"I'm a black magic woman
I'm a black magic woman
I'm got a black magic woman
I got you so blind, you can't see
Yes I'm a black magic woman
And your tryna make a devil outta me

Don't turn your back on me, baby
Don't turn your back on me, baby
Don't turn your back on me, baby
Cuz I'm messing around with my tricks
Don't turn your back on me, baby
You just might be my magic stick"

Helen Ibe – "Black Magic Woman" (Santana cover)

Kris rubbed her hands together until they were extra warm before she shuffled the tarot deck.

The sound of activity in the back yard was muffled and she stared at the candle on her left to center herself and her breathing.

What did she want to know?

That Jordan and her love would stay strong despite the set-backs? That they would be financially well off soon in California? Would she feel unstuck?

Being in Texas gave her a calm she hadn't known in a long time, but her relationship with Jordan had been strained with their monetary woes. Now that they were both working and putting some money aside, was this enough to put them back in balance?

Kris used a ten-card Celtic Cross spread on the table. When her fingers flipped over the tenth card that would show the potential outcome of her inquiry, it was a Major Arcana card. Death. In reverse. Studying the card and then looking back at each card in the cross, Kris was faced with disappointment. Change was coming and she was going to be resistant to it—

"You plan on staying indoors all day?"

Jordan peeked at her from the narrow doorway. He held a can of 7-Up for her to see and brought it over to her. He sat in the chair across from her and watched her drink the soda. His eyes dropped down to look at her cards.

"Take a break from this. It's draining you. I see it on your face. I feel like everyone comes over more to get your readings instead of chilling nowadays."

"Last one today. I promise."

He held his arms out to her and she walked around the table to sit on his lap. Kissing her cheek, Jordan stroked her thigh and held her close.

"You really almost died," he whispered.

Kris put her soda on the table.

"Hearing the whole story…if you had been left alone longer while you were peeing…"

"Don't think about it."

"They said it's still out there on their property somewhere. Scary."

Kris's eyes flitted across the cards.

"We're okay, right?" she asked.

"Yeah."

He pulled out his phone and swiped it. Bringing up his bank's website, he entered his password code and showed her his bank deposit.

"This freelance money dropped today," he said.

Kris broke out into a wide smile and kissed his cheek twice.

"You can quit working at TLS," he said.

"But we can still save more with me working there—"

"I want you to relax. I'll keep working there and save. You should be spending time with your grandmother and family here. When we move it might be a minute before you can get back here."

"I like working at TLS, it pays well and I have fun. I still see family here enough."

"You don't have to be there—"

"I want to."

"Okay."

Jordan's lips planted themselves on her mouth and she kissed him with a feeling of relief. He was confident. Reassuring. Concerned about her being with family. Perhaps the resistance to change she saw in the cards was something minor. She relaxed into the kiss more and Jordan's hand slipped under her ratty t-shirt and fondled her right breast. His head dipped low as he pulled up her shirt revealing her satin bra cup. He pushed the cup aside and tongued her nipple until it pebbled into a tiny peak.

She heard feet moving into the living room and grabbed her bra cup to cover herself. She pulled down her shirt just as Erik popped his head into the room.

"Aye…" he said.

Erik's eyes swept to her chest but moved over to the cards behind her as she jumped off of Jordan's lap.

"Sorry to interrupt—"

The front door opened and Biandro stepped back in. Those sad eyes glossed over Erik before he headed to the back door ignoring everyone else. Jordan gave her a look before he stood up from his seat.

"I just wanted to know if you needed to see me or Monroe to uh, y'know…fix this situation we got going on."

"I won't be long, Jordan," she said.

Jordan nodded and left the two of them alone.

"You might wanna fix your shirt better…" Erik said holding his right finger up to his lips like he was embarrassed to mention it.

Kris glanced down and saw that she did a poor job of covering her midsection completely. Her shirt was still partially bunched under her chest. She turned away from him and fixed it properly before she sat back in her seat. Monroe and Caddo wandered into the room by then, all three men looking like wounded puppies needing guidance.

"Biandro won't take back what he said about you three."

"That motherfuck—"

"Why the hell—"

"This some bull—"

Kris held up her hand to quiet them.

"He doesn't feel supported by the three of you with his situation. He's in deep pain and it will take him time to let it go."

"What can we do until he does?" Monroe asked.

"Don't jump down his throat for one," she said while piling her tarot cards.

