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Levian sighed and looked at her with a touch of impatience. “Abigail is an old friend,” the mage told her again. “She might be a little eccentric, but she’s extremely knowledgeable in the art of scrying, and very connected in the witch community. If anyone can guide us in the right direction quickly, it’ll be her. Besides, visiting Abigail is never a dull occasion.” She looked back at Sirus and Barith with a sly smile. “If nothing else, it’ll be an entertaining evening.”
“She’s a nut,” Barith retorted.
The mage cocked a brow. “You’re one to talk,” she balked. “And I do recall you rather enjoyed Abigail’s Beltane celebrations—or was I just imagining you frolicking naked through her rose garden?”
Gwen’s eyes went wide. She hadn’t known Barith long, but she had no doubt Levian was telling the truth.
Barith glared daggers at the mage. “You know it was the fucking fae wine,” he grumbled with annoyance as he moved to leave.
“Yet you still haven’t learned your lesson, have you?” she cooed.
He stalked out of the room, mumbling curses under his breath.
“I’ll tell Abigail you sent your love,” Levian chimed after him with smug satisfaction at finally driving him away.
Gwen wasn’t really in the mood for an entertaining evening, but if Levian and Sirus thought this witch might be able to help her find answers, she figured it was worth it.
“Ready?” Levian asked as she grabbed her small bag from the table.
“I guess so,” Gwen replied nervously.
The mage delicately pressed her fingers to the glass and brushed them along the surface as she spoke a few words under her breath. Gwen felt a tiny skitter against her skin and a slight humming in her ears. The mirror did—nothing.
Levian furrowed her brow and repeated the process. Nothing happened.
“Sometimes they can take a little finesse to get working,” she explained with a hint of annoyance. She spoke the spell a little louder, then knocked. Nothing.
With a scoff of frustration, Levian turned to look around the room. There was an iron poker near the fireplace, and she grabbed it. As delicately as she’d just caressed the mirror, treating it like a priceless heirloom, she stalked right up to it and smacked the side—hard.
“Wake up!” With another thwack, the mirror started to ripple. Levian threw the poker down, tossed her braids over her shoulder, and turned toward Gwen with a wide, sparkling smile. “Ready, darling?”
As Gwen watched the surface of the mirror ripple, she felt—strange. It seemed eerily foreboding, and Barith’s warning of curses didn’t help. “Are you sure this is safe?”
“Of course,” Levian assured her, coming over to wrap her arm around Gwen’s shoulders and move her closer to the mirror. “I wouldn’t put you in harm’s way. Besides, you have me and Sirus to look after you.”
Gwen bit her bottom lip as she stared into the shifting mirror, the knot in her stomach tightening until it felt like a lead ball.
“I’ll go,” Sirus offered. Without a pause or a look back, he stalked right past them and through the mirror. A rush of nerves fluttered over Gwen as the silvery surface rippled around him then smoothed after he was gone.
“See?” Levian said, coaxing her closer. “It’s only a step.”
Gwen let out a deep breath of anxiety. Only a step.
She tentatively grazed the mirror with her fingers. It was cold and made her hand tingle, but otherwise it felt fine. She slowly dipped her whole hand through. It was like dunking her hand in a cold pond without getting wet. The chill spread up her arm.
Maybe this won’t be so bad. The thought crossed her mind just before two small but firm hands pressed against the center of her back and shoved. An eerie chill swept over Gwen as she fell through the frigid, rippling surface and came right out the other side—directly into Sirus. He caught her around the waist as her hands braced against his firm chest.
A raw flush of heat tore through her, pushing out the mirror’s chill. “S-s-sorry,” Gwen stammered. He looked down at her, his expression icy and severe. It wasn’t fair that someone could smell that good. “Levian—she?—”
“Sorry, darling,” Levian chimed as she stepped through behind them. “But we are running late.”
Gwen snatched away from Sirus and spun around with fury, her cheeks burning. “So you pushed me?” she hissed.
Levian shrugged an innocent shoulder. “I assumed Sirus would be on the other side to catch you. Sometimes it’s better to just take the plunge.”
Gwen was fuming, but Levian didn’t seem to care one bit as she strolled past both of them, the flowing hem of her multicolored wrap dress stretching across the creamy marble floors.
“She pushed me,” Gwen repeated to Sirus, to make it clear she’d not run into him on purpose.
