Page 28 of Witches and Wine (The Mythical Mates of Arcane Cove #1)

Night had spilled over the Cove from the time we’d confronted Rumpelstiltskin.

We trekked into the forest in search of the Priestess.

I wished I’d brought Riley because his absence weighed heavy on me.

Today would be the last time we were separated like this.

For an animal I once thought to be my adopted pet, he’d become spiritually bound to me.

The more my magic settled, the desire to have him at my side increased.

“I’m not sure if it’s finding out I’m a moon witch or this place in particular, but the night sky feels incredibly calming to me all of a sudden,” I admitted, sighing at the way the moon’s glow felt like iridescent velvet blanketing my skin.

Dion cupped my elbow and, not realizing I had closed them, opened my eyes. “Can you feel your magic more? The moon, the stars, it should all heighten your power if what Stilts said was true.”

Pausing to pet a leaf covered in starlit dew, I smiled. “Considering how much he lied about, something in my gut tells me there wasn’t a reason for him to lie about that a second time.”

“Damn,” Dion breathed out, staring at me.

I fought the compulsion to run my hand through my hair in case it’d become unruly. “What is it?”

“You’re beautiful, Chelsea, but in this moonlight, you’re drop-dead fucking gorgeous,” Dion confessed, the word “gorgeous” escaping his throat wrapped in a delicious snarl.

Trailing my fingers up Dion’s stomach, I landed on his chest. “Thank you. And as much as I want to have my way with you in the middle of these woods with the stars as our only witnesses, the Crone could very well be another witness. I don’t know what I’d do with myself if she knew I delayed finding her, my High Priestess, to bang my mate. ”

Dion winced and scratched one of his horns. “I know, I know. I was only half propositioning you.”

“By the way,” I started, curling a finger around the tip of one horn, hissing lightly at how unexpectedly sharp it was. “You should leave those out more often.” Grinning at him, I strolled past, letting my hand drag over his stomach, my nails catching on his shirt.

Dion groaned and snatched my wrist. “You’re not playing fair, Stewart.”

A twig snapped nearby, making us both stiffen. The mood changed from sensual to acute awareness within seconds.

A small brown rabbit with a fluffy white tail hopped from behind a thicket, its nose and whiskers twitching as it stared up at us with a curious gaze. Once satisfied we weren’t a threat, it scampered along, disappearing into a log.

Groaning, I spun several circles. “This is worse than trying to find a needle in a haystack. Because at least the needle would be visible at some point.”

“You’re so certain she’s hidden in plain sight. You keep mentioning that. Any particular reason?” Dion twirled his staff like Darth Maul in A Phantom Menace , and it had my core tightening.

After looking away to keep from being unfathomably distracted, I tilted my chin toward the sky. “Instinct.”

Dion started swinging his staff haphazardly as if he’d inexplicably smack an invisible High Priestess and find her that way.

The sight brought a much-needed smile to my lips.

This was where Dion and I balanced each other.

This was my territory. This was my moment to dig deep, find my magic, and save the day without ever raising a weapon or throwing a punch.

Concentrating on the moon’s soothing light, I closed my eyes, listening to the air entering my lungs and escaping my nose. My magic flickered over my skin, but it was no more than a blip. It had no desire to do anything or answer my command. It was content on settling there, using me as a conduit.

If only my mother could have had the chance to explain any of it to me.

Mom, if you can hear me. If we have some form of tie beyond the living realm as related witches, I beg you to give me a sign. Please guide me in any way you can. I feel so—lost.

“Chelsea,” my mother’s voice whispered as if she were behind me.

I gasped but didn’t dare break the connection by opening my eyes and checking if she was there, because I knew she wasn’t.

Mom?

“I wondered if you would have ever discovered this about yourself. And for that, I’m grateful Elani was a gift from the gods. Otherwise, neither of you would’ve known about this incredible other side to life.”

You know about that? Da never got a chance to tell you. He would have, but he ? —

Tears threatened, my bottom lip trembling, but I gulped them back.

“That is all well in the past, my dear daughter. I’m using what energy I have left. I’ve been saving it in hopes of this moment.”

Can you help me? I feel the magic. It wants me to use it at my will, but I just can’t .

A faint fluttering chuckle echoed in my skull. “Yes, you can. That’s always been both your greatest gift and most debilitating curse. You think your hardest and never give yourself grace for not succeeding.”

She couldn’t have been more right because even now, I was devastated at the thought of already failing her.

I don’t know how to do those things. I’m sorry.

“As a lunar witch, Chelsea, the night sky with the moon and stars is not the only entity that gives you strength. You’re also attuned to emotions. Feed off of your mate’s feelings, use it to calm your mind, and you’ll be unstoppable.”

