Page 68 of The Witching Hours

“No,” Daphne said. “They get a discount, but they still have to pay up front like anyone else. What if you need assisted living someday? That shit’s not cheap!”

Aunt Ceija’s small sigh indicated compliance.

“Alright,” Nick said. “Why don’t you get started with Catherine? I’ll be right back.”

“No,” I said. “I want you to hear everything. I’ll go with you.”

He nodded and told our hosts, “Fifteen minutes tops.”

He didn’t lie. He used nav to find the closest ATM. Luckily, he had bank permission to withdraw that much in cash in a single day. We were back on Ceija’s porch in fifteen minutes just like he’d said.

Nick handed the money to Daphne. She took it without a word and counted it twice.

The pretty hand worked placemats had been removed from the sunroom table. In their place was a very large, very old-looking leather book opened to a page that showed DaVinci-like human figures portrayed in various poses amid vertical rows of symbols I didn’t recognize.

Aunt Ceija motioned for us to sit. To me, she said, “First, you need to learn the voice. Tell me something in your most commanding tone.”

Most commanding tone. Hmmm.

When I hesitated, she said, “Imagine one of the creatures is here in this room and you’d like them to leave. What if you could make them go by force of will and voice? What would you say? How would you say it?”

“GO BACK WHERE YOU CAME FROM AND STAY THERE!” I shouted.

“Stand up,” she instructed. I did. “Do it again. Imagine that you’re not pretending. That you have the power to send them back to where they belong. Speak like you have the authority of the gods at your back.”

Where they belong.I repeated that in my head. It resonated. I liked it.

I wanted to retreat to self-consciousness. Acting doesn’t come naturally to me. I looked at Nick. His nod of encouragement made me feel more courageous.

“Um. Can I say that?”

Ceija looked confused.

“Which part?” Nick asked.

“The part about having the power of the gods at my back.”

Ceija smiled. “You can use anything that’s true. And it’s true that you have the blessings of the gods. They don’t want mischief-making crossovers in our world any more than you do. One or more of the gods will respond to your proclamation and rush to support you.”

“ON AUTHORITY OF THE GODS, I SEND YOU BACK TO WHERE YOU BELONG.”

I was resting my fingertips on the table in front of me when I spoke and felt a tremor in the table. “Oh no. We’re having an earthquake.”

Aunt Ceija smiled and shook her head. “That wasn’t an earthquake, Catherine. That was you.”

Me?!?

“Yes.” She answered like she’d heard my thought. “Gifted and a quick study. This is good. We’ll work more on the voice while you’re learning the rest.” She pointed at the book. “Look here. You must learn banishing technique.”

My eyes went to opened page. “That looks complicated.”

I can’t help it. I’m learning curve averse.

Ignoring my barely disguised whine, she said, “To accomplish this task, you must be powerful, Catherine. You must believe that you are and act like you are. A woman who can persuade the gods to join her does not shrink from difficulty.”

Wow. Okay then.

For the next three days, I worked with Aunt Ceija. Deadlines be damned. I figured the expulsion of unwanted “creatures”, as Ceija called them, was more important than work. On the third day I came home exhausted from acquiring mastery of mystic skills.

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