Untamed

'Jack, it's okay. Really. I was just, well, surprised. Which is what a surprise is all about. I'll be fine now.'

'O-okay. Are you sure? Are you ready?'

'Yes and yes,' I said before I could run screaming in the opposite direction. 'Start the music for me.'

'Knock 'em dead, Z!' he said, and ran back to the audio equipment, keying the beginning of the music.

I closed my eyes and began the deep breathing that would help me clear my mind and prepare myself for calling the elements and casting the circle—and because of the Erik surprise, totally forgetting to tell Jack he should check the nanny cam.

As always, I was a ball of nerves until I started toward the circle and the music filled me. Tonight the soundtrack of Memoirs of a Geisha was haunting and beautiful. I lifted my arms and let my body move gracefully to the orchestra. Then Erik's voice joined with the music and the night, creating magic.

Beneath the shining stars,

Beneath the gleaming moon,

When night has healed the scars

Of burning noon . . .

The words of the poem caught me, carrying me on a tide of Erik's voice. I flung back my head and let my hair fall around me as I moved slowly into the circle, weaving words with music and dance and magic.

. . . And so, I say to you,

If hate possess your heart,

When day's hot strife is through

Bid hate depart . . .

I moved unerringly around the circle, loving the perfection of the poem Erik was reciting. It felt so right, and I knew that before, when Loren had called me into the circle, he'd used it as an opportunity to seduce and dazzle me. He hadn't thought about what the ritual should mean to me, or the rest of the fledglings, or even to Nyx. Loren's motives had always been self-serving. I could see that so easily now that I wondered how he could have ever fooled me so completely. Erik was as unlike him as the moon was unlike the sun. The poem he'd chosen was about forgiveness and healing, and though it would be nice to think he meant some of it for me, I knew that his first thought had been what would be best for the school and the kids who were trying to heal from the deaths of two professors.

The disappointing day,

Whenever wrong, or how,

Is something passed away,

Is ended now.

Forget, forgive, the scars,

And sleep will find you soon

Beneath the shining stars,

The gleaming moon.

The poem ended as I joined Erik in the middle of the circle in front of Nyx's table. I looked up at him. He was tall and heart-stoppingly handsome dressed all in black, which complemented his dark hair and intensified the blue of his eyes.

'Hello, Priestess,' he said softly.

'Hello, Consort,' I replied.

He saluted me formally, bowing deeply with his right fist closed over his heart; then he turned to the table. When he came back to me, he was holding Nyx's ornately decorated silver goblet in one hand, and a ceremonial knife in the other. Okay, by 'ceremonial' I don't mean it was for play. It was sharp, wicked sharp, but it was also beautiful and had been carved with words and symbols that were sacred to Nyx.

'You'll need this,' he said, handing me the knife.

I took it, disturbed by how the moonlight glinted off the blade, not having a clue what to do next. Thankfully, the music was still playing and the watching horde of people were swaying gently to the mesmerizing Geisha melody. In other words, they were watching us, but only with easy anticipation, and as long as we kept our voices low, they couldn't hear us. I did glance at Damien, and he waggled his brows at me and winked. I looked away fast.

'Zoey? You okay?' Erik whispered. 'You know it's not going to hurt me much at all.'

'It's not?'

'You haven't done this before, have you?'

I shook my head slightly.

He touched my cheek for just a second. 'I keep forgetting how new you are to all of this. All right, it's easy. I'm going to hold my right hand out, palm up, over the goblet.' He lifted the goblet, which he had already shifted to his left hand. I could smell the red wine that almost filled it. 'You lift the dagger over your head, salute all four directions with it, then slash my palm.'

'Slash!' I gulped.

He smiled. 'Cut, slash, whatever. Just run the blade along the meaty part under my thumb. It's seriously sharp, so it'll do the work for you. I'll turn my hand and while you thank me in the name of Nyx for my sacrifice to her, some of my blood will run into the wine. After a little while I'll close my fist, and that's when you take the goblet and walk to Damien so you can start casting the circle. Tonight you give each of the representatives of the elements a drink of the wine, ritualistically cleansing the elements before you do the big school cleansing part. Got it?'

'Yeah,' I said shakily.

'Better get going then. Don't worry. You'll do fine,' he said.

I nodded, and lifted the dagger over my head. 'Wind! Fire! Water! Earth! I salute you!' I said, turning the blade from east to south, west, and north as I called each element's name. My nerves stated to fade as I could already feel the power of the elements building around me, eager to answer my coming summons. While I could still feel the echo of my salute, I brought the dagger down. I pressed the tip of it against the base of Erik's thumb, which he held steadily for me, and then with one quick motion, sliced the deadly sharp blade across his palm, exactly where he'd told me to cut.

The scent of his blood hit me immediately, warm and dark and indescribably delicious. Transfixed, I watched it bead, like ruby jewels, and then Erik turned his hand so that they could fall into the waiting wine. I looked up into his clear blue eyes.

'In Nyx's name, I thank you for your sacrifice tonight and for your love and loyalty. You are blessed by Nyx and beloved of her Priestess.' And then I bent and gently kissed the back of his bleeding hand.

When I met his eyes again, I saw that they were unusually bright, and I thought his face was tender, his expression intimate, but I couldn't tell if he was just acting the part of Nyx's consort, or if he was really experiencing the feelings he was showing me. He fisted his hand and saluted me again saying, 'I am now, and always will be, loyal to Nyx and to her High Priestess.'

There wasn't any more time for me to wonder whether he was talking about me, or whether he was just acting out the rest of his part. I had a job to do. So I took my goblet of blood-spiked wine and walked over to stand in front of Damien. He lifted his yellow candle and smiled at me.

'Wind, you are as dear to me and familiar as the breath of life. Tonight I need your strength to cleanse the stagnant breath of death and fear from us. I ask that you come to me, wind!' This ritual was a little different, and Damien had obviously been more forewarned than I had been, so he was ready with a lighter to touch it to his candle. The moment it lit, we were surrounded in a mini-tornado of exquisitely controlled wind. Damien and I grinned at each other, and then I held the goblet up so he could sip from it.

I moved clockwise, or deosil, around the circle to Shaunee, who was already holding her red candle up and smiling eagerly.

'Fire, you warm and cleanse. Tonight we need your cleansing power to burn the darkness from our hearts. Come to me, fire!' As per usual, no one needed to touch Shaunee's candle with a lighter, the wick burst into glorious flame all by itself as we were filled with warmth and the light of a guiding hearth fire. I lifted the goblet for Shaunee, and she took her drink.

From fire I moved to water and Erin holding her blue candle.