Mirroring Mia’s gestures, Nell lifted her arms, slowly raising them high, then clasping her wand with both hands.

“On this night, in this hour, we call upon Luna’s power. Merge with us light into light.” Slowly, the wands were turned, aimed at hearts. “Woman and goddess glowing bright. Power and joy pour down from thee. As we will, so mote it be.”

She felt it, cool and fluid and strong, a flood of energy and light inside her. Pulsing, as that white ball of moon seemed to pulse as it rose gracefully above the trees. She could all but see it, blue-edged silver spurts of light that spun down and into her.

With the power came a rush of joy. It came out of Nell in a laughing gasp as Mia lowered her wand.

“Sometimes it’s just lovely being a girl, isn’t it? We’ll close the circle now. I believe, little sister, you’ll find an appropriate outlet for all that fresh energy.”

When she was alone, Mia put her own energy to use working a protective spell. Nell had a great deal of natural power, largely untapped. She could and would help her explore it, control it, and refine it. But there was something more immediate preying on her mind now.

Within the circle, within the woods, she’d seen something Nell had not. She’d watched the single dark cloud slide over the heart of the moon.

Thirteen

The last weeks of summer passed in a blur. Days were filled with work, with plans for the jobs she’d won and proposals for more.

Once the weather turned she would lose the summer-people aspect of her business. So she would be the clever ant, Nell decided, who carefully prepared for winter.

She’d solicit jobs for holiday parties, for Super Bowl Sunday, for cabin fever victims. The islanders were growing so accustomed to calling her for their events, small and large, it would become strange to do otherwise.

Nights were nearly always spent with Zack—taking advantage of the final burst of warmth with candlelight dinners alfresco, evening sails made brisk from the chill rising from the water, long, luxurious love-making in the cozy nest of her bed.

Once she lit red candles for passion. They seemed to work exceptionally well.

At least two evenings a week she worked with Mia on what she thought of as her ritual lessons.

And at dawn she was baking in her kitchen.

The life she’d always looked for was all around her, and more. She had a power inside her that ran like silver. And love that glowed warm gold.

There were times she caught him watching her, quietly, patiently. The waiting look. Each time she did, there was a tug of guilt, a ripple of unease. And each time that she took the coward’s way and ignored it, she disappointed both of them.