“Better than being an adult,” Daria shot back.“Anyway, I gotta bounce.I’ll see you at the studio later.Now go call her.”
“Fine,” Lissa muttered, following Daria into the kitchen and pulling open a drawer to find the business card with the Elixir Enchantress’s number.“But it’s not a date.”
Daria just blew her a kiss and disappeared out the back door.
“It’s not a date,” Lissa reminded herself firmly.
Now if only someone would tell the butterflies in her stomach that.
Chapter Nine
Ria
“MostbelovedGoddess,Hecate.The brightest light who illuminates our night.Guide the path we walk upon, so our magic may always take flight.Blessings be.”
“Blessings be,” Ria and the other witches intoned in response.Hands clasped in the circle, the women all waited for the magic to fade.
A few seconds passed, and then Marella, the High Matron’s wife who was leading the closing chant, let her arms fall to her side.“Thank you all for coming to this morning ritual,” the older witch announced.“Go now and walk in the Goddess’s love.”
Hands dropped around the circle, and conversational chatter picked up.Ria’s mom, along with a few other witches, began trudging up the sandy beach toward the parking lot.Ria wasn’t quite ready to leave yet, so she took a few steps closer to the water and lowered herself to the sand, watching as the waves snuck closer and closer to her toes each time they rolled in.
Despite heading toward the cars, her mom would no doubt chat with Marella for at least half an hour before calling for Ria to join her so they could leave.With the High Matron still on a “soul journey” as Ria had been told, there was a slight bit of contention with who would take over the meetings each week.Marella had been filling in, but it sounded like Ria’s mom was vying to take over the spot if the Matron didn’t return soon.Even witches had politics apparently.
But since Ria couldn’t care less, she hung back, watching the waves glitter in the burgeoning light of the new day.The warmth of the rising sun soaked into her back, and she let the soothing feeling melt into each and every muscle.She could think of no better way to start her day than watching the ocean sparkle to life as the sun began its journey up through the sky.
“You look happy,” a soft voice broke through her reverie.
Ria cracked an eye open to see Kelly standing over her with Bootsy, Hailey, and Jess lingering just behind.At least, she thought it was Jess.Provided the twins never swapped beads, she’d learned Jess was the one with blue in her dreads.“Oh, hi,” Ria replied, throwing up a hand to shield the light.“Yeah, I’m one of those annoying morning people.I always feel my best at the beginning of the day.”
“Makes sense,” Bootsy said, plopping down unceremoniously next to Ria, her breasts jiggling in the too-small bra that barely covered her nipples.“I’m the same.It’s like I can feel my soul rising with the sun, and it gives me this boost of energy.”
“Yeah, and for the rest of us, there’s coffee,” Kelly added, gingerly lowering herself to the sand on Ria’s other side, careful to brush away any bits of shell or seaweed before she sat.
“Sorry if we’re intruding on your moment,” Hailey chimed in as she and Jess joined their little line of witches gazing out at the sea.“We wanted to see how things were going.You’re so quiet in the meetings.”
Ria tucked a stray curl behind her hair.“Yeah, I’m still getting my feet under me, I guess.I’ve never been part of a coven, aside from the few rituals my mom dragged me to growing up.I just never felt like I belonged here.I’m not really a witch the way you guys are.”
“And what kind of witches are we?”Bootsy asked, digging her toes into the sand until the tops of her feet were covered.
“You know,” Ria replied, gesturing idly at the ocean.“Witchy witches.Communing with nature and stuff.”
“Uh-huh,” Jess said, leaning forward so she could face Ria.“And what are you doing right now?”
“Right now?I’m sitting on the beach, watching the waves,” Ria replied.
“Kinda sounds like communing with nature to me,” Hailey remarked.“What do you think, Bootsy?”
“I think if we weren’t here, she’d be naked and dancing in the surf.”
Ria opened her mouth to protest their highly inaccurate assessment of her extracurricular activities, but Hailey cut her off.
“I’m going to have to agree,” the petite Asian witch said solemnly.“Sorry, Ria.Verdict’s in.You’re a witchy witch too.”
“It’s okay,” Kelly added, brushing sand off Hailey’s leg that nudged up against her own.“Embracing your witch side doesn’t mean you have to change who you are.We’re all different, and we love one another for it.”
“She’s right,” Jess said.“You don’t have to be or act any specific way to be part of our coven.Each of us brings something unique to the table, so there’s always someone to help out if a witch is struggling.For instance, Jenna and I work a lot of rituals.”
“And I’m great at handcasting,” Hailey chimed in.
