Ritual Space

by Viola Grace

  Sighing, she got to her feet, and she walked up to Luning. “So, you are on leave, you said?”

  He offered her his arm. “Yes. May I ask a question?”

  “Of course.”

  “Who told you about my history?”

  She chuckled. “That is a mystery for another day. What do you want to do today?”

  “I wouldn’t mind a tour. Something on foot.”

  She linked her arm with his. “We can start with the light forest and work our way around to the lake.”

  “You don’t mind that I was raised as an assassin?”

  “We all have to start as something. I worked in a teashop, and I would like to do something like that again, one day.”

  “Would you?”

  “Yes. I liked helping people get through their days. I would mix up the herbs and send the client off to a mage to activate the spells.”

  “You really can’t use magic?”

  “Nope. Outside this place, I am powerless and surprisingly normal. Just one of the ten percent of humans without power in the world.”

  “Not anymore.”

  “Well, the human thing is now in doubt. I am still not used to walking around like this.” She pointed at her feet.

  “I like the added height. I don’t have to fold myself in half to kiss you.” He turned and demonstrated.

  She felt him smiling against her lips as she rose up on a cushion of air until they were face to face. She braced her hands on his shoulders before slowly sinking back to stand beside him. “I like the new options.”

  “Are they comfortable? Do you feel different?”

  “I feel healthy and like my skin is a little too tight. There is so much more to me now. More energy and ways I can use it.”

  They walked for an hour, stopping to pick fruit in the light forest. She greeted each tree as they passed and whispered to the brambles.

  Luning watched her with an amused delight she wasn’t used to seeing.

  “Why are you laughing, Luning?”

  “I think you can call me Hyl. I am not on duty, after all.”

  “Fine. Hyl. Why the giggles?”

  “I didn’t realize that you spoke elvish.”

  She rubbed her nose. “I don’t. This is the language of trees. Elvish uses more th sounds.”

  The trees laughed and whispered that they had taught the elves to speak, as the goblins were taught by the caverns and the trolls learned to talk from the stones.

  She grinned.

  Hyl smirked, “Now why are you grinning?”

  “They are telling me that nature invented language and only the intelligent could pick up on it.”

  “I didn’t hear anything.”

  She laughed for a solid five minutes.

  He changed the subject. “What will happen if another wave dumps more magic into the world?”

  “Ritual Space will remain the same. The purpose of the curator is stability. During a wave, all the power will rest inside me and emerge when it is safe.”

  “Will you change?”

  “Probably not. The property might expand a little, but that has been the only side effect in the last few waves.”

  The trees whispered an offer to her. She paused. “If we could get around faster, would you be amenable?”

  He shrugged. “Certainly.”

  She touched the shrubs and asked them for their help. The trees sprouted vines, and in fifteen minutes, they were looking at two bikes.

  “You are kidding me.”

  She laughed. “Nope. They got the shape and function from my mind. The property is the power source.”

  He looked at her gown. “Can you even ride in that?”

  “Of course. It doesn’t have a heated motor, and it will balance itself. All we have to do is tell it where we want to go.”

  She walked over to the first bike and hiked up her skirt to straddle it. It was strange to feel it adjust to her as she settled.

  “If I fall off, we are going to have words.” Hyl growled it as he straddled his own cycle.

  She leaned forward, and the cycle moved, gradually increasing the speed until her skirt was fluttering wildly and her hair was whipping around her head.

  Hyl passed her, and she heard his joyful laughter as they sped on silent vehicles through the paths that opened up for them.

  It was the start of a new era for Ritual Space, and her guardian finally joined the curator. If he behaved himself, Adrea might even tell Hyl one day. If.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Adrea stood in front of the wreck of the meditation house, and she cocked her head. A deep breath and she raised her hands, sending trees through the base of the house and ripping the charred hulk apart.

  Hyl was off at the XIA headquarters giving a deposition. She had the whole place to herself.

  It was time for a little renovation and reconstruction.

  The wood cracked and popped as it was crushed by the living bands of trees.

  She couldn’t bear to have anything else on this segment of the property. It would eventually become a memorial garden, but for now, the forest would consume and cleanse the site of the violence that had changed everything.

  The bunnies were supervising her as she wandered around looking for a proper site for the new meditation zone. Hyl had probably asked them to keep an eye on her. He was developing an affinity for the fluffy critters.

  Adrea wandered around, and she spotted the area where they had held the funeral. It seemed perfect for her needs, so she paced out a five hundred-metre circle before dropping stones on her path.

  She wasn’t good at this part yet. She lined up north to south and clenched her fist, bending and making a bowling motion. A cascade of air parted the grass and left a long line through the soil.

  Adrea exhaled a sigh of relief and moved to the east-west marker, repeating the gesture. She knelt and pressed her hand to the circle. The soil turned itself over and rocks rose to the surface in the marked area.

  She spent hours carving designs into the ground and growing a canopy of trees to shade the centre as well as create seating.

