When Xavier was finished dressing, Circe introduced him to the two other witches in her coven. “Xavier, this is Hecate, and this is Vesta.”
He reached out his big, bronzed hand, which had been callused from years of guitar playing, and shook the white hands of each witch in turn. His boyish grin smiled down at them, and his cobalt-blue eyes sparkled in the late-afternoon sun.
Circe shielded her eyes with her hand, looking across the mesa as the sun tipped to the west. It cast long shadows over the ground. She breathed in the dry desert air perfumed with the scent of mesquite and cactus flowers. She felt her energy sink down to her feet into the sandy red soil of home. She was so happy to be there, but she knew she must soon leave again.
Chapter 31
The witches led Circe and Xavier down the trail along the back of the mesa toward the entrance of the cave that looked out on a narrow, shallow river. Circe ran her hands over the sagebrush and watched fish jump in the water. Memories of the last five years she’d spent living in this place flitted through her mind.
At the entrance to the cave, Hecate and Vesta used their glowing orbs to light the way. It was a spell Circe could no longer use. She had lost all ability with glowing orbs and could no longer gather energy that way. The pain of the loss of many of her witch spells sank into her stomach. She had to remind herself that she had gained so much more: a calling, a destiny, Xavier.
They made it into the witches’ cave, where Vesta tended the fire and Hecate busied herself preparing a meal for the newcomers. They sat around the central fire that was circled by large pillows for sitting. To the sides of the circular cage cave were three sleeping pallets covered in blankets and furs. At the very back of the cave was a long counter over which hung bundles of dried herbs used in potions and formulas.
Xavier leaned back on the pillow and put his feet next to the fire, making himself at home. Circe felt as if she were a guest in her own home. It saddened her that this would never be her home again. Her place was with Xavier now.
They ate a meal of roasted rabbit, cactus fruit, and desert tubers. Circe explained to her sister witches everything that had happened. They asked her questions, clarifying information and details of the metamorphosis and the symbiotic relationship that she now shared with Xavier. They looked on her with dark, curious eyes, and it made her feel foreign and strange.
“You see,” Circe said. “Our magic is not fully integrated, and that is why we were unable to heal the dragons completely. The dryad sent us away, telling us we must learn to balance our energies on our own. Now we are here. I thought perhaps we could do a binding ritual to help us combine our magic in a way that the dryad was not able to.”
Hecate and Vesta looked at each other and back at Circe. The three of them still had the connection that they had built over the last five years working together––partly due to familiarity, partly due to their magic, and partly due to a deep empathy and love that they felt for each other.
“I believe you are correct. I know exactly the spell. And we are in luck because tonight is the dark moon, a perfect time for binding.”
At that, all three women shot to their feet and hurriedly began preparing the ritual for binding Circe and Xavier’s magical energies. Vesta quickly worked on a spell to integrate Xavier and Circe’s magic into one force. Xavier watched the women filling jars with fragrant oil, crushing herbs, and muttering to themselves while he ate another helping of roasted rabbit.
When the witches were finished, they gathered their things and led Xavier up the mesa to the stone circle. The sun had set, and twilight lingered over the land, casting the sky in the hazy purple. A few stars and the bright satellites of the Anu ships orbiting the earth glowed in the sky.
They instructed Xavier to kneel at the center while the three women cast the circle around him. Once the energies of the four elements had been called upon to protect the space, Circe joined Xavier at the center of the circle. Vesta and Hecate anointed Circe and Xavier with purified water and sage oil. They circled them with pungent sage smoke, further clarifying their bodies and the space they inhabited.
When they were done, Vesta and Hecate stepped back to the edge of the circle and began to recite the spell. Vesta’s words were like poetry, dripping like sweet honey on the tongue. Circe could feel the tug from within her core. The pressure squeezed in her solar plexus, causing her to gasp. She held Xavier’s hands tightly and gazed into his eyes. His face was strained as he experienced the same gripping pressure inside his stomach.
At exactly the same moment as the witches' chanting reached a crescendo, Xavier and Circe thrust their heads back, looking up at the sky. They gripped each other’s hands and breathed deeply as the squeezing pressure increased and moved up into their hearts. As it moved, it extended outward, enveloping them both in a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree globe of energy that overlapped at the center. In the space where the two balls of energy overlapped between them, a brilliant white light shone as bright as the sun. It radiated from their chakras from root to crown, each energy center in Circe’s body bound to the energy center in Xavier's.
The integration of her energy with Xavier’s felt at once both brilliant and sensual. At the same time, it felt invading and painful. The throbbing pressure inside each energy center was almost too much to bear. She could barely breathe. She clung to his hands, hoping that it would soon be over.
She could hear Xavier growling and tilted her head forward to look at him. His body writhed. As he clung to her hands, his shoulders jerked, pulling her forward. All at once she was in his arms. She could sense his realization that she was there next to him. He flung his arms around her, holding her tight. He let out a long moan as the last of the energies integrated into both of them.
As the energy balls dissipated, Circe and Xavier clung to each other. Her body was so weak it was as if she had been bleeding from a mortal wound. How could binding herself to her lover be so painful? Xavier’s heart pounded against her ear like a bass drum beaten by a madman. His breathing was labored, and for a moment she feared that he had relapsed into metamorphosis illness.
