Chosen by Kristin Cast, P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

nonchalance, then I hurried on. “So, I’ll come in and move around the circle to the music, with or without poetry, until I get to my place in the center. I’ll cast the circle, ask for Nyx’s blessing for us specifically at the start of a new year, take the wine around, than close the circle and we’ll all go eat.” I glanced at Damien, “You took care of the food, right?”
    â€œYep, the chef is back from her winter vacation, and she and I decided on the menu yesterday. We’re having chili about a zillion different ways. And,” he added in a voice that said he thought he was being totally naughty, “we’re also having imported beer.”
    â€œSounds good,” I smiled my appreciation at him. Yes, it sounds weird and vaguely illegal that minors were going to be drinking beer at what is basically a school-sanctioned event. The truth is that due to the physiological Change that was taking place inside all of our bodies, alcohol just didn’t affect us anymore—or at least not enough to cause us to act like typical teenagers (in other words we won’t get all wasted and use it as an excuse to have sex with each other).
    â€œHey, Z, weren’t you going to announce at the ritual who you’re Tapping for the Prefect Council this coming year?” Erik asked.
    â€œYou’re right. I’d forgotten that I need to do that.” I sighed. “So, yeah, before I close the circle I’ll announce the two kids I’m Tapping.”
    â€œWho are they?” Damien asked.
    â€œI, uh, haven’t narrowed it down to two yet. I’ll make my final decision on that tonight,” I lied. Actually, I hadn’t come up with any names yet. I hadn’t even wanted to think about it since one of those two kids would be taking Stevie Rae’s place on the Council. Then I remembered that I was really supposed to let my current Council help me decide which new kids we were choosing. “Uh, guys. I guess tomorrow before the ritual we can meet and go over the names.”
    â€œHey, Z, don’t stress,” Erik said. “Just choose two kids. We’ll be fine with them.”
    I felt a huge wash of relief. “Are you sure?”
    My friends called a chorus of “okay” and “sounds good to me” comments. Each of them clearly having the utmost confidence in me. Ugh.
    â€œOkay, good. So, are we all cool with the order of the ritual?” I asked.
    They nodded.
    â€œAll right. Let’s practice the circle casting.” As always, it didn’t matter what stress and nonsense was going on in my life. When it came to circle casting and calling forth the five elements with which I have a special bond, or affinity, the sense of excitement and pleasure my gift gives me (thankfully) overshadows everything else. As I approached Damien I felt my stress lift along with my spirit. I took out one long, slender match and struck it against the sandpapery bottom of the cylinder. It lit as I said, “I call air to our circle. We breathe it in with out first breaths, so it is only right that it be the first element called. Come to us, air!” I touched the match to the yellow candle Damien held and it lit, and stayed lit, even in the wildly gusting wind that whirled around Damien andme like we were in the center of a tamed but playful minitornado.
    Damien and I grinned at each other. “I don’t think I’ll ever get over how amazing it is,” he said softly.
    â€œMe, either,” I said, and blew out the wildly flickering match. Then I moved clockwise, or deosil, around the circle to Shaunee and her red candle. I could hear Shaunee humming something under her breath that I recognized, as I pulled out the next match, as the old Jim Morrison song, “Light My Fire.” I smiled at her. “Fire warms us with its passionate flame. I call fire to our circle!” As usual, I barely had to touch the lit match