Cate Tiernan - The Calling

“He still doesn’t understand how attractive he is,” Sky said. “I wonder if Bree does.”

Bree was still standing in the café, three men around her, but her gaze was focused across the floor on Robbie.

“Maybe she’s starting to,” I said.

Hunter came up behind me then, and I felt a thrill along my nerve endings as he rested his hands lightly on my hips. “How are you doing?” he asked.

“I’m a little overwhelmed,” I answered, turning to face him.

He gave me an apologetic smile. “I should have prepared you.”

“No, it’s okay. Sky’s orienting me. It’s…fascinating. I just didn’t expect it.”

“Yes, well, meet your people,” he said wryly.

“Did you talk to the DJ?” Sky wanted to know.

Hunter nodded. “If he knows anything, he’s not telling. But I did find someone who used to date a member of Amyranth. He’ll talk to me, but not here. I’ve arranged to meet him tomorrow at a ridiculous hour of the morning, at the most inconvenient, out-of-the-way place he could think of.” He gave Sky a grin. “Sorry. I know you’re not a morning person. But I really need you with me. This one sounds like he might give me some trouble.”

Sky nodded. “Fine. Just promise you’ll buy me a coffee.”

My rational, mathematical self told me I was being silly—Hunter was keeping me out for my own safety—but I couldn’t help feeling irked at the way they both just took it for granted that Sky was the one who helped Hunter, that the two of them were a team, while I was just a bumbling novice who had to be kept out of harm’s way. It wasn’t fair—especially not now. It wasmy dream that had started this, after all.

A black light flared above us, turning Hunter’s white shirt neon purple, his hair a bright silky lavender. He kissed me lightly on the mouth. “I’ve got to go now, but I’ll be back. Dance, why don’t you?”

“Oh, thank you very much,” I muttered. “You know how much I love dancing. Especially alone.”

But he was already moving past me to have a quick whispered conference with Sky, which did nothing to improve my mood. Then he headed off toward the stage. The tall African American man pointed at Hunter with a knowing grin, then made his way down from the stage to talk to him. I had to admit, it was impressive seeing how at ease Hunter was with so many people. I knew I could never extract information from strangers like that.

Sky drifted back toward me, and I had the feeling that Hunter had told her to look out for me. My irritation deepened. Luckily I was relieved of the need to make awkward conversation by Robbie, who came up to us looking sweaty and exhausted. “Man, that girl can move,” he said, waving at his partner. He blinked in surprise as a waitress approached him with a glass of wine balanced on a round tray.

“The lady over there”—she indicated a tall woman with long, ebony hair who was dressed entirely in leather—“sends it to you with her compliments.”

“Uh, tell her thanks, would you?” Robbie sounded flustered. “But I don’t drink.”

“I’ll tell her,” the waitress said reluctantly. “But if you don’t want to offend her—and I’d advise you not to—you won’t send the wine back.”

Robbie smiled weakly at the woman in leather and took the glass of wine.

I gave a low whistle. “You’re getting a lot of attention tonight.” I peeked covertly at Bree and was glad to see that she hadn’t missed the exchange with Leather Woman, either. She’d stopped even pretending to flirt with the guys around her and was just standing there, looking sulky.

Robbie, however, didn’t look pleased. “It’s a little freaky. Two witches have asked me out tonight.”

“You have something against us?” I teased him.

“Not you,” he said seriously. “But apart from the fact that I’m in love with Bree, I want a relationship of equals, not someone who can put spells on me without my even knowing.”

I winced. When I was just getting acquainted with Wicca, I’d given Robbie a spelled potion to help heal his acne, which had been really out of control. It had done the job—in fact, it had more than done the job; it had gone so far as to correct his terrible eyesight—but Robbie had been upset with me for doing magick on him without telling him.

“What is his problem?” Sky said suddenly. Her eyes were on Raven and the long-haired guy. “Is he a complete exhibitionist?”

I looked, too. The guy had taken off his shirt. His body was thin but looked hard and well muscled.

Raven sent an amused glance toward Sky, as if to say, Do you believe this? Her dancing partner put his hands on her butt and pulled her close, and then pinwheels of colored light were raining down around them, and Raven was laughing, trying to catch one in her hand. The guy traced a sign in the air, and three of them rested on her palm.

I couldn’t suppress a gasp. I was half appalled at his recklessness, half delighted by his clever, beautiful magick.

“Oh, man,” Robbie muttered. “What is that?”

“It’s showy and irresponsible, that’s what it is,” Sky said, sounding angry. “That cocky little bugger. Anyone could be watching him.”

Raven and the guy were dancing close now, grinding pelvises. “That’s enough,” Sky said, and strode toward them. I saw her take Raven’s arm and say something in her ear.

“Maybe I’d better go find Bree,” Robbie said with a sigh. “If she hasn’t already left with someone else.”

“She wouldn’t do that,” I told him.

“You don’t think so?” Robbie’s smile was sad as he moved away. It made me want to shake Bree. She really liked Robbie. Why couldn’t she just let things happen with him?

I headed for the café and got a Diet Coke. Then I looked around for Hunter. Nowhere in sight. I sighed, too, and tried not to feel too much like a wallflower.

A woman in a short black dress sauntered up to me. “Don’t be so self-conscious, chica ,” she said. She was beautiful, with coffee-colored skin and black hair that framed her face in waves. “All this energy spent thinking you are not beautiful enough, not good enough. It’s a waste. You must take all this healing energy you have and make a salve for your own heart, no? Life is too short to be so hard on yourself.”

I stood there, blinking stupidly. She was gazing into my eyes, into my soul, and I felt stripped, vulnerable.

“Um…excuse me,” I said. “I have to go.”

I shut down my senses and bolted for a door marked Exit. I didn’t plan to go far. I just needed to be out of there, away from all that magick for a few minutes.

I thought the door would lead to the street. Instead I found myself in a small courtyard planted with skinny oak saplings. I wasn’t alone. A man with short-cropped, silver-flecked dark hair stood in the yard, staring up at a big square of the night sky. Even with my senses shut down I felt a surge of energy—deep, vital energy, not the fractured, hectic kind that ruled inside. Whether it was from the man or the giant orange moon, I couldn’t be sure.

I sat down on a bench at the edge of the courtyard and gazed up at the moon, wondering what he was seeing. As I looked, I felt my frazzled nerve endings begin to relax. The moon was so eternal, so familiar in this place where everything else was so strange. I breathed deeply, and peace began to creep back into my body.

“The moon is our anchor,” the man said without looking at me.

Ordinarily I would have been startled by these bizarre words coming from a total stranger. But at that moment my only thought was, Yes. I didn’t feel the need to respond aloud, and he didn’t seem to expect me to.

I stared at the moon, letting it anchor me.