Sacred Circle (15 page)

Devlin snapped his mouth shut at her words, and Brianna realized she had finally won an argument against him. She had been worried he would be furious over her emphatic “take charge” attitude; however, he appeared to be genuinely in tune with her tackling the situation by herself. Should she show him the Pentagram to relieve his mind? She caressed the smooth surface of a jeweled orb. A soft tingle began tickling the tips of her fingers. Yes, she was on the right track. Outside-in was possible.

Flashing the piece at Devlin, she lifted his hand and dropped the amulet into his palm.

“This is my personal amulet. What do you notice about it? First impressions.”

Devlin wrapped his fingers around the piece and closed his eyes. Brianna sensed he was searching for a trace of her essence within the core. His lips twitched unexpectedly, startling her.

“It's free of heat or ice—unlike its owner.”

Brianna blushed at once. He was alluding to their heated passion in bed last night, and she had no witty comeback to rail him with. She plucked the necklace from his hand.

“There's no sign of energy displacement anywhere on it, and there should be.”

“Which means what?” Tommy asked, joining the conversation.

“That everything we see here has been staged for our benefit. Someone wants us to think Mother's collapse was caused by her own carelessness, when in fact the opposite is true. She had help in going down in this circle.”

“That's a giant leap in logic, don't you think?” Tommy asked. “Besides, what does that have to do with the gem?”

Brianna's hand swept the muggy air around them.

“Amulets are worn for psychic protection from negative energy. They are charged and blessed before being worn. And most important, spirit guides use them as healing stones. If we're lucky, I should be able to poke a small hole in the energy field, and make it think I'm a spirit guide.”

Devlin's gaze re-scanned the circle and then back to her.

“That's a big if, Brianna.”

Her gaze scanned the area around their feet, and then moved on to the painted markings. Dropping down, she sifted the sand with her fingers.

“I wish we had positive proof that a rope once laid here.”

“Why does that matter?” Tommy asked, sinking beside her.

“Because we can't accuse anyone of trapping Sienna inside the circle without finding proof of a binding spell,” Devlin stated, falling alongside Tommy.

Brianna peered around Tommy's shoulders.

“We can't take any chances. We have to cleanse the space as if there are four elementals sleeping inside, which will be extremely tricky, because if I don't do it right, I could stir unwanted energy like we did before.”

“And more lethal energy,” Devlin added.

“You see, that's what I'm talking about,” Tommy said, as they all clambered to their feet. “Cleaning this circle is just too damn dangerous.”

“You've got to trust that I know what I'm doing, Tommy,” Brianna stated. “You know me pretty well. I think things out before doing them.”

She swung back to the circle, hoping she had impressed Tommy with her confident tone. If he, or even Devlin, suspected that she was having doubts about her ability to tap into the circle, she'd be banned from the clearing faster than a speeding bullet. What was her first step? Clear her mind, or set the grounding?

“Now what?” Devlin asked, his foot beginning an anxious tap in the dirt.

“Unfortunately, the ritual calls for a grounding . . . no, it can't be you.” She stopped him from speaking. “You are essential to the ritual in a different way. I need someone . . .” her gaze whipped to Tommy. “. . . who was sent here by my spirit guides.”

Seeing the stares coming his way, Tommy's face drained of color, and Brianna saw him swallow nervously.

“Who, me?”

“You were sent after me for a reason, Tommy. Now, we know why.”

“I came to protect you, not participate in some damn ritual that could get us . . .” He left the sentence hanging and Brianna pursed her lips in annoyance.

“Will the ritual work without Tommy?” Devlin cut in.

“Under the right circumstances, it can't fail, no matter what's left out. However, I have no way of knowing if these circumstances fit the qualifications.”

“Well, I suddenly trust your instincts, so let's do it without him. Just stay mindful of the rule of three, that's all I ask,” Devlin added.

“Here now,” Tommy asked, his gaze narrowing. “Why are we still talking as if Brianna is actually going to do this?”

Brianna exchanged a glance with Devlin, who caught the slight dip of her head as she crossed to her duffel bag again and rummaged through it.

