Page 25 of Unbearable Attraction
The answer became clear as she read further. Her grandmother had been preparing to serve as the bridge for Hollow Oak's renewal ceremony, researching every possible technique that might improve her chances of survival. The entries documented her growing understanding of what the ritual would require and her determination to find a way to perform it without dying in the process.
October 31st, 1955. The dreams grow stronger every night. Aiyana shows me visions of the original ceremony, and I finally understand what she's been trying to tell me. The bridge doesn't just communicate with spirits during the renewal—they become a living conduit for every soul who ever participated in the protection of this place. The human body isn't designed to channel that much spiritual energy.
November 1st, 1955. Found references to a modified ritual that might distribute the spiritual load across multiple participants. Requires willing volunteers with compatible magical abilities. Still dangerous, but survival chances improve from 30% to 70%. Must find others willing to share the burden.
November 15th, 1955. The Council refuses to approve the modified ceremony. Too risky for multiple participants, they say. Better to sacrifice one life than risk several. I understand their logic, but I also understand that someone needs to survive to teach the next generation. The knowledge can't die with me.
The entries stopped abruptly after that date, leaving Leenah to wonder what had happened to change her grandmother's plans. Had she found another solution? Decided the risk was too great? Or had something else entirely prevented her from attempting the renewal ceremony?
She flipped through the remaining journals, finding increasingly detailed instructions for magical techniques that made her mouth go dry with fear. Spiritual possession protocols that would allow a necromancer to channel ancient spiritsdirectly. Ethereal bridge amplification spells that could connect the living world to dozens of spiritual realms simultaneously. Protective ward construction that required the practitioner to anchor the magic with their own life force.
All techniques that could help her communicate with the trapped spirits more effectively. All techniques that came with warnings about the personal cost involved.
Remember always that necromancy is not about controlling the dead, but about serving as their voice in the world of the living. The bridge pays the price so that others may benefit from spiritual wisdom. This is both the power and the burden of our gift.
Leenah closed the journal and leaned back against the couch, her mind reeling with the implications of what she'd discovered. Her grandmother had known decades ago that the renewal ceremony would eventually be necessary, had spent years preparing for a ritual that might well have killed her.
And now that responsibility had fallen to Leenah, who had a fraction of her grandmother's experience and training.
"I'm in over my head, aren't I?" she asked Minerva, who responded with the kind of steady purr that suggested confidence in her human's abilities.
The knowledge in these journals could help her prepare for whatever the renewal ceremony required, could give her a better chance of survival than walking in blind. But using the techniques her grandmother had developed would mean accepting risks that went far beyond anything she'd ever attempted.
It would mean risking more than just her heart to save Hollow Oak. It would mean risking everything.
And looking at Minerva's trusting eyes, thinking about Luka's protective instincts and Twyla's matchmaking kindnessand all the people who called this supernatural sanctuary home, Leenah realized she was already prepared to do exactly that.
The question was whether she could figure out how to survive it.
18
LUKA
The summons came just after noon, delivered by the same nervous young wolf shifter who'd brought the previous Council message. This time, though, the boy's anxiety was palpable, his hands shaking slightly as he recited the formal words.
"Elder Varric requests your immediate presence at the Council Glade for an emergency session regarding the ongoing spiritual disturbances," he said, the practiced formality not quite hiding his obvious relief at completing the message. "He says to tell you it's urgent."
Luka set down his carving tools and wiped the oak dust from his hands, his bear already stirring restlessly at the formal tone.
"Tell him I'll be there in fifteen minutes," he replied, reaching for his heaviest jacket. November afternoons in the mountains carried a bite that would make standing around in the sacred glade thoroughly unpleasant, but something told him this wasn't going to be a brief conversation.
The walk to the Council Glade felt longer than usual, every step carrying him deeper into the ancient forest where Hollow Oak's governing body conducted their most serious business. Bythe time he reached the hidden entrance to the sacred clearing, his bear was pacing behind his ribs with agitated energy.
All five Council members were present, their expressions ranging from Miriam Caldwell's concerned sympathy to Elder Bram's cold disapproval.
"Luka," Varric said as he approached. "Thank you for coming so quickly. We need to discuss the current situation with Miss Carrow and the escalating spiritual activity throughout town."
"What's there to discuss?" Luka asked, settling into his usual spot at the edge of the circle. "She's making progress. Yesterday we located the original ceremony grounds, and she's been communicating directly with the spirits involved in the founding pact."
"Yes, we heard about that," Elder Bram said, his voice carrying the kind of cold authority that made most people take a step back. "We also heard that these communications have resulted in even more supernatural disturbances. Three more businesses reported incidents this morning, and Mrs. Henderson's poodle has been barking at invisible threats for twelve hours straight."
"The spirits are agitated because the renewal ceremony hasn't been performed," Luka replied, keeping his tone level despite his bear's growing irritation. "Once we figure out the specifics of what's required, the disturbances will stop."
"Will they?" Bram's pale eyes fixed on Luka with uncomfortable intensity. "Or will Miss Carrow's continued meddling with forces beyond her understanding make the situation worse?"
The casual dismissal of Leenah's abilities made his bear snarl. The idea that anyone would suggest she was making things worse when she was risking her own safety to help the town made his vision blur with protective rage.
"She's not meddling," he said, his voice dropping to a dangerous rumble. "She's the only person in Hollow Oak with the necromantic abilities necessary to communicate with these spirits. Without her, we'd still be stumbling around wondering why supernatural activity was increasing."
