Light and Sweet: Sacred Hearts Coven Read online

  LIGHT AND SWEET

  Sacred Hearts Coven

  By

  Felicia Starr

  The right of Felicia Starr to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him/her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it was published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

  Cover Design by

  Bookfabulous Designs

  Edited by:

  Elizabeth A. Lance

  Copyright© 2014

  All rights reserved

  Vamptasy Publishing

  www.vamptasy.com

  CHAPTER ONE

  The Witches

  “It is nearly midnight, the moon is almost at its peak. I think it’s time we get this picnic wrapped up,” Seraphina spoke with a gentle softness in her voice. “Sorry to have to break up the party, but we have work to do. I am going to get the box of stuff for the altar.”

  “I will be over in a minute to help you set the altar,” Esmeralda replied.

  The sisters who were unable to get to the property early to share the mini feast were starting to walk up to where the ladies were gathered.

  “Esmeralda, the bread you brought tonight was so delicious. The rosemary olive loaf couldn’t have paired any better with the triple cream brie that Belinda brought,” Jasinda commented as she started to pack the mess associated with the mead she had contributed to the meal. “Maybe we could plan a get together and you could teach us how to make bread.”

  “I would love that. I am not sure if I can fit thirteen women in the tiny kitchen at my cafe. I will have to check it out and see if we could swing it. Do you want to send out an email to all the sisters to see how many would be interested?” Esmeralda put her big wood cutting board and serrated knife in her tote bag along with the bags the bread had been stored in.

  “Oh, you know what? I have an industrial oven in the kitchen at the bar. We have never used it, but it worked when we bought the place,” Jasinda slurred her words slightly.

  “Why don’t you use the oven? You really should be serving food. I bet you would double your income.” Esmeralda stood up and put her tote on her shoulder.

  “It just seemed way too complicated when we purchased the joint. I don’t cook so good and Steve burns toast. We wanted to focus on what we knew; booze and beer. We have talked about maybe subletting the kitchen or hiring a chef. Things just always come up and the idea gets pushed aside.” Jasinda finished packing up the growler bottles and the plastic cups while the other ladies cleaned up the plates and trash.

  “Call me during the week. We can work on planning a bread gathering and we will see if we can’t come up with a plan to get your kitchen up and running. We have enough successful women in this coven to help you get a business plan in place.” Esmeralda held out her hand to help Jasinda up off the blanket.

  “You are the best.” Jasinda wrapped her arms around Esmeralda and squeezed her tight whispering into her ear, “I think I might have had a little bit too much mead tonight.”

  “Ok, after we cast our spell we will make sure you have a safe ride home, love.” Esmeralda tried not to laugh. It would have been rude to draw attention to her friend’s lack of discretion.

  “Hey, sorry I missed the party. You guys got any food left? I’m starving. I thought about eating at work, but knew I was already late.” Claudia bounced over to the group of women.

  She was wearing tight white leggings, that may have been sheer had she been in the right lighting, and a loose fitting white tunic with some tiny silver embellishments around the collar.

  “I left my shoes in the car. I hope I don’t step on a rock again.” Claudia was the youngest sister of the coven. She had a uniqueness about her that was only enhanced by her youth. “Who’s setting the altar tonight anyway?”

  “I am, actually.” Esmeralda looked up at the moon.

  “Well, then what are you doing over here? Give me that.” Claudia reached out her arm. “I will help them finish cleaning, you go get your stuff ready and get with our High Priestess.”

  “Thanks, Claudia.” Esmeralda handed her the tote bag. “My stuff is already by the altar, but I do need to set it up.”

  Esmeralda covered the altar with a caramel colored sheet of fabric and layered it with a few sheer red sashes. She emptied her tote bag with the items for her spell. She placed a marbled red and pink hand crafted candle that had specks of gold flakes scattered throughout. She ordered the candle from her favorite candle maker, Raven Hollow Candle Company. She placed a bottle of salted caramel coffee syrup next to the candle.

  There was a box on the ground next to the altar with the coven’s ceremonial tools. She dug in and pulled out their sacred athame, goblet, cauldron, and a box of salt that she poured into the goblet. There was always a supply of candles in the box to cast the circle, but Esmeralda brought her own. She felt like they should all have the same loving vibration of the flame candle.

  “Hey, can I help you set up?” Jasinda placed her hand on Esmeralda’s back. More often than not Jasinda was the one to set the perimeter of their circle.

  “Sure, thank you.” Esmeralda leaned in and half hugged her and kissed her on the cheek. “There are candles in the bag, I brought my own for tonight.”

  Jasinda reached in the bag to retrieve the candles, she lifted them to her nose. “These smell divine. Where did you get them?”

  “I order from a girl who makes them, Raven Hollow Candles. I stopped buying store made candles months ago. These are all natural made with non-toxic soy,” Esmeralda told her.

