Crescent Bound (8 page)

He gets up towering over me, damn he is tall. 
“
It is a pleasure to meet someone with high
standards;
I truly like that your tastes run high and you carry it so well.  I always love a challenge.
”
 

I walk away feeling somewhat at a loss.  I play vague
,
and yet he doesn
’
t miss a beat.  Me, I start taking each step a little faster than the last because I know if I don
’
t put some distance between him and
myself I
’
ll
wind up catch
ing something on fire, literally.  Tiny embers trail down my fingers and I do everything in my power to keep it in control. 

The next thing I know Megan shifts right beside me and then Lisa on my other side. 
“
You
okay
?
”
They ask in unison
.

“
Yea
h
, just too many emotions for me at the moment
,
”
I say, shaking my hands trying like hell to shake off the sensations.
“
I
’
ll be glad when we get to the track tonight, so I can alleviate some of this energy.
”

Megan agrees with
me
while
holding her cell in her hand
. 
“
You know what else, there is a killer party after the race,
and I
know you ladies never turn down a party, right?
”
S
he tosses her arm around Lisa
’
s shoulders leisurely and then mine, as we walk down the hallway together.

“
I don
’
t know for sure
Meg
, let
’
s just get to the track and see how everything feels after that.
”
  They both shift off to their next class.

After school Megan and Lisa meet me in front of the ma
in building and we walk out through the crow
d
ed parking lot
to our cars.   As we
’
re walking I look over and see Marc
’
s M
ustang parked across from mine.  Again, there is a cluster of
idolizing
cheerleaders around with a couple of other guys too. 

I don
’
t focus on trying to find him directly
, but
rather on cloaking the three of us.  We walk in unison and then split apart to our cars.  Megan uncloaks first and starts her silver Porsche which gives me time to get to my car.  While everyone is checking out hot little Miss Megan, her sexy car and short skirt, I uncloak and jump in my car and quickly drive off.

I look back in the mirror to see Lisa already in her light blue Toyota Celica, driving directly behind me.

Chapter 6

The house is empty
.  B
oth my parents are gone as I expected.  Heading to my room I guess
Mom
must
have
been caught up at the hospital.  I only have a couple of hours before I need to leave for the race track.  I lay out my clothes
and
top
it off
with
my favorite black leather
jacket. 

Turning my bath water on
,
I start getting ready for tonight.  Knowing I
’
m going to race I always do a protection spell to guard me from any harm.  It
’
s part of what my father and I do when we are racing.

Taking a ritual bath and casting my protection spell is very important.  As the tub fills with warm water I set up my
altar
using a light blue cloth placing my astral candle in the center which is red for me because of my natural element of fire. 

I arrange five light blue candles in a pentacle fashion
around my porcelain garden tub,
slide in the bath,
and
concentrating on my element.  All the worries and clutter drop away as the feeling of
energy flowing from my root cha
k
r
a increases.  Through my body and then down my arms, the energy gently enters the palms of my hands.  My hands start to glow with flames of amber, crimson, an
d gold as they f
licker outlining my finger
tips
.

Raising my palms out towards my astral candle I focus on only lighting that one candle
.
 

“
I light this candle which represents me and all that I am.
”
  I blow across my palms carrying my
flame to the tip of the candle
wick lighting it softl
y. 

I t
urn to the next candle
.
“
I light this candle which represents spirit
, I
ask for strength, protection, and guidance.
”
  Again blowing across my open palms my fire drifts to the first blue candle and lights it. 

“
I light this candle which represents earth, I ask for strength, protection, and guidance.
”
  Again I blow and the candle lights.

I t
urn to the third candle
.
“
I light this candle which represents air, I ask for strength, protection and guidance.
”
   My fire lights the third candle. 

“
I light this candle which represents water, I ask for strength, protection, and guidance.
”
 
The fourth candle lights from my fire.

