The Witch: Book Two of The Sorceress Saga by Taliesin Govannon (top 10 novels of all time .txt) 📗

was curled up on a large nest-chair, snuggling up to Jack once he rejoined her. The rest of us found empty chairs and sat down.

                A bearded man who looked to be in his thirties sat across from me, a few flecks of gray showing in his otherwise light brown whiskers. A dark haired woman who looked to be a few years younger sat next to him, her hair in a pony tail and glasses that looked like mine. They were dressed in matching green t-shirts with the ADF Druid logo on them.

                “Hi, my name’s Oak.” The man said, extending his hand. “This is my wife Angela.” he said as we shook.

                “Hello.” Angela said with a wave.

                Next to them was one more woman, with short white hair looking to be in her fifties. She also wore an ADF shirt, but accented that with a skirt.

                “I’m Nancy.” she said with a smile. “Can I get you guys something to drink?”

                “I’m good.” Raina said. “Mind if we light up?” she continued, holding up a few joints.

                Oak grinned and pulled out a pipe. “Oh, the horror!” he said, lighting it. We laughed and joined him.

                “Where did you meet this miscreant?” Raina asked, jerking her head towards Jack.

                “At the cafe earlier.” Oak replied. “I was bitching to a mutual acquaintance about this server giving my wife and I problems at home… “

                “A Minecraft server with two years worth of development in it!” Angela interjected.

                “Right!” Oak continued. “Anyway, people were getting kicked off of the server, and I couldn’t nail down why!”

                “I heard him saying all this and decide to butt in.” Jack said. “I had the same problem last year. The bug’s not in the server, it’s in your firewall.”

                “Which had just fought off a fairly sophisticated hacking attempt three months ago.” Oak said. “It probably got damaged.”

                “It’s basic security stuff, but that’s my wheelhouse.” Jack exhaled.

                “Whereas my wife and I, though programmers, are into game-play and graphics, respectively." Oak hit his pipe. "Anyway, that started a geektastic conversation that continues at this moment. How did you guys meet?"

                “Jack, Raina, and I all met in grade school.” I said. “Tiffany is a newer friend.”

                “I work with him.” Katsu said, raising her hand.

                “First Starwood?” Nancy asked.

                “For all of us, yes.” Raina answered, nodding. “A couple of people in our extended party attended when it was in New York once or twice, but it’s new for the rest.”

                “You should come to our workshop on Celtic Mythology.” Angela said. “We’re giving it at the village green just on the other side of the stage on Thursday afternoon.”

                “Oh, that’s a good one!” Nancy said. “I saw them give it at the Wellspring festival last year.”

                “Don’t forget our new workshop.” Oak said. “Celtic Archaeology. Angela and I went to the Gordian dig south of Ankara, Turkey last year.”

                “There were Celts in Turkey?” I asked, confused.

                “There sure were.” Angela grinned. “Remember the Galatians in the Christian bible?”

                “Paul’s letters, yes.” Tiffany replied.

                “They’re descended from the Galatai, Celtic mercenaries who wound up settling in the region.” Angela said. “The Celts settled in Turkey three hundred years before Jesus or Paul were even born.”

                “Are any of you guys Pagan?” Oak asked us.

                “I’ve been Wiccan for years.” Raina said.

                “Wiccan here.” Tiffany added, her hand raised.

                “I'm an agnostic who enjoys Paganism in all of its forms." Jack said next.

                “I practice a very primal form of Japanese Witchcraft.” Katsu said after him.

                I shrugged. “I have no idea what you’d call me. I’ve done more Wiccan rituals in my life with Raina than any other, but I’ve also had some success with ADF Druidry in the past year or so.”

                “You’re a Wiccan Druid.” Nancy said. “So am I.”

                “We’re doing a Druid blessing rite on Friday at the stone circle.” Angela said. “You’re welcome to come… it’s open, like all of our rites.”

                “That sounds cool!” Tiffany said enthusiastically. “I’ve never been to a Druid rite.”

                “I guess I’ll show too.” I grinned.

                                                                                                *                *                *

                The band that night was a Grateful Dead tribute band, and it was the perfect thing to kick start the first official night of the festival. We smoked some of Gaia’s potent Fae weed, and then joined others dancing in front of the stage. Vincent and Drucilla had set up our camp chairs near the front, so taking a water break was easy. Gaia and Evelyn had shown up just before us, and we all danced together under a clear night sky.

                Halfway through the set, I sat down in my chair to drink a bottle of water. Vincent joined me, his shirt open from his own dancing.

                “All of the gay guys and half of the straight ones are staring at your abs.” I said as he sat.

                “Only half?” he replied, grinning.

                I smiled, and turned my attention to the people still dancing in front of me. Raina was grinding in between Darla and Cordelia, their arms a tangle of tender caresses. I love seeing Raina coming into her own I thought. She seems so… peaceful. Content. I could see her staying poly-amorous even after meeting a life partner.

                Polyamory. I had run across the term all of my life… I was raised with the internet, after all… but had only recently met people who practiced a polyamorous lifestyle.

                All of the Fae I had met, for example. Both the Wood and Twilight Fae practiced some form of group relationship, mainly because they lived so incredibly long. No matter how fascinated they may be with each other when they first connect, after the fifth or sixth century they want someone new to talk to. While no less sensual than their Twilight cousins, the Wood Fae were a little more conservative in how they did things… they joined into group marriages and didn’t