  “You will have to give me her website later. Let me go get these set up for you. I know Seraphina was trying to round everyone up, you know how particular she is about us casting our spells at midnight.” Jasinda hiccupped. “Excuse me.”

  “Too much of your own brew, huh?” Esmeralda asked with a giggle.

  “Ya think? I sure could go for a cup of your house coffee right about now.” Jasinda winked at her and walked the circle, placing the candles on the small stone platforms.

  The Ladies finished setting everything up as the rest of the women joined them in the clearing. Miranda purchased the property for the sisters so that they always had a special place to share and commune without worrying about disturbing anyone in a public park. It also gave them the freedom to perform any rituals without worrying about what onlookers might say or think about them. There were a few festive occasions when the women liked to gather in the nude and this gave them the privacy to do so.

  A few of the girls were big on gardening and they worked hard throughout the year planting flowers, herbs and a small vegetable garden. The women dried many of the herbs for teas, cooking, and their ceremonies.

  Seraphina joined the women. There was something ethereal about the way she looked and moved. Normally she wore a dress, but on this occasion she had on an elegant one-piece jumper. It was a sleeveless mock turtleneck. It was cut deep on top exposing her square shoulders. The sheer white chiffon fabric was synched at the waist with a silver rope belt. The lower half of the jumper’s fabric flowed down into wide palazzo pants. When she walked, the fabric flared out at the sides making her look like she was encased in a cloud.

  Seraphina’s long, silver hair was tied back in a bun; in the dark it was hard to see her signature black streaks. There wasn’t a hair out of place; it was pulled back so tight that it helped to open her already
big brown eyes. She was a natural beauty. Even at her age and with no makeup she could turn heads.

  “Welcome sisters of the Sacred Hearts Coven, it is always a beautiful sight to see you gathered here together spending time enjoying each other’s company. Tonight we gather as we do every month under the full moon. The moon is at its highest point in the sky helping to heighten the power of our magic,” Seraphina welcomed her sisters.

  The women formed a circle holding hands and took a moment to open their hearts. They envisioned a bright white light extending from their hearts joining at the center of the circle where their High Priestess, Seraphina, lit the ceremonial flame candle.

  “Esmeralda has set the altar this evening. Our full moon esbat is reserved for blessing those in need of true passion. Esmeralda, if you could please come forward and join me. Before we start, if you could share with us a little bit about who will receive our enchantment.” Seraphina put her arm around Esmeralda.

  “Thank you, High Priestess. Tonight we will call upon the Goddess of Aphrodite and ask her for her blessing in helping my customer Lilly find her way to a man with an open heart. She has been on more tragic blind dates than anyone I have ever known. I fear that she is considering an online dating site, or even worse, giving up on the chance at love,” Esmeralda explained.

  Some of the girls gasped at the thought of giving up on romance.

  “We will be making a love potion, so to speak, with salted caramel syrup. There is a guy named Leo whom I think could be a perfect match for Lilly. We all know that our love spells seem to be the strongest when both of their names start with the same letter, so fingers crossed. Of course if they are not meant to be, the spell won’t quite work, but at least Lilly’s heart will be opened.

  “After Jasinda casts the circle, if you would all join together by placing your hands on the backs of each other’s heart center, instead of holding hands tonight. I’m ready when you are Jasinda, and Belinda if you could light the remaining candles please,” Esmeralda asked of her sisters.

  “Talia, come help me light these candles,” Belinda asked her sister.

  The two of them lit the five matching scented candles. The flicker of the five flames helped to illuminate and mark the circle. They would help to provide as a guide for Jasinda.

  Jasinda smiled at Esmeralda and stepped forward to retrieve the goblet. She then began to walk the perimeter of their circle slowly pouring out salt as she walked the path. “With our sacred athame, I cast our circle. This salt line will protect us and our energy as we practice our craft. May our circle be a portal beyond what we know and beyond what we can see. Allow our space to be where we can draw upon the positive energy of nature and the universe. May the good of our true parents grace us with our intended power and ward off the wickedness of those who do not seek balance in nature.”

  As Jasinda walked the circle a second time, she stopped at each cardinal direction and called the quarters, starting at the north first. Jasinda walked clockwise. “I call out to you, oh powerful Guardian of the North, protector of earth. Please be present in our circle and watch over all that our physical senses may experience.”

  “Welcome, Guardian of the North Watchtower,” the sisters called out.

  “I call out to you, oh powerful Guardian of the East, protector of air. Please be present in our circle and watch over all that our minds may think.”

  “Welcome, Guardian of the East Watchtower,” the sisters called out.

  “I call out to you, oh powerful Guardian of the South, protector of fire, please be present in our circle and watch over all that we may do.”

  “Welcome, Guardian of the South Watchtower,” the coven repeated in unison.

  “I call out to you, oh powerful Guardian of the West, protector of water. Please be present in our circle and watch over our actions in our emotions that we may feel.”

  “Welcome, Guardian of the West Watchtower,” the sisters again joined in their welcoming.

