Page 9 of Wooing the Wiccan (Elf Magic #1)

CHAPTER NINE

Jared

Seeing Raeulfr and Marge instantly take to each other makes my inner self do a little happy dance.

I’m not much of a dancer, so it’s more of an arms-flailing-wriggle-and-hip-bump than anything else, but it counts.

My instincts were spot-on about asking Raeulfr over, even though I’ve only met him twice in person.

I’m getting seriously good vibes about him and our future relationship.

The vibes increase when he stops in the entryway and toes off his shoes without me needing to ask him. I don’t always ask my few guests to take their shoes off—I know it makes some of them uncomfortable—but I always notice the ones who do it anyway because they care about my comfort.

“This is charming,” Raeulfr says as he follows me into the living room. “There’s so much character and love here. It must give you so much pleasure to come home to this every day.”

I smile over my shoulder at him. “It does, and thank you. I’ve worked hard to make it a haven for myself. Please sit down and be comfortable. We have a few minutes before we need to begin.”

He sits on the right side of the couch—not that there are a lot of places for him to choose from—and settles Marge in his lap for more pets and scratches. She blinks slowly at me, blissed out.

I take the opposite end of the couch, which, considering its size, leaves only a few inches between us, and tuck my feet up as I turn toward him.

I’ve already bathed ahead of the ritual and am dressed in the white cotton pants I always wear, plus a long-sleeved blue tee, the color chosen to hopefully help in boosting my psychic awareness.

I’m planning to use at least one of the minor magics I’ve learned during the ritual—likely more.

Just for the candles, mostly, and perhaps setting up the altar.

“Tell me what tonight entails. You said it was the new moon?” he asks, eyes attentive on my face, and I nod.

“Yes. Astronomically, it’s in about twenty minutes, so I’d like to time the ritual to begin then or shortly after.

The new moon is a time of new beginnings and energy.

It’s an excellent time to set intentions and begin projects and…

other things.” Like relationships. I figure it can’t hurt to use the power of the new moon to attract the goddess’s energy to what I hope is happening between me and Raeulfr.

“How does the ritual work?” He’s still petting Margie, and the half-asleep happy sounds she’s making indicate she won’t give him up anytime soon.

“I’d like to do this one outside—that’s usually my preference, when the weather permits. I know it’s cold tonight, but it’s not freezing and there’s no snow or rain, so…”

Raeulfr shakes his head, a faint smile on his face.

“Please don’t feel you need to justify yourself to me.

It’s so much easier for me to feel the universe’s energy when I’m outdoors.

And I have a coat.” He stops. “Unless you’d rather I stay inside and watch from here?

I’m not sure how involved you’d like me to be. ”

“You can come outside with me,” I hurry to assure him, wondering if I’ve made a mistake after all, “if you want to. I thought maybe this first time, you could watch? There’s nothing stopping non-Wiccans from participating, so you could do that if you wanted, but?—”

“I’d prefer to observe tonight, if that’s okay,” he interrupts calmly. “You said last week that this was personal for you. I’m very honored to be here at all, and until I understand better, I’d rather not overstep. Is there anything I need to do to prepare?”

Calm seeps back through me, my instincts stirring smugly to remind me that they were right about him.

“As a watcher, no.” There’s no negative energy clinging to him that I can sense.

Some residual emotional turmoil—perhaps the thing that’s been distracting him for the past few days?

But whatever the problem was, it’s been solved.

“Once we’re outside, I’ll create the circle and set up the altar for the ritual.

” I hesitate. “You won’t be able to cross inside the circle. ”

“An energy barrier?” He tilts his head. “That’s fascinating. We use those when experimenting with bigger spells. They act as containment and protection.”

My smile is instant. “Yes, exactly. Ours is to protect the sacred space during the ritual. I suppose some things are universal among practitioners of magic. Once the circle is closed, I’ll call the four elements, ask nature and the goddess for their blessing, and make my offering.

Then I’ll open the circle, and we can come inside for dinner.

” I sound a little uncertain on the last few words.

Could I have made it sound any more prosaic?

I mean, it is , but it’s also an important spiritual ritual that means a lot to me.

“I can’t wait to see it,” Raeulfr says. “Shall we go outside? Or is there something you need to do first?”

I stand, energy already racing through me. “Let’s go—that is, if the queen will let you.”

“She’s not allowed out?” He carefully gets to his feet without disturbing her in his arms, and he’s a lot more graceful about it than I usually am.

“She’s allowed in the back garden, because the fence is too high for her, but she doesn’t like being left out of the circle, so she’s begun shunning ritual time entirely.

Maybe with you for company, she might want to join us.

” We go back to the front door to collect coats and shoes, and then into the kitchen, where the door into the back garden is.

