CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN #3
To say that she thought a warehouse was a questionable choice for a sex-fueled location ritual would be an understatement.
She very much was not looking forward to the idea of stripping down to have sex with her boyfriend on a dusty concrete floor, but Seth had insisted that this location was perfect.
According to him, it never had any visitors other than the nightly security guard, whom he had given the night off.
Elias pulled open the rusty metal door and ushered her over the threshold into the expansive space. Rows of cement blocks extended the length of the building, each with a solid black door and what looked like a biometric entry system affixed to the front. She eyed the security pads as they passed.
“What do you think is in there?” she wondered aloud, her voice echoing back at them.
Elias followed her gaze to the high-tech units. “Could be anything. Seth takes pride in providing security for priceless artifacts, particularly those that belonged to people who have passed on. So I imagine whatever it is, it’s probably pretty cool.”
She giggled when he tickled her side in an obvious attempt to help her settle.
The past four days had been a dizzying mix of anxiety and excitement about the ritual.
Anxiety about actually doing it, and excitement at the knowledge that once it was done, they would be one step closer to breaking Oneirios’s hold—not only on the other gods, but on everyone who had been bound to him. Even Elias.
The deeper they walked into the maze of storage lockers, the more turned around Cadi became.
She threaded her fingers with Elias’s, holding him tightly so there was no chance of being separated.
If she were to try and find her way out on her own, they would probably find her body weeks later curled up and withered in the middle of an aisle.
“You do know where you’re going, right?” she asked when he took another unexpected turn, dragging her along with him.
He slowed to a stop, grinned down at her, and pointed over her shoulder.
Cadi turned, her pulse ticking up when she spotted a faint glow filtering from a staircase tucked away in the back corner of the building.
An earthy smell mixed with the distinct bite of smoke reached her nose as they got closer, but there was no way she could identify what it was.
Her mind was a jumbled mess of what-if scenarios about what would be waiting for them at the bottom of the steps, and what was left of her brain power was currently being used to keep her feet moving forward.
They descended beneath the building, where the stairwell opened into a small concrete room with dozens of candles neatly arranged in each corner.
The dancing flames cast the entire space in a warm glow, stirring up memories of their first night together and eliciting a familiar tightness in her belly.
She slipped out of her cardigan, the close air quickly becoming too warm for it thanks to the tiny fires that burned around them. The room was pleasantly fragrant, and as the atmosphere began to untangle the knot in her chest, she was able to pick out hints of basil and sage.
Her eyes swept over the dimly lit space, and she noted a small altar pressed against one of the walls.
Sera knelt in front of it, carefully arranging its elements with quiet reverence.
Her body blocked most of Cadi’s view, but she could just see the end of a feather, and what she thought may be some sort of carved stone.
Her mouth went dry when her eyes caught the large chalk circle drawn across the cement floor in front of her. Sigils lined its perimeter, and their designs seemed to glisten in the dancing light.
Her brows pinched. That didn’t seem right. On closer inspection, she found that it wasn’t just the sigils that caught the light, but the floor around the circle as well. Warmth swelled in her chest when she realized it was water. Someone had cleaned the floor for them.
Thank the gods. Literally.
A flicker of movement pulled her attention as áine approached, a welcoming smile spread across her face.
“Hope there was no trouble finding us,” she said by way of greeting. “We’ve got everything set up, blankets behind you for after. Whenever the two of you are ready we can begin.”
She gave them both a small nod, then turned to rejoin the others by the altar.
Cadi’s eyes flitted over the room, lingering a beat too long on the chalk circle.
She shook out her hands and flexed her fingers against the low hum that had started to vibrate through her limbs.
This was happening; this was real. She had spent all week thinking about it, but now that they were actually in the space with the circle right in front of her—
“Hey,” Elias said, his voice cutting through her spiral. He cupped the back of her neck to pull her closer. “Talk to me, love. What’s going on?”
Cadi blew out an unsteady breath. “I’m trying really hard not to, but I’m starting to freak out a little.”
She looked up at him. The gentle concern in his eyes acted as an anchor, slowly helping to draw her back into her body. “I know I said I was fine but now that we’re here, and it’s real …”
“Shh,” he soothed, pulling her to his chest and pressing his lips to her hair. “You’re okay, I’ve got you.”
She breathed him in. His scent wrapped around her, burrowing deep into her consciousness to ease the tiniest fragment of the anxiety that threatened to consume her. He pulled back and gently traced his thumb against the line of her jaw.
“You don’t have to do this,” he murmured, “If it’s all too much … we can leave. We’ll find another way.”
She stared into his eyes, something pinching near her heart at the way he was desperately trying to comfort her, to find a solution that would keep her safe.
Even from herself. But they both knew there was no other way.
If they left, their chances of finding Ananke left with them, and she couldn’t let that happen.
Her eyes drifted closed, and she pulled in a deep breath, then shook her head.
“No. I’m okay,” she said, shocked to find that she actually was.
He held her gaze for a moment with a familiar stare that told her he was committing a piece of her to memory. Then, he nodded.
Cadi turned to the sound of footsteps behind her.
Sera strode toward them, her face a mask of calm that seemed to hint at the ancient knowledge she would soon wield.
At that moment, she wasn’t just her friend—she was a goddess.
Powerful even when drained, fully in command of her art.
Her gaze landed on Elias, then shifted to Cadi, holding her stare for just a beat longer.
It would seem everyone was concerned about her tonight.
“You two ready?” she asked.
Elias looked down at Cadi, and she nodded.
“We’re ready,” he confirmed.
Sera extended her hand, giving him the small dagger and two bandages that would be used for the first step in the ritual. He threaded his fingers with Cadi’s and gave her one final squeeze before he led her over the line of chalk and into the circle.