  As Jasinda walked the circle for the third time, she spoke out, “Thrice I have walked around. Let this circle be bound.” She returned the athame and goblet of salt to the altar and took her place with her sisters.

  “It is time for us to invoke the spirit of our goddesses and gods.” Seraphina raised her arms up to the sky as if to hug the moon. All of the sisters mimicked her pose. “With our hearts open, we ask that you guide our spell and hear our hearts’ truest intentions.”

  The sisters all dressed in white stood together as a family. The weather was finally warm enough so that the girls could be bare foot, creating a deeper connection to Mother Earth. They honored her by imagining themselves growing roots deep into her ground. They reached their arms high into the sky, hugging Father Universe. They imagined their arms stretched out into the expansive never-ending universe. They lowered their arms, pulling in the energy of their mother and father, filling their hearts with the truest love.

  The moonlight shone down on the pure smiles of the sisters as they placed their hands on the backs of the sisters standing next them. They let their love and energy flow into each other’s heart centers creating a blissful vortex for Esmeralda to cast her spell.

  Esmeralda used the athame to carve two L’s into the side of the marbled candle to start her spell. Seraphina stepped back into the circle joining her maidens allowing Esmeralda to take center stage.

  Esmeralda placed Lilly’s business card along with an assortment of dried rose petals and an empty vanilla bean pod into the cauldron. She used the candle to light the contents on fire. She opened the bottle of coffee syrup and placed it in front of the candle.

  Holding the red sash between the flames and the bottle she repeated these words:

  “Witch candle, which candle

  This candle, thine

  Bright with fire

  Burning desire

  By the light of the moon

  Light of thine

  Light of time

  Summon the spirits

  Let love lead the way

  Her heart be kind

  And find that with which to entwine

  Crimson light

  Red as blood

  Pumping with passion

  Bring her love to heat her heart

  Lust is fast

  Love is strong

  Bring it quick and let it last

  Witch candle, which candle

  This candle, thine

  Let your magic bind.”

  Esmeralda dropped the sash. She threw a small handful of salt at the fire and said,

  “Not salt to fire

  Hearts to find the fire

  Let the salted caramel

  Sweeten their day

  Spice up their life.”

  She poured out a small amount of the enchanted coffee syrup over the flame in the cauldron. As the liquid hit the flame a small burst of red created a tiny explosion before putting out the flame. A poof of smoke appeared in the shape of a heart over the black cauldron. Esmeralda smiled with satisfaction. She turned back to her sisters and joined their circle.

  Together all the sisters joined and spoke out in unison. “Let it be, blessed be, blessed be, let it be, let it be, blessed be.”

  They unlocked their hands from behind their backs and held their arms again high in the direction of the moon. They spun around three times fast creating a burst of wind that blew out all five of the candles at the outer edge of their circle.

  Jasinda grabbed her broom and looked to Esmeralda and Seraphina to make sure it was ok to open their circle. They both smiled and nodded in acknowledgment. Starting at the northern most point she walked the perimeter this time walking the opposite direction. She swept the salt away on her first time around. On her second lap she stopped at each cardinal direction, giving thanks to the corresponding watchtowers. On her third lap around she spoke as she walked continuing to sweep, “Thrice is the charm, we have done no harm. Thank you for hearing our calls, we open the circle as the night falls.”

>   CHAPTER TWO

  Blind Date

  Lilly picked up her cell and hit the speed dial button for her best friend Bethany while she was brushing her teeth. She looked over at the clock on the wall double-checking to make sure that she was calling before Bethany’s husband Dick got home from work. She wasn’t clear if it was Bethany that was worried she would upset her husband, or if her husband actually banned her from talking on the phone at night, but she didn’t want to stir the pot.

  Of course Bethany picked up the phone while the toothbrush was lodged all the way in the rear of Lilly’s mouth. A bit of a grumble came out when she attempted to say hello.

  “You ok, Lill? I can’t understand anything you just said,” Bethany asked.

  Lilly spit in the sink. “Sorry, I’m brushing my teeth.”

  “That’s always a good thing. What’s up?”

  “I just needed to talk to someone. I am so nervous and excited about tonight,” Lilly said.

  “What is tonight again?”

  Bethany didn’t have anything to do other than iron her husband’s clothes and make him dinner, it annoyed Lilly that she couldn’t remember anything she ever told her friend.

  “My blind date, with that guy Alan. I told you about it last week.”

  The line was silent.

  “Remember, the girl Meg that works at the resume agency I work for is setting me up with this guy.”

  “Oh, ok. That’s tonight?”

  “Yeah. He sounds perfect. Meg told me that if she wasn’t married and he wasn’t her husband’s best friend she would totally to go out with him,” Lilly started to explain.

  “What does she think makes him so great? She is a bit wacky Lilly.”

  “That might be true, but I haven’t had the best luck finding any kind of Mr. Right on my own. She said that he runs his own business, a successful one at that.”