“Is there a reason she can’t be in the circle?” Raeulfr asks as he shifts Marge from one arm to the other so I can help him get his coat on.

I shrug and snort. “No, except that she sometimes gets bored. I’ve had to rescue the ritual candles from her a few times, and once she tried to eat the flowers I’d laid on the altar. It was just easier to start leaving her outside it.”

His chuckle as I open the door is a warm contrast to the cold air that meets us.

“She and I will just keep cuddling, then.” He follows me outside and looks around.

It’s dark, but I installed dozens of small solar lights that give the courtyard a warm glow and provide enough light to see by.

There’s a floodlight, too, but I don’t like to use it that much. “This is lovely, Jared. So tranquil.”

My cheeks get hot, but it doesn’t stop my grin.

I’ve worked hard to make this garden what I need it to be—my own oasis.

“Thank you. Over this way.” I gesture past the herb planters I use for the more invasive plants—things like mint, which are lovely to have around, but tend to take over and choke out their neighbors.

I’ve utilized almost every inch of space in this garden, but there’s a narrow path of paving stones that a neighbor gave me when she landscaped her front yard.

They were cracked and broken, so she was replacing them, but using the cracks to reshape them and laying them as stepping stones rather than as a solid path has given them a new lease on life.

They’re the most gorgeous dark gray streaky granite—I couldn’t let them go to landfill.

The path takes us past the herb garden to the space under my one full-sized tree, a stately old oak.

Its branches are bare right now, but in summer it provides lovely shade for the bench I’ve positioned under it.

This part of the garden is dedicated to my “pleasure plants,” the ones purely for joy, though most of them are dormant at this time of year.

There is a clear space, however, and this is where I have my circle. I’ve planted out a five-foot diameter of space with clover, giving me a tiny lawn of sorts, and bordered it with sage, giving the circle a permanent physical presence in my garden.

“Oh,” Raeulfr says, his surprise clear. “It’s an actual circle.”

I set down the plastic tub with my things in it and turn to face him. “Yes. It doesn’t have to be, of course. This”—I wave to my clover-and-sage patch—“is just planting. I like this spot, and it seemed sensible to set it up the way that suits me best.”

“I agree. I especially like that you’ve used clover and not grass. Much better for the bees and other pollinators, especially in such a busy garden.” He looks around again in the cozy glow of the lights. “It really is special. I hope one day you’ll invite me to see it by daylight.”

Maybe tomorrow morning . I blush. That wasn’t… I didn’t invite him here intending for him to stay over. He needs to stop being so amazing.

“I will,” I manage. “Um, you can sit over there, if you like. Or you can stand wherever. Obviously you can tell where the circle is, so…” I trail off and decide to move on. It’s nearly time, and Raeulfr doesn’t need to guess how nervous I am to have him watch me.

It’s good nervous, though.

I move the container into the circle and crouch to take everything out, laying the items in the clover until the tub is empty and I can turn it upside down to use as my altar.

Straightening, I consider whether I want to use my athame to cast the circle tonight.

I don’t need it, but if I’m putting on a show…

That thought makes up my mind. Tonight isn’t about showiness—I genuinely want Raeulfr to see how the magic I’m learning works with my religion.

I don’t usually use the athame to cast the circle anymore, not unless I need help with focus.

He’ll be able to see me use it for other things in the future.

Standing, I take two steps to the northernmost point of the circle, exhale deeply, and let myself feel nature’s energy flowing through me.

It’s so much easier now than it was when I first started.

When the ebb and flow of power is a thrum in every part of my being, I lift my hand and point to the sage border.

Energy spills from me, fixing to the earth, and I slowly walk the circle clockwise, trailing the energy with me until I reach the starting point and the circle has been drawn.

Next, I close my eyes and visualize the energy stretching into the air above me and the earth below, until a perfect sphere has formed.

The circle is complete.

With the solid hum of it surrounding me, empowering me, I turn to the north again and call upon fire. To the east for air. South for earth, and finally west for water, sealing the circle.

I risk a quick glance at Raeulfr as I return to my altar.

Fascination is all over his face as he sits on the bench mere feet away, Marge still in his arms, studying my circle.

I can tell he sees it by the way his gaze tracks up over the dome above me.

I guess this is another benefit of being with a magic user—he won’t think I’m making up this part of my practice.

I’ve had past partners who were supportive of my paganism, but lost patience when I talked about the magic elements of it.

Kneeling, I lay the white cloth over the container, then set out candles for the god and goddess—gold and silver, respectively, tonight, to amplify my ambition and intuition. My goals are to bring an energy boost to my new relationship and my new magic skills. Every little detail matters.