Page 13 of How To Summon A Memory
“Search for more on crossroads demons. Everything you can find. You’re the best, thank you.” I hold out a finger and pat her head when she lands.
Vi’s tiny head nods, and she flies from the house faster than I can see. I’ve had her for about five years, wanting to research more than I had time to and she comes in handy. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that she can get to places I can’t. In the time we’ve worked together, she’s been invaluable.
Florence finds me in the crystal room wrapped in her own towel from using a guest bathroom. The room has shelves upon shelves of crystals in all shapes and sizes and types. The windows have blackout curtains because my grandmother loves crystal balls and they do not mix well with sunlight coming through. We go to the drawers of quartz points and each chose one that’ll easily fit in a pocket.
“I’m still not sure we should do this tonight,” Florence says as we pad over to my grandmother’s room.
“If not tonight, then when? We have our final exams of the year tomorrow. Then it’ll be my birthday. Tonight is the only time we have to test my theory. If it fails, then I beg my grandmother for a day pass.” I grin at Florence’s sour face.
“You’re right. I hate when you’re right.”
I bump their shoulder with mine. “No, you don’t. We have more fun when we get into shenanigans.”
“When you get us into shenanigans.” They bump me back.
“Exactly.” My grandmother’s room is impeccably clean. Not one speck anywhere, and I’m sure she uses a spell to do it. Before we step across the threshold, I press a hand to the doorjamb andscan for any kind of spell that might ping her about intruders and find none. “Come on.” I wave Florence in when they hesitate.
My grandmother’s room, and well, the entire mansion, always smells like roses. Always. Sometimes it gives me a headache and I often wonder if she’s hiding something. I don’t have time to think about it today. We dash to her walk-in closet.
Florence runs a hand over a shirt. “We probably should use dirty clothes, something she’s already worn.”
“You’re right.” In the back of her closet she has a small hamper where she keeps dirty clothes that haven’t gone through the cleaning spell. I grab it and pull out the first thing on top, then toss it back in when Florence starts laughing. “Idid notneed to touch her underwear.” I shiver and remind myself to pay attention. The next item I grab is a blood red shirt, thankfully. I spread it over one of the shelves to my left and we wrap our crystals in the soft cloth tightly. “There’s not enough clothes in here for us both.” I frown as I dig around some more. Only one outfit. The red shirt, underwear, and black slacks.
“You wear them,” Florence says as they grab a shirt and skirt from the racks around us. “There should be enough of her essence on her clothes in general as long as this works.” They wave at the crystals in the shirt. They’re right and I know it.
We dress in our stolen clothes before finishing with the crystals. It’s not a complicated spell to fuse the crystals with my grandmother’s essence, but it does take concentration. Sitting on the floor of the closet, we hold the shirt and crystals together. I shut my eyes as heat fills my cupped hands. We mumble our intentions.
Cordia Speller’s essence fills the crystals, making us one and the same.
Over and over, we chant softly until the heat becomes unbearable. I squint to find our hands glow. “It’s done,” I croak out. Now all we need is a little bit of luck.
I haveto wear a belt to keep the pants up and I stuff the bottom of the shirt into the waistband. I’m thin, but I hadn’t realized how much smaller I am than my grandmother. It’s like I’m a child playing dress up. Florence, at least, looks put together.
“This is just to test a theory.” I don’t have to look like I’m dressed up or anything.
“Exactly. We’ll walk through the spell and come right back.”
I yank the belt tighter.
“Right?” Florence pokes me.
“Right,” I mumble.
The moment we leave my grandmother’s room, Squid scurries up Florence’s body to sit on their shoulder. I give the squirrel a pet and lead the pair towards victory.
Grandmother’s mansion is… huge. It’s one of the biggest houses in Hex, boasting thirteen bedrooms, seventeen bathrooms, and seven various other rooms. It’s three stories and Florence and I have played in every nook and crannie. There’s also a pool with pool house, garden shed, and three garages. Not to mention the garden that has its own hedge labyrinth. When she passes, it all comes to me, but I much prefer my studio apartment on campus. Well, the freedom of my apartment. If I had all this square footage, I’m not sure what the heck I’d do with it all. I hope I don’t have to think about it for a long time despite how irritated I get with my grandmother.
The glass in the front door rattles like it always does when we open it. I suck in a deep breath of fresh air. The night critters sing their songs and the stars twinkle brightly in the night sky. One of the best things about Hex is the night sky. We don’t have a lot of light pollution because of the veils and wards keeping us safe from humans. The scent of rain hints on the air and I breathe it in.
My heart pounds as we step onto the porch.
“Rosco,” Florence whispers and nods towards one of the oak trees in the front yard.
“Right!” I run back inside, racing to the kitchen to grab an apple. They’re his favorite treat and usually he’s compliant when I give him one. I grab a second, just in case.
Florence laughs when I join them again. I take their hand with my free one and we take the steps down into the yard. Rosco’s dark beady eyes track us. The moment we step onto the gravel, he scurries down his tree.
I squat as he runs towards us. Squid dashes off from Florence’s shoulder. The two never really got along, but they’ve never hurt each other. Rosco chitters at me as he takes me in.
