-19-
-Old Magic-
"How are we going to do this?" Akane asked from the back seat, filling the bronze chalice with the ingredients Abigail called out as she drove.
"One word," she replied, "Leylines."
"Leylines? I've never heard of them."
"I wouldn't think so, they're the closest guarded secret of witches all over the world. It's how we get around so quickly, and how I've managed to stay off Koyane's radar for so many years."
"What exactly is a Leyline?"
"A stream of magical energy stretching for hundreds of miles. There are about fifty all over the world, interconnecting into a massive web that witches discovered thousands of years ago. A skilled witch can use Leylines like portals, travelling through the stream until they reach point where two or more Leylines interconnects. These points act as stations where we can re-emerge, get it?"
"How far can you travel along a Leyline?"
"Well it depends. Because each Leyline connects to at least two others, you can go as far as the next crossing. Usually that's a couple of hundred miles. At each connection you have to perform a ritual and tribute to pass through to the next."
"How could witches possibly keep them a secret?" he asked, "It's too big. Someone would let it slip sooner to later."
"That's why only the highest members of the covens are trusted with the secret, and the location of each Leyline connection. My master passed on these locations to me before he died, as well as the ritual to open the portal. There's one close by, and a connecting portal nearly twenty miles south or Harbin. We should be able to get all of this done by midnight."
"Good. What does the portal look like?"
"A stone slab embedded in the ground with the proper facilities for the ritual. This one'll be tucked away in a small forest close by. Add some Hemlock to that, would you?"
Akane obliged, rummaging through the apothecary satchel next to him in search of the ingredient.
"How much do I use?" he asked, pulling a dried bundle out of its case.
"Half. This is a two way trip, so we'll need to use the rest to open up the portal in the way back. Mix a pinch of the black powder in with it as well, and it should be almost ready."
"What is it?" he asked, fishing out a glass bottle filled with reflective black flecks.
"Powdered Obsidian. Once that's done add three wolf's teeth and some refined fay extract; then we should be all set until we get to the site."
Akane gently pulled the stopper out of the top, emptying exactly half of the powder into the chalice. The blue Lotus turned off the main road, driving along a rough dirt track that led towards a small section of woodland.
"Are all the Leyline sites this isolated?" he asked, grinding the ingredients together in the chalice.
"Most are," she nodded, "There's a handful in major cities all over the world, which are closely guarded by the covens. They set up shop on top of them, and organise stations to put up any witches that pass through. We may get a bad rep a lot of the time, but most witches are fairly accommodating."
"How nice of you," Akane replied with mock sincerity. "Koyane doesn't know about them?"
"Well I haven't seen him riding around on a broomstick, so I'm going to say no."
YOU ARE READING
Destined For Doom
Paranormal"Death is a natural part of life," he said simply, leaning against the weathered tree. "It is as certain as the change of seasons, and as unforgiving as the tide. One must either wait for their time, or fight the tide itself. There is nothing as hol...
