Maybe the witch I was still existed underneath, I just needed to yank that tether a little harder to get her back.
Realistically, I was forever changed now. But that didn’t mean I couldn’t evolve into something better—a sexier, stronger, more badass version of the woman I’d been. And what could be more badass than literally keeping another small witch thriving? Maybe I hadn’t felt sexy—and Goddess knew that was valid, considering the bodily fluids I dealt with on a daily basis—but that didn’t mean I wasn’t.
Why was I so hard on myself when I could see the beauty in everyone else around me?
“Witches,” Aurora raised her voice, commanding the space. All chatter ceased, and she stepped up on the bench to look over the crowd. “Thank you all for being here tonight on this auspicious new moon. I have loved our tradition of these little get-togethers since they started and look forward to many more to come. Bountiful blessings, Witches!”
“Bountiful blessings!” everyone shouted, clinking their glasses together if they had them.
“Please, indulge with some refreshments. As you can see, there are various stations set up around the house for you to enjoy. At the bar there are a handful of elixirs available: beauty serum, stress eliminating elixir, and full moon formula for those of you looking to continue the celebration at home,” she said with a wink.
I looked over at the fully stocked bar and the baskets of herbs hanging from the ceiling, along with ones filled with various fruits and garnishes. “Casting will begin just after midnight for those joining in.”
My attention darted around the room. Ruby was situated at a table doing readings, a small cauldron set beside her, probably filled with more intestine purée. Another table was set with little plates holding sage, rosemary, thyme, roses, and pine needles. A large spool of twine and a pair of scissors were laying on a tray, along with framed instructions. Jade and Ivy started in that direction, so I followed, sitting on the long bench opposite them.
Grabbing a handful of pine needles, I added some blue sage, rosemary, and thyme before I tied it up with the cotton twine, securing it at the base with a knot. Then I moved up the bundle, crisscrossing the string as I did, going back down once I’d made it all the way to the top.
Next to us a few of the coven jotted down notes on pieces of seed paper. And out on the patio witches clustered around a large soaking tub. Cordelia Blossom stood within in only her underwear while a few of the coven brushed her in glittering opalescent paint in honor of the Moon Goddess who hid this night. A reminder that we served her from below, just as her acolytes did above us, regardless of whether she hung within reach.
“The runes you all use for the new moon are different from the ones we used in Salem,” I said to Ivy and Jade, tying off the end of my smudge stick. While they were all half naked and casting tonight, making up for the moon’s glow, I’d be at home cleansing myself of the last four weeks since Hazel disappeared. “I didn’t realize covens adopted different ones.”
“It’s unique to each coven and their values,” Jade replied, starting on a second smudging stick. “Usually set by the coveness.”
“So Aurora?”
Ivy nodded, then reached for my smudge stick, taking a few sniffs before adding some extra blue sage to hers. “It should be Ruby, but she didn’t want the position. She prefers to be behind the scenes.”
I could hear my neighbor talking to someone about their fortune. She was trying to comfort them from her tone.
Jade finished her smudge stick, then got up and moved to the seed paper farther down the table. “Aurora was nice enough to volunteer to take on the position.”
Well, wasn’t she the perfect little witch?I withheld the urge to mock hurl, instead scooting down the bench toward the seed paper, making sure not to wake Aspen. He let out a yawn and gripped my shirt but remained asleep.
Phew.
“I don’t know how she does it along with everything else on her plate,” Jade continued.
I grabbed a small block of paper, thumbing over the texture and scanning for the bits of seedlings. Then I took a pen and sat there staring at the paper, thinking exactly how I wanted to set my intention for this moon cycle. The wording had to be just right. “She’s quite the multitasker.”
“Luckily, Laurel, Cordelia, and Heather help her out,” Jade said, looking deep in thought as she scribbled on the page.
I began writing down my new moon intention, then crumpled my piece of paper. “The perfect little circle of Blessed Crescent.”
“Well, yeah, minus Acacia,” Ivy grumbled, quickly jotting something down on the sheet and then handing it to Jade to carry for her like it was covered in rodent crap.
I still had yet to formally meet the woman from 1 Blessed Crescent Jade and Ivy had warned me so much about. “Why doesn’t she go to anything?”
“I don’t know. Probably too busy for us with her research.”
Too busy, or is there something else to it?
I clutched the seed paper in my hand. “What kind of research does she do?”
“No clue,” Jade said, getting up. “I’d love to know, but she’s never around to ask. Anyway, looks like we can just go right out back to plant these in the pines.”
“Sounds good.” I followed, wondering if Lynx and Saros had heard or found anything tonight that would bring us closer to Hazel.
Chapter24
