“Yep. I couldn’t have said it better myself.”
Other Kevin
The snow had changed from giant flakes to steady, tiny specks of white that caught the gaslights along the path to the temple and turned into starlight. Zoey’s friends were talking easily together. They even waved to fledglings who called their names.
Zoey walked beside him, uncharacteristically silent.
G-ma Redbird was on his other side. She was silent too, and holding his hand.
“Do not be nervous, u-we-tsi.” She spoke softly, for his ears alone. “The goddess already knows you.”
“How can you be sure? Maybe they were just dreams, or delusions, or maybe some weird psychic echo across worlds of what was supposed to happen to Zoey.”
“I can be sure because I know Nyx,” G-ma said cryptically.
And then they were entering Nyx’s Temple and Kevin forgot his nerves. He forgot his fears. He forgot everything except the wonder of Nyx.
The moment he entered the temple he was engulfed in the scent of vanilla and lavender. He heard the tinkling of running water and glanced to his right as they passed a beautiful fountain made of amethyst with candles floating in it. There were several ways they could have gone, but the group didn’t hesitate. They turned to the left, walked through a thick, arched stone doorway, and entered a large room that was lit by white candles suspended everywhere. Sconces with live flames protruded from the walls. In the very center of the room was the only piece of furniture—an antique wooden table, ornately carved, that held another candelabrum, plus a luminous statue of the Goddess made of iridescent, golden onyx that was lit from within. Her arms were raised and she was cupping a crescent moon between her hands. Several thick sticks of sweetgrass incense smoked at her feet. In front of the table there was an open flame that burned from a recess in the stone floor. He thought it looked like it could burn for a century and never falter, never fade, never extinguish.
“Z, I’ll get the candles,” Stevie Rae called, disappearing into a side room.
“Found her!” Shaunee entered the room with a pretty, petite girl beside her. He blinked, surprised to see yet another female red vampyre. This one had an adult tattoo that looked like that famous Japanese wave, but with layers upon layers of detail. “Kevin, this is Shaylin. Her element is—”
“Water,” Shaylin said. She stared at him, and as she did her eyes seemed to get bigger and bigger. “He has the exact same aura as you, Z.”
“Huh?” Kevin was even more confused than he had been before he’d entered the temple. “Aura?”
“She’s a Prophetess of Nyx. She sees auras,” Shaunee explained.
“Really? And mine’s like Zo’s?” Kevin said. “What’s it look like?”
Shaylin grinned. “Pretty. You both have violet auras with flecks of silver, like liquid mercury, sparkling all over.”
“Do people usually have the same auras?” Zo asked.
“Nope,” Shaylin said.
“What about siblings? Other Kevin’s my brother.”
“My answer is still nope. I’ve never seen anyone before with the same aura.”
“Well, that’s weird,” Kevin and Zoey said together.
“Jinx!” Kevin yelled. “Beat ya!”
She shoved his shoulder. “Come on. You’re with me.” Then she gestured at the others. “Okay, circle up.”
It only took a moment. Everyone knew exactly what to do. Well, everyone except Kevin, who stood next to Zoey, watching everything while he cracked his knuckles. When all were in place, Zoey turned to him. They were standing in the middle of the circle between the table and the open fire.
“Hey, stop looking so nervous. This is easy and fun. Just walk with me. Damien, Shaunee, Shaylin, Stevie Rae, and I will do everything. All you need to do is to concentrate on what you’re feeling, and if you feel something—tell me. Ready?”
“Yep,” he lied.
She picked up a long, wooden match and a box to strike it against. Then she walked to Damien, who was holding a yellow candle.
“From the east I summon air—the element that fills us at birth and surrounds us all the days of our lives.” She touched the match to the yellow candle.
Kevin felt his hair flutter and heard the sound of wind sighing through leaves. He looked around, trying to see if he’d missed something. Was a window open?
Zoey and Damien were staring at him.
“Anything?” she asked.
“I—I felt wind in my hair and heard leaves rustling.”
Damien grinned. “That’s one.”
“Seriously? I really have an affinity for wind?”
“Absolutely,” said Zo.
“Wow. Just wow, wow, wow!” Kevin said.
“Come on. Let’s see what else you have.”
Everyone turned to their right while he and Zoey approached Shaunee, who was holding a red candle.
“From the south I summon fire—that element that warms us and gives us light.” She didn’t have to touch the match to the red candle. It spontaneously lit and Kevin jumped. He was surrounded by heat, as if he was standing a little too close to a bonfire. A light sweat broke out on his face, and he automatically wiped at his forehead.
“My guess is that’s two,” Shaunee said.
Zo raised her brows at him.
He nodded, unable to stop his gleeful grin. “Definitely felt that. It’s awesome!”
They turned to their right and walked to Shaylin, who was holding a blue candle.
“From the west I summon water—the element that washes us and quenches us.” She lit the blue candle.
The sound of waves filled Kevin’s ears, and the scent of the sea filled his nose.
“I hear it! I smell it!”
“That’s three,” Shaylin said.
They turned to the right again and ended up in front of Stevie Rae and her green candle.
“Hey there Z and Z’s bro,” she said, smiling at them both.
Kevin thought he automatically liked this girl, and decided right then he wanted to get to know her better.
“From the north I summon earth—we come from you, and return to you.” She lit the green candle.
Kevin could feel the softness of a grassy meadow under his feet. He smelled hay and heard birdsong.
“That’s four. Right, Kev?”
“Right!” Kevin told the little blond.