Page 59 of Blood Weaver
“I appreciate your candor,” Amina said. “Who are you trying to reach?”
“My former guardian … Sir Edric of … Valoria,” I said hesitantly.
Amina didn’t react. There was no shock or knowing look. She was poised and calm as she waited for me to continue.
“So how does this work?” I asked.
Amina inched closer, each stride appearing as if she floated on water. “First, we must establish a connection. You need to think of this Sir Edric and not get distracted. Your mind must remain steady. If he is near, he will appear … through me.”
“You mean he will possess you?” I raised a brow and she nodded. “Will you be … aware of what’s said?”
She shook her head. “No, I won’t. You will have complete privacy.”
“Why should I trust you?” I asked.
She smirked. “You shouldn’t.”
“Of course not,” I muttered. “Fine. Let’s get started.”
Amina moved the table and chairs to the edges of the tent, making a clearing in the center of the spacious area. She sat on the ground, criss-crossed her legs, and motioned for me to do the same. After I was situated, I waited for her instructions.
“I need you to close your eyes and think solely about Sir Edric. Think of a pleasant memory you shared. If he is here, he will make himself known.” The witch doctor closed her eyes and sat motionless in front of me.
I closed mine, then took a deep breath and exhaled. Amina began to chant in a language I didn’t recognize, but I tried to focus and push aside the distractions that threatened to pervade my thoughts. My eyelids felt heavy, bearing the weight of uncertainty and hope. In the darkness behind my closed eyes, images of Sir Edric slowly began to materialize. Every scene, every shared laughter and stern reprimand echoed the complex tapestry of our relationship.
Amina’s chant was hypnotic, a melody that resonated with the silent hum of the universe. It was a symphony that reached into the untethered spaces of existence, seeking connection beyond the physical realm.
I was transported to a time of innocence when I was eleven years old, holding on to Sir Edric’s big, warm hand as heguided me through Asteria. Sir Edric, with his stern yet loving gaze, his voice a blend of authority and affection. Each memory was a portal, drawing me closer to a space where dimensions intertwined.
Amina’s voice grew louder, her tone imbued with a mystic power that seemed to defy the earthly realm. The energy within the tent shifted. It was as if the air was charged with an inexplicable force that bridged the gap between here and the beyond.
As her chanting reached its zenith, profound silence engulfed the space. In this silence, a presence manifested. The air was thick with an energy that seemed both foreign and familiar.
“Leila,” a deep voice called out.
My eyes flew open. “S-Sir Edric?” I stuttered. When I looked at Amina, I didn’t see anything different until she opened her eyes, which were milky white. The disembodied voice sounded exactly like the guardian I once knew. The sound gave me chills and brought on memories that had long since been forgotten.
“I’m here, Leila … You’ve done well for yourself,” he said. “Although I know why you seek me.”
“Have you been watching over me?”
He chuckled. “Of course I have. Even in death, my duty is to protect you.”
A lump in my throat kept me from saying all that I wanted to say. Sir Edric had been a father figure to me during our time together. When I was sixteen, he died in an accident and no amount of blood I fed him would bring him back.
“I need to know, Sir Edric. Why did I have to leave Valoria?”
After a pause, he said, “When Keldara invaded Valoria for their land, there was another objective, a darker one … To kidnap you.”
My eyes widened and I gasped. “Why?”
“That was the deal Keldara made with the Crimson Clan,” he answered. “Your parents knew since the day you were born that the Crimson Clan would come for you one day.”
I shook my head, confused. “I don’t understand, Sir Edric. What is so special about me that they’d go to all that trouble?”
Amina looked around the room to make sure no one was around before divulging, “Because you’re the Blood Weaver, Your Highness.”
The Blood Weaver… That was the same thing Henry overheard. So itwasme. But if so, then…
