until Ash groaned and waved us away. “Let’s put the wine down and chat.”
“No,” Moira whined. “Let’s keep drinking and order sundaes.”
I raised my index finger in the air. “Seconded!”
Ash rolled his eyes. “Next time we won’t have such a serious thing to talk about. But tonight, we must discuss your finding.”
“Not mine.” I jerked a thumb over my shoulder to the flytrap gnawing on my hair. “Hannah uncovered it. She sensed something there and went straight to it.”
The flytrap had proven adept at getting herself from point a to point b, and I didn’t always see her move. Nor did I hear her either, but when I did, the thump, thump, thump of her potwas easily identifiable. It was when I didn’t hear her, and she suddenly appeared somewhere that made me nervous.
“She’s an extension of your magic,” Ash said quietly, eyes intent on the plant. “I believe you might have eventually sensed the same, but your attention has been divided. For months now.”
I grimaced. “True. Sorry.”
“No need to apologize. It is what it is. You don’t commune with your land as deeply as you used to, not all of it.”
I glanced at him sharply. “How do you know that?”
“I sense it.”
