- •Independence, intelligence, and unique beauty of modern women. My heroes all have one thing in common:
- •375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, usa
- •I would like to thank Mark Stelljes, the rosarian I consulted as I researched this book. Mark, your information
- •Incredibly erotic dream of my life. I really didn’t give a damn what his face looked like.”
- •Instead of answering her, Mikki twirled an errant strand of thick, copper-colored hair and bought time by
- •It was a solid friendship, founded in trust and mutual respect. And Mikki had no idea why she was so hesitant
- •Intended to turn his face to hers—to open her eyes and to finally, finally see him. Then she had touched them.
- •I was crossing the street, and I heard something weird behind me.”
- •Incredibly articulate like ‘Whoo-hoo! You are one hot mamma, Red.’ That effectively killed the fantasy.”
- •I’m more horny than horrified.” She bit her bottom lip. “Is that awful?”
- •Vibrant, deep blue. If hope had a color, it would be the blue of the old woman’s eyes, and Mikki was struck
- •Very hardy. It makes a great hedge, and it blooms for almost four straight months.”
- •Is your name, my dear?”
- •Its light. Slate blended with mauve and coral in the fading day. Mikki knew the colors would wane quickly,
- •I aothing cd hide within it for long. Mikki opened the knife. The little blade was honed to a razorlike edge,
- •Volunteers at the Rose Gardens noticed it, Mikki would simply smile her way through their admonishments
- •In the psychic? I don’t remember Nelly saying anything about that.”
- •Insightful and well educated. They create worlds filled with strong, passionate women and honorable, heroic
- •It was exhilarating!
- •Intrigued, she searched her memory for details of Medea’s story. She vaguely remembered that the play was
- •I will love my sons and daughters, and adore the gods.”
- •Into her throat, so that when she continued the invocation, her voice strengthened and magnified. Had she
- •It took several minutes for Mikki’s cheeks to cool down. She could easily imagine the blazing red of her
- •Imposingly between the archway she had just walked beneath and the second stone archway, which framed
- •It only took a second for her to work the Band-Aid free from her left palm. The cut was already scabbing
- •It was so silent that Mikki imagined a soundless bubble had been formed around her made of roses and cool
- •It’s just a delusion, she reminded herself firmly. Nothing more than a symptom of my overactive imagination.
- •Inviting suddenly beat against them in a frenzy of scent and sound. They were caught in a vortex of
- •Impossible. Home was a nice little apartment in a great location, not a room fit for a princess. Mikki’s
- •Intermingled with ornate trees, hedges, fountains and statuary. In the heart of the gardens she thought she saw
- •If that were true, then it didn’t matter whether she chose to stay or return. Either way she was screwed
- •It smelled like home.
- •If you understood who we were when Nera and I welcomed you, but surely you know who we are now that
- •I had no idea I was a Priestess of Hecate until the goddess told me so herself. So it’s not just that I don’t
- •Voluptuous. Her body was lush; the blue silk lapped around her like translucent waves. Petite Aeras wore
- •In the center of the circle near the heart of the goddess’s flame.”
- •I think of movement and invisible power. It is a contradiction—a paradox. It cannot be contained, but it can
- •Inspired by the element’s personification, Mikki continued, “Fire is passion and heat. It consumes, but it also
- •In warmth and security, as if her mother’s arms were once again around her. With a catch in her voice, Mikki
- •Impulse or hesitate until she could second guess herself. Mikki danced. Within the circle she twirled and
- •In the midst of the sacred circle.
- •In his arms as the power of the goddess transported them to Hecate’s realm. He closed his eyes and leaned
- •In response to the flexing of his muscles, pain shot through his arms and chest. He welcomed it. The pain
- •Vigilant. He had been tireless in his devotion. And he had been alone, even during the brief moments when he
- •In the casting of a circle. She would not know that she must ground herself and use food and drink to
- •It was only when she stopped dancing that Mikki felt the return of her sick dizziness. So many women . . .
- •Illuminate. Its light danced off a crystal goblet filled with dark red wine. She lifted it, admiring the elaborate
- •In the darkest shadows, washing around her and causing the hair on her body to prickle. “It is a belief to
- •It was totally fucking Loony Tunes.
