“What… what do I have to do?”
“You are receiving a miracle,”the goddess answered, teasing again, brushing through me, warm and vital, a current of alchemy and life. “You have this power now—but with every gift comes a duty. A responsibility. You are my daughter, Poppy. A witch, as well as an alchemist, as well as a gypsy. You are favored.”
“Favored?”
“Yes. You have been given sight and touch for a purpose.”
Images danced through my mind then: images of soldiers, allies, the coven, my friends. Those were followed by images of magical wards blazing. And suddenly I could see Haven Hollow itself—as if it were a living thing. I could feel the goddess shaping the energy around it, guiding the flow. And then I could only focus on Andre beneath me—steady, real, warm—anchoring me.
“Do you understand, Poppy?”the goddess whispered.“You are still learning. And by pledging yourself to me, you have opened doors you would never have touched otherwise.”
“I need to make sure I’m ready.”
“You are ready in ways you cannot yet know,”the goddess said.“And in ways you will have to learn. But for now… feel this. Know it. Let it teach you. Let it remind you what it is to be alive, what it is to be loved, and what it is to protect life in all its fragile beauty.”
My chest rose and fell, my breath coming in short spurts as the visions faded slowly, leaving me dazzled, trembling, and unshakably aware of the gift—and the burden—flowing through me.
“What’s going on?” Andre asked, voice low, reverent. I wondered if he could feel her here, too. Or if I looked like a crazy person.
“I don’t exactly know how to explain it,” I started breathlessly. “It was… the goddess. She’s… well, she’s inside me. I... I didn’t just join the coven symbolically.”
“What do you mean?”
“I think… as far as my magic is concerned, I’m half witch. Somehow I’ve opened the door to something—something beyond just alchemy.”
“What does that mean, Poppy?”
“It means… I’m going to have power. A lot more than I want, I think. Starting now.” And then I felt a sureness within me that what I was saying was correct.
“You have the ability within you to heal, Poppy,”her voice suddenly sounded in my mind again.
And then I looked at Andre. “I… want to try something.”
“Okay.”
I knelt beside him, and when I focused on what I was about to attempt, the air grew thick with the scent of salt and smoke—scents which hadn’t been there only seconds earlier. Andre looked slightly alarmed, but didn’t argue with me when I began working on his buttons. Once I’d removed his shirt, I touched his skin over his heart, and I closed my eyes. I could feel an incredible power suddenly taking hold of me. Energy suddenly blossoming up and filling every part of my body. When I opened my eyes, I watched as gold light bled outward from my fingertips. Andre inhaled sharply, as the golden light channeled itself into a stream, threading from my hand into his chest.
“Solve et coagula.”The words sounded in my mind.“Dissolve the corruption, bind the essence anew. Alchemy is one of the ways my world touches yours, little witchling. I speak your language, if only distantly.”
“Solve et coagula,” I repeated the words aloud.
And then I knew what I had to do next. In order to share this healing energy fully, I had to meld my body with his. Andre’s eyes flew open wide when I undid the buttons on his pants.
“Poppy?”
“It’s okay,” I whispered as I carefully inched them down his long legs. He looked a little surprised when I shoved his boxers down next. That was when I realized he was ready for me. So I didn’t waste any time. Instead, I shifted my own panties to the side and settled astride him, the fullness of him inside me drawing a satisfied sigh from my throat.
Our energies met like two metals in a crucible, resisting for a moment, then fusing. The light between us rose in waves. And as we held each other, as close as we could possibly be to one another, a bridge was formed between our bodies. The bridge drew my health down into him, carefully sponging away any pain and discomfort he was feeling, leaving only pleasant tingles in its wake.
The reaction built until I thought I’d split. Then, slowly, the heat softened. The shadows of pain withdrew from him, dissolving into vapor that shimmered and vanished. What remained was a slow, luminous rhythm—his pulse answering mine, his aura bright and whole again.
When the final flame guttered out, I held my hands to his chest, fingers joined over his heart. It was hammering as hard as mine. He was warm and sweaty. So was I. He stared at me for a long moment before framing my face with his hands.
“I feel right as rain.” He paused.
I smiled down at him. “Now, if you feel better, I could do with a proper thank you.”
His gaze twinkled. “I think I could show you my most effusive gratitude for the next few hours. If you’re not busy.”
