To Be Determined

Chapter Six: Serpentine and Static

It is later in the afternoon when I wake up for the second time that day. Iliad isn't in the room, but I hear his booming laugh down the hall. I smile slightly before heading into the bathroom. The warm water of the shower makes me feel as though the events of the day were but a bad dream. The soap smells so unmistakably Asha that I can almost feel him nearby. In the current situation, that would be incredibly awkward. This shower was brief, aside from Belladonna walking into it and refusing to leave. Rather than waste the water, I plug the drain and leave enough water to play in without spilling over to the rest of the floor.

I reach into my bag to find that all of my clothes are clean and folded. Asha didn't sleep last night, did he? I change into a navy shirt and khakis, then head down the hall. Iliad and Momma are sitting at the table just talking. Asha is nowhere to be seen. Momma sees me coming down the hall, but Iliad's back is turned to me. She doesn't let on. He's telling one of his famous stories about his morally ambiguous experience studying aboard.

"So I'm standing there, all of the peanuts are spilled in at least a 7-foot radius. The elephants on the other side of the gate are hopping mad and as if that wasn't enough, the cobra charmer was allergic to peanuts and was starting to have trouble breathing. Thank god Serendipity was able to get my travel pack back from that Capuchin because if she hadn't then-"

"That snake charmer would have been a real snake borer." I cut him off. Iliad stands up at the sound of my voice and wraps me in a big old hug.

"She's up! You know, if you want to hear any of my other stories Momma, you gotta ask her. She knows them all!"

"I'll have to keep that in mind," Momma winks. "Speaking of cobras, have the two of you met Constantine yet?"

"Like, the Roman leader that died like 2500 years ago or the city in Michigan?" Iliad asks facetiously.

"Ashara's familiar, a Suphan monocled cobra that he found on one of his ventures to Southeast Asia. Believe me, you would not be able to miss him. I know that Asha likes to let him out to hunt while visiting. It's dangerous for a familiar to be away from their master for very long, so Asha is probably with him right about now."

"So is Asha just out in the woods right now or something? I asked, confused by his absence.

"Oh no, He's resting down in my room. Asha typically sleeps during the day. There is far more magical activity during the earliest hours of the morning so he forages at night and rests in the daylight." Momma sips on a cup of tea and looks towards the open windows. Her home smells like familiar incense and fresh air.

"What was in the drink that you made me earlier to snap me out of that?"

"Chamomile, rose hips, raspberry leaf, spearmint, licorice root. Essentially, I just made your favorite tea as Iliad described it, without heated water of course. Just a little something to bring you back to earth. Sometimes simple comfort and familiarity are the strongest medicines."

"A good placebo never hurts either. A respected witch making a tonic for someone who's trapped in a terrible illusion seems pretty clinical." Iliad says, sipping on a cup himself. He handed the mug to me and I took a long sip of the comforting tea. It instantly boosts my mood.

"I think that I am going to be okay to continue with tonight," I say, setting down the mug on the table.

"Perfect, It's getting to be time to continue our travels," Asha says, behind me now. I spun around to see him smiling, a cup of tea in hand and a very large snake relaxed around his shoulders and curled down his ribs.

"So now you can teleport?" I ask, leaning against the wall.

"You don't know what I'm capable of my dear Olive. But no, I've just been invisible. I wanted to see how you are, but you put on a tough front around your big brother. You always have."