“All you have to do is relax,” she said.
I chuckled. “If I relax too much I’ll just sleep and you can do whatever you need to.” It felt like lately I had two modes: sleep or running around like a chicken with my head cut off.
Wait, were we going to need a blood sacrifice to raise the dead? Isn't that what they needed whenever they showed it on the TV or in movies? No, they would have said something if that was the case, right?
We grinned but then quieted down to let Beth focus. I relaxed as much as I could, jumping a little when I felt Beth tap into my powers and draw on them. It tickled.
But I didn’t close my eyes. That really would have resulted in me sleeping.
Since I was the only one with my eyes open, I was the first to gasp, and then laugh when the ghost of a little skunk toddled toward us. Its large butt was swaying heavily as it waddled and I couldn't help but wonder if a ghost skunk could make me stink like a real skunk? If they could, this was about to be a very short attempt at summoning the dead.
“Well, hello there,” Beth said once she opened her eyes, practically cooing at the animal. “Who are you?”
The skunk cocked its head and looked up at her, then spoke in the deepest, grouchiest voice I’d ever heard. If Danny Devito was an animal, he would’ve been this skunk’s voice. “What’s the big idea? I was happy!”
“Sorry,” Beth yelped, then the itchy feeling of her drawing on my magic disappeared. So did the skunk.
“Maybe I’ll lead the circle,” Carol said.
“I don’t think that’s going to be enough,” Deva said, glancing at me, then back to Carol. “I think we’re going to have to lean into it.”
I arched one eyebrow. “What does that mean?”
Deva grimaced. “Remember how we had to get naked before and you really kinda freaked out?”
I flattened my expression and glared at her. “Seriously?” Why was it always the naked stuff that we needed to do to get the magic to cooperate? Maybe the magic gods were just big pervs and liked watching us dance naked?
Carol and Beth tittered. “It’s not so bad. You just eat Deva’s brownie, and the dance draws magic from nature. I’ll do the summoning, and the ghosts will come.”
“While we’re naked,” I said.
“I figured we’d have to,” Deva said. “I put robes in the car. As soon as they appear, you can slip a robe on.” She went to the car, grabbed a pile of robes, and threw us each one.
Had she known this from the beginning? Ugh. She came so well prepared that she obviously suspected and they knew I wouldn't say no once we were all the way out here and trying to make it work. Manipulators, the lot of them. I huffed before grumbling, “Okay...I guess.”
Five minutes later, Carols’ phone played some Celtic melody into the darkened cemetery. At least the sun had fully gone down. No one should be able to see us from the road and as the harp and violin rose in pitch and intensity I could feel the magic starting to do its thing.
My skin tingled. Carol had grabbed my magic. “Here.” Deva handed me a small brownie. “Start dancing.”
It was super awkward at first, but then, about thirty seconds into chewing the brownie, it kicked in. Thank heavens for that, because I was about to cave and pull my robe back on.
It wasn’t like being high, exactly. It was more like feeling powerful. I could sense my connection with nature, like a rope of gold, tying me to the earth, the trees, even the air around me. Nature didn't give a rat's behind about clothes so why should I?
My body danced without thought, my arms swaying over my head as I spun and stepped. The music carried me instead of me trying to follow the music. It was all there, I just had to let it take over.
Suddenly, ghosts surrounded us, dancing along with us. I squeaked and dropped to the ground, grabbing the robe Deva had laid out for me.
And just in time too. I stood up and faced a beautiful woman. Her face was long and angular, but not in a painful way, in a way that made her look like a model or at the very least someone who should be photographed. Even though she was in her misty ghost form I could see that her hair would have been brown, a rich chestnut would have been my guess from the way there were subtle highlights throughout. Her eyes were probably green or blue and as she smiled it seemed like warmth was radiating out of her. “Hello,” she said in a hollow voice. “You’re Emma.”
Oh, my gosh. I knew who she was. “You’re Sarah. You’re Daniel’s wife.” I whispered the end as my heart seized in my chest. Was she there to yell at me? To tell me to stay away from her husband?
She inclined her head once. “I am. And I’m so glad you summoned me.”
I shrugged to get the robe more comfortable as I tied the belt around my waist. I tucked a lock of hair that had come free from my ponytail behind my ear. “I didn’t exactly mean to, though I’m glad to meet you. He obviously loved you so much.”
She smiled and ducked her head, like there was something she was trying to keep secret, something that was just for her and Daniel. When she looked back up it was just a normal smile before she said, “And I him. I wanted you to know I give you permission.”
I gaped at her, not sure what to say. “Um, what?”
