Page 141 of Love & Heart Braking

“You never run out of sugar?”

Vera regarded me in silence. “No.” She removed a bowl, then unstoppered a pitcher—how big was her case inside? —and poured until the bowl was half full. “Got the letter?” she asked.

I held up the sealed letter that I’d spent the last hour painstakingly writing in code only me and Soleil would understand—in that it was a whole bunch of random personal jokes and memories mashed together. She should be able to put things together easily enough.

Vera extracted a candle holder the length of my forearm from her case.

I leaned over to peek inside, but she’d put a shroud charm around it. Dang.

She fitted a candle in the holder, then set out five precious stones. I knew from school that witches gathered and stored magic in gems and things like oak, jewelry, and weapons. They kept the stored magic on their body or close by to draw on it as needed.

“What is your friend’s name?”

“Soleil Hucs,” I replied.

Vera slid me a look. Turning her palms up, she closed her eyes. The flame flickered to life. She spoke, “Soleil Hucs.”

I peered at the surface of the water. The liquid swirled but didn’t display the picture I’d seen in past scries.

Vera pressed her lips together. “I’m assuming she is inside the Hucses’ estate?”

“Yes.”

The witch dug around in the case, armpit deep—then put her head in as well. I wanted to see inside so bad.

She held up a huge onyx stone and placed it at the head of the bowl opposite her. “We’ll need this.”

“How do you know?”

“Because I set the protections on the estates of the twelve.”

Good to know.

This time, I felt the whoosh as she pulled on the stored magic. “Soleil Hucs.”

The water turned black, then gray.

“That isn’t her true name,” Vera said.

I frowned. “Yes, it is.” My brow cleared and my chest tightened. “Wait. Try Soleil Concordia.”

There was another whoosh. “Soleil Concordia.”

The water formed a picture, confirming my suspicion.

Soleil was standing in front of the mirror placing pearls into her ears and around her neck. Her red hair was twisted into a severe style. She wore black, and my heart twisted. She’d hate that. The dress was beautiful though, fit for a ball.

We could see the entire room.

“Your message?” Vera said.

Soleil tensed.

“Hold on,” I whispered, even though Soleil couldn’t possibly hear me.

The door to her room flung open and uniformed descendants—guards?—ran in. They overturned her mattress and rifled through her wardrobe. They scoured every inch of the place, connecting rooms included.

“My scrying set off an alarm,” Vera murmured. “They’re checking she’s alone.”

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