Read Tethered 02 - Conjure for Free Online Page A

fact, that strangeness seemed to stem from everyone in the room except me.
    “Okay…” I dragged the word out and met Kace’s eyes.
    His lips pursed together and his eyes grew icy. He knew something and I got the impression he was ticked I wasn’t being told. His eyes flicked to Admer and I followed his gaze.
    Admer was staring at me with that same odd sense of fascination he had the first time he’d met me at the bookstore. A shiver went down my spine and I wondered what was going on.
    “Well, I’m starved. We should eat before the food gets cold,” Della said loudly, shattering the odd vibe of the room.
    There were murmurs of response as we all stood up and made our way to the gaudy room that was my dining room. The food came from Collette’s and included a few standard pasta dishes to choose from. I ate, but wasn’t as hungry as I normally would have been. The topic of conversation took on an easygoing note as we all discussed the town and its beautiful scenery for a while.
    After dinner, we all moved back to the living room and continued with the intense conversation from before.
    “I hate to shift gears back to the initiation, but do you have any questions about it?” Della asked after an awkward silence had fallen across the room again.
    “I think we all do,” Adam said from beside Callie. He stood at the entrance to the living room, leaning against the wall.
    “Generally, the rite is not spoken about until all four elements are present and each initiate is of age to understand the type of powers they will gain,” Admer said, his deep green eyes never leaving me, never blinking, as though he could hear the questions as they formed in my mind. “We were ready, or so we thought, at age sixteen.”
    “None of you know about it?” I asked, glancing at Adam and Callie before shifting in my seat to look at Kace too.
    Kace shook his head. “No.”
    Relief trickled through me at this knowledge. I wasn’t the only one in the dark right now. The others would be learning something as well tonight.
    “I’ve waited forever to hear this,” Adam said, leaning into Callie a little more. He wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his head into her shoulder. Callie’s blue eyes darted around the room from one parent to another before settling on Admer as he spoke.
    “It must be performed on a waxing moon as well as on a Monday night,” Admer said, his smooth voice floating through the silent room that buzzed with anticipation from the three uninitiated Elementals.
    What the hell was a waxing moon, and why did this spell have to be performed on a Monday night? Then, I remembered the list of the magickal days of the week in the Elemental Book of Shadows I’d found in the attic. There had been certain spells you preformed on certain days of the week. I couldn’t remember what Monday meant though.
    Kace’s hand on my knee tightened and then released. “A waxing moon is when it appears to grow from a new moon into a full moon. And Monday is significant because it’s said to be connected with the moon. It’s also a good time for initiations and drawing power to you,” he whispered for my ears only as Admer continued to talk.
    “It will have to be performed at midnight—the witching hour—and you will all be expected to wear some form of cotton clothing that is preferably loose fitting. This allows the magick the ability to freely flow through you without any restrictions.”
    “Does this mean we get to go commando style then?” Adam sneered. Callie’s eyes widened and her cheeks flushed from where she stood in his arms, her back pressed against his chest.
    “Yes, Adam, it means just that,” his mother said in a stern voice. She rolled her eyes as though she couldn’t contain her disapproval of his words.
    “Cool,” Adam insisted, ignoring his mother’s eye roll and snide tone.
    “You don’t wear robes or anything? Are colors restricted?” I asked, realizing as soon as the questions slipped