She could feel hands on her shoulders, and she could see Hecate’s hands on Xavier. The two witches helped them up, giving them cool water to drink. Circe gulped down the water from the glass bottle with what felt like a thirst that could never be quenched. When she had drunk every last drop, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and let out a long sigh.
When Circe and Xavier were stabilized, the witches led them down the trail to the cave. The sky had gone pitch black, save for the twinkling of the stars in the blanket of the purple-black sky. The witches lit their glowing globes and led Circe and Xavier into the cave. They were both deposited on Circe’s old bed. She nuzzled against Xavier’s chest as he held her tight in his arms, breathing labored breaths into her hair. Within moments they were asleep.
The next thing Circe knew, she was sitting up in bed. It must have been morning because she felt completely rested. In fact, she felt utterly fantastic. She looked around and noticed that Vesta was gone and Hecate was cooking over the central fire. Xavier sat up beside her, stretching his arms out wide and yawning. He rubbed his face and gave her a wide grin.
“Good morning,” he said, kissing her on the cheek. “I feel a heck of a lot better right now than I did last night.”
“So do I,” said Circe, bounding up from the bed. She was absolutely full of energy. “It’s amazing, don’t you think? God, I feel good.” She knelt on the bed on all fours and kissed him squarely on the mouth, not caring that Hecate was in the room right behind her, cooking catfish on the fire. Xavier lifted his hand and cupped the back of her head, kissing her deeply. When he drew away, he gave her that grin she loved so much.
“So, am I only one who thinks it’s about time we call some dragons?” he asked, winking at her.
Chapter 32
Circe and Xavier climbed to the top of the mesa. The vast cerulean sky stretched out over the hot desert.
Long wisps of white clouds hung low on the horizon to the west. Xavier sent down the harness, stripped out of his clothes, and folded them up on a rock overlooking the cliff face.
He quickly shifted, and Circe strapped the harness onto his back, making sure it was sturdy and tight. Today would be a true test of its strength. The last time they had attempted to heal dragons, it had gone horribly wrong. She believed the witches’ ritual had bound her and Xavier’s magic, but doubt still itched at the back of her mind.
Xavier shifted and turned his dragon head toward her as she mounted. He nodded, acknowledging her concerned thoughts. Their mental connection kept them ever aware of each other’s emotional states. Once she was buckled inside the harness, she let out a long sigh. It was now or never.
She squeezed Xavier’s side gently with her heels, indicating that she was ready to go. Without a moment’s hesitation, he beat his wings, and they launched into the sky. The warm, dry air blew around her face. Her auburn hair flowed out behind her as she clung to the saddle horn. Xavier did some practice maneuvers. As Circe let go of the saddle horn, she placed her palms on his scales. She would have to trust the harness to keep her on his back even if the other dragons attacked.
They had a moment of mental conversation, agreeing it was time. When she had become comfortable with keeping her hands on his body instead of using them to cling to the saddle, Xavier rose farther into the sky. Circe’s heart clanged inside her rib cage, throbbing in her ears. She inhaled a deep breath and held it as Xavier let out a blood-curdling screech that rang across the desert.
The dragons appeared on the horizon. Their heavy bodies were suspended above the earth by their powerful wings. As they drew closer, Circe could make out the different colors and types of dragons that had answered the call. She saw one golden-red dragon, indicating fire. She saw one that was greenish blue, which was probably a water dragon. And one was the color of the desert soil, an earth dragon. The last was bright blue and gray with an aerodynamic shape that could only belong to an air dragon. All dragons were different, but their color patterns tended to represent their elements.
Once the dragons were within striking range, they paused, forming a circle around Xavier and Circe, treading the air. Circe drew in all of her power, the energy from the world around her, and she called upon the mixture of medicinal herbs inside her and directed it into Xavier. As she did, she could feel his magic coming to meet her. It wound around her energy and mixed with it, balancing as if on a razor’s edge.
Xavier checked with Circe internally, telling her that he was going to shoot his blue healing fire onto the dragons around them. Panic and fear threatened to overtake her. Sweat dripped down her brow, and her breathing came heavy and labored. But she continued to do her part, channeling her energy into Xavier’s body. It was easier than it had ever been. His magic came to meet hers, drawing the energy out of her. She didn’t have to work so hard.
As soon as he gained her consent, Xavier pulled back his head, and a blue flame burst toward the dragons in front of him. He spun in one smooth motion, igniting them all. The cool, healing blue flame consumed the dragons. The dragons had waited suspiciously, watching the golden dragon who had called them. The expressions on their reptilian faces seemed to change, becoming almost human. Circe swore she could see them smiling, their eyes twinkling with elation and joy.
Her heart jumped into her throat. She prayed that they had finally done it this time. It wasn’t until after the other dragons peacefully followed Xavier’s shrieking howl that Circe really believed that they had been healed.
