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“Of course,” Hecate breaks in with purpose. “We all understand where your thoughts and instincts were in the moment.” She rakes a pointed gaze up and down the table. “Though some of our memories are dimmer than others, we all started from the exact same place.”
Kiama and Liseli shrug in unison, but it’s Aradia who speaks up for the group.
“You are correct, Goddess,” she says solemnly. “We are simply…surprised.”
“It’s all right,” Kara replies. “But I have to know…why? Did I do something wrong? Or in the wrong way?”
Hecate pushes out a gentle huff. “Abolish both those thoughts at once. If anything, what you did was extraordinary. Now, we are here to help you tap into all that power, in all the proper ways.”
“Exactly.” Circe picks up that cheerful mood with some happy bounces against her seat cushion. “And it’s going to be fun. So. Much. Fun.”
For the first time since we sat down, Marie inserts a reaction into the conversation. “Ahhh,oui.Be certain to drink your morning elixir.” Her dark eyes gain some distinct twinkles. “I suspect you may need the extra nutrients.”
“Agreed,” Morgana says. “Who wants to wager on how fast our little prodigy climbs the levels of legerdemain?”
Marie shakes her head. “Last time I went in for one of your wagers, I lost a crystal ball.”
“And me a Pompeiian goblet,” Aradia adds.
The others chime in with more good-natured banter, but I’m not listening anymore. Kara’s crawled back into a tension-lined shell and stays there for the rest of the gathering, which ends mercifully soon.
I don’t have to look at my watch to know we’re closer to dawn than midnight by now, confirmed by everyone’s discreet yawns as they embrace Kara on their way out from the willows.
Morgana and Aradia, who hung back to cast cleanup spells, have cleared most of the clutter by the time Hecate beckons to Kara and me with a graceful wave of fingertips, summoning us toward another pathway out of the grove.
The packed-dirt trail closely follows the stream’s curves, and I can’t say I’m complaining about the peaceful break from one of the most chaotic nights of my life. Even my insomniac side doesn’t want to be conscious for the stroke of four a.m.
“You two need some rest. Your cottage isn’t much farther.”
Right now, I can’t think of ten better words in the world. I’m pretty sure Hecate already sees that, her smile radiating kindness as she stops and motions us toward an offshoot path.
Ahead, with soft amber light in its rustic windows, is a picture-perfect dwelling that belongs more in the hills of Umbria or Tuscany. All the hallmarks of the vibe are here, including the vines along the stone walls, the front porch with exposed beams, and the rustic iron chandelier over a sturdy pine picnic table.
“Hecate…” Kara murmurs as the goddess leads the way up a small incline, past well-kept flower beds and a scallop-edged fountain, to a flagstone walk that ends at the cottage’s arched front door.
Hecate stops and casts back an inquisitive look. “Hmmm? Is everything all right?”
“Oh, yes.” Her voice is tired, but there’s a defined purpose in her gaze. “This place… It makes me think about the stories Gramps used to tell me, about the summers during his boyhood when he visited his grandparents in Perugia. This is exactly how he described it.”
“So it is to your liking?” the goddess inquires with a gentle look.
“Oh, definitely. It’s lovely.”
“Inside, the refrigerator is stocked with cold drinks. You’ll find some new apparel in the bedroom wardrobe and toiletries in the bathroom. But if we’ve forgotten anything—”
Kara’s laugh is instant and sincere, evoking a surprised look from Hecate. Seems the goddess has bought into a few impressions from the outside world—at least about Kara being a Tinseltown princess expecting regular white-glove treatment.
My sweet woman doesn’t waste any more time in dispelling that one.
“Are you kidding me? We couldn’t ask for anything better.”
Hecate’s smile is fast and full. “Then I am pleased. The others will be too. It was a real group effort for the conjurings, since we had no idea you’d be arriving so soon.”
Kara’s cheeks are taken over by a flush. “None of you had to fuss over me.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. We have waited so long to call you our guest. We are honored to have you.”
To this, Kara can’t even drum up a proper gush. It’s an awkward moment for her but one I understand. Hecate’s banter is a denial of everything Kara’s learned as her personal identifiers. The dutiful daughter. The careful line follower. Even, in Hades’s terms, thefascinatingprize trophy, there to meet family obligations and nothing more.