  When she was done, she sat in the new circle and looked around. Stones had risen onto all of her cut pathways, and the designs were rather pretty if she did say so herself.

  The chime on her mind told her that she had finished in the nick of time.

  She dusted off her jeans and got to her feet, opening the gateway while she walked to the portal.

  Her entourage milled around her feet as she went to greet the Gangers.

  Lenora came up and hugged her. “Adrea. You are looking very well.”

  Benny followed her mother and took her turn with a hug. “Power must agree with you.”

  Adrea grinned. “Power must because Hyl doesn’t. I say I am ready to leave the property, and he insists that I need more time.”

  Benny smiled. “Take the time and get used to the new you. I speak from experience when I say it takes a bit of getting used to.”

  Adrea nodded. “Thanks. Well, ladies. Did you want to come in for some lemonade, or shall we scope locations?”

  Benny rubbed her hands together. “Locations first?”

  Adrea smiled. “Which ones?”

  Lenora cocked her head. “Not to be indelicate, but the area where we held the funeral for Neadra was very nice and held everyone. What about that?”

  Adrea nodded. “Definitely a possibility. Shall we?”

  They walked away from the entry area, and Adrea tried a new trick. There was a light flash, and they were standing in the field.

  Benny paused. “Whoa. That is different.”

  Adrea snickered. “Don’t tell Hyl. He has no idea that I can do it. I just figured it out two days ago.”

  Lenora looked incredibly pleased. When Adrea followed her gaze, she saw she was staring at the new meditation zone.

  “Perfect. It is absolutely perfect.”

&nb
sp; Benny sighed. “Shouldn’t we at least look at some of the other environments?”

  Lenora grabbed her daughter by the hand and hauled her to the zone. “Do you see this? Mage glyph, shifter glyph, vampire and elf. They are all here.”

  Adrea winced. She must have been thinking about it. “Sorry about that. I just thought they looked right.”

  Benny looked down and then up at her. “They are just right.”

  The mage sprinted toward her and hugged her again. Apparently, Benny had picked her spot for the full-moon bonding ceremony that was as close as she could get to a wedding.

  Adrea had registered herself as a wedding official. It had taken an hour online, and it turned out that Ritual Space had a dispensation for weddings. All she had had to do was fill out the transfer of ownership paperwork that Mr. Grant sent to her.

  Benny gave her another squeeze. “This is perfect.”

  She laughed. “I am glad you like it. It was one of my designated projects today.”

  Lenora chortled and rubbed her hands together. “Excellent. Now, I believe lemonade was mentioned.”

  They took a few steps and were on her front porch.

  Lenora stumbled, and Adrea caught her. “Sorry. I should have warned you.”

  “No, no, it is fine. I am just not used to unannounced transports.”

  Benny helped her mom into the house while Adrea got the tray and lemonade with a plate of cookies.

  Benny looked around and whistled. “This place has certainly gotten a makeover, even from last week.”

  Adrea shrugged. “I had to make room for Hyl, and he likes books. The house is now hosting about half of his collection. It makes for interesting and creepy reading late at night.”

  She set the tray down on the coffee table and poured tall and cool glasses of lemonade for each of them.

  They sat and drank, discussed wedding details and the floral designs that Adrea was going to try and design the day of the wedding.

  Benny paused. “I know Mom hasn’t formally asked you, but would you perform the ceremony? The guys are worried about their alphas and makers fighting for the right to do the deed.”

  Adrea blinked. “Sure. I mean, I have done the online course and gotten certified by the state, so I can legally do it. Are you sure? I tend to run off at the mouth.”

  Lenora grinned. “You will be in good company.”

  Benny reached over and patted Adrea on the hand. “I will send you a format so that things can run smoothly. We will have your name printed on the programs and that will be finalized.”

  Lenora smiled and got a narrow piece of paper out of her purse. “Here is what it will look like.”

  Adrea looked, and under Official, it said, Adrea Morrigan.

  “Well, thank goodness I said yes.”

  They grinned at each other and all grabbed cookies. It was a nice afternoon.

  “And so, do you all swear to uphold the honour of your union, to defend your partnership and rejoice in the companionship you cement here today?”

  Benny stood slightly in front of but centrally with her three mates.

  As one, they all said, “We do.”

  Under the glowing moon, the flowers on the shelter above them bloomed.

  The crowd was surrounding them, all standing and waiting for the moment when Adrea announced, “I now pronounce you bonded mates in the eyes of these witnesses and the law. You may now kiss each other in whatever order you choose.”

  Benny laughed and was silenced as Andrew grabbed her for a kiss. Cairbre moved with the suddenness of the undead and grabbed their bride next. Gelendor waited his turn, but he bent her back completely to the astonishment of his family and the amusement of everyone else.

  Benny’s maid of honour handed her the bouquet when the formalities were done and the group was ready to head to their party.

  Adrea sighed in relief, and flowers bloomed in front of the newlyweds as they walked to the reception tent.

  Freddy turned and gave her a thumbs-up. “Great job, Adrea. I think you are going to be doing a ton of weddings.”

