Forging Day (Crucible of Change Book 1) Read Free Page A

put his trash at the curb. Behind me, he called out, “Miss! Miss!”
    Oh god, he meant me. I reluctantly stopped and turned around.
    “Miss, sorry, I don’t know your name. I’ve seen you around, and I know you live in the big purple house on the corner. Do you need help?” He looked vaguely familiar, tall and skinny with a shock of dark hair, but I would swear I’d never seen him before.
    “Miss, please. I’m sorry. I’m doing this all wrong. I’m not trying to be creepy. This is going to sound crazy, but I’m a priest of Crom and I’m kind of new at it, and I’m supposed to offer aid to those in need. No offense, but you look like someone in need.”
    Now I knew where I’d seen him before. It was at one of the Pagan open full moon gatherings.
    “I’m not trying to be rude. Bob, wasn’t it?”
    He nodded. “Well, sort of. My given name is Bob, but my priest name is Ingve.”
    “Okay, Ingve. I’m Olivia. Here’s the thing. I’ve had a bad night and a worse morning. Unless your Crom can fix stupid and bad judgment, I don’t think you can help.”
    “Not exactly... Crom teaches us about strength and honor, but He knows everyone doesn’t start that way. He calls the trials we go through in life the Forging of our Souls. Shit happens, and you survive and get stronger. You’ve heard, ‘what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger’? It’s like that.”
    In spite of myself, I gave a bitter laugh. “Ingve, if what Crom says is true, I’m going to be one badass motherfucker at this rate. Or dead.” I headed off down the sidewalk, and then turned to look at him one more time. “Bob. Ingve. Thanks for caring. It means a lot today.”
    I still felt like crap when the ivy-draped stone walls around Mikah and Berto’s Victorian came into view, but a lot of new things to think about were chasing around in my head. My remote to the gate was in my car, and my hands were shaking so much that it took me three tries to punch in the code and open it.
    My little red hatchback and Mikah’s electric-purple van with the fancy custom flame job were both in the driveway, being loaded with camping gear. The matching trailer was hitched to the van, and it looked like the tents were already packed.
    Mikah, as always, had his clipboard and checklist at hand. Berto teased him about being a Luddite, but Mikah insisted newer doesn’t always mean better . A breeze ruffled his hair, and he wrote a note in Grammy’s impeccable script. When he finished, he read it, commenting to thin air, “Thanks, Grammy. You’re right. I’ll remind Ted to water the plants in your room.”
    “I’m home. Colby, the bastard, won’t be joining us.” I ignored the sudden quiet and trudged on upstairs to my room to get on with my own neglected packing.
    From her adjoining room, I heard Kat say, “This is the year, isn’t it, my lovely? I’ll find a woman who’s funny and sexy and makes love like a goddess.”
    I was pretty sure she was talking to Sappho—the Siamese—since Doctor Evil was glaring at me balefully from the top of my dresser. Only Persians manage that look of pure evil, and he was a master. I would never understand why Kat thought he would answer to “Fluffy”. Peeka, our little Jack Russell mix, was getting her beauty sleep in the middle of my queen-size bed. All my discarded outfits from last night had been put away. It had to have been Kat.
    I couldn’t believe I put off my packing for that rat-bastard. I’d been such an idiot. My head was pounding, and feeling rushed and stupid wasn’t helping. I gave the closet door a good kick, at which point Kat appeared in the doorway.
    “Wow…you look like hell. And what happened to your new blouse?”
    “I feel like hell, and Colby happened to my new blouse.”
    “Where is Colby? I thought he was going with us?” Her voice was calm but her eyes flashed fire.
    “Colby can go fuck himself and the horse he rode in on. Right now, he’s on his way to jail.”
    “Are you