- •Is not appropriate. What I did for you is out of duty. It is why Hecate called me into her service. Do you
- •Instantly, he halted. “Have care where you step. The glass can cut through the soles of your slippers.” The
- •Impossible that I was aware again. At first I sensed you, but I could not see you. I only knew your presence.”
- •It was so beautiful that it weakened the disbelief and cynicism she had learned from a very young age to carry
- •Intelligent gray eyes looked unnaturally mature and out of place in the goddess’s smooth young face. “I rarely
- •I may be older, but that also means I’ve lived through more experiences, so I suggest they watch their silly
- •Important in either her mother’s or her grandmother’s life. Not that either of them hadn’t been wonderful,
- •Interior? Now she was saying that beauty was everything.
- •Vast forest, a kind of netherworld, which is the crossroads between reality and magick. On one side of the
- •Instincts, Mikado. Allow your spirit and the knowledge held in your blood to guide you, and you will do well .
- •Various other types of mantles.” Taking a wide, soft brush from the vanity dresser, Gii fussed with Mikki’s
- •Voice rumbled intimately between them. If‘Ђfro
- •Inexperienced young girl, had called him back to her without knowing for sure what she wanted to say.
- •It’s your turn to listen and answer.”
- •I can’t do it on my own, so the women are going to have to help me.”
- •Ignored the lingering soreness in her body and the vague nausea she seemed unable to get rid of and looked
- •Ignoring Gii’s sudden surprised intake of breath, Mikki tilted her head in what she liked to think was a
- •I have to finish up here and then take a bath or something because I am definitely a mess and—”
- •It seemed that these roses were greener and healthier than those in the rest of the realm. Beyond the beds of
- •It was true, but she squelched the thought, pulling her mind from the beast to the mystery that surrounded the
- •I’ll definitely need you in the morning. I’m going to have breakfast with the four Elementals. Could you be
- •Instead of being included in one of their groups at lunch . . .
- •In handy in your line of work.”
- •If he was afraid of crushing it.
- •It’s a great resource for me. Now I don’t have to worry about not knowing my way around.” She couldn’t
- •In entering her bed, the very thought of which was abhorrent to her. The sight of me was a constant reminder
- •I should not be here with you.”
- •It was impossible between them because he was making it that way. It was as if there was some kind of
- •If she asked the goddess outright and Hecate commanded her to stay away from him, then what would she
- •In return; she had shivered beneath his lips.
- •If he would be the only one to pay the price, he would gladly do so. He knew it for truth, even though the
- •Imagined that she was preparing to summon the Elementals and begin her day. He, too, must begin his. She
- •Ink, and she’d drawn her own considerably less-attractive lines to quarter the blueprint. “As I said before,
- •In the dirt as she demonstrated exactly how the earth needed to be worked around the roots of the bushes.
- •It had taken Mikado longer to inspect the southern section of the gardens. The roses were more ill there,
- •Its shadows to him and attempt to cloak himself from prying eyes. There he would rest and perhaps drink
- •Intoxicating than wine could ever be. Then he realized what she had said and commanded himself to stop
- •It was the exact green of her eyes. She knew it flattered her, just as she knew Daphne had brought it to her at
- •It was okay for her to touch him. But his only movement was the pounding of his heart and the drawing of his
- •View of the torch-lit gardens. The north side of the hall held door after door, each ornately carved with mystic
- •If they like the wish, they turn it into a dream.”
- •Is a dream you will grant.”
- •In Tulsa when you started coming to me in my dreams—and I didn’t even know the man within you then.
- •It was not enough! The beast within him roared.
- •Into stone. She pulled away, but only by a hand’s width, so she could meet his eyes.
- •Into the marble troughs that stretched from its base outward and all the way to the four corners of the
- •Invoked the spells?” Gii said.
- •Imagine what was going to go on in the women’s wing tonight. I wish the same thing was going on in my
- •Is that Crete?”
- •Into the realm.”
- •In the middle of which sat a huge pallet covered with more pelts. This is where he sleeps. The thought sent a
- •Voluptuous swell of her ass.
- •Imagined knowing the joy of.”
