Chosen

as I pulled out the next match, as the old Jim Morrison song, 'Light My Fire.' I smiled at her. 'Fire warms us with its passionate flame. I call fire to our circle!' As usual, I barely had to touch the lit match to Shaunee's candle. It instantly combusted, licking light and warmth against our skins.

'I couldn't be hotter if I was on fire,' Shaunee said.

'Well, Nyx sure gave you the right element,' I told her. Then I walked over to Erin, who was practically vibrating with excitement. My match was still flaming, so I simply smiled at Erin and said, 'Water is a perfect balance to flame, just as Erin is a perfect Twin for Shaunee. I call water to our circle!' I touched the match to the blue candle and was instantly engulfed in the scents and sounds of the sea. I swear I could feel warm, tropical water washing against my legs, cooling what fire had just overheated.

'I do love me some water,' Erin said happily.

Then I drew a deep, fortifying breath, made sure my face was set in a calm smile, and I walked over to where Erik was standing at the head of the circle and holding the green candle that represents the fourth element of the circle, earth.

'Are you ready?' I asked him.

Erik looked a little pale, but he nodded and his voice was strong and sure when he said, 'Yes. I'm ready.'

I lifted the still burning match and 'Ouch! Crap!' Feeling like an utter moron and not High Priestess in training and the only fledgling ever to have been gifted with an affinity for all five elements, I dropped the match that I'd let burn too long and scorch my fingers. I looked sheepishly at Erik and then around the almost completed circle. 'Sorry, guys.'

They shrugged off my dorkishness good-naturedly. I was just turning back to Erik and digging in the cylinder for the next match when what I had seen—or rather, what I hadn't seen— registered in my mind.

There was no thread of light binding Damien, Shaunee, and Erin. Their candles were lit. Their elements had manifested. But the connection we'd felt since the five of us had cast our first circle together, which was so powerful it had been visible as a beautiful, binding thread of light, was definitely missing. Not sure what to do, I sent up a silent plea to Nyx, Please, Goddess, show me what I need to do to reform our circle without Stevie Rae! Then I lit the match and smiled encouragement at Erik.

'Earth supports us and nurtures us. As the fourth element I call earth to our circle!'

I took the long match and touched it to the wick of the green candle. Erik's reaction was instant. He cried out in pain as the green candle flew from his hand away from the circle and into the thickening shadows behind the tree. Erik was rubbing his hand and muttering something about it feeling like he'd been stung, at the same time a string of cussing was coming from the darkness as someone who was, apparently, very pissed off, was heading our way.

'Dammit! Ouch! Shit! What the—'

Aphrodite emerged from the shadows holding the unlit green candle and rubbing a red mark on her forehead that was already beginning to swell.

'Oh, wonderful. I should have fucking figured. I'm told to come out here in the'—she paused, looked around at the tree and the grass, then wrinkled up her perfect nose—'wilderness all surrounded by nature, and what do I find besides insects and dirt? The nerd herd throwing shit at me,' she said.

'I only wish we'd thought of it,' Erin said sweetly.

'Aphrodite, you are a hateful hag from hell,' Shaunee said just as sweetly.

'Dorks, don't talk to me.'

Ignoring their bickering I said, 'Who told you to come out here?'

Aphrodite met my eyes. 'Nyx,' she said.

'Please!'

'Whatever!'

'Not likely!'

Damien and the Twins all shouted together. I noticed that Erik was keeping suspiciously silent. I held up my hand. 'Enough!' I snapped and they shut up.

'Why did Nyx tell you to come out here?' I asked Aphrodite.

Still meeting my gaze squarely, she approached me. Barely giving Erik a glace she said, 'Move out of the way, lame ex-boyfriend.' Surprising me, Erik actually stepped out of her way so that she took earth's place in front of me. 'Call earth and light it, and you'll see,' Aphrodite said.

Before anyone could protest I followed my gut, already knowing from the premonition it was giving me what would happen. 'Earth supports us and nurtures us. As the fourth element I call earth to our circle!' I repeated and then touched my newly lit match to the green candle. It flamed instantly, surrounding Aphrodite and me in the scents and sounds of a lush meadow at full bloom in the middle of summer.

Aphrodite spoke softly. 'Nyx decided I needed more shit in my already crap-filled life. So now I have an affinity for earth. Ironic enough for you?'

CHAPTER 9

'Oh, no damn way!' Shaunee shouted.

'Ditto, Twin! Only no fucking damn way!' Erin said.

'I can't believe this is right,' Damien said.

'Believe it,' I said, my back still to the rest of the circle as I continued to stare at Aphrodite. Before my friends could freak out any more I added, 'Look at the circle.' I hadn't needed to look at it. I already knew what I'd see, and their gasps told me I was right. Still, I turned slowly, awed anew by the beauty of the powerful thread of goddess- given light that bound the four of them together. 'She's telling the truth. Nyx sent her out here. Aphrodite has an affinity for earth.'

Shocked into silence, my friends just stared as I moved to the center of the circle and picked up my purple candle. 'Spirit is what makes us unique, what gives us courage and strength, and it is what lives on after our bodies are no more. Come to me, spirit!' I was engulfed in all four elements as spirit rushed into me, filling me with peace and joy. I walked around the circle, meeting my friends' confused, upset gazes, trying to help them understand something I didn't really get myself, but what I could feel was, indeed, Nyx's will.

'I don't pretend to understand Nyx. The Goddess's ways are mysterious and sometimes she asks really hard things of us. This is one of those hard things. Like it or not, Nyx has made it clear that Aphrodite should take Stevie Rae's place in our circle.' I looked at Aphrodite. 'I don't think she's exactly thrilled about it.'

'Understatement,' Aphrodite mumbled.

I continued. 'But we have a choice. Nyx doesn't force our will. We need to be in agreement about letting Aphrodite in, or—' I hesitated, not knowing how to finish. We'd tried to cast the circle with someone else, and Erik hadn't been allowed to represent earth. Maybe it was just Erik the Goddess didn't want standing in the circle, but I found that hard to believe. Not only was Erik a good guy and already a member of our Council, but my gut was telling me that the problem wasn't that Nyx didn't want Erik. The problem was that Nyx specifically wanted Aphrodite. I sighed and blundered on. 'Or I guess we can start trying a bunch of different kids and seeing if any of them are allowed to manifest earth.' I looked outside the circle and met Erik's shadowed eyes. 'But I don't think Erik's the issue.' He smiled at me, but it was just a movement his mouth made; the smile didn't reach his eyes or touch his face.

'I think we have to do what Nyx wants us to do. Even if we don't like it,' Damien said.

'Shaunee?' I turned to her. 'What's your vote?'

Shaunee and Erin shared a look and I swear, weird as it sounds, I could almost see words pass in the air between them.

'We'll let the hag join the circle,' Shaunee said.

'But only because Nyx wants it,' Erin said.

'Yeah, but we want to go on the record as saying we totally do not understand