June traced the ancient text with her finger as her eyes narrowed in concentration, absorbing words steeped in power. Lydia’s kitchen hummed with the energy of brewing potions, drying herbs, and the power of two witches as they tried to research the unresearchable.
It’d already been a long day, but both of them were keen to solve the riddle that was the Shadow’s Embrace before their unseen ‘friend’ could break their concealment spell.
“This is useless,” June muttered, snapping the book closed.
“Here,” Lydia said, reaching for another beside her. “This is one of the two books that mention the Shadow’s Embrace.” She opened it and tapped on a yellowed page. “Born from a whispered curse, it’s said to bloom only under the cloak of darkest night.”
June leaned closer and scanned the page. An illustration showed a vine, its tendrils coiled like serpents around a dreamlike flower, its petals almost pulsating with an unseen force. “Born from a curse?” She glanced up at Lydia. “That doesn’t sound good.”
“Legend speaks of its seductive pull, drawing in those who seek its power,” Lydia continued. “Its true nature is veiled in shadow. What little we know suggests it can amplify magic, for better or worse.”
“Or worse…” June murmured, her mind racing with possibilities. “Tell me something we don’t already know.”
“Ugh, I know.” Lydia closed the book with a gentle thud, her mousy hair falling over her shoulders as she peered at June. “Its allure is undeniable, but without understanding its effects, we won’t be able to get close.”
June nodded. It was hard enough trying to cloak the damned thing. “We’ll have to go back out there, won’t we?”
“Eventually,” Lydia replied, letting out a heavy sigh. “I think we might have to bite the bullet and just approach it.”
Before June could respond, a sudden tremor jolted the wooden floor beneath them, and the shelves of glass vials clinked against one another. They exchanged a startled glance as a second shudder rippled through the room.
“Was that an earthquake?” June asked as she steadied herself against the kitchen table.
“Here?” Lydia frowned, shaking her head. “No, Stonebridge doesn’t get those.”
As if on cue, a book tumbled off a nearby shelf, landing with a heavy thud on the floor, causing both of them to let out startled squeaks.
“Maybe you have a ghost,” June said as she tried to steady her heartbeat.
“Ha-ha,” Lydia said dryly. “But I don’t think—”
Another tremor, this one stronger than the last, cut her off. Jars rattled on the shelves, and June thought she saw a shadow dart across the wall, though when she turned to look, there was nothing there.
“Okay, that’s not normal.” Lydia’s brow furrowed, her gaze scanning the room as if seeking an explanation in the air itself.
June’s mind spun as she reached out with her senses, prodding the earth as Elaine had taught her during winter. Her training had prepared her for a lot of things, but unexplained phenomena weren’t exactly on the syllabus. Yet, she’d seen the omen of red snow that’d led her to the elemental in the lake, so she wasn’t out to let a couple of little earthquakes pass by so easily.
Her fingers grazed the wooden table, her mind reaching out to the subtle vibrations of the earth, searching for any sign of disruption.
Lydia was silent, watching her with a keen gaze, waiting to see what she found…but as June looked up, she had nothing to tell her teacher.
“There isn’t anything there,” she murmured. “Is there?”
Lydia shook her head. “No. Perhaps it is just one of those things and the earth is merely shifting position.”
June inhaled a sharp breath as she caught another shadow flickering in the corner of her eye, but as she turned to look, it was gone.
“Did you see that?” June asked, pointing vaguely toward where the shadow had been.
“What?” Lydia followed the direction of her finger, squinting at the wooden panelling.
“I thought I saw…” she trailed off and shook her head. “Never mind. My head is full of facts about dark magical plants and now the earth is shaking. Never a dull moment when you’re a witch.”
Lydia smiled and rose, moving toward the shelves. As she began inspecting the glass jars and vials, June’s expression faded. Remembering a passage in a book Alistair had loaned her during her basic lessons, she bristled. Shadows lingering in places where they couldn’t be seen, yet were revealed with an indirect line of sight, were often signs that spirits were abroad.
“Lydia,” June started hesitantly, “I’ve been thinking about spirits.”
“Thinking what, exactly?” Lydia’s eyes met hers, reflecting a mix of curiosity and concern.
“Communicating with them.”
“Spirit walking? June, it’s too dangerous,” Lydia warned, her voice stern. “Especially now, with the Shadow’s Embrace in play. We don’t know if it has any influence over the spirit realm, and besides, with others out there looking for it, it could open you up to attack.”
