He smiled. “Yeah, but I’ll only be gone for a bit. I just need to talk to Ezekiel about some stuff before I go.” Ezra leaned in and kissed her forehead. “You did great today. Stay safe until I get back.”
Ivy smiled softly, “I’ll try not to get into trouble in my own apartment,” She joked.
Ezra rolled his eyes and stood up.
Ezekiel kissed her head, “I’ll be right back.”
They both left without another word. Ivy pulled out her phone. She had to call the Coven sooner or later.
The phone rang once. “Hello, dear,” Maggie answered quickly, “I’ve been waiting for your call.”
“Yes, I’m sorry I’ve waited this long to call after we recharged the ward,” Ivy apologized. She had been putting it off.
“Oh, yes, we still need to talk about what happened, don’t we? You’re not calling about that though?” Maggie asked.
“No,” the word was drawn out, “I’m not. I wanted to let you know that-”
“We need to perform the locating spell tomorrow,” Maggie interrupted.
“Yes. How did you know?” Ivy asked.
“I am a clairvoyant, my dear. I’ve had a feeling all afternoon. It’s good to know that it does work every now and then. We still need to discuss your rampant magic but it will have to wait for a less pressing time.” Maggie’s tone left no room for argument. They would be talking about her magic eventually.
“I appreciate that you are willing to put it off for now.” Ivy cleared her throat. “I know you were under the impression that we would be searching for Lawrence but we aren’t. We are looking for an earth altar.”
“Oh, isn’t that exciting? I did not expect that.” Maggie actually sounded excited. “Patricia will be beside herself. That is her specialty, as you know.”
Ivy could imagine how “excited” Patricia would be. “There is one alteration to our original plan though. There will be one more magic user joining us. Lawrence McDowell will be coming with me.” Ivy bit her thumbnail and waited for Maggie’s reaction.
“Oh? Do the wolves not want his head anymore?”
Ivy stood up and began to pace. “Not exactly. However, he’s turned out to be more of an ally than enemy. I will have to give you the full story when we meet in person.”
Maggie huffed out a small unimpressed sound. “I’m not surprised that the Black Bird Pack misaligned the poor dear. They do love a good witch hunt. I’ll have to warn Stella and Patricia that we will have company. They tend to hate surprises.”
Ivy didn’t correct Maggie about the “poor dear” part. She didn’t think that Lawrence had ever been a “poor dear”. She was just happy that Maggie was going along with the change of plans. “There’s one more thing. This will make more sense once we have spoken in person but the territory needs to cast out an evil influence and keep it out. I haven’t worked a spell like that so I am not sure where to start.”
There was silence on the other side of the line. “I’m guessing you’ll need our Coven to cast such a spell?”
“Yes.”
“That wasn’t part of our deal, Ms. Stevens,” Matriarch Maggie answered.
Ivy scrubbed her forehead and paced faster. “Yes, I know. I am prepared to make another deal on behalf of the Black Bird Pack.”
Maggie clucked, “Oh no, that won’t do. We told you before, the Pack has very little that we want.” She sighed, a little overexaggerated in Ivy’s opinion. “I will have to talk with my Coven sisters. We can bargain when you arrive tomorrow. In the meantime, I have some questions about this spell you want us to cast. This ‘evil influence’, is it an object or a person?”
“It’s more than one person. I really think we should speak in person about it.” Ivy didn’t want to go into detail over the phone.
“Yes, I understand that dear, but I won’t be able to do my research if I don’t have a few parameters,” Maggie apologized. “These people, do they have a defining trait. Are they a certain Pack or family? Is there something that we can use to differentiate them when casting a spell?”
“Yes,” they were all the same Coven.
“Alright, dear, well that will help me get started. I will have to start researching so I can determine how much this little favor will cost,” she sounded positively gleeful.
Ivy pulled the phone away from her mouth and let out a relieved breath. “Yes, of course. Lawrence is gathering supplies for the locating spell as we speak but we will need candles. He and I should have everything else when we see you.”
