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“Let us find out more about your mother, then,” Aruna said, offering her hand. “First, we need to see if you are a medium, too. If you want to go straight to it, you may need your sister.
“We will call her when this does not work,” I insisted.
“Close your eyes, Metheus.”
I did.
“Breathe in deeply. Think of the spirit, living or dead, that you wish to communicate with.”
I thought of my mother’s face, still so fresh in my mind all those years. Of course, it helped that Rowali was there to remind me. However, knowing the nuances of each line of her face helped me remember her in her entire essence. After all, my sister was more like my father in temperament. My mother and I were more similar, preferring work over mingling with people.
“Breathe out. Think of connecting with this person. Let your exhaled breath carry your thoughts to them with the wind.”
I exhaled.
“Listen. It may begin as a chirping bird, a howling wind, a tapping from a motionless part of the room.”
Instead of any of these suggestions, I heard the rasping sands and felt the heat under the soles of my feet. It was almost like I was walking in the desert, each step sinking in a little. Then, I felt the balmy air hitting me full force on my face. In my study, sweat dripped down my back and my temples on my chair.
“You are close. I can feel you are close to it. Embrace it. Have no fear.”
I did not fear it. Instead, anticipation rose. I hoped it was not rising too high too fast. I did not want to crash into disappointment.
Then, I felt enveloped by silk. It was almost like I was wearing the cloth from my neck to my ankles. I heard the tinkling of metal felt the cold clasped around my wrists. My mother’s gold bangles – she usually wore them from her wrist up to almost her elbows. They were varied-sized hoops that showed her status in Rama. The more you had, the greater the wealth.
Mother.
Aruna needed only to hold Rowan’s hands, and the whole scene unfolded before our eyes. With the two of us, it was more complicated. If Aruna held my hand, I might absorb her instead. I could not risk it. So, I had to resign myself to something unsettling – letting my mother speak through me.
At first, it was like a disembodied voice interrupted our little meeting.
“Metheus, what do you want to know?”
The voice was coming from inside me. Luella let out a gasp, backing away a little from what I could see. I was seeing for two people now – myself and my mother.
“Metheus wants to know about your relationship with the Touch,” Aruna said. “We need the information as soon as we can. Our time is running out.”
“The Touch hated me when I left to marry Doro,” she sobbed.
“We know that, Queen Erani. We want to know what happened next.”
“They hunted my family down. Some of them died under the Touch. I could not even be that sure because I had cut my ties off with them. I needed to protect my family.”
“Do you know someone named Rowan?”
There was a beat.
“I might have heard of someone named Rowan, but I did not know her.”
“That would not be a surprise if Rowan were much younger than Metheus,” muttered Luella.
“What do you think the Touch needs with a medium?”
“A medium can channel greater powers.”
“Like the Ninurta?”
A strangled choke came from my throat. My mother seemed horrified. I could sense her emotions. More than anything, I was also feeling something else. Something of hers was being passed on to me. I was sure.