“It's alright, Tommy,” she said. “I was wrong to involve you.” Finding the items she was searching for, Brianna stood, and moved to the circle. She placed the two black and white candles she had brought in a straight line, one behind the other. “We'll attempt it without the grounding,” she told Devlin.

Popping the top of a small vial, she poured a handful of cinnamon into her right jeans pocket, and then followed it with a handful of sage into her left pocket. Bending again, she doused her hands with Holy Water.

Cupping the amulet in her right hand, she turned to Devlin, who stepped forward quickly. In an instant, she was swept into his arms and kissed with such punishing sweetness that her stomach swirled wildly. To her horror, her senses reeled as if short-circuiting. Currents of desire shook her frame, and she was shocked by a crazy desire to return the kiss. A second later, she was free and stammering in confusion.

“What d-d-did you do that for?”

His grin surfaced.

“I didn't want to die without having kissed you again.” Brianna's eyebrows shot up in surprise, but before she could manage a response, he twirled her about to face the circle again. “If you see or feel any breaks in the aura, you pull out, you hear? If you don't, I will add my powers to the mix and let the chips fall where they may.”

He took a step back and Brianna was glad he didn't have the ability to read her mind. Thanks to his kiss, it was a cluttered mess.
A definite sawdust factory,
her inner voice nudged. To her surprise, Devlin shook her shoulders lightly.

“Just take a deep breath and go to that quiet place in your mind.”

Brianna took his advice and closed her eyes. Thank goodness, she had kept up with her meditation techniques. She felt her shoulders squeezed again and her eyes shot open. She saw Devlin's finger wagging at her.

“Say hello and goodbye to the Guardians, and then get the hell out. And whatever you do, stay calm. Any emotional high on your part could trigger their anger.”

Did a burning desire and aching need for one of his soul-melting kisses constitute an emotional high? She tossed the thought away. Better to think of the kiss as a love offering to the Guardians. A gentle shove severed her reverie.

“Get on with it,” Devlin urged.

Brianna turned back to the circle, catching sight of her mother's body. The glimpse caused tears to well up and wet her eyelashes. She bit her lower lip to keep a sob from escaping. Get a grip, Brianna. Retrieving your mother's body depends on staying grounded. She took a deep breath, and, a moment later, Tommy's fingers slipped into her left hand.

“Just don't send me to the hospital,” he stated, softly.

Brianna flashed him a smile.

“You're the straightest arrow I know, Tommy, and once we start, the spirits will know it too. However, there'll be some tingling . . . nothing alarming. Don't pull away. The ritual should take no more than three minutes, but I'll try to make it the most interesting three minutes of your life.” He took a deep breath and Brianna's gaze shot to Devlin. “I need you to stand directly behind the candles, but not too close. If I release the cone of power wrong . . .”

“Yeah, I've witnessed that talent already,” Devlin interrupted. “Just don't put
me
in the hospital.” He counted off the yards, and positioned himself directly behind the black candle.

“Get ready.” Brianna stated, centering her torso directly over her hips and knees. She closed her eyes again. Focus. That was the primary thing to remember when doing any ritual. Any loss of focus meant loss of energy. And a loss of energy meant a busted ritual. And a busted ritual meant a catastrophic chain of events.

She tuned into the quiet descending around her, and focused on the feel of Tommy's hand in hers. His palms were dry, his pulse regular. That was a good sign. If he was calm now, he'd stay calm during the ceremony. Perhaps, that was why he had been sent—to keep her calm and focused.

Transferring her attention to her own breathing, she gauged her pulse. Steady and strong—a mirror to Tommy's. In her head, she ticked off the rhythm . . . five . . . four . . . three . . . two . . .

• • •

The caped figure studied the figures surrounding the circle and smiled. They were attempting to undo the spell, just as expected. How delightful! Their failure would be a perfect ending to a flawless plan. Not only would Sienna be out of the picture, but in a few minutes, Brianna would be gone too. Maybe even Devlin.

A rustle in the grass had the figure jumping to the side and inspecting the ground. A sleek Moon snake slithered away, crawling under a pile of stacked leaves for cover. The figure smiled again. Seeing a Moon snake during a full Moon was a powerful omen, a sure sign that the leadership of the coven would soon be up for grabs.

