Page 98 of Gift from the Wing

How do I…

Shit.

“CC, can I use the spell to break through this barrier between her and me? Not to bring down the entire concealment, but enough of the block I can feel and talk to her?”

“I do not know, filia mea…Can you?”

My heart pounds against my rib cage as his no answer-answer fills it to the brim with hope. Determination floods my system and I dig my fingers into the earth to pull on the extra power.

“Fuck yes, I can.”

Centering myself, I call forth all my power, building it up to exponential heights and then the spell I’ll never be able to erase from my mind. It’s so permanently engrained in my memories now, it’s as easy as breathing to recite.

“Clarity is shown through my knowing eyes,

spread the knowledge to those who are blind.

Crumble the deception of the disguise,

reveal the truth for those to find.”

I feel the crackling across my mind and hope blooms throughout my chest like a field of wildflowers. I snatch up the feeling and hold onto it fordear life, but after a few more seconds pass and the buzzing dissipates with no connection to Oakly opening, I scream out in rage.

“No!”

My fists pound into the earth in sheer fucking anger and each strike has the ground quaking beneath me.

“Why would you make me believe that would work?”I cry out in my mind, blaming CC for my failure.

“You can make it work, Willow. Do not doubt yourself. Think of the words in the spell. You must manipulate them to do exactly as you want.”

Growling, I recite the infuriating spell in my mind over and over. Every time, I come up short on another answer. Those are the words to the spell. Therefore, it should work. Damn it.

“That spell will bring down an entire concealed structure.”

“Yes, I know—”

An entire…

“You infuriating man. After all this is said and done, I swear, you, Elementra, and I will be having a long-ass discussion about these riddles. You hear me? I’m over the mind games. I’ll make damn sure the next savior gets step by step freaking instructions on what the hell to do. I’ll write the manual myself.”

I heave as both my anger and frustration bleed out of me. I understand the method to the madness, I do, but this shit is too much sometimes. I’m on borrowed time to save someone who means the world to me. I don’t have time to figure out on my own that I must reword the spell in order for it to work for this particular situation.

Thankfully, that lesson from him comes barreling through my mind the moment I understand that’s what I’m supposed to do. Part of me wants to absolutely flip out that he taught me how to do this when I was only fifteen because if not for the Memoria stone, I surely would’ve forgotten this by now. The other part tells me to just be thankful.

“After all is said and done, filia mea, the realm…hopefully won’t need another savior if you succeed.”

“Great, thanks a lot. Nopressure.”

His laugh soothes me and pisses me off in equal parts, but I latch on to the soothing bits like a leach and drink it dry until it fills my body back with the calm and patience I had moments before the original spell failed.

Once again centering myself, I think about the words I need to replace for this to work. I have to focus solely on her, gaining entry into her mind, and not the location of where she is. I don’t need everyone to see where we need to go. I just need to know.

With the strongest intentions, fully focused on Oakly and only her, I release my power.

“Clarity is shown through my knowing eyes,

Give me the knowledge, for it is I who is blind.

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