Page 53

she asked, handing it to me,

‘whether you can create without

the use of stars or dreams

if you do not try?’

Sea Glass and Spellwork

Styx and I collected all the sea glass

we could find on the shoreline

between our fathers’ palaces.

We arranged our colourful glass –

turquoise, amber, emerald, ruby –

in a circle, and I tried the same trick

that Styx did. I attempted to use

my feelings to transform

the sea glass into other things.

I closed my eyes and imagined

the emerald sea glass in my hand

was a sapling, a leaf, something

living. Something breathing.

When nothing happened,

I lifted a ruby sea glass

and tried to envision

my crimson flowers.

Again nothing happened.

‘It took me time too,’

Styx said with quiet encouragement.

‘Perhaps we should try it another way.’

I nodded reluctantly,

sighing in disappointment.

‘Perhaps I must use something living.’

I went into the cave and picked