Page 35 of Sweet Inferno

Toyin drove us to The Square, a section of downtown that hosted local exhibits and markets. Vendors set up their tents along the sidewalks and around The Square. There was a large area in the middle lined with wooden benches where you could sit and enjoy live music or just enjoy the atmosphere.

I loved coming down here, even if there weren’t any exhibits, because it was such a beautiful outdoor area right in the middle of downtown. The bench-lined center area was positioned around a few old trees that they didn’t want to cut down and they provided shade on days like today when the sun was beaming.

This week was Hex-travaganza. Several of the local covens hosted it once a year. They set up fun, family friendly activities during the day, and at night, things shifted a little darker like spell casting, drinks, shadow dancing, and black magic circles around the bonfire.

For humans to fear our worlds so much, they damn sure paid a lot of money to be a part of it. Even if they assumed it was themed or just for fun, they still proved to be obsessed with our magic and supernatural presence. The money the humans spent at Hex-travaganza put funds back into the covens for them to utilize however needed.

It was the third day of the festival, but still packed, so parking was crazy. We ended up leaving her Jeep a few streets over, deciding the walk was better than fighting over a spot. Armed with our totes so we could shop and keep our hands free, we made our way to The Square. Most of the biggest vendors were in that area because the fees were higher, while the smaller ones were further down along the sidewalk. There were drink stands and food trucks, which had my stomach growling.

“You sure you don’t want to eat first then shop.”

“I’m just going to Circe’s, so unless you have something you need, it won’t take long.”

“I only have to stop at one other place. Ayanie called and said she got some stuff in this week. I need to get more dragon’s blood resin and I hope she has some carnelian and lava rock.”

I used the lava rock to anchor my fire elements with the active flames and the carnelian crystals were utilized in charging objects and drinks with creativity and sexual energy. Being near a college campus meant those went fast. Ayanie had access to raw stones that I could break into smaller pieces. A little went a long way.

Luckily for us, neither of our stops were busy, so we walked right up and grabbed what we needed. Circe had left a few minutes before we arrived but had Toyin’s package waiting. Dittany of Crete was good for manifesting and passion love spells. It was a rare Mediterranean herb that Circe had a connect for. I grabbed some Erontas for my feel good elixirs, which were a drug-free alternative to ecstasy.

After I purchased what I needed from Ayanie, we headed right to Cinder and Cauldron’s booth to get barbecue. We both got spicy glazed chicken skewers and corn ribs, finding a spot at one of the empty picnic tables across from the row of food trucks.

“God, these are so good.” Toyin dipped a corn rib into the smoky dipping sauce.

“We should have gotten an extra one to split,” I said, forking a piece of glazed chicken from my first skewer.

“As much as I want it and would eat it, I can’t, unless we’re taking a nap before we head back,” she said, dunking another corn rib. “Did Kyron tell you he came to see me and what we talked about?”

“He did.”

She licked her fingers, circled one in the air, outlining my face, and smiled widely. “Your energy is the same, well mostly the same. When I said his name, your flame called to him. But you’re blue and red. He was blue and black. Well, you’re blue with a thin line of yellow.”

“Yellow?” I arched a brow and she nodded.

“I think that’s the caution and I noticed you didn’t mention the red,” she stated smugly.

Damn sure didn’t because that red was on rotation in my mind.

“The sex is great. I don’t have to ask what the red is.”