- •It is your love that sustains us.” He closed his eyes and buried his head in her hair, willing himself not to
- •In the mundane world. He would still be without her, but Asterius could live with that. He would miss her for
- •Inhumanly feral grace that the comparison was jarring. She didn’t desire the golden man, but she did feel a
- •In some harmless flirtation. And why not? She felt amazingly pretty and completely loved. But that didn’t
- •It is not. Perhaps he will choose to keep you to himself while we visit the women in the rest of your pathetic
- •Instantly, Asterius checked his attack.
- •It is the goddess you must beseech in the future.” Without another word, the Titan disappeared from the
- •Very much alive. Slowly, she lifted her eyes to meet her lover’s.
- •Victory for them. If they can taint your life, even after they’ve been banished, then they haven’t truly been
- •Idiot! Do you have bandages? Ugh—some of these look like they need stitches. There has to be a doctor in
- •In the barely controlled strength of his thrusts. Mikki didn’t close her eyes. She wanted to see him, to watch
- •Violently. Mikki pulled back to see that his eyes were closed and tears were slowly tracking their way down
- •Violence was left to disturb you.” Gii’s voice shook, and her face was deathly pale. “They’re dying, Empousa.
- •Varieties, with their double blooms and abundant midseason and fall repeat blossoming. But why had these
- •Irrigation for the realm. Is that true?”
- •In the spring they would grow back and be healthier and hardier than before. Roses were survivors—not the
- •Imagine it, and so she refused to think about it. She would do what she had to do when the time came. Until
- •Into the walls of the cave and lighting more torches until the bedroom was alive with warmth and light. He
- •Into the heart of the gardens. Mikki didn’t allow her mind to wander. She hurried up the stairs, barely glancing
- •Into Asterius’s bed . . .
- •I began to hope that perhaps Hecate had allowed me to live for so longt o±ђ† for another reason.” Sevillana’s
- •Is only part of my name. I rarely use my family name—it is too difficult for me to hear it and to know that I
- •Very least, forced me back to face Hecate’s wrath. Instead, he said one small thing and then stepped aside and
- •It all made horrible sense. Asterius’s behavior when they first met and were attracted to each other . . . How
- •Into the meadow, followed by a group of young, beautiful women. Their flowing chitons were draped
- •In the shadows, Hecate smiled and patted one of her great beasts on his dark head.
- •Into eyes that were so big and blue and beautifully dark lashed that she suddenly and moronically forgot her
- •I’m not sure whether to get her another dog, get her some Prozac or take her for a visit to the pet psychic.”
- •Interested in women like me.”
Insightful and well educated. They create worlds filled with strong, passionate women and honorable, heroic
men. You should try reading some of them. Those female romance authors you disdain could definitely teach
you a thing or two about being a man.” She stood up and put her purse over her shoulder. “Good night, Dr.
Asher.” He started to stand, clearly struggling to say something. “No, please. Don’t get up. I want to
remember you just like this—confused and speechless. It’s a good look for you; it certainly beats patronizing
and chauvinistic.”
Grinning wickedly, she turned and sauntered lazily out of the dimly lit room.
She was still grinning as she strolled down the sidewalk. God, she was glad she’d told him off and walked out!
She had never been a wimpy, doormat kind of a woman; she had an extraordinarily low bullshit meter. God,
didn’t it just figure! He had seemed interesting and sexy at first. But like most men, he had turned out to be a
disappointment.
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Whispering through her subconscious was the thought that no man had been able to get close to her because
she had never been able to allow herself to share the secret that pulsed through her blood . . . but the thought
was fleeting, and she quickly stifled the stark honesty of it with a tipsy laugh and a little impromptu twirl in
the halo of light under a streetlamp.
She’d never actually walked out on a date before.
It was exhilarating!
Her steps slowed. Lately, she’d been thinking more and more that maybe she wasn’t meant to have a
permanent relationship. Maybe tonight had been the final sign she needed. Something like a modern omen.
She was different, and it was becoming more and more clear to her that there was no “right” man for her. He
didn’t exist. Oddly enough, the thought didn’t make her feel sad or lonely. Instead, it made her feel wise, like
she had come to a realization that her friends weren’t mature enough yet to understand. It gave her a sense of
release that was almost overwhelming.