The fifth and final candle I turn to and say
,
“
I
light this candle which represents fire, I ask for strength, protection, and guidance.
”

With all the candles now lit, I close my hands as my fire slowly diminishes away.  I pick up the silver ribbon resting beside the first candle and begin wrapping it around each one while saying. 
“
Elements of
power
protect me in my mortal hour.
S
o
m
ote
i
t
b
e.
”
  I lean back into the
soothing
waters and watch silently as the tips of each candle
’
s flame grow
s
and the soft yellow color of it begins to flicker into
a
brilliant white.  Each flame emerges with
in
the other, connecti
ng the pentagram, and safeguarding
me.  

The
strong holding
flames burn in the air brighter and energy fills the star with powers of protection.  I feel this energy filling me through my heart chakra.  My body tingles from head to toe.  The energy slowly fades and the candles continue to glow with the brightness of the prot
ectional spirit.  I sink further
into the tub clearing my mind and allowing the energy to travel throughout my body filling every extremity completely.

Finally
,
I get out of the relaxing bath, and walk naked into my bedroom and light one white candle.

I whisper
softly,
“
Thank you
.
”
  By doing this
act
I close and seal my protection spell.  I grab the lavender towel to dry off. 
After placing
away all my ritual items I start getting ready.  I put on a pair of faded blue jeans and a white low
-
cut long sleev
e shirt.
I
grab my jacket and
head downstairs. 

Just before I walk out the front door
,
I
take a quick glance at my
self in this insanely huge
and
wicked mirror my mother has in the foyer. 
It
’
s
a relic and has been in our family for centuries.  Legend has it that this
is the
very mirror used to be Queen Guinevere
’
s.  Staring back at me
I see
a girl with long dark brown hair, slim features and the one thing standing out is her intense undeniable blue eyes. 

I smile, shrug
nonchalantly
and
say,
“
Cute
, but definitely not a queen, Alyssa.
”
  I turn away and tell myself reassuringly,
don
’
t worry about tonight, everything will be fine.

Getting into my car I turn up the tunes, it
i
s time to get m
y mind into race mode.  The music
roars out of my speakers
as I drive to the track
.

The new Worthington Raceway, which by the way caters exclusively to witches, is located about fifteen miles outside of t
own and is impossible for
humans to find.  We don
’
t use magick in racing our ca
rs
,
but we do cloak the track.

Pulling into the main entrance the lights give me an all
too
familiar feeling of
intense
excitement.   Tommy is
already stationed
at the
gate;
he works for D
ad and is always at the main gate on race night
s
. 

“
Hey,
good luck tonight, Alyssa,
”
h
e says to me with a wink. 

“
Thanks, Tommy.
”
I smile back at him
, he
’
s always been a really nice guy, kind of reminds me of
a die hard rock band member, long dark hair just a inch or two past his
broad
shoulders and an occasional piercing here and there
.  He returns my smile and waves me on through the gate.

Driving over to the office I scan around looking for Lisa and Megan.
I find Megan
’
s Porsche so I assume Lisa is with her.  I drive over to the back of the buildings and see my father
’
s C
orvette.  Pulling in next to
him
, I get out and walk into the office where everyone alwa
ys g
athers
before the racing begins
.

Lisa and Dawson are listening to Megan tell about how she was kissing a guy in the hallway at school
,
but she cloaked them both so no one would see. 

“
He had the best lips
ever
,
what a
great kisser, oh yea
h
I mean,
oh my goddess, wow
.
”
  As she blathers
on my father is leaning against the office wall, listening and shaking his head with great amusement at Megan.

“
Hey,
it
’
s
about time you go
t here,
”
he says and then grins
at me
while offering
me the line
-
up sheet
.

“
So
,
what
’
s
the line up?
”
I ask anxiously
absorbing the form before me
.

“
Well,
there are three runs in front of you and oh,
Dawson
, I have a slot to fill, do you want to run tonight?
”

Dawson
drives a white 2011 Dodge C
hallenger, don
’
t let it fool you, he has modified that thing up quite a bit.  It runs pretty decent in the quarter mile.

Dawson
doesn
’
t hesitate.
“
I
’
m here aren
’
t I
,
”
he muses.