We get situated at the table, Kirin taking the chair across from me. He slides the stack of notebooks toward me and says, “This is some of your mother’s earliest research, dating back to her second year studies. Professor Phaines, Headmistress Trello, and I all agreed you should start here. The more recent writing is a lot more… convoluted.”
“How so?”
“Witches and mages gifted with foresight typically develop their own symbolic language and metaphor families. Sometimes it’s clear-cut and closely follows the known symbology of the Tarot—things like pillars representing gateways, animals for intuition and guidance, white lilies for purity, along with basic astrological and numerological correspondences. But as a witch advances in her practice, she often delves deeper into her own internal meanings and symbols, relying on this much more personalized language system to communicate with the universe. Now, many divinatory witches will attempt to provide more generalized translations after recording their initial interpretations of a reading—this way, others can better understand and take action on any important prophecies. But Headmistress Trello said that toward the end of her time here, your mother was so engrossed in her work, so frenetic about the prophecies, she didn’t stop to process it or translate it. She simply channeled the messages straight from the cards through her personal symbology and onto the page.”
“Her grimoire is like that too,” I say. “You probably saw it—a lot of it reads like the rantings of a madwoman.”
Kirin shakes his head. “I didn’t read it, Stevie. I wouldn’t—not unless you wanted to share it.”
I offer a small smile, grateful for his thoughtfulness. “So her initial work is a little less crazypants?”
Kirin laughs. “If that’s what you want to call it, yes. Plus, looking at the earlier stuff might help you develop an eye and ear for her symbology—the more personalized language that comes through later. Our scholars—myself and Professor Phaines included—haven’t been able to do that yet. I also developed a computer program that models spoken and written language development across all known human languages and cross-referenced that against your mother’s work, but so far, that’s been a dead end too.”
“Um, what?” I gape at Kirin, my head already spinning. “And you thinkI’mgoing to be able to figure this out, geniusboy? I hope you’re not placing any bets on this.”
Kirin taps the notebooks between us and shrugs. “You’re her daughter, Stevie. There’s a deep connection there—a bond we can’t simulate, not even with the most advanced magick and technology available.”
Goosebumps tighten across my arms, my eyes filling with tears. Kirin’s right. And now I’m sitting in this room, my mother’s work at my fingertips, the dream visit still lingering in my mind. I feel closer to her in this moment than I have at any time since the day she spoke her final, ominous words.
The day I watched her die.
I slide a notebook from the top of the stack and open it to a random page in the center, just trying to acquaint myself with it for now. Her handwriting leaps out from the page, tiny and neat, with occasional messy scribbles, as if she got so caught up in something she just couldn’t take the time for precision.
I run my fingertips across the page, reading the passage aloud:
Between the space where black meets white
Betwixt the woods of dark and light
A mirror flat reveals the sky
But turn it ‘round to know the why
Zero begets the next, the One
Innocence lost, magick undone
Beware the rise when darkness falls
For magick corrupts, and blood trumps all.
“Wow, that’s a little intense. I thought you said this was her early work?” I look up from the page to see Kirin staring at me, his mouth open.
“What was that?” he asks. “Did you just… make that up?”
“It’s my mother’s. It’s right here.”
“I’ve read through these books a hundred times. I promise you, it isn’t.”
“Look.” I spin the book around to show him.
Kirin scans the page, then flips to the one before it and the one after, shaking his head. “This is just a list of Tarot cards and positions. Current situation, The High Priestess. Crossing, Magician reversed. Past influences, The Fool. Future influences, Judgment reversed.”
I come around to his side of the table and peer down over his shoulder, ready to smack him for the practical joke.
But Kirin’s absolutely right.
“How is this possible?” I ask. “I know what I saw. I wouldn’t screw around about this. Also, I suck at rhymes.”