“Exactly, but what if it helps? What if speaking to my parents could shed some light on what’s happening?” June argued, ignoring the ‘attack’ part of Lydia’s warning. “We don’t understand it, but they might. And there’s the presence in the forest. What if it’s not just some rogue witch? What if it’s something…more?”
Lydia sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly as she considered June’s words. “Spirit walking could open doors to things you’re not ready to face.”
“There were shadows on the walls just now,” she argued. “Shadows in the corner of my eye that disappeared the moment I tried to look at them. Those are echoes of spirits, right?”
Lydia’s frown deepened. “They can be, but there’s no way of knowing.”
“Unless we try to talk to them.”
“Out of the question.”
“Either way,” June said, pushing down her irritation, “we need to know more. We’re flying blind here.”
“And sprit walking won’t give us the answers we need.”
“How do you know?”
“Because spirits that linger are often trapped by their own confusion, their pain. They’re not omniscient guides, June, they’re echoes of lives cut short or left unresolved. We can’t put our trust in them for clarity,” Lydia patiently explained, leaning back against the counter. “While it may reveal the unseen, the risks far outweigh the benefits by a great deal. It won’t help us here. The price is way too steep.”
June absorbed Lydia’s words, feeling the weight of truth in them. Her gaze wandered over the cluttered shelves lined with jars of dried herbs, crystals, and aged books, until it rested on a jar filled with a dark, vine-like substance. Her vision locked on the air, as if something unseen had dragged her intuition there.
“So, what now?” she heard herself saying. “We go back into the forest and risk being poisoned by the Shadow’s Embrace?”
Lydia clicked her tongue, eyes following June’s gaze to the jar. “Maybe…” she started slowly, a thoughtful glint reflected in her eyes. “But it’s something we have to prepare for. Let’s make a list of effects and dangers we’ll have to account for.” Lydia paused, peering at June, who hadn’t looked at her the whole time she’d been speaking. “What are you staring at?”
“What’s that?” she asked. “In that jar?”
Lydia followed June’s gaze and walked over to retrieve the jar. “Ayahuasca.” She held it up to the light, the contents seeming to come alive in her hands. “It’s a powerful plant used in rituals originating in the tribes of South America. Not something to be taken lightly. It’s a psychedelic.”
“A drug?” June leaned closer, intrigued by the swirling patterns within the glass. “What is it used for in magic?”
“Traditionally, it’s brewed into a tea and used by shamans to enter a spiritual state. It’s said to help you find your innermost self…to heal.” Lydia’s voice was low, almost reverent, as she replaced the jar. “But it’s no ordinary journey for those with magic. The visions it brings can be intense, overwhelming. Some find answers, others…only more questions.”
“Have you ever tried it?”
Lydia hesitated, then shook her head. “No. The risks outweigh the benefits, in my opinion. Besides, there are other ways to seek out wisdom without tearing your soul from your body.”
June thought for a moment, staring at the dark plant. “What are the risks?”
Lydia looked at her, and for a moment she seemed older than her years, burdened by the weight of knowledge she carried. “Uncontrolled hallucinations, spiritual disorientation, psychological distress… And for us witches, it can potentially attract unwanted attention from the spirit realm. It amplifies our magical energy.”
June weighed Lydia’s words carefully. The thought of anything intensifying her already potent powers was intimidating, yet fascinating. Yes, there were risks, but there was also potential for discovery.
“It exacts a price on those who take it,” Lydia murmured. “You must give it complete control for it to reveal its true power.”
“Sounds intense,” June said, forcing a lightness into her tone she didn’t feel. “I don’t think I’d like to give up my free will for all of that.” She gave Lydia a small smile, hoping she looked disinterested. Spirit walking could provide the answers she so desperately sought, and taking the ayahuasca could aid her journey if she kept the dose small enough. The jar on the shelf beckoned, but she dared not reach for it—not yet. “But could something like that help us with the plant? A potion that could help us see it better?”
“Maybe,” Lydia told her. “It’s worth looking into.” She gestured to June’s grimoire. “You have your next list of plants and some books to study. Perhaps you’ll find something amongst it that’ll help.”
“Homework, then?”
The witch nodded. “Homework.”
“Cool. Thanks for today’s lesson,” June said as she gathered her notes and stood to leave. “I learned a lot.”
“June?” Lydia returned the jar of ayahuasca to the shelf and turned. “Be careful. If there is someone out there looking to take the Shadow’s Embrace, then they’ll target the both of us to remove our spell.”
