Hooked [Complete]

30. Ostara Part 3: A Goddess's Work Is Never Done

Author's Note: This is Cerridwen's chapter, and she has alot to say, but she also shows us a completely private side of Sean. Well, maybe not so private...she does encourage him to go a little public.

Songs for this Chapter: Summertime Sadness by Megan Davies featuring Keelan Donovan. This is an acoustic cover on Spotify, not the original. This is the duet that Carrie and Sean sing in this chapter.

Don't You Cry For Me by Cobi.....if you listen to no other song I offer in this book, listen to this one because this is the song Sean sings on the wall at the end of the chapter. This is Sean's voice and Cobi is pretty much how I imagine Sean's sexwitch persona. This guy is incredible!

Cerridwen

I am the first to reach our Priestess after the Rites. I am so incredibly proud of her, I am afraid to hug her. My power has been...erratic lately, since Hearne and I burned our tie. I'm not one hundred percent confident in my control and I don't want to risk any supernatural power flowing out before the humans. I know Hearne wants this to be low-key, a comfortable insertion of pagan values into this festival. Revealing myself as a goddess would not be the way to help him achieve his goals.

I take her carefully by the hands. "You did so well, Alanna," I murmur. I look around. "Do you feel the energy you raised?" She follows my gaze to a group of children weaving in and out of the trees, each chasing the one before, a beautiful undulating chain of innocence and hope and pastel attire. "They feel it, and they won't forget. I won't forget. All my blessings, Child."

"Thank you, my Lady," Lana's face has changed. I see a new composure, and new gentleness. She tries to go to her knees again, but Hearne's clucking coming from behind me stops her.

"Nuh-uh. Rites are over. No bowing. No more Lord and Lady." Hearne has no qualms about his control, he picks her up in a giant hug. "You did great, Girl. I'm so proud. Aren't you, Carrie?" He turns his megawatt smile on me.

"Of course," I smile at him. I know what he's doing. He thinks we can make nice today, with our new Priestess as our substitute child. He hopes she can be our one success, after all the thousands of failed attempts to have a child together. I won't ruin this day, but I already know how this will end. I already told him. I will give her up for him, too.

I squeeze Alanna's hand again, and turn away from Hearne. I see Sean standing half the distance between Dru and I. Dru is talking with Grace and Susan, exclaiming over the ritual with them. I examine Dru carefully, wondering if Hearne is making love to her every night now. She certainly looks...more confident than she did when we came here, and Hearne's love is very...empowering. I wonder what would happen if I snatched her by her shiny caramel hair. Would she have power enough to retaliate?

I sigh. The truth is, I have no desire to snatch Dru by the hair. I can't seem to muster any animosity for this girl, which is insane, because Hearne and Sean are both in love with her. It's not like me, not to enforce my territory, whether or not I actually have a legitimate claim. Where's my fighting spirit?

Speaking of fighting, I can see Sean is at war with himself, wanting to go to her, but compelled by his beautiful decency and the magic we now share to come to me. I smile at him and wave him off, turning to walk downtown. I need to find James Finn and flay him, for abandoning Lana during an important day. I'm sure he's skulking around somewhere, getting drunk to allay his conflicted loyalties. A Roman godspawn, dating a Priestess of the defunct Celtic Pantheon. Ha, talk about a morality conflict.

I'm not surprised to feel Sean closing the distance between us. I should never have gotten torn up last night and spilled my sorrows as he carried me from the bar upstairs to my mattress. He might be my priest now, but he's not my confessor.