Page 47 of Spell Ya Later

“Hazel?” Her voice is doing that scared thing that I really hate.

“Yeah?”

Her eyes flicker between mine—looking for what, I don’t know. She doesn’t seem to find it as she just shakes her head.

“Never mind,” she whispers and goes back to her oatmeal.

I wish things weren’t so weird between us.

I’m determined to figure out why. I will fix this.

Chapter 18

Keep Moving Forward

My classes are canceled. Apparently there was a water main break in the community center and they’re using the weekend to fix it.

Which means I’m tip-toeing around the shop, looking for a book about scrying while Grandma sits in her office. I have no doubt Grandma has some sort of magical security system—she’s too savvy not to. Which means I have to be careful.

Scrying: How To.

Gotta love obvious titles.

I wonder if this is like that scene inIndiana Joneswhere an alarm will go off in Grandma’s head the moment I move the book from its place on the shelf. Should I try to replace it with a vase?

She’s too smart for that. What’s my excuse for picking this book up?

I’ve seen scrying described in popular culture—movies, TV shows, etc.—and I wanted to see if it was the same? It looked interesting? I want to keep an eye on my family because of what happened to Dad?

Too close to the truth.

While I run the risk of losing my lessons, I can’t sit back and do nothing. I have to prepare in every single way I can until I’m ready to fight daemons.

I run my finger up the spine and tip it toward me. It falls into my hands like a snowflake. Easy. Now the real question is: Do I read this down here, or try to smuggle it up to my apartment?

Reading it here is less suspicious than trying to run away.

I really am overthinking this. I need to calm down and just read the damn book instead of standing here like a tree. I’m bound to grow roots at this rate.

I take the book to a comfy green floral chair in the corner. This is still technically my day off and I’m not going to tempt Grandma into getting me to work by going near the counter. After another uneasy glance toward the office, I crack open the book.

Scrying is an ancient form of calling visions forth. In this book, we discuss the many different ways scrying can be, and has been, used in witchcraft. This includes tracking, future predictions, and receiving messages.

So not asstraightforward as I thought. But you have to start somewhere, and I can’t just ask Grandma without risking my progress.

Scrying can be used to find persons or things. Focusing on the person or thing is sometimes enough for the talented witch, but having something of value related to the person or thing is preferred. By taking a crystal, your personalitem, and a map, you can create a vision of the location of whatever you’re looking for.

Simply swing the crystal from a string over the map while holding the personal item. Clearing your mind through deep breathing and meditation can be helpful if scrying proves difficult.

Seemssimple enough once it’s laid out. I can pretty easily snag something of Noah’s or Grandma’s to practice. I know I’m nowhere near ready for something like Botis—which is good, since there’s no way I’d find anything of his lying around.

I’ll have to practice sometime soon, when Grandma isn’t in the shop and I’m not spending time with Noah. Or training. Or trying to figure out what’s going on with Laura. Or avoiding Mom. Or teaching my classes.

I exhale. Good luck to me.

“Hazel!” Grandma’s voice calls.

Shit. I run to the shelf, deposit the book back in its original spot, and jog back to her office.