Caddo and Erik glanced at each other as Monroe closed his eyes for a second.

"Like I told you before, I can make you some things to help you."

"How fast can you make stuff?" Erik asked.

She glanced over at a large calendar and took note of when the next full moon would be.

"I have some ingredients available here, it'll take me about two days to get everything else prepared. I'll also have to get some extra anointed oil from my grandmother though for Erik. Most of this is directed at him so he'll need stronger medicine that I don't have on me."

"I don't get it. We've been telling him the same shit for eight years. Now he wants to curse us?" Erik said.

"People have a breaking point," Kris said.

Kris looked at each and every one of them.

"Be gentle with him. He's projecting and you all received the shrapnel. I'm surprised that he actually came over here with you guys. I'll do what I can…but it's going to cost you."

"Whatchu mean?" Erik asked.

"I'm not doing all this for free. It takes me time and effort to prepare things, and I want to be compensated."

Erik grinned.

"We hear ya. How much?" Caddo said.

Kris squinted at all of them and scrunched up her nose as she took in to account the herbs she'd have to steep, the spray bottles she'd have to pick up from the craft store, and the crystals she'd have to buy and energize.

"Caddo and Monroe fifty dollars. Erik…seventy-five."

Monroe whistled and laughed at Erik.

"If you don't have cash, I take credit cards, debit cards…"

All three men dug into their wallets and pulled out cash. Kris took the money in her hand and stood up.

"I'll have what you need with instructions by next weekend. Let me get you some change, Caddo—"

"Naw, keep it. I'm good."

"I'll bring everything to work with me and you can pick it up there when it's ready," she said.

Kris left the room to put the money away in her bedroom sock drawer. Some of her co-workers moved to the living room with folding chairs from outside and set up the card table. She moved back outside to check on the others and Biandro sat near the porch talking to Rekia and Brandy. His cousins grabbed more food and sat around the yard talking and enjoying the ambiance. Erik took a seat next to Brandy, but Kris saw no signs of him being cuffed by her cousin. Brandy tossed her hair and touched his thigh, brought him sodas to drink and more food to keep him seated, but Erik was a social butterfly. Moving between the yard and the living room, he completely disappeared from Brandy's grasp when he and Monroe teamed up to play spades against Jordan and Kadir a male server who had the biggest belly laugh that always cracked Kris up at work.

Kris started putting food away in the kitchen once everyone had scavenged for their to-go plates. Brandy stomped into the room as Jordan moved the stereo speakers back into the living room from outside.

"Watch the cords," Kris told Brandy.

"He's getting on my nerves," Brandy hissed to her.

"What he do?"

"Nothing. He's just being a dud. He wants to play cards and talk to people."

"It is a social gathering for people to mingle. It's not a date."

"He hasn't seen me since he took me out. He was blowing up my phone days ago."

Jordan walked back in and gave Kris a big smooch on the lips. He grabbed some extension cords and moved around Brandy. Kris slapped his butt and he slapped hers back. Brandy folded her arms and leaned against the refrigerator.

"I don't know what to tell you, Brandy. You know how he moves."

Kris could feel a smirk dying to come out. Brandy really thought she was hemming that man up earlier, and she couldn't even get him in the same room with her now.

"His loss."

"He's probably worried about his cousin and trying to interact with him a little bit instead."

"He's being petty. I'm going to my room."

Brandy flounced out of the kitchen and Erik didn't even look up from his cards as she swept past him to get to her bedroom.

They kept it an early night and ended the gathering by nine. Biandro seemed to be cordial to his cousins by then and she could tell they were all being on their best behavior for him. Jordan and Kris watched their guests leave from the front porch. Erik waved to them as he climbed into Monroe's car.

"Another success," Jordan said wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Yep."

Closing the door behind them, Jordan set out to clean up the rest of the kitchen. Kris went to Brandy's bedroom door and knocked softly.

"Bran?"

"What?"

"Can I come in?"

Kris heard footsteps and Brandy opened the door. She was already wearing pajamas.

"Are you going to mope all night?"

"No."

"Good."

"I just want some dick."

Kris burst out laughing and Brandy cackled with her.

"If Erik was paying you dust, you should've tried for Caddo or Monroe."

"It doesn't matter anymore. I'm ready to go home."

"Why?"

Kris stepped into the room and Brandy sat on her bed.

"You and Jordan are doing better and you need your privacy. I know these walls are thin. You can't keep having sex in your car."