“Naturally, my dear,” Maggie in her normal cheery voice. “Well, I have to wake up the girls and tell them that we have preparations to do.”
Ivy glanced at the clock surprised. It wasn’t that late. “Thank you, Maggie. I appreciate your flexibility.”
Maggie gave a lighthearted laugh, “Don’t thank me yet, Ivy. We might end up taking a pound of flesh before our deal is done.” She hung up without another word.
Chapter Eighteen
With one task done, she went to her room to start preparing her amplification spell. While Ivy had avoided practicing magic, she always kept her instruments with her. Part of it was just in case she needed to perform a spell for an emergency. Part of it was for comfort.
She pulled out the travel cauldron her parents had given her when she had turned ten. It was covered in dust from years of moving from closet to closet. The underside was black from countless times it sat over an open flame. She smiled softly when she saw the circular scratches in the bottom. She wasn’t always careful when she stirred her potions.
For most of her life, magic had been essential. Her parents were always talking about the latest grimoires they were studying. They would ask her what spells she was working on. They had weekly family rituals. She had loved it.
It was only after they had died that magic became a twisted thing. Her parents had kept her far away from Coven politics. Once they were gone and she had taken their spot as Coven historian, the blinders came off.
Magic had become an evil, ugly thing. Using it made used to her feel dirty. She had been happy to stop using it.
She took a shaky breath as she set her cauldron on the gas stove. Helping the Pack would save lives. She didn’t feel dirty using magic right now. It didn’t stop her from feeling nervous.
It was like handling a snake. It could be lethally dangerous and you needed to focus when using it. Her magic had gotten the better of her when she had let it control her. Now, she was focused and she knew what she wanted it to do.
Ivy tried not to dwell on it too much as she gathered supplies. Luckily, most of what she needed were common ingredients. She searched through the cabinets until she found the bay leaves and her echinacea tea. She looked around the countertop and did a fist pump when she saw there was one last orange in her fruit bowl.
She went back to her closet and found her leather tool pouch. It was an old family heirloom, and Ivy took a moment to inhale its familiar scent. Nearly a century of Stevens witches had stored their most valuable ingredients inside its handcrafted pouches. The leather carried the earth scent of herbs and wood.
She was laying out the last of her ingredients when Ezekiel came back in. “I called the Coven. They’re expecting us tomorrow,” she said
He nodded and came over, “What are you doing?”
Ivy kept doing preparations while she answered, “I’m making a potion to amplify the crystal’s power.”
Ezekiel looked at her pile of herbs and pointed to the orange, “You use fruit in potions?”
She chuckled. “The orange is for luck. I figure we would need it.”
He nodded then started touching what she had laid out. “This looks like you’re about to make a stew.” He reached to touch a belladonna berry.
Ivy smacked his hand with her rowan spoon, “Don’t touch that! Its poisonous.”
His hand reared back. “Why are you using it then?”
“It’s not like we’re going to be drinking the potion
. Besides, the belladonna will add energy to the spell. It’s vital.” She looked over everything and decided she was ready. She gave Ezekiel a smile, “Are you ready?”
He gave her a small smile, “Sure, what are you going to do?”
“Potions are a little different than ritualistic spells. They’re a little looser, more causal. In this case, we are going to add all of our ingredients, pour purified water over them and then let the cauldron boil. While I stir, I’ll add intent to the potion.”
Ezekiel sat at the breakfast bar while Ivy added mandrake root, belladonna, echinacea, a bay leaf, and orange peel to the well of her cauldron. She went to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of purified water. She poured all of it over her ingredients. Once she checked that everything was covered in water, she turned on the stove and started stirring.
“Hecate, Mother of magic, bless this potion. Allow thy natural offerings to release their powers so that we might enhance our strength.” Ivy prayed as she stirred the potion with her rowan spoon. She kept repeating the prayer over and over again as the water began to simmer and boil. Once the water was frothing, she stopped stirring. “Hecate, Mother of magic, I thank thee for thy power and blessing. Thy magic willing, my devotion never ceasing. Blessed be the Mother.”
