Dahlia - The Velvet Witch and Her Dark Spirit

PART 10 - DEEP FOREST ALTAR

It was the first time in a dozen days the sun had come out. It was on full show in the middle of a crystal blue sky filled with jetliner contrails. Dahlia and I were somewhere underneath, waiting for the lost Uber to find us.

"Are you excited about the initiation, Levi?" Dahlia asks as the cab circles around on the map three streets over.

"You know I am," I reply, though she also knows I haven't forgiven her for the blindside during the Fear Game three weeks before.

I decided after our run-in with evil that I'd make my status in the spirit world official. I'd madly learnt everything I could about The Spirited Eye and its craft and had even created an altar in the flat. The next step was to be initiated.

"The perfect opportunity is coming," she'd said when I first floated the idea. "When we celebrate the winter solstice at the Velvet Eye at the end of the month. Part of that ceremony is to give praise to the rise of the male God. It's as though it's meant to be."

I was excited to move deeper into the underworld that Dahlia called home. But despite this enthusiasm and increasing knowledge, part of me felt like a fraud. Barely six weeks ago, I knew nothing of this world and would've happily mocked it. Now I'm being sworn in.

The Uber finally arrives with a frazzled driver.

"Sorry, I couldn't see any street names, then the app froze," the older gent says as we hop in his car.

"There's a lot to be done, Levi. I hope you don't mind getting your hands dirty?" Dahlia says as we pull away. "The toil comes before the feast."

"That's fine."

She smiles, still accepting her punishment. I fiddle with my phone until we near Dahlia's office in the docklands.

"I'm nervous," she says as we amble down a back lane.

"Why?"

"Because you haven't been here before."

I can't help but chuckle.

"What?" she asks.

"Think about what we've been through already. And you're worried about me seeing your office?"

"It's a bit of a mess," she says sheepishly.

"I doubt that. You enjoy being orderly so much it turns you on."

I've finally lost the will to be mad, and I'm ready to forgive. She's paid the piper, and it hardly seems fitting to carry negative energy to a celebration. I land a palm on her leg and squeeze. She smiles, and I smile back signifying the end of her reprimand.

She takes my hand and moves it lower, then pushes my fingers against her inner thigh. She glances at the driver, but he's concentrating on nothing at all and certainly not us. She guides me to the seam of her jeans. I rub slowly while watching the driver. Dahlia groans under her breath, then turns and kisses my neck. I push harder, making her respond louder, which rings like a dog whistle in the driver's ear. His head cocks to the side as he peers in the mirror and winks at me. Idiot.

"Stop. This is it," Dahlia blasts, startling the three of us.

"Shall we hold the driver here?"

"No, we'll be a while."

"How long?" asks the driver, eager to add to his takings.

"An hour. We're taking the vans anyway."

He sighs, drops his head and lights a cigarette before taking off. I do the same and look up at the tall derelict building.

"Is this it?" I ask, trying not to show my dissatisfaction.