The Last Hope

29 - Scry

SONG FOR THIS CHAPTER - Season of the Witch, A cover by Lana Del Ray, Originally by The Phantoms. Linked above! I would have linked the Phantoms version - but couldn't find it for love nor money on youtube. If you have Spotify (or any other music streaming app), I would recommend it - it's one of my favourite songs at the moment.

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Mercy was seething, refusing to break eye contact with Sebastian. His jaw ticked as it clenched, his eyes still dark and dangerous. From deep within her, that chasm groaned as floods of dark magic welled up of its own accord. Ready to protect. To defend. Mercy's hands shook by her side as she fought to keep the magic at bay.

"Your Highnesses - did you hear what I said?" When neither of them responded. Mona descended the stairs, plucking Sebastian's book from the floor. She checked the cover, "surprising taste."

He blinked, eyes lightening, as Mona handed him back the book. Mercy stepped away, she was having a hard time shoving the anger and magic back down into that dark chasm. She backed up to the wall and took a few careful breaths, asking, "how? How are you going to find the sword?"

"Using the rings," Mona explained, motioning her ring, on a chain around her neck. "I can perform a scrying spell, the same as I did to find you when you were taken, but since I'm looking for a magical object it's much harder." Mona readjusted her skirts. "In order to scry for a magical object, you need to use a magical object, one with enough power to perform the spell. Since we have both rings, I can use them to perform the spell."

The Sentinels looked confused. No one had explained the significance of the rings to them, and Felix had been sworn to secrecy, against his will. Sebastian's usual quiet gave nothing away. Mercy tried not to look at him, or think about him, and she took another deep breath in through her nose. The aroma of sweet honey, spice and petrichor assaulted her. Mercy moved away from Sebastian, taking a seat on the bottom of the stairs.

"And it's that easy? You can just use the rings and find the sword?"

"Easy? No spell is ever easy. But for me... this one is relatively so-so." Mona bragged, pulling her long curtain of golden hair over her shoulder. She was still wearing the shimmering cobalt gown, and it hissed quietly with each movement as satin dragged along the stone floor of the temple.

"Then let's try it." Mercy tugged Jaxon's ring off her thumb, handing it carefully to Mona, who regarded it with reverence.

Later, stuffed into the alcove with Felix at her side and Lincoln behind her, effectively providing a barrier against Sebastian, who leaned against the back wall with his hands in his pockets, Mercy watched Mona. Mona sat at the small wooden table, surrounded by unusual objects. A length of chain, for whatever purpose. A pestle and mortar, in which she had herbs ready to grind. A solitary candle, pitch black, with a flame that burned deep blue. And the two golden rings tied together with a small piece of ribbon in the centre of the table.

"Felix," Mona called him over, and Felix sauntered to the table, looking curious. "Could you please grind these," she passed him the pestle and mortar, which he accepted enthusiastically. "Grind them once clockwise, then counter clockwise. Keep going until I tell you to stop." Felix did as he was told, and Mercy looked on, puzzled. Felix had been taking a particular interest in Mona's work recently, maybe she saw this and hoped to involve him?

"How does this work, exactly?" Mercy questioned, moving to stand beside Keenan, the scent of Lincoln and the heat coming off his warm body had worked its way into her head, and was far too distracting right now. His sly small seemed to say he knew exactly why she'd crossed the room. "Do you just see exactly where the sword is? Will it give you a route map? Coordinates?"