The Warlock

7: Coffee Reading

"Lock the door," commanded Asteria.

"Okay, okay. You're so secretive about it, oh my God!"

Basil followed the girl's command and locked the door. They were sitting in Amalda's empty classroom. Asteria was getting the coffee ready. One of her hands was holding the cezve, and the other was under it, holding it open and drawing magic into it to cast heat upon the coffee. Soon it started boiling, and the girl prepared the two cups. She wasn't going to read her own fortune, it was a rule among fortune tellers, but Asteria could never miss the opportunity for coffee. She set the cups down and took a seat in one of the chairs. Basil joined her, and the two drank their coffees in silence.

"Okay, I'm done," broke the silence Basil.

"Put the saucer on top, and shake it clockwise three times then turn it upside down. Do you have anything personal like a ring or a bracelet?"

The boy handed her the chain from his neck, she hadn't noticed before. She placed it on top of the cup's bottom, and then asked him to make a wish. Asteria took a hold of the cup and tried to lift it up.

"Look at that. It's a prophet's cup. Your wish will come true," smiled Asteria.

Basil's tense face relaxed, and he released his grip on the armchair. Asteria took out the cup and began examining it. Her forehead scrunched up. She had been practicing reading coffee ground with Pythia, but there were too many things in Basil's cup for her to understand them clearly.

"You are going to have a very eventful life, that much I can tell." Asteria looked him in the eyes, but then quickly returned her gaze to the cup. " Um, okay. There is a man, and I think there's a star on his forehead. And a lot of paths, and they all lead to the man actually. I don't see them very clearly though. But umm ... I don't know."

"What can you see then?" Basil was intensely looking at her now it was almost scary.

"Well, you will have to go through a lot of tasks in order to reach this man, he seems very important. But you will have support. At the beginning of the roads there is a figure, and this person will help you to get to that man. The clearest path has a large winged creature on it, and I think an apple."

Asteria massaged her temple. She was beginning to have a headache. Pythia's lessons helped her see many more symbols, and read them faster, using the Sight as the Headmistress called it. Basil's leg was bobbing up and down. His eyes were staring at her intently.

"What about the person, supposed to help me? Is it a girl?"

"I ... I think so, but I'm not completely sure."

"Is there a way to know though? Who it might be?"

Asteria looked at him. He had a very serious face on, making her wonder what exactly were his motives.

"I mean we can try to learn the letter but I don't guarantee hundred percent it will be the letter of the figure. It might be the man."

She took a hold of his hand and pressed his thumb into the coffee grounds of the saucer. Asteria observed it, taking the saucer closer to her face.

"I think it looks like an H ... or an A. I'm sorry, my head is hurting, I don't know."

The girl put down the plate and closed her eyes. She massaged her temple again. It was definitely worsening. She had reached her limit. Asteria opened her eyes when she sensed Basil moving. He had gotten up and was pacing in front of her.

"Basil, stop. You're making my headache worse."

"I have to tell you something very, very important, Asteria," he said and sat down again, continuing to shake his leg. "Promise you won't panic, please."

Asteria didn't have any energy to argue with him, so she simply nodded.

"I've had these dreams for years, since I could remember myself. But once I got into the Conservatory they stopped. And it was always the same dream, just a bit altered. I was dreaming of a girl, and she was helping me find the demon I'm to be bonded with. And in order to find him, I need to go through some quests."

Asteria was half listening to him. She had learned about warlocks after coming to the Conservatory. They became contracted at the end of their first year to a demon. Usually they found out during their first days, the warlocks had a special ceremony to discover who their demon would be.

"Wait, what are you talking about? I'm just so confused," said Asteria.

"Okay, let me start from the beginning." Basil sighed. "So I'm a warlock, and in our second week we did our ceremony to find out who is bonded to who. You know about it, and the thing is, my demon, ... he is very powerful. And like every other demon he wants me to prove myself to him that I am strong enough. But in order to do that I need to go through some quests, which I don't know what they are yet."

"You can skip that, I know that you warlocks spend your first year studying skills to go and prove yourself to the demon you are binding with." Asteria swatted her hand, while the other was still massaging her temple.

"Okay, okay. So the demon I need to prove myself to is Lucifer."

Once he said the name, Asteria froze. It was unheard of for someone to have a contract with any of the Princes of Hell. They were only powerful warlocks like Rasputin and Morgana le Fey, not someone like Basil. It was impossible.

"What the hell? I thought this had become extinct," murmured Asteria. For generations no one had been contracted with a Demon Prince.

"I know. The last person Lucifer was bonded to was Rasputin, so now he has high expectations for me."

"You started on about a dream, something. What about that?" Asteria's mind was in complete chaos over Basil. She had half a mind that he might be lying, but she was also willing to believe him.

"Yes, umm ... as I said I've been having the same dream for years. And it was of this girl. We would always be in a forest, running and when I got here the dreams stopped. And the girl, ... it was you. I was dreaming of you, and when I saw you I knew that I had to talk to you," said Basil and paused. "The figure in your prediction, I think it's you. I think you need to help me, and I don't mean only with Alchemy. I need you to help me with my quests."

"What the freak?" Asteria began laughing. Everything Basil told her sounded so ridiculous. "How do I know you're not pulling a prank on me?"

"I swear, this is the most serious I've ever been in my life, Asteria." Basil got up and began pacing again. All of a sudden he came to a stop. "I will make an oath if you want me to, but I need you to believe me."

"Okay, okay, I believe you. Damn, an oath is a bit too extreme. We don't even know how to do them yet."

Asteria sighed again. Oaths were a very sacred thing, where a magical being would swear on things and if they weren't truthful or keeping their promises, then they would turn to dust. The girl was willing to believe Basil because of Pythia and her recently discovered talent.

"Okay, I'll help you. I don't know how but I'll try."

"I mean it was kind of predestined, you were going to do it. After all, I wished for it."

A cheeky smile appeared on Basil's face. Asteria pursed her lips, the usual Basil was back, all seriousness was gone. She had to talk to Pythia about it, but for now she was going to believe him.

****

Hello! Sorry for the late update, I've been catching up with my classes because I had been avoiding them. Honestly Zoom classes suck and I can't with it. Anyways, enjoy! 

Also have any of you had a coffee reading?

Don't forget to vote and comment <3