Reflections of Angels- 2nd edition

Focus

Rachel's office was more like an apothecaries workshop than a traditional office space.
Bottles and jars covered the worktops, filled with strange substances and exotic ingredients. Drawers full of unusual items filled the perimeter of the room; shelves of books and woven wall hangings covering the upper part of the wall. Opposite the door, behind the desk, stood an unlit fireplace; elegantly framed in ornately carved wood. Dried herbs and pieces of animal hide hung from the ceiling, suspended above their heads.

Alysha wandered curiously around the room, running her fingers over objects and peering into glass vials.

"... So you think this way you could help find my daughter?" Rachel's sharp voice interrupted Alysha's explorations. Rachel sat in her wheelchair at a workbench, a half-finished concoction on the surface behind her. Selene stood across from her, looking at Alysha expectantly.

"... Yes." Alysha shrugged. "Usually it works! But it's not. Something's happened— it's like there's some kind of block. I don't know what's done this, or who's done this, but I don't know how to fix it!"

Rachel looked contemplative for a long moment. "Alright. Talk me through it. Let's see what we can do."

***

"Just... Focus." Selene said; Alysha was sat on the edge of a table, eyes closed, breathing deep. "If there's one thing I know, stress always makes things worse."

"... It's hard to focus when people keep telling me to focus." Alysha grumbled. She opened one eye and peered at Rachel grinding something in a pestle and mortar. "I am not putting anything else gross in my mouth."

A moment more of trying. "It's not working..." And suddenly Alysha exploded, leaping to her feet, seizing a bottle and throwing it against the wall.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Rachel snapped. "You throw anything else, that's it, we're done!"

Alysha huffed.

Rachel sighed and put down the pestle. "To be honest, I'm not sure what else to try. None of that's worked, and without knowing the exact problem, I'm reluctant to try anything else." She looked pensive again. "Perhaps... your theory is correct— could someone be doing this to you?"

Alysha thought about it, he eyes going wide. "Yes. Yes, they could. And I've got a list of who."

Turning on her heel, she stormed from the room.