A tingling sensation coiled in my chest.

Were you a moon witch?

“No. I was a solar witch. But it makes all the sense in the world for us to have harmony in that regard. That, and you never really were a morning person.”

A sobbing laugh pushed from my throat, and a single tear rolled down my cheek.

“My time is up, Chelsea. You know what you need to do.” A phantom wind brushed my cheek and I pretended it was my mother kissing me there. “Tell your sister and father I love them for me, will you?”

Of course.

When I could no longer feel her presence, I hesitantly opened my eyes to find Dion still swinging his staff as if no time had passed.

Reaching out with my magic, I attempted to siphon Dion’s emotions as my mother instructed.

It started as trickles at first, threads of feelings but nothing concrete, nothing that stuck to help propel my power.

I wondered if it would happen more naturally once Dion and I were bonded.

For now, I surmised I’d need to improvise.

“Hey, Chels, maybe we should—” Dion started, turning around to see me launching at him with my arms spread wide.

I threw them around his neck, planting a kiss on his lips.

He mumbled against my mouth, a smile following, and his free arm snaked around my waist. Dion’s mouth moved in time with mine, and his emotions flooded into me, fueling me—lust, worry, hope.

My magic swirled and ebbed, enveloping me until, suddenly, it all clicked into place.

The High Priestess sat on the ground, leaning against a tree not even three feet from us.

She’d been watching us this entire time with no way of communicating.

I peeled away from the kiss and fluttered my fingers, a white glow emanating from my skin now, my magic flowing and glittering until it settled over the Crone, revealing her.

“How did you—” Dion pointed from me to the Priestess. “Was it the kiss?”

“Partially,” I replied with a smile. “I’ll explain later.”

Cressida stood, dusting dirt and twigs from her robes. “Finally. I thought you’d never figure yourself out,” she said to me.

A white owl flew past us, resting on the Priestess’ shoulder and nuzzling her with gleeful coos.

“I apologize. I only just found out I’m a witch days ago and hadn’t yet gotten a grasp on my magic.”

Dion turned to look at me with an incredulous expression. “Are you saying you do have a grasp now?”

“Later, Dion. I promise.” Offering a reassuring smile, I squeezed his hand again.

The Crone stroked her owl’s crest. “It is surprising you’re so new. It has been a while since I’ve seen a lunar witch blessed with the moon’s glow.” She nudged her chin at me.

Glancing at my hands, there was that same radiance from when I’d used my magic to locate her. I thought it was connected to the use of my power, but it remained. “Is this permanent?”

The Priestess grinned and looked to the night sky. “Only at night. It’s to announce to all other witches, warlocks, and sorcerers that you are a lunar witch with the moon’s direct blessing.”

Dion cleared his throat. “Where do I fit in with all of this?”

Cressida put a hand on her hip. “You figured out you were her mate far before any assistance from me. I think you know the answer to that, Greek god.”

Dion and I exchanged glances, and heat built between my thighs.

“At any rate, thank you for finding me. No telling how long I would’ve been under that Mother’s forsaken spell if you wouldn’t have come seeking my guidance.” The Crone scrunched her nose and spit on the ground, cursing Rumpelstiltskin under her breath.

“Are you still willing to give me advice, then?” I asked, folding my hands behind my back.

The Priestess scanned me from head to toe and gave a curt nod.

“One, always keep your familiar with you. They’ll give you insight into the world around you and heighten your power.

Two, find yourself a coven.” She shuffled between us, Dion stepping aside to keep her shoulder from colliding with his ribs.

She pushed open the cottage door and stepped aside as Riley sprinted past her, the blade still in his mouth. He climbed up my body.

“That’s it? How do I find a coven?” Disappointment laced my words despite any effort to mask it. I nuzzled Riley’s fur, watching warily as the moon glinted from the knife.

Cressida cackled and didn’t stop, moving past the threshold of her home when she called out, “Oh, they’ll find you, dearie. They’ll find you .” Without another word, she slipped inside and slammed the door shut.

“I dare say Stilts posing as that old broad was far more delightful than the real deal,” Dion grumbled, scratching his head with the pine cone tip on his staff.

“Now that the Priestess is good to go, I think we should tell the sheriff about Rumpelstiltskin being permanently in town. He’s not going to stop monkeying around. ”

Dion’s words became an echo in my skull. I was too transfixed on my glowing hands and how satiated I’d felt using my magic without fear or restriction. And she said Dion, my mate, my fated mate, was the key to becoming my full lunar witch self.

“Dion,” I beckoned.

Dion spun on his heel, tilted his head, and bumped a knuckle under my chin. “Yeah, babe?”

“I’d like to accept our mating bond. And I’d like to do it now .”