Ivy rocked back on her heels, light headed.
“Woah,” Ezekiel caught her elbow, “are you alright? You kind of went into a trance there.”
She shook her head, “Yeah, that took a little more magic than I expected.”
Ezekiel lead her to the stool he had just left. She thanked him and sat down.
“That was different than before. I don’t know why but I thought you would use the same words.” Ivy gave him a questioning look. “You started and ended differently.”
She nodded in understanding, “Everyone has different invocations and benedictions. I followed Maggie’s lead the other night so that we would all be unified. I usually use my mother’s phrase ‘Hecate, goddess of witchcraft’. It’s a little more modern.”
He gave her a weird look. “That’s not what you said. You called her the Mother.”
Ivy opened her mouth, then closed it. “Oh, I didn’t realize I said that.” That’s what Caterina had used when she had prayed to Hecate. She gave him a reassuring smile, “Oh, well, it won’t have an effect on the potion.”
She stood up, carefully, and went back to the stove. She didn’t want Ezekiel to see the confusion on her face. She hadn’t meant to use Caterina’s phrasing. It had just come out.
Instead of overthinking, she pulled the crystal off of her neck. Carefully, while the potion was still hot, she submerged the lapis three times. She let the excess water drip off before she hooked the chain over one of the cabinet handles.
She turned to Ezekiel with a big smile, “Now, we need to let it dry and it’ll be done. So, what did you and Ezra talk about?”
“He just wanted to makes sure we were on the same page,” he said nonchalantly. “I actually wanted to ask you something.” He made eye contact with her. “You were planning on leaving Black Bird as soon as you could. Now, you’re standing up for us against a whole Coven of witches.”
“Yeah?” Ivy asked unsure what his question was.
“Have you changed your mind? Are you still planning on leaving?” There wasn’t any judgement or hope in his voice. He sounded like he genuinely wanted to know.
Ivy didn’t know how to answer him. To be honest, she hadn’t really thought about it. She walked over to the couch trying to gather her thoughts. Ezekiel followed her. They both sat down on opposite sides.
“I don’t know if my minds changed,” she answered honestly. “Running, leaving you all to deal with this, never crossed my mind. Once I knew Lawrence wasn’t full of shit. I couldn’t leave you to deal with the Salici on your own.”
Ezekiel seemed to ponder that for a minute. “Do you think you’ll still want to leave after the Salici Sacri are gone?”
She blew out a breath. “I don’t know. It hasn’t been easy, living in Black Bird. Some people are downright mean.” He nodded. There was no denying that. “It also kind of feels like home,” she admitted. “I love my job. I have friends. Real friends who don’t cross themselves because they know that I’m a witch.” She shrugged, embarrassed, “It feels nice not to hide what I am. It comes with baggage sure, but I forgot how much I liked being a witch. And now, I get to be the kind of witch I want to be.” She gave him an unsure smile, “I don’t know, Zeke.”
He stared at her intently then looked away. “Ezra and I want you to be happy. I know we haven’t shown that but it’s true. If Black Bird isn’t somewhere you can be happy, then that’s that.” He took a deep breath and looked up. “We’d really like you to stay though. At least until Cassidy graduates. Then,” he lifted one shoulder, “we’d be able to follow you wherever you think you’d be happy. If you want us around.”
Ivy’s heart pounded. “Why would you do that?” The question was practically whispered she was breathing so hard.
Ezekiel’s gaze never left hers. “I love you, Ivy Stevens. I’ve loved you for a long time. I understand if you don’t believe me. I’ve been an ass but I know if you’ll give me a second chance, I can show you it’s true.”
Ivy felt tears fill her eyes. She cleared the lump from her throat, “Does Ezra feel the same way?”
Ezekiel smirked. “He pulled me outside because he didn’t want me to steal his moment. He wants to tell you himself.”
Ivy smiled then became serious. “You’ve never said you felt like this. Neither of you have ever talked about the future. Why now?”
