I cleared the table, moving everything but the mug and the candles to the bed. “It’s valuable then.”
“Exceedingly rare.”
“Considering the amount I paid her, I suppose it makes sense then.” I set the candles on either side of the mug and shot a flame to each wick, lighting them before peeking out the window to be sure “housekeeping” wasn’t on the way with more towels.
“Scrying puts me into a trance. I’ll be vulnerable while I’m under, so please stay awake and alert.” I settled into a chair and rested my palms on the table.
“I won’t let any harm come to you.” The conviction in his voice sent a warm shiver up my spine, and he moved to the side of the bed facing me and sat up straight, resting his hands in his lap.
I inhaled deeply, preparing to center myself, but the overwhelming scent of the candles gave me pause. “Why do they smell like bacon?”
“They’re made from tallow, rendered fat from the elysian boar.”
“Tasty. If only I had a spoon.”
“I wouldn’t recommend consuming them. Their scent may be appetizing, but their taste is quite bitter.”
I thought about asking how he knew, but nah… I’d rather not know all his kinks. Not yet anyway.
I shook my head, chasing away that thought, and focused on the flames. They flickered in response to the magic building in the core of my being, my own fire growing, heating me from the inside out. I relaxed my eyes, allowing my vision to blur, the flames getting fuzzier until soft orange light encircled my view of the water in the mug.
“Hear me, Hecate, and heed my call. Aid me in my search for…well, for you.” I stared into the mug, allowing my senses to slip away. “I am your faithful disciple, and I need your aid. Show me where you are.”
I took another deep breath. Two. Three. My body relaxed until I felt as if I were floating in the ether. I focused on the goddess, willing her to reveal her location, finding nothing but emptiness in my trance.
“If not your location, please show me my parents.” I waited, focusing, sifting through the ether as if panning for gold. I might as well have been searching inside a vacuum.
With another deep breath, I returned my attention to my senses and the world around me. I blinked my vision into focus and rubbed my temples. “That’s weird. I found nothing. Not even a shred of a hint.”
“Hecate does not wish to be found.”
“Maybe not, but my parents sure as shit do. Let me try again.” I returned my palms to the table.
“Does scrying not tax your vim?” he asked.
“It does, but it’s better than being obliterated.”
He took the chair across from me and set the seer’s supplies on the table. “There is a saying from long before your time. ‘When in Rome…’”
“Do as the Romans do.” I crossed my arms.
“You know it?”
“Everyone does.”
“Perhaps these items are required for scrying in this realm.” He pushed the herb sachet and pendulum toward me.
I let out a slow breath and eyed the bone fragments lying next to the pendulum. He had a point. Dark magic and low vibrations penetrated every atom in this realm. The very air I breathed was thick and heavy with power. My light magic couldn’t penetrate the darkness here.
I scooped the bones into my hand and dropped them into the mug. “She could’ve at least given me directions.”
I opened the pouch and dumped the bitter herbs in with the bones. Discord made a disgusted face that I was certain matched mine, and I picked up the dental pendulum, swirling it over the water. “Does she usually recite an incantation when she scries?”
“Yes, but it’s dependent on what she’s looking for. Her words change every time.”
“I suppose I can make one up on the fly.” I stared into the mug. The bones had sunk the moment I dropped them in, but the sage and wormwood floated on the surface as if I were seasoning a broth. I suppose I sort of was.
“Hear me, Hecate, and heed my call. Reveal your location and save us all.” I zoned out again, allowing my consciousness to slip into the ether, but still, I only found emptiness.
