“This will be our seventh and final year ruling the TU women’s studies program,” said Amber as four heads nodded in agreement.
“Well, except for poor Kelsey,” said Jordan. “She’s two years younger. Her parents forced her to graduate in five years.”
On a plainer chair farther from the fireplace, Kelsey laughed nervously. “Yeah, they can be unreasonable.”
Vanessa scoffed. “Unreasonable? They’re ridiculous.”
Thankfully, the front door opened then, and the girls stood and hurried to the foyer as Neferet breezed past them. She paused only long enough to wipe a scarlet trail of blood from her cheek with a finger and ask, “Lynette, is everything prepared?”
Lynette curtsied low, making a special show of respect in front of the vapid girls. “Yes, my goddess. All awaits you in the courtyard by the fountain as you instructed.”
Neferet licked the blood from her finger. “Good.” Then she continued through the house.
“You didn’t tell her that we filled two of those four bowls,” pouted Vanessa.
“She’s a goddess. I don’t have to tell her. She will know. Now, where will we have the best view of the courtyard fountain?” said Lynette.
“From the courtyard, of course,” said Vanessa, rolling her eyes.
Lynette skewered her with her gaze—well and truly sick of the spoiled child. “I have watched the goddess summon the sprites. They require a payment. Their last was the life of one of the watching humans. If you are prepared to make that sacrifice, then go ahead, join the goddess in the courtyard.”
Vanessa sighed. “Fine. We can watch from the dayroom upstairs. There’s a balcony we can go out on, but it’s really cold tonight.”
“That’s perfect, and should you go out on the balcony to observe, Neferet will know you are there and also know that you are prepared for what you must do tomorrow night,” said Lynette.
Amber spoke up. “Bestie, I think we should go out on the balcony. I mean, Nettie already told us that we have to be nakey tomorrow in the middle of the night at Woodward Park. It really is good practice. Plus, it’ll show Neferet how tough we are.”
Vanessa nodded slowly. “You’re right. Okay, let’s go.” She glared at Lynette as she led her posse up the wide stairwell. “But,” she said, “there better be something good to see.”
“You can watch and then decide how good it is,” said Lynette. And while you watch, I’ll work hard at not throwing you from the balcony.
“Oh. My. God. She’s naked!” Jenna pointed as the five of them stood at the edge of the balcony, shivering and staring below.
Neferet stood a few yards away from the long, rectangular koi pond, the center of which was decorated by a bronze statue of a graceful woman pouring water from an urn—or she would be pouring water had the little pond not been frozen. Over the water feature was a pergola, draped with miniature lanterns, which Lynette had made sure were lit so that the five young women would be able to clearly observe Neferet’s power.
Neferet had stopped at the stone bench where Lynette had left the soap, towel, and basin of water, as well as the tray holding the four offering bowls. Jenna had been right, Neferet had already stepped out of the disguise clothes she abhorred and was drying her face. She dropped the towel to the ground and pulled off the blonde wig, allowing her mass of auburn hair to cascade down her back. As she turned to lift the tray, they got a perfect view of Neferet, and the girls gasped.
Lynette didn’t blame them. She had seen Neferet naked many times and her lady’s perfection still shocked her.
“If in the Louvre, she would outshine Venus de Milo,” murmured Lynette.
Vanessa scoffed. “Well, of course she would. That statue is super old, and has, like, no arms. But of course you’d compare her to that. The truth is she’s even more gorgeous than any of the Kardashians.”
That pronouncement had the other four gasping again. Lynette wasn’t sure if she wanted to throw up or laugh in their faces. Instead, she reminded herself that tomorrow night would come soon enough, and simply said, “Keep watching. It’s about to get interesting.”
Lynette could tell that Vanessa wanted to say something sarcastic, but Kelsey was pointing below. “What is she doing?”
From the edge of the balcony, Lynette saw Neferet standing in front of the koi pond, facing the villa. She bent, placing the offering tray on the dark, frozen surface—and it was then that Lynette realized that the tendrils had swarmed over the ice. Looking like ink, they held the tray and guided it to the center of the little pond.
“The goddess is sending out the offerings to the four elements,” Lynette said. “Watch and you’ll see them be accepted.”
As if Lynette had called the sprites, the pond came alive. One blue, webbed arm lifted through the ice and pulled the tray and its contents under. Lynette wondered briefly what the hibernating koi might be thinking, but then the night around Neferet exploded with fey, and Lynette could only answer the questions being fired at her by the five awestruck girls.
“OMG, what are they?” Amber whispered.
Lynette realized she needn’t have worried about lighting the courtyard. It was ablaze with sprites. They flitted around Neferet, bathing her naked skin in their shimmering light. There weren’t as many as had come to her in Scotland, and Lynette didn’t see Oak among them, but that made their show no less magickal—no less impressive.
“The sprites have many different names—elements, fey …” Lynette explained. “But what they are is pure magick that manifests in the form of creatures who embody each of the four elements.”
“What about spirit?” Vanessa asked.
“I’ve never seen a spirit sprite. I think it’s because it’s around us all the time and doesn’t need to manifest physically. And also, Neferet embodies that element.”
“I wish I could hear what she was saying,” said Kelsey.
Neferet was speaking, and though her voice didn’t lift to the balcony, the power of