  Adrea’s knees were weak as the most stressful event since she had first felt the stabbing in the teashop was over.

  She followed the group at her own pace. Hyl walked up and supported her with an arm around her waist.

  She was used to his touch now. When she woke screaming in the night, he held her until she calmed. Eventually, she would be over the fact that her father wanted to kill her and did—in fact—kill his own aunt for her blood and power. She could push the memories back when she was awake, but in the night, she depended on Hyl for comfort.

  Catering staff were running ragged to bring food to the happy grouping and keep up with the guests at the buffet.

  Adrea and Hyl sat at the outer edge of the gathering, and she kept the aura of peace on the group. This was a volatile situation that could explode if she let her guard down.

  The Gangers had three hundred guests, and the vampires, were-lions and elves made up the rest of the reception. Wars had been fought with smaller quantities of people.

  She remained on alert when one of the waiters brought her a plate and slid one in front of Hyl as well.

  Adrea thanked him, and he blushed to the tip of his pointed goblin ears.

  He ducked his head and scuttled back to the buffet.

  “The food looks really good.” Adrea took a bite and nodded. “It is really good.”

  Hyl forked up something from his own plate before he nodded. “It has to be or the clients would eat them.”

  She chuckled and started to relax.

  The dancing was amazing. Some of the species seemed to have additional vertebrae that allowed them to bend in strange and unusual manners.

  There were formal and graceful dances, riotous songs that had the shifters and more obvious extranaturals thrashing around to the rhythm.

  Adrea was standing near the edge of the gathering when a pale woman with dark hair came up and inclined her head. “My compliments for your excellent facility and your performance as official. Do you think you could officiate blood ceremonies?”

  “Um, thank you. Adrea Morrigan.” She extended her hand.

  The pale woman blushed slightly. “Leonora Wicks. The mayor’s aide. Sorry. I forget you are new to this environment.”

  “I am new to Redbird City. I have been living out of town for over six years.”

  “Right. Of course.”

  “To answer your question. Yes. I can definitely officiate at a blood ceremony. If you want to use the property for the day required, I can arrange a crypt in the dark forest.”

  Leonora beamed. “I will be in touch.”

  Adrea nodded. “I have a group of Mage Guides camping overnight this weekend, so we will arrange the time.”

  “Of course. The little ones have to practice somewhere.”

  Adrea could feel Leonora’s energy, and it was confusing. “Pardon my rudeness, but are you a vampire?”

  Leonora laughed. “I am not one to consider that rude. No. I am not. The technical term for me is apprentice or familiar. I am bound to Mathias, but he has responsibilities to me as well. It is an odd partnership.”

  “I would like to hear that story if you would like to tell it.”

  Leonora looked over to where the mayor was in deep discussion with the alpha of the lion clan. Adrea listened with rapt attention as the story unfolded.

  She cried at one point, and a bank of mist rolled in. She quickly got herself under control, and Leo finished her story.

  Adrea twisted her lips. “Can I write that down? Make a record of it?”

  “Sure. I am supposed to, but I am way too lazy to bother with it. I always find other things to spend my time on.”

  Adrea grinned. “I always loved doing other people’s homework. I will let you know when I have a rough draft and you can come and check it out.”

  Mathias came over and retrieved hi
s assistant. He extended his hand to Adrea. “It is nice to meet you under more cheerful circumstances.”

  “I agree. I hope you are enjoying the view.”

  He looked down at Leo. “I am. Very much so.”

  Adrea blinked and watched as the mayor walked to the dance floor to dance with his assistant—and apparently—lover.

  Hyl came back from his discussion with a group of XIA agents. “May I have this dance?”

  She smiled and put her hand in his. “I thought you would never ask.”

  They swept to the dance floor and joined those swaying slowly to the music.

  It was the perfect end to the perfect day. It wasn’t her wedding, but Adrea enjoyed that fact. Rushing into a permanent situation was not on her agenda. She had all the time in the world and enough space to call her own. What more could a girl want?

  Epilogue

  The next wave of magic was coming. Adrea could feel it. The rabbits were avoiding exposure, and the weather was always a little bit off.

  On a commercial level, Ritual Space was booming. Adrea’s new greenhouse was producing herbs with built-in magic that could leave the property.

  The amount of funds she was adding to her already-groaning coffers was incredible.

  Writing Leo’s story took up her time when she wasn’t attending to the stream of clients that was coming in for access to the magical environment.

  The call on her cell caught her by surprise. Hyl came onto the back porch with her phone in his hand. “Just a minute. Yeah, here she is.”

  “Hello?”

  “Ms. Morrigan?”

  “Yes.”

  “We have located a creature that has all the hallmarks of something that escaped from your property a few weeks ago. Will you take a look at it?”

  She nodded. “Of course. When can you bring it?”

  “We are in your parking lot. We need you to come out here.”

  “I will be there in a moment.”

  She hung up and looked at Hyl. “Remember that creature that ran in front of the mages who arrested me way back?”