Page 75 of Jacinth

The Crone looked like a grandma who spent hours cooking in the kitchen and told people they were ‘too skinny’ whilst brandishing a wooden spoon. The shawl around her shoulders was as fine as spiderwebs and the hook to her nose brought to mind those Baba Yaga legends. I wondered if she had a chicken-legged house.

Actually, that would be pretty cool.

Shifting my focus before I ended up down the rabbit hole of fowl/residential hybrids, I decided the Mother looked like an exhausted... well... she looked like a mother. She was wearing a dress currently, but I could absolutely imagine her rocking the activewear and messy bun combo, too.

The one I didn’t have to study was Harley.

I thought I knew her, but sitting here across the table from her, she seemed like a stranger.

The fact that saddened me was a surprise.

I wanted her to be my friend.

Before I could become maudlin, Orion burst into the house, red-faced and clearly having run the entire way there and back. As though he had completed some legendary quest, he presented the amulet to the Crone and returned to his seat, puffing.

The Crone stared at the amulet for a long moment.

She cupped her hands loosely and gestured for the Mother and Harley to do the same. Light emanated from their palms and surrounded the vile thing. It looked similar to what Orion could do, only way brighter.

Soon, I had to shade my eyes to avoid them burning out of my sockets. A low hum echoed around the small room and seemed to crawl beneath my skin. Whatever they were doing, I was tempted to ask them to stop, because although I wasn’t corporeal, it was making me really uncomfortable.

In the next instant, everything stopped. The light retracted into a soft blue glow, nearly imperceptible after the blinding we had all received.

When I looked back at the amulet, I realized it was now a beautiful silver-blue and there appeared to be wisps of steam coming off it.

No. Not steam. Those were spirits.

The spirits of the cemetery exited the thing en masse, and as one particular form floated close to Harley, I could have sworn I saw her hold out a fist for a bump.

Gladys, I was sure of it.

I grinned in relief, knowing things were returning to normal.

Well....

There was one normal I didn’t want back, but after all that had been done for us, it was probably too much to ask.

“That was amazing.” Niko’s voice was hushed as the last of the spectral forms faded.

“That was fate,” Harley said with a grin.

“As is this,” the Crone added, holding the amulet out toward me.

“What...?”

“Put it on, stupid girl. Do you not know a gift when you see one?”

I hurried to accept it, and as I strung it about my neck, the most bizarre thing happened. I became corporeal, the same way I had with Orion’s amulet.

“Is this—”

“You, necromancer, will have to periodically recharge the thing if you want her to keep that form.” The Crone reached for a teapot where it sat on the table and poured a fresh cup, as though she hadn’t just changed everything.

I was struggling to keep those stupid emotions in. I breathed deep through my nose in hopes I could control my reaction.

“Thank you. Thank you so much, but why?”

“Why?”

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