A Little Green Magic (The Little Coven #1) - Isabel Wroth Page 0,72

of famine and drought, both magical and non-magical, a Green Man is called to replenish the land. If he has not the power to bring life back to the soil through seed, it will be done through the sacrifice of blood.' So, we all know that Green Men typically use sex magic to raise power—”

“Oh, we all know that, huh?” Abel drawled sarcastically, ducking when Juliet threw the pit of her peach at him.

Callie shot a glare his way, while Ivy shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Uriah squeezed her shoulders, no doubt thinking about the other night where she'd let her Fae magic take her over.

“I say, 'we' as in the women in this room who've gone to school and studied witchcraft,” Callie drawled, “But since you're playing the ignorant rube card, yes. Green Men are at their core, fertility deities.

“In the realm of the Fae, they're responsible for pretty much everything to do with fertility of crops, animals, people, and magic.

“They're at the peak of their power on the spring and summer solstices, as it pertains to the fertility of the land. On Beltane, the transition from spring to summer, the Green Man's power weakens, but he hooks up with a woman—who represents the Goddess—impregnates her and assures his own metaphorical rebirth.”

“Of course,” Rowena agreed, gesturing impatiently with her hand. “The prick took your brother because, in his mind, a Green Man clearly has to be male. Likely, he didn't ask which one of you was born first, assuming you were both born on Imbolc.”

Abel gave an impatient chuff, an extremely lion-like sound. “And for those of us who didn't go to some fancy-ass school, Imbolc is?”

Rowena gave a graceful flick of her fingers, brushing her glasses higher up her nose. “It's the transition from winter to spring, also known as, 'The Feast of Pan.' Pan, being another face of the Green Man. There isn’t just one Green Man, so there are a lot of names recorded, but the gist of it is winter giving birth to spring.

“A time of celebration, as nature is preparing to once again start the cycle of growth. It's the perfect boost to not only give a newborn incredible power, but to enhance any fairy magic they might have.”

“So, what?” Uriah demanded with a note of growing hostility. “Ilex wasn't powerful enough to replenish the land his father wanted him to, so the prick is coming after Ivy to use her as a blood sacrifice?”

Callie sat down with her book and bent over it, her finger running down the length of the page as she skimmed. Kerrigan and Juliet shared a dangerous glance, Rowena wore a carefully crafted mask of neutrality, Astrid was pointedly looking at nothing—which might as well have been a glaring YES—and Abel was studying them all with narrow eyes.

Logically, Ivy knew she should be feeling an overwhelming sense of fear, but somehow, the chief emotion swirling through her was anger intertwined with steely determination. She reached up and put her hands over Uriah's, where he'd pressed both palms over her sternum like he was protecting her heart.

“That's not happening. Right, Astrid?” Ivy asked, hoping for once Astrid would just give a simple yes or no.

When Astrid didn't immediately answer, Juliet jabbed Astrid with her elbow. “Right, Astrid?”

Astrid gave a click of her tongue and hunched down into her chair. “You know I don't make hard definitives when it comes to the future.”

“If Ivy's prick father is going to use her in a blood sacrifice, you best give me a hard, definitive answer right now!” Uriah snapped harshly.

Astrid flushed an even darker shade, her eyes welling with tears that could mean anything. Astrid was a very sensitive witch who didn't handle confrontation well.

“Don't you think I want to tell you?” She snapped back, “I have access to all the answers, but speaking them aloud makes whatever I say a fixed point in the future that could have huge consequences later. People have to come to their own conclusions and drive their own damn bus. I can only point the way and give a heads up when there's a road sign coming.”

Seated beside her, Juliet put her arm around Astrid's shoulders. “Honey, if you know something, you need to tell us. It's Ivy.”

Astrid's voice hitched on a sob, even as she smacked her hands down on the table hard enough to rattle the teacups. “Please believe me, I want to lay out this whole mess nice and neat. Not just for Ivy,

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