Xavier swooped to the mesa, quickly shifting form as the other dragons landed one by one and shifted as well. Circe stood at the center of five naked men, all handsome, tall, and strong, ranging in age and race, but each having a draconic quality in their cobalt-blue eyes. Circe stepped back as their eyes bore into her, hiding behind Xavier. She was a brave woman, but five naked dragons were too much even for her.
“I am Xavier,” he started. “I have been blessed with the ability to heal all dragons from the mental affliction that has caused us to live as dangerous beasts these last five years. I have much to share with you, my friends, and I am overjoyed to look you in the eyes as a man once again.”
The other dragon shifters slowly stepped forward, regarding each other skeptically until finally one of them reached out his hand to shake Xavier’s. It was a gesture he obviously hadn’t performed in a very long time. The expression on his face told the story of how strange it felt to act civilized again. One by one, the other dragons approached Xavier, shaking his hand, clapping his back, and embracing.
Once they had made their rounds of introduction, Xavier offered to take them into the witches’ cave to sit down and discuss their future. They immediately accepted Xavier as their leader. There was no question that they would follow him to the ends of the earth. Through her mental connection with Xavier, she could tell that the dragons shared something similar. It was almost like the mental connection that the ravens shared, but each dragon remained individual.
They walked down the trail and into the witches’ cave, Xavier not bothering to dress. Circe carried his clothes, silently listening to the talk of the newly healed men. She felt a sense of unbounded joy and camaraderie radiating off the five dragons. They had found their leader; they had found their humanity and their purpose.
Once inside, Vesta and Hecate looked up and saw the collection of naked men standing in their coven space. Vesta’s mouth dropped open, and Hecate covered hers with her palm. The women’s eyes grew wide, staring until they finally remembered themselves and looked away. The dragon shifters seemed to be no less aroused by the sight of women.
“How about we all sit down and get to know each other,” said Circe, trying to break the tension in the room. Vesta and Hecate hurried to arrange a meal for their new guests, trying to avert their eyes from the beautiful male specimens who had entered their domicile. The men sat down around the fire, exchanging tales of the strange nightmare experience of being a dragon in the new world.
Most of them had lived fairly decent lives. Being at the top of the food chain had its perks, and they never really wanted for anything except companionship. Being vicious killers meant they had to spend most of their time alone. Even if they had wanted to be around other people, they couldn’t have even communicated, as the power of speech had been lost to them. This conversation was the first time any of them had spoken in five years.
Vesta and Hecate served a meal of catfish and cactus fruits and sat down to join the conversation and meal. “What will you do now?” Hecate asked.
“I believe it is time for us to go back to San Diego,” said Circe. She met Xavier’s gaze, their eyes locked, and he nodded in agreement.
“What is in San Diego?” asked one of the dragon shifters, a man named Enrique, who had wavy brown hair and caramel skin.
“San Diego is my home,” said Xavier. “There is a compound there that I started several years ago with a group of mixed shifters. There are now human children and a witch or two living together in peace. We have running water and electricity from solar panels. Everyone has shelter, work to do, and food to eat. I’ve been gone for several weeks now, but my people will be glad to have me back. There is a place for all of you there. Hecate and Vesta, you’re welcome to come with us too. I know how important you are to Circe, and I would hate to see the three of you separated again. Your help would be greatly appreciated. And we have another young witch there named Brigid who could use the additional training.”
Hecate and Vesta looked at each other, considering the offer. Circe hadn’t thought about them leaving the cave or the stone circle where they performed their rituals. It was a great sacrifice to leave their sacred place. The San Diego compound was a wonderful community, but it was not necessarily the best place for a coven of witches to do magic.
If there was a way for her to be with her sister witches again, she would take it. There had to be a way for t
hem to create a new sacred space, a new magic circle, where they could perform their magic and be together again.
“We’ll have to think about it,” said Hecate. “Circe, do you really want us to abandon the stone circle?”
“What I want is for us to be together. And I have to go with Xavier. The work of healing the dragons is too important, and we can only do it together. But that doesn’t mean that I want to be apart from the two of you.” Circe felt awkward speaking so intimately in front of the men, but their stony eyes looked on them dispassionately, not seeming to care one way or the other.
“And what will we do once we get to San Diego?” asked Enrique.
“We have other important work to do aside from healing all of the other dragons. The news of the nuclear wars that destroyed our world was false representation. The wars were staged by the alien force that you see patrolling the skies. Our goal is to destroy it and take back control of our world.”
The dragon shifters looked at each other as if they were newborn babes awakening into a frightening world. Only Enrique spoke. “You two are the ones who healed us. You brought us out of that insanity. I, for one, trust you. I believe you. I’ve seen those spaceships flying around the sky. I’ve even burned down a few. Why not? They’re like anything else. I wanted to kill them, so I did. I know they can be brought down. Let’s kill those bastards.”
Chapter 33
Circe sat with her sisters in a small, hidden cave off the larger central cave. Hecate and Vesta had been discussing at length the pros and cons of leaving, and Circe couldn’t disagree with the reasons why they didn’t want to go.
They’d spent five years here, building up the magical defenses and infusing the space with power. To leave now would be to lose all those years of work. They were all attached to the land, to the particular subtle energy of the desert, and it was home. But breaking up the coven permanently was also a serious drawback.