Kris's cheeks grew hot.

"I've been here long enough and it's time for me to get back to work. My leave is almost over and I miss the East Coast."

"What am I going to do without you?"

"I'll come see you in California when you finally get settled."

"Do you have to go now?"

"It's time. Erik might've kept me here longer, but I'm not wasting time on him anymore."

"All that cuffing talk and cream rising?"

Brandy rolled her eyes and flicked her right hand in the air.

"I'm the best thing that man will ever get, and if he can't show me some enthusiasm when I'm in front of him, then fuck it. A man wants you or he doesn't."

"You lost interest that fast?"

"He did."

"I wanted you to come to North Carolina with me and Granny May."

"It sounds like fun, but I'm not all that fired up about it like you. And I don't want to go and fake like I'm enjoying myself. I know you. You'll waste your time trying to entertain me instead of enjoying yourself."

Kris pouted, but Brandy didn't change her mind. She stood up and wrapped her arms around Kris's shoulder.

"If you need anything, hit me up and I'll send you money, good music playlists, and care packages. Jordan is trying now so I feel better about leaving you."

"Okay."

Brandy flopped back onto her bed.

"When are you leaving?"

"I'll find a cheap flight sometime next weekend."

"I'm sad now."

"You knew I had to go back eventually."

"Yeah, but I feel like you're just doing it now because of Erik."

"I'm not that shallow. However, you did tell me that there was no hope for that taking off. His behavior today proved it."

"You hadn't talked about leaving before. I guess I thought you would stay for the rest of the summer."

"I wouldn't have a job if I did that."

"But you could work remotely. You've done it before."

"I work for a smaller ad firm now. More hands-on."

Kris stopped fretting. Once Brandy made up her mind, there was no changing it. She left the room and went into her kitchen. Jordan had made it spotless. She heard him in the living room watching TV. Digging around in a lower cupboard, she pulled out a big stainless-steel pot and grabbed a full half-gallon plastic bottle of distilled water from the side of the fridge. She poured water into the pot and turned on the stove. Rooting around in an upper cupboard where she kept hermetically sealed mason jars filled with various herbs, Kris pulled out rue and rosemary.

Washing her hands and wrists, Kris opened the mason jars and held a measured amount of dried herbs in her hands. She closed her eyes.

"I bless these herbs with the strength that I carry within myself that has been passed down to me from mine…"

Pressing her hands tight over the herbs she finished off her long blessing with Psalms Twenty-Three like her Granny would.

"Amen."

She tossed the herbs into the pot of boiling water and turned the stove off. Jordan walked in sniffing the odor in the kitchen.

"Big pot," he said.

"Needy customers. Not just The Stevens crew."

She picked up the phone from the end of the kitchen counter and dialed.

"Hi, Granny…I'm doing good over here. Yeah…she's leaving next week. I know, I was hoping she would go with us too. Granny May, I need some protection oil. Can I get some from you at church tomorrow?"

Jordan lifted the lid on the herbs and Kris slapped his hand. Wagging her finger at him she pushed him out of the kitchen.

###

Granny May's church was on fire with the Holy Spirit.

Kris had missed several evening choir rehearsal practices because of her new job, but she sang along in the seventh pew right next to her grandmother and Mr. and Mrs. Stevens, Erik's grandparents. It was hot in the church and Kris could feel under-titty sweat dampening her bra.

When the collection plate was passed around, her grandmother slipped her gloved hand in her pocketbook and handed Kris a small dark blue one-ounce bottle of her protective blessing oil that would ward off negative energy and negative spells. Kris palmed it and slipped it into her own black bag. Granny May believed her oils became more potent when they were delivered in the presence of the Holy Spirit, and her church was jumping like they were in Jerusalem.

Kris waited patiently for the service to end so she could get back home and relax before work. Standing behind Granny May as people shook her Grand-Uncle's hand thanking him for a wonderful service, she got more than what she bargained for when Miss Rae insisted that Kris join them and her Granny May for lunch up at the ranch.

"I really don't want to intrude—"

"Nonsense. I want to give a good meal under better circumstances. We felt horrible that your first visit to Caddo Ranch left a terrible trauma on you—"

"That was just bad luck—"

"You must come. We have plenty of food, and I want to give you a proper tour. And you have to meet the horse you'll be riding in a couple of weeks."

"Horse?"

Kris glanced at her grandmother.

"Yes, a horse. You can't go to your first trail ride and not ride," Mr. Stevens said winking at her.

