Aldo
I devoted the all of last night resisting Cain to prevent myself from travelling to Washington to locate my mate; yet, I understood the folly of directly approaching Laura to claim her. She possesses too much pride to concede without resistance, hence I must initiate the first actions and affirm that, despite the passage of time, she remains my Luna. Over the past week, I have made preparations for her homecoming by remodelling the house to her preferences, constructing a new room for our son complete with toys and new clothing, and acquiring all necessary things for her Luna ceremony. Everything must be flawless, unequivocally flawless for my Luna.
Retrieve her… Cain growls, anxiously pacing back and forth.
I disregard the feral wolf while dressing, perusing my phone for updates from the spies I dispatched to observe Zen and Marlon as they execute their assignments. I no longer have confidence in them.
While retrieving money from the safe, my phone rings, displaying no caller ID. A raspy voice responds promptly through the speaker.
“Sixty minutes.” $20,000. “Cash only,” the voice intones before disconnecting.
I meticulously count the money and gather my belongings before driving to the specified lake house in the woods, my heart racing with anticipation.
After years of seeking, I have located a small coven of water witches who are prepared to assist me in locating my family for a little charge. Upon my arrival to the lake house, I observe two witches seated by the lakeshore, engrossed in profound meditation, seemingly oblivious to the cacophony of my car engine as I park adjacent to the house.
A third witch, Lorelei, welcomes me at the entrance, a kind smile affixed to her perpetually youthful visage.
“Do you possess the items and the currency?” she enquires, obstructing the entrance.
I present her with the duffel bag filled with currency, and she moves aside to permit my entry. The residence is positioned on the lakeshore, with two garage doors facing the water, while an elegant deck encircles the lakeside section of the property. The home’s interior is eccentrically adorned with mismatched draperies and sofas of various styles and patterns. Candles occupy every corner, and the aroma of burning sage permeates the area. One wall in the living space is an aquarium containing little fish swimming back and forth.
“Accompany me,” Lorelei instructs, guiding me towards the garage.
A section of the garage is inundated by the lake for boat mooring, but a substantial chunk remains above the water’s surface. There, we encounter another witch, Endora, diligently preparing the garage for spellcasting.
“Do you possess the items we requested?” Lorelei enquires, and I affirmatively nod, presenting the small pouch in my palm that has an image of Bray and Laura’s former hairbrush. “Excellent,” the witch murmurs to herself, retrieving the pouch and presenting it to Endora.
The two witches, previously seated in the lake, enter the garage, their garments saturated with water. They identify themselves as Melusine and Sinnan.
Endora delineates a circle on the floor, positioning a pot of boiling water at its centre, while Lorelei arranges five candles of varying colours, symbolising the five elements, equidistantly along the perimeter of the circle. The witches direct me to sit within the circle, and the five of us gather beside a candle.
“We convene today to beseech the Gods for assistance in helping Aldo locate his mate and son,” Lorelei states. “The task will be challenging, so let us commence.”
“By the essence of my soul, I summon fire to illuminate my path,” Endora intones, igniting the crimson candle symbolising fire. She subsequently hands the candle to each of us, enabling us to ignite the remaining candles with the flame of the initial candle.
“By the essence of his spirit, I summon the wind to direct me,” Melusine intones, presenting the yellow wind candle to me. “Exhale upon it,” she commands, and I do. She disperses the smoke over the simmering kettle of water, which absorbs the vapours.
“By the corporeal form that encapsulates his essence, I summon the earth to direct me,” Sinnan intones, seizing Laura’s hairbrush and casting it into the cauldron.
“By the blood coursing through my veins, I summon water to lead me,” Lorelei states, extracting a knife from her sleeve. She grasps my hand and incises my palm, causing my blood to flow into the vessel.
The eyes of all four witches darken to an inky black, and the cauldron commences to tremble violently.
“By the decree of the Deities,” they intone collectively. “I summon the spirits for guidance in locating Braylon.”
The pot emits a dense cloud of smoke and then abruptly retracts into the pot. Lorelei gazes at me with a look of contentment.
“The God of Chaos has acknowledged our request and has consented to assist you,” she states. “However, at a substantial cost.”
“I will provide you with any amount of money you desire,” I respond, but the witch merely shakes her head.
“Not currency,” she smirks. “Hemoglobin.”
“Who is?” Cain responds promptly as he assumes control.
“I can guarantee it will not be a trivial cost,” Lorelei cautions. “Consider thoroughly prior to consenting.” Blood magic is a complex endeavour.
“Who is?” Cain emits a grunt of irritation.
“Your mother’s,” Melusine responds, standing up. “Offer your mother as a sacrifice, and you shall have your son within a week.”