“Don’t worry. If they come for us, we’ll be ready.” She smiled as she held her grimoire against her chest. “I did pass my elemental magic lessons with top marks.”
“Good,” Lydia said with a gentle smile. “Now, go on and get some rest. We’ll revisit our next move tomorrow.”
As June made her way through the dimly lit streets of Stonebridge, she kept Lydia’s warning echoing in her mind. Her gaze moved across the street before her, scanning the faces that passed, and those in the distance.
Strangely, nothing seemed amiss from the earlier tremors, but a palpable tension seemed to hang over the cobblestones. People passed by with furrowed brows and tight lips, their usual friendly nods replaced by curt gestures or outright avoidance.
When she reached the shops surrounding the town square, she noticed Mr Hawthorne, the normally cheerful butcher, engaged in a curt exchange with Mrs Blackwell, who ran the local bakery. Their voices carried with an edge that June had never heard before.
“Can’t you see I’m busy?” Mr Hawthorne barked, his face red with anger.
“Busy ignoring your customers, you mean!” Mrs Blackwell retorted, her hands clenched at her sides.
June hastened her pace, unease settling in her stomach. People had disagreements all the time, so why was she so on edge?
Then, the sharp screech of tyres against cobblestone pierced the air, snapping June out of her daydream. She spun around to see two cars halted at an awkward angle in the middle of the road. The drivers had already leaped out of their vehicles and were shouting at each other, gesturing wildly.
“Move your piece of rusted shite! You’re blocking the road!” one man yelled, his face contorted with rage.
“Learn how to drive, you idiot!” the other retorted.
June as she watched the scene unfold, openmouthed. She edged away from the confrontation, keen to leave the hostility behind.
Ahead, the windows of The Corner blazed warmth out onto the footpath and a pang of longing twisted in her heart. What she wouldn’t give to open that door and go inside.
She stumbled as the door burst open and a furious Lucas appeared, his hand fisted into the collar of an irate customer, who he promptly threw out onto the cobblestones.
“Take a walk, Stan,” Lucas said sternly, his voice carrying down the street.
Stan stumbled onto the footpath, muttering curses under his breath before storming off.
Lucas turned, and for a fleeting moment, his gaze met June’s. And she stood there, trapped like a deer caught in headlights, her heart racing.
Then his mouth flapped soundlessly before he jerked around and fled back into the café.
June watched the door slam shut, her pulse thundering in her ears. She felt a sudden urge to go after him, but she forced herself to stay put. Her mind was a mess of emotions and unspoken words. She took a deep breath, exhaling slowly as she watched the lights dim through the cloudy windows.
“Is it a full moon?” she murmured to the evening air. “Or…” She glanced around, a chill spreading through her body. Had she and Lydia disturbed the Shadow’s Embrace a little too much?
June shook her head and looked back toward the corner where the two cars locked in their tense stand off had already moved on. The plant was concealed deep in the forest, too far for its influence to reach town. That’s if it had an influence. The concealment should’ve contained everything, anyway.
June’s gaze lingered on the café for a moment longer before she turned away, her heart heavy as she hurried home. But as she climbed the stairs and unlocked the door to her flat, she shouldn’t shake the prickling sensation that buzzed at her temples.
If something was truly wrong, she knew Lydia would feel it too. They’d been careful with Shadow’s Embrace, but maybe they’d underestimated the enormity of its influence. Maybe they’d triggered something simply by looking at it. Stranger things had happened.
Once inside, June locked the door behind her and leaned against it, taking in a deep breath as she closed her eyes. She felt a gentle pulsing under her skin, an almost magnetic tug that pulled her in an unknown direction. From her studies with Alistair, she understood it was her witch’s intuition.
Her intuition was her compass in the world of magic, and Alistair had always emphasised trusting her instincts. Feelings are the heart’s way of imparting wisdom.
June opened her eyes and focused on the worn laptop sitting on the end of her bed. Crossing the room, her fingers hesitated above the smooth metal surface, recalling Lydia’s stern warnings about delving too deeply into the unknown. A lesson she seemed to have a hard time absorbing…but a witch’s intuition counted more.
She sat on the bed, flipped open the laptop, the screen springing to life with a soft glow, and opened a web browser. The shadows seem to flicker as she typed ‘ayahuasca’ into the search bar.
The answer was here, hidden somewhere amongst an ambiguous algorithm. She just knew it.