Kris checked her watch.

"I have to be at work tonight—"

Miss Rae waved her hands.

"You'll be back in plenty of time. I'll give your grandmother a ride home for you after you eat," Miss Rae said.

Kris had no choice once they all started walking to the church parking lot. She followed behind the Stevens forest green SUV with her grandmother all giddy next to her.

"Your dress is so cute. Did I tell you that this morning? I feel like I forgot to tell you that. Looking like a little orange blossom."

Kris glanced down at the tangerine color and rubbed up under her left boob to adjust her bra.

"You and Miss Rae planned this whole lunch thing," she complained.

"Don't give me any lip about it. We always have lunch together after church. Today it's at the ranch."

"Mmhmmmm," Kris grumbled.

Driving onto the Caddo Ranch, Kris admired everything she saw before the last time she was there. She parked behind the Steven's SUV and helped her grandmother out of her car. Tugging down the back of her knee-length blouson dress, she took in the expanse of the ranch house again. Miss Rae held out her hand toward her.

"We'll have a proper tour first and then some jambalaya, salmon croquettes, fresh corn on the cob, and grilled oysters…"

Kris's stomach rumbled. She took a step toward the house and the promise of sleep-inducing food.

"Oh, here he comes," Mr. Stevens said as the sound of clopping hooves striking the ground grew louder.

Kris turned toward the noise and raised her hand to block the direct sunlight from her eyes. She felt her stomach drop when she saw Erik riding a large black horse. Shirtless. The toasted brown of his skin shimmered with a little bit of sweat. A thin gold chain hung around his neck and she could see his fraternity branding so vividly with its shiny scarring.

"Erik, we have company," Miss Rae said.

Kris looked between Miss Rae and her grandmother and she could see the slick plotting on their faces.

Erik stared down at her and she felt her heart leap a bit when the horse grew a little jumpy. Erik spun it in a circle and sucked his teeth a couple of times and the horse grew calm.

"Oh, my goodness!" Kris yelped when she saw the cutest russet brown foal come awkwardly running on wobbly legs.

The foal ran up alongside the big horse.

"How come you don't have him tied?" Mr. Stevens said.

"He won't leave Big Man's side," Erik said.

"I got him Pop Pop," Selena said walking up with a thin rope in her hand.

She slipped it around the foal.

"Hey Miss May…Kris," Selena said.

"Hi," Kris said.

Her eyes went back to the foal and how close it stayed near Erik's horse. Erik swung his leg around and came down from his horse, holding onto the reins as he moved toward Kris. She inched back in fear. Big Man wasn't called that for nothing.

"He's gentle," Erik said.

Kris grew a little brave and stepped forward. She had been around horses before, but not since she was a little girl.

The horse's mane was braided and she reached out to stroke two of them. She stood close to Erik. A little too close. The muscular planes of his chest dipped down to prominent abs and a tight V in his waist as his jeans hung off of his hips a little bit. Her eyes lingered on the faint line of hair below his belly button that led down a dangerous path to the top of his briefs. The soft whinny of the foal brought her attention away from Erik's body. She moved over from temptation to greet the baby horse. It was skittish when she walked up to it and Selena helped calm its nerves.

"This is Little Man, Big Man's son," Selena said.

"Hey, Mama, it's okay…it's okay…" Mr. Stevens said.

He stood next to Miss Rae with an arm around her. For some reason, Miss Rae was shedding a few tears.

"Miss Rae?" Kris asked stepping toward the woman.

"I'm okay…I'm okay. I just…his mother Mimi was my horse and she passed away when she had him."

"I'm so sorry," Kris said patting the woman's arm.

"I'll be fine. He's in good hands with Erik."

"I'm bringing over a surrogate mare today so I hope she'll accept this little dude," Erik said.

"Let's go in and have a nice lunch," Mr. Stevens said ushering his wife indoors to keep her from getting more emotional. Granny May followed them in patting Miss Rae's back and Kris turned to look at Erik again.

"I have your oil with me," she said.

"When I get back from picking up this mare you can show me how to use it," he said.

Selena walked the foal back the way she came and Erik pulled himself back onto his horse again.

"Enjoy lunch," he said flashing her some dimples.

Kris watched him take off with Big Man in a fast gallop toward a fenced-in pasture. The muscles in the horse matched the definition of the muscles of than man riding it.

She had never seen anything sexier in her whole life.