The figure turned, studying the trio in the clearing again. They'd never figure the ritual out. It had been too carefully orchestrated and executed. Another rustle of leaves crackled, followed by a black blob streaking past the figure's ankles. Again, the figure jumped aside, hoisting the hem of the black cape up from the ground and draping it over a tattooed arm. The blob stopped and looked back with glittering yellow eyes at the figure. Intimidated, the figure stamped the ground.

“Git, Nicodemus. Or I'll put a curse on you as well.”

The figure held up a jeweled Pentagram, swishing it towards the cat. Nicodemus growled low in his throat, and then whirling, bolted from the tree line. The figure watched the feline's retreat, with a smug smile. Not even a magical cat, like Nicodemus, could halt what had been started. In a few hours, the leadership of the coven would go under the Council's vote, and then, thanks to another glorious spell in motion, the leadership would be transferred to a witch with untold powers of magic. No one could stop that from happening. Not Brianna and certainly not Devlin.

The figure snorted. The pair had married, thinking to merge their powers and come out heroes in the Council's eyes. Another arrogant assumption on their part. Well, let them try, the figure gloated. At least for a few minutes. The moment they stepped into the circle, the spiral loop Sienna had built before collapsing would implode on them. They'd be as dead as she was. And, best of all, no one would ever suspect the outcome had been rigged from the start.

. . . One . . .

Brianna's mind dropped into a quiet darkness full of peace.

“The circle is open, but not unbroken.” Devlin's voice urged through the quiet. “Focus on that.”

His words sent Brianna's mind winging to thoughts of her mother and the last time she had seen her Draw down the Moon. Her hands had been lifted gracefully upward, and the sight of the blue aura surrounding her had been mesmerizing. She had been so sure of herself that watching her had been a spiritual experience, not only for her, but for the entire congregation.

Spurred by the image, and a sudden influx of emotion, Brianna opened her eyes, cupped three fingers around the amulet, and passed her hand across the boundary of the circle. She felt the ripple of energy at once and knew they had guessed right. There was still lingering energy infused in the circle that needed to be neutralized.

“Gracious Lady, Gracious Lord, strike in me your ancient cord. Aid my quest and approve this spell, magic make for a daughter who fell.” Her opening chant sounded foreign to her ears, yet at the same time it sounded right, as if drawn from a page of her mother's Book of Shadows. “From life to death and life again, the spirit wheel turns round. Light to dark, pain to love, all strands of time are bound.”

The energy ripple intensified under her words and Brianna felt the first stirring of a tingle in her outstretched hand. She immediately revved up her chant.

“Hail spirits of fire, the air, the land, and the sea. Show me the way that four becomes three. Reveal to this Pentagram, your essence and light. Then depart from this place, with the quickest of flight.”

To Brianna's surprise, her fingertips began to glow with a blue aura of energy, and light tingles began to saturate her entire arm. The tingles widened, covering her entire chest, and then slipped down her left arm, into her hand. She felt a slight pull on her wrist and knew Tommy had been doused with a jolt of the energy. Still, he held his course, clinging to her hand, and keeping his composure.

Brianna concentrated on the blue aura, pleased when its essence made itself known to her. A playful water sprite—but not so playful at the moment. She greeted the pulsing aura.

“Spirit of the west, long trapped in this place. Return to your world, with no trace of disgrace. Forgive those who used you, and treated you ill, depart from the place, your next task to fill.”

The blue aura dissipated rapidly, leaving a red fire trail swirling along Brianna's fingertips. Again, Brianna recognized the essence. A salamander—aggressive and hot-tempered. She wished it away quickly.

“Spirit of the south, whose anger burns bright, return to your world, bathed in only love's light. Forgive those who used you, and treated you ill, flee from this place, your next task to fill.”

The red aura increased its glow, sending a powerful dose of energy into her hand before disappearing from view. In its wake, Brianna saw a double band of green and yellow teasing the amulet in her fingers. Earth and Air—the last of the sleeping giants.