tenderness overtook her. Darius sat with her daughters at the table helping them make May Day wreaths out of pine cones, glitter, pine boughs, and brightly-colored ribbons. Holly’s looked like a rainbow had been denuded over an evergreen tree while Tansy’s resembled a spiky wheel with all the cones.
“Did you really do this when you were little, Darius?” Tansy asked as she sprinkled more glitter over a cone.
“Yes, my mother helped me and my brothers make these wreaths for every door of our home.” He held the glue for another ribbon on Holly’s wreath.
“Why did you put them on the doors?” Tansy doused the wreath with more glitter.
“To protect the home with the good luck of the Goddess. Each wreath would gather up the good energy and push it into the home, but would project the bad energy back to the senders.”
“Do you put them on all the doors of the house?” Tansy examined her wreath for defects.
“Yes, every door to the outside.”
“We have three doors in this house,” Holly said. “But only two wreaths. What about the other door?”
“I’ll just have to make another wreath with your mother.”
Making a Beltane wreath with the handsomest man she’d ever seen? Excitement shot through Sabrina. Get a hold of yourself. It’s not like you’re eighteen and at your first bonfire. But the joy remained despite her rebuke.
Darius held up Holly’s wreath. “I think it’s done, except one thing.”
“What?” both girls chorused.
He winked and dug around in the pocket of his pants, pulling out a small leather pouch. “No Beltane wreath is complete without a crystal charm to hang in the center.”
“What kind of crystal, Darius?” Tansy’s gaze remained riveted to his hands.
“The best kind is quartz. Clear quartz channels the Goddess’s energy, reflecting the light of Her love and the harmony of Her grace into the home, and deflecting the negative energy from outside sources.”
Darius held up two perfect crystal points as clear as water. “These two crystals were given to me by my mother for me to pass on to my daughters.” He handed one to each girl.
Heartfelt warmth hit Sabrina’s gut, followed by surprise. Why would Darius give such treasures to her girls? She almost protested, but a surge of energy wafted through her kitchen. Joy and comfort danced in the dust motes from the sunlight streaming through the windows. The crystals held a great deal of power. Damn, they have to be ancient to hold so much energy.
“Wow.”
“It’s so sparkly!” Holly held it up to the light. “Can we put it on the wreaths now?”
“Of course, Miss Holly. Here.” Darius held out a bright red ribbon. “Thread the ribbon through the hole drilled in the end.”
Holly took the ribbon and tried to feed it through the small hole, her tongue sticking out between her lips. Sabrina smothered a laugh. She’d forgotten how cute her daughter looked when concentrating.
“I can’t get it through the hole. Can you help me, please?” Tansy held up her ribbon and crystal.
“Certainly, Miss Tansy.” Darius took the proffered ribbon and showed it to her. “The easiest way is to fold the ribbon in half.” He threaded the end of the satin through the crystal. “See? Grab the end now.”
Tansy pulled and the ribbon slid through.
“Show me!” Holly thrust her ribbon and crystal at Darius, but he gave her a mock glare and she subsided. “Can you show me too, please, Darius?”
“Much better, Miss Holly.” He took her crystal and showed her how to thread the ribbon.
Warmth suffused Sabrina’s chest. Darius looked so handsome working with her girls, his pants and arms covered in little sparkles of glitter. She wished this could be reality, a happy family scene of a man working with his children to decorate for Beltane. But reality is he’s only here as long as I do the rituals then he’s back to the Summer Court. The hard thoughts stole some of her warmth.
She sighed and Tansy looked
“Did you really do this when you were little, Darius?” Tansy asked as she sprinkled more glitter over a cone.
“Yes, my mother helped me and my brothers make these wreaths for every door of our home.” He held the glue for another ribbon on Holly’s wreath.
“Why did you put them on the doors?” Tansy doused the wreath with more glitter.
“To protect the home with the good luck of the Goddess. Each wreath would gather up the good energy and push it into the home, but would project the bad energy back to the senders.”
“Do you put them on all the doors of the house?” Tansy examined her wreath for defects.
“Yes, every door to the outside.”
“We have three doors in this house,” Holly said. “But only two wreaths. What about the other door?”
“I’ll just have to make another wreath with your mother.”
Making a Beltane wreath with the handsomest man she’d ever seen? Excitement shot through Sabrina. Get a hold of yourself. It’s not like you’re eighteen and at your first bonfire. But the joy remained despite her rebuke.
Darius held up Holly’s wreath. “I think it’s done, except one thing.”
“What?” both girls chorused.
He winked and dug around in the pocket of his pants, pulling out a small leather pouch. “No Beltane wreath is complete without a crystal charm to hang in the center.”
“What kind of crystal, Darius?” Tansy’s gaze remained riveted to his hands.
“The best kind is quartz. Clear quartz channels the Goddess’s energy, reflecting the light of Her love and the harmony of Her grace into the home, and deflecting the negative energy from outside sources.”
Darius held up two perfect crystal points as clear as water. “These two crystals were given to me by my mother for me to pass on to my daughters.” He handed one to each girl.
Heartfelt warmth hit Sabrina’s gut, followed by surprise. Why would Darius give such treasures to her girls? She almost protested, but a surge of energy wafted through her kitchen. Joy and comfort danced in the dust motes from the sunlight streaming through the windows. The crystals held a great deal of power. Damn, they have to be ancient to hold so much energy.
“Wow.”
“It’s so sparkly!” Holly held it up to the light. “Can we put it on the wreaths now?”
“Of course, Miss Holly. Here.” Darius held out a bright red ribbon. “Thread the ribbon through the hole drilled in the end.”
Holly took the ribbon and tried to feed it through the small hole, her tongue sticking out between her lips. Sabrina smothered a laugh. She’d forgotten how cute her daughter looked when concentrating.
“I can’t get it through the hole. Can you help me, please?” Tansy held up her ribbon and crystal.
“Certainly, Miss Tansy.” Darius took the proffered ribbon and showed it to her. “The easiest way is to fold the ribbon in half.” He threaded the end of the satin through the crystal. “See? Grab the end now.”
Tansy pulled and the ribbon slid through.
“Show me!” Holly thrust her ribbon and crystal at Darius, but he gave her a mock glare and she subsided. “Can you show me too, please, Darius?”
“Much better, Miss Holly.” He took her crystal and showed her how to thread the ribbon.
Warmth suffused Sabrina’s chest. Darius looked so handsome working with her girls, his pants and arms covered in little sparkles of glitter. She wished this could be reality, a happy family scene of a man working with his children to decorate for Beltane. But reality is he’s only here as long as I do the rituals then he’s back to the Summer Court. The hard thoughts stole some of her warmth.
She sighed and Tansy looked
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