Ezekiel ran a finger under his watch, “We’ve always known how important mate bonds are. Our parents never hid how devoted they were to each other. They were always honest about the strength and happiness their relationship brought to their lives. We’ve known our whole lives how important it is to be bonded to your equal.” He looked at her and her heart stopped. There was such sincerity in his eyes. She felt it deep in her heart. “Ivy, you’ve always been the heart of this relationship. You are strong and generous. I am in awe of you. Ezra and I have been scared and hesitant. Frankly, we weren’t ready to build a strong bond with you. We had to work through our own problem.”
“And now you are?” She asked.
He reached out and grabbed her hand. He shook his head, “You’ll always be the strong one, the foundation, but we know how to work on building a strong relationship. We want to work on being your equals. We want to show you that we’re ready to commit to being your mates.”
Ivy’s hand clenched in his. Her body went hot and cold. “Mates? You want to be mates?” Her mind recalled the bond that had tied Caterina and David together. That word had so much more meaning now.
Ezekiel nodded. “One thing our parents taught us is that the most sacred bond you can create is the one you choose. Even if you meet your destined mate, you have to want to create an unbreakable bond. That is where the strength and happiness grows from Ivy, I want to build that bond with you.”
Ivy blinked rapidly. Her first thought was the intense hurt she had felt when they had left her. How lonely she had been.
She turned towards the small table by the front door. At the center was the pressed rose Ezra had given her. The single flower was still vividly pink, perfectly pressed between the glass.
She had been so happy when they had given her that potted rose. She had taken such good care it because she had loved having a living reminder of how happy she was. Ezra might not have known why she loved her little pink rose, but he knew she loved it and had given her a way to remember it forever.
Her heart slowed. She felt a spark ignite in her gut. She turned back to Ezekiel. He wasn’t entirely correct. He and his brother had helped build a good, strong foundation. They had shown her love. They had showed her how much they cared by making her a priority every day they had dated. They listened to her. They shared their lives with her.
They weren’t perfec
t. None of them were. They had all kept secret. They had owned up to their mistakes and tried to make amends though.
She took a deep breath. Her heart wanted them. She wanted to take a chance. She felt it deep in her bones; they would be worth the risk.
“I want to build that bond with you,” she whispered.
Ezekiel’s face lit up. His smile widened to show all of his teeth. He radiated joy. “I’m so happy. I don’t want to jump into matehood right this second but I’m so excited to be yours again.”
Ivy smiled feeling happiness flutter to life, “Me too.”
Ezekiel’s eyes went to her lips. His expression darkened with awareness. Suddenly, her blood began to warm. He had moved closer to hold her hand. The heat coming off of him flushed her cheeks. She saw his chest drawn in a deep breath.
His eyes closed on an inhumane rumble. The sound sent a shiver up her spine. Ezekiel opened his eyes showing wolf pupils.
“I want to be a gentleman, Ivy.” His thumb circled the back of her hand. “The scent of you is making it hard.” Ivy licked her lips drawing his eyes.
They’d never had sex. She wasn’t the type to jump into bed with anyone. The guys had never seemed bothered that she wanted to wait. They hadn’t brought it up at least. When she felt ready and tried to entice them over for “a night cap” they always declined.
Now, she knew why they couldn’t spend the night at the drop of a hat. They had a teenager at home. She’d really wanted them to spend the night though, to take that next step. She had been desperate to take that next step near the end of their relationship.
All those feelings came rushing back in full force. “You were a perfect gentleman for over a year,” Ivy slid closer until their legs were touching. “I don’t want you to be a gentleman tonight.”
Ezekiel’s nostrils flared. He dipped down and captured her lips. The kiss was soft, warm. Ivy sighed into him.
His hands reached up and tangled into her hair. He pulled her firmly against him. Her hands braced against his chest. He growled as she grabbed his shirt.
Ezekiel grabbed her hips and lifted her onto his lap. Ivy yelped in surprise as he pressed her into his hardness. Ivy whimpered.
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