What Remains by Bailey Bradford (to read list txt) 📕

and Sev both had just about begged her not to make them wait that long.

When Laine got there, he realized the other guys were in for a surprise. Miriam slapped a bottle of some greenish stuff in his hand. “Go shower and use this everywhere, head to toes and all places in between.”

“What is it?” It looked like the green sludge that had backed up in the bathtub once. Nasty.

“It’s a cleansing bath. Just do it so you’ll be ready for the purification ceremony to prepare for the spell casting.”

God, how many spells and ceremonies are there going to be? Miriam’s expression discouraged him from asking. Laine trudged up the porch steps and didn’t smile until Sev pounced on him inside the door.

“Ooph.” Laine dropped his boots trying to get a hold on Sev. “Miss me?”

“Always.” Sev peeled himself off and picked up Laine’s boots. “Come on, you have to shower with that stuff.”

“Looks nasty,” Laine groused.

“Yeah, reminded me of that crap that backed up into the bathtub, but it isn’t so bad—and it smells a hell of a lot better.”

“You already used it?” Laine dipped his head and sniffed Sev’s still damp hair. “You smell kind of minty.”

“That’s me, minty-fresh,” Sev crooned, “and soon, you will be too. Bunch of people will be. Miriam’s making everyone wash with the stuff. And she told you—”

“To wash every nook and cranny, yeah. Got it.”

Sev led him to the bathroom and opened the door. “Go on, I’ll watch for the others. And I have to keep an eye on Rogelio. Most of the coven has been showering with the hose out back since today is warm.”

Laine remembered what it was like to be a horny teenage boy. He gave Sev a gentle shove. “Go find Rogelio before he gets himself in trouble.”

“I’m on it.” Sev closed the door behind him and left Laine with the green goop.

“It can’t be that bad.” Laine started the shower then stripped down quickly, aware that there’d be at least eight other men who needed in there soon. He stepped under the hot water and adjusted it to lukewarm. Scalding would have been perfect, but he didn’t want to hog all the hot water.

Laine uncapped the bottle and took a tentative sniff. It wasn’t bad, smelled minty. He poured some out and grimaced. It was thick and gritty, chunky, actually. Deciding it was best not to examine it too closely, Laine set about washing every inch of his body.

Once he was finished, he got out and tossed the empty bottle in the trash. He toweled off and got dressed, then went to find Sev. He bit his lip to keep from smirking at Rich, Carlin and Matt, who were all holding bottles of the green stuff and looking a little nervous.

“Quit being wimps and go use it,” Miriam ordered, then clarified, “don’t shower together. I have a feeling some of you might end up getting messy all over again. One at a time in the bathroom. Rich—” She pointed at the man. Rich flinched like she’d slapped him. “Oh, cut that out and go shower.”

Miriam spotted Laine and pointed at him. “Laine just used it. Does he look like it hurt him any?”

Matt smirked at him and Laine knew he was fixing to get some shit from his friend. “Well, I don’t know. He does look kind of different. More wrinkles, maybe? What do you think, Rich?”

Rich winked at Laine but went along with Matt. “Maybe. More white at his temples, too.”

“Then for goodness’ sake, you two wash with it twice,” Miriam sniped. “Y’all could both use a heaping helping of maturity!”

It was Laine’s turn to smirk when his friends’ mouths snapped shut. “Maybe you should give them a few bottles each.”

“A gallon,” Chris offered, earning him a glare from Rich and Matt both. “What? Y’all can joke but I can’t?”

Rich stuck his nose in the air and muttered something about Chris not getting any for a while, but he stopped and gave the man a big, sloppy kiss afterwards.

Miriam wandered off to greet Darren and Lee, who’d just parked their vehicle. Carlin held the bottle up and shook it. “What’s in here?”

Laine couldn’t resist picking at the man, and Matt as well since he was looking at his bottle like it was evil incarnate. “Miriam might have mentioned something about frogs.” He strode off leaving both men gaping at him.

Laine found Sev outside talking to Vincent and Veronica. He sidled up to his man and slipped his arm over Sev’s shoulders. “Where’s Rogelio?”

Sev pointed at the house. “Miriam put him to work bottling more of that green goop. She handed him a box of about thirty bottles and a funnel and told him to have fun.”

“Woman’s a genius.” Laine and Sev spent almost an hour walking from group to group and introducing themselves. They also thanked everyone. On occasion they’d find someone off by themselves, but for the most part, the coven members seemed to prefer to gather in groups rather than be alone.

Laine liked the sense of community he got from them. It made him consider whether he was too harsh about the whole concept of religion. That was something he’d have to think on more.

By the time they’d met everyone, the other men had showered and Miriam came out onto the porch and hollered that it was time for the purification ceremony. From what Laine could tell, it included everyone. Even Rogelio was there.

There also didn’t seem to be much to it. Miriam and Vincent had everyone hold hands and form into a series of circles, the smallest of which was ringed by a few larger ones. She and Vincent sprinkled something on the ground and began chanting as they walked around the largest circle of people.

Laine held Sev’s hand on one side and, because he couldn’t figure out how to get out of it without hurting the kid’s feelings, Rogelio’s on the other. As the chanting grew louder, with the coven members