Page 16 of Echoes of the Banshee

Its followed by a few pages of notes. I blink, surprised. No one has ever gone out of their way to help me. I glance at the notes and realize they’re Anna’s. Not only did he get me notes, he got the right ones.

Thank you.

How did you get Anna’s notes?

Not everyone is immune to my smile.

These will be a big help with the lab report.

I’ll send you the answers when I finish.

When do you want to meet to work on it?

No need. I’m at the library now.

Once I’m done rewriting my notes, I’ll work on it.

I wait, thinking he’ll say something more, but the text thread goes silent. With a sigh I stand and head into the main library, straight for the section on magical markings. I’ve heard of scythe marks in stories, but never actually looked up what they mean.

I scan the spines, pull the first book on markings I see, flip to the index.

Scarab… Scion… Sigils.

No Scythe.

Another.

Seer Markings… Spirit Warding…

Still nothing.

Finally:

Scythe Mark, p. 73. See also: Reaper’s Mark, p. 68.

I was looking for the wrong name.

I turn the page so fast I almost tear it.

There’s a picture of the mark on an old man’s wrist.

The Reaper’s Mark (also known as the Scythe Mark) has been occasionally recorded in spiritborne cases where individuals claimed to have ‘cheated death.’ The mark typically manifests on the inner wrist and is most often associated with self-reported resurrection or near-death experiences. There’s no known magical benefit associated with the mark beyond its symbolic value.

While some folklore attributes the symbol to a forgotten coven or resurrection cult, most modern scholars consider it a cultural artifact. A dramatic flourish used to substantiate unverifiable claims of being ‘elevated,’ ‘unchained,’ or ‘un-killable.’

Well. That was unhelpful.

I grab the first book again.

Reaper’s Mark, p. 29, p. 320.

I try page 29 — Death Cults. No thanks. I skip to page 320.

Nearly the same as the other entry. Useless. Probably fake.

Most modern magical texts consider it allegorical.

Just a myth.