Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
I somehow managed to make it through my client readings that day, though my anxiety was beginning to kick up a notch. I was starting to think going to the Pagan festival would be an exercise in poor judgment.
“How’d it go today?” Luna asked, having closed down her side of the shop already. She leaned against my wall, a white suede purse thrown over her shoulder.
“A lot of people trying to contact their dead pets. The universe is teaching me a lesson,” I grumbled.
A month or so ago, I had quickly answered a client’s question about her deceased show cat, and had put her at ease that her beloved Bitsy was doing well in the afterlife.
Though it had been a teensy white lie, at the time, I’d felt no moral issues with it.
It seemed as though the word had spread and now I was trying to pick up energy traces of deceased pets on the regular.
Again, universe, I hear you, loud and clear.
“I’m sure the novelty of that will pass and you’ll get back to reading regular clients again soon,” Luna soothed.
“I certainly hope so,” I said as I tidied my table and then reached for my purse. I met Luna’s eyes as I crossed the room. “Are you sure we should go to this festival?”
“I think we need to get a better read on Horace. I honestly don’t think this is going to be like any Pagan festival I’ve ever been to. Which worries me…I’m not sure what kind of rituals he will be invoking.”
“Sweet, more rituals. Super excited about that,” I said as I pushed through my door and held it open for Luna.
Luna smiled at me, her expression as peaceful as could be.
“You get used to it. Sure, the word ‘ritual’ can be a little scary, especially after our experience last night, but not all rituals are bad. If you wanted to get down to the nitty gritty of it, Christians use ritual when they have you drink the ‘blood’ of Christ during communion. So, you know, it all depends on the setting and the intention,” Luna explained as she walked to her car.
“That makes sense. But Horace creeps me out,” I pointed out as I hopped on my bike. “Hey, where’s Rafe?”
“I told him there was a nude beach on the other side of town,” Luna shot me a grin before she got behind the wheel of her car.
She’s a smart witch.
I pedaled toward home, trying not to let my anxiety get the better of me, and tried to work through the vision that had come to me earlier in the day. So far as I could see it, as long as I kept us all away from that beach, we’d stay out of trouble.
I slowed to a stop when I rounded a corner and saw the dreadlocked environmentalist from the night before. He wore the same outfit as yesterday and his dreadlocks were all but flying as he pointed angrily at Prudie Whittier’s shocked face.
Would it be small of me to laugh?
I smiled, watching as Prudie crossed her arms and shrank back as Dreadlocks shoved papers in her face, pointing at something on the paper. Deciding to move on before they saw me, I pushed my pedals down and left them behind me.
Who knows? Maybe Prudie would actually do some good in her life and help protect the turtles on that beach.
Pulling up to my house, I saw Hank’s ears poke over the windowsill. How did he always know when I was coming home? I briefly wondered if Hank was also a psychic before I opened the door to his barks of joy.
“Hey buddy,” I said, bending over to pet him before he raced across the room to find a toy to bring me.
“Let’s get you outside,” I said, knowing we didn’t have much time before Luna would be here to pick me up. I opened the door for Hank, letting him race out into the backyard, while I considered whether I needed to change for tonight.
What does one wear to a Pagan festival, anyway?
Figuring the maxi dress I was wearing would be fine – I paused to think about shoe options.
Wondering if there would be any chance of us needing to make a run for it, I slipped out of my flip-flops and slid my feet into a pair of Toms. Even if they weren’t the best with the dress, I knew I could run in them.
“Hey,” Luna said, poking her head in the door. I paused, my mouth dropping open as I took in her outfit.
She looked like a goddess. Threads of silver ran through the white robe that floated around her, while a nude bandage dress fitted her like a second skin, creating the illusion that she was naked under the robe.
A huge statement necklace dripping in crystals hung around her neck, and she’d woven a sparkly crown through her hair.
“Um, should I bow?” I asked and Luna laughed, before doing a little twirl that sent the robe flowing out around her in a graceful arc.
“Festival garb. I love it,” Luna admitted.
“Well, now I just feel underdressed,” I said, holding up a Toms shoe in one hand.
“Hmm, those certainly are…serviceable,” Luna said, one perfectly groomed eyebrow arching in dismay as she examined my choice of footwear.
“I just figured I’d better have good shoes on in case we needed to run,” I admitted.
Luna shrugged.
“Maybe. But I think Miss Elva and I can manage any danger. Honestly, I swear you forget your friends are magick. And that you’re magick too,” Luna said pointedly.
“Well, excuse me, I’m new to the magick thing,” I said, sliding the Toms on my feet anyway. What did I care? It wasn’t like I had anyone to impress at the festival. “Do I need to change?”
Luna looked me up and down, then shrugged.
“What is that supposed to mean?” I asked, hands on my hips.
“I mean…it’s a festival,” Luna said slowly, like she was explaining something to a child.
“I get that. What’s wrong with the maxi dress?”
“If you want to draw attention to yourself, it’s fine,” Luna said, bending over to retrieve and throw a toy that Hank had dropped at her feet.
“I’m the one who’ll stick out?” I asked, pointing my finger from her ensemble to my dress.
“Oh yeah. For sure,” Luna nodded.
“I knew this was going to be a thing. Now it’s a thing,” I complained as I went upstairs, racking my brain for anything dramatic I might have in my closet.
I dug through my closet until I found a gift that my mother had sent me from Greece.
Or Indonesia; I could never be sure with her.
It was a flowing caftan in a screamingly bright floral print of red and purple, with coins dangling from the sleeves so that I jingled when I walked.
I’d actually worn it with a turban one year when I dressed as a psychic for Halloween, and the outfit had been perfect.
Sighing, I slid my dress off and pulled the caftan over my head, the cool silk fabric brushing softly against my skin. Turning, I checked myself out in the mirror.
Okay, so maybe there’s something to this whole caftan thing. It was breezy, it flowed around my body, and I’d be able to run in it if needed. I moved my arms and the coins gently tinkled, a charming sound if I was forced to admit it.
“Fine, caftan it is. But I’m not wearing a crown,” I muttered as I moved to my jewelry stand and pulled a necklace – chunky amethyst stones with a Celtic protection knot in the middle – from a hook.
One could never be too careful.
Pulling the necklace over my head, I fluffed out my curls and made my way downstairs, the tinkling of my caftan signaling my approach.
“Much better,” Luna said, nodding her approval. “I fed Hank. Are we ready to go?”
“What are we going to do about food?”
“They’ll have food there.”
“Great. It better not be something weird like pig’s ear,” I complained, as I pulled out a fresh toy for Hank and tossed it to him.
What? A girl’s gotta eat.