Mikki walked past McGill’s, a popular local pub, and considered ducking in for a quick drink. But the door
opened and a current of noise rolled out, changing her mind. She didn’t feel like dealing with shouting above a
din of music just to order a drink. Plus, she’d probably had enough—not that that was a bad thing. She wasn’t
driving—she was flying! Mikki laughed and walked on, breathing in the cool October air.
As she left the business district and got closer to Woodward Park and her apartment, the buildings changed
from posh shops and restaurants to the stately old oil mansions that surrounded the park. Mikki loved this part
of Tulsa. It made her wish she had lived during the 1920s. She would have been a flapper. She would have cut
her hair short, worn loose beaded dresses that shimmied when she moved, had too much to drink and danced
all night. Between parties she would have crusaded for equal rights for women.
Kind of like she’d done tonight, she thought happily. Well, minus the dress, the haircut and the dancing. She
did a happy little skip step under the next light and laughed at herself. Maybe not minus the dancing. She’d
have to go back to the restaurant tomorrow night for dinner and get all the gory after-she-left details from
Blair and the gang.
The sidewalk was interrupted by the road forking in front of her. Mikki was at the juncture of where the
mansions gave way to Woodward Park. Here was where she usually crossed the street to her apartment.
Hesitating, Mikki looked into the park. She didn’t detect any strange shifts in perception that might signal one
of her episodes. Actually, until that moment she’d forgotten about the weirdness that had crept into her life
with her recent dreams.
“Just goes to prove dumping a man is good for what ails me,” she said pleasantly to herself.
And everything did look utterly normal. To d qy normalhe free-standing antique streetlights scattered
throughout Woodward Park speckled it with pools of creamy light. The wind whispered through the
well-tended oaks, calling softly the change of seasons and causing a cascade of leaves to scatter like
mini-tornados that had been taught to heel. And smack in the middle of it she could see the soft illumination
of the stage lights for the Performance in the Park rehearsal. Faintly she could hear the actress speaking her
lines . . .
“A little love is a joy in the house,
A little fire is a jewel against frost and darkness . . .”
She started to cross the street toward home but hesitated, looking longingly at the park, awash in light and
sound. It was so lovely. It looked like a magical oasis in the middle of the night—a special little sub-city of
her very own. A teasing breeze whisked from the park and twirled around her body, enticing her forward with
the cinnamon scent of autumn leaves.
Why not?
Mikki checked the time. It was only nine. The park and the rose gardens didn’t close till eleven. Nelly had
specifically told her to go on with her normal life. It was definitely normal for her to walk through the park
and visit her roses. She’d make her way around the rehearsing actors and then take a quick stroll through the
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gardens. She really should check on the roses that surrounded the construction site. She’d been concerned
that all the tromping of the workmen’s booted feet with their clumsy comings and goings was overstressing
the roses.
Mikki glanced up at the darkening sky, reminding herself that it was the night of the new moon. If the roses
needed help, what better time could she choose to give it to them?
She’d make one pass through the central tier and be sure the workers had cleaned up their mess and not
manhandled the roses. Then she’d go home, pour herself a glass of bedtime wine and curl up with a good
book . . . by a female author!
Or, her errant thoughts whispered enticingly, she could just go to sleep. Wouldn’t she rather revisit her dream
lover than do anything else?
With a supreme effort of will, she steered her mind away from that line of thinking. She couldn’t start living
life around her fantasies. Then she really would be crazy.
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CHAPTER SIX
MIKKI stepped into the crossroads between the park and the street and then onto the sidewalk that twisted
past the lovely waterfall-fed ponds that framed the north edge of Woodward Park. At the next fork in the
walkway she headed up and away from the northern street side, walking toward the central area of the park,
which was currently abuzz with activity around the raised stage that had only just been erected the night
before. Bits and pieces of poetic lines drifted around her, teasing her with snippets of the play.
“The holy fountains flow up from the earth,
the smoke of sacrifice flows up from the earth,
the eagle aicith,†nd the wild swan fly up from the earth, righteousness also
has flown up from the earth to the feet of the goddess . . .”