Page 42 of Hooked on a Witch
Chapter Nine
“You know someone who can help me find the Trident?” Shannon ducked out of his arms.
“Maybe.” He didn’t want to be involved in a quest that had to do with his absent father, but he also didn’t want Shannon running to California.You must protect her. Damn it, the gods are fucking around with us.
“What doesmaybemean?” The hope blossoming on her face pushed him to help her.
“There’s someone. I don’t know if she can tell you anything new.”
“Is she a witch?”
“She’s something else, but at least she’s local. Well, not local to here, wherever we may be.”
“You’ll take me to see her when we get back?”
“Let me see if talking to her is the right way to go.” He pulled out the small black pouch of runes he’d stuffed into his pants earlier in the day. He’d taken them on his last trip to Europe weeks ago and intended to return them to the office.
Runes only worked if the user asked the right question. The questions dominating his brain revolved aroundhisimpending death in seventy-two hours, not her.This has to be about her and how to find the Trident.After a gentle shake of the bag he reached in with his left hand, pulled out four stones, mixed them in his hand, and placed them on the table with the symbol side up.
A yew came up.Oh, shit.
It doesn’t have to be negative.
“Runes? You hunt witches, hate them, and yet you use their magic?”
“Never said I hated witches.”Definitely not your type of witch.“This kind of benign magic can be useful.”
He tried to remember the question he’d asked before drawing stones. He should ask again and draw new stones, but that was bad luck. The last thought before he’d drawn had been about his judgment day.
She nodded to the stones. “What does it mean? Does it tell us what to do? I’ve never tried runes.”
“They don’t give exact answers, but they can give hints.” He pointed at the two stones on the right, which were the symbols of Ansuz and Othila. “These are past and present influences. They represent gods and genetics. No surprises there.” His finger hovered over the third stone, the symbol of Inguz, which stood for true love and harmony. Did it mean him with Shannon for the next three days? Or longevity with some woman beyond his judgment day?
His finger moved to the fourth stone, the yew, which was bad, although it could be a symbol of a departure from the past. He met her gaze. The only words he could force out were, “The last one tells of future influences.”
“What does it mean?” A frown creased her brow. “It’s not good, is it?”
Death.He’d asked the stones about himself instead of her, damn it. Now he’d confirmed he died. He grabbed up the stones. “Makes no sense.”
“I don’t believe you. It’s something bad. Tell me.” She scowled at him, waiting for an answer.
Finally, he said, “It suggests something not good may happen.”
“Not good as in death? Or does it mean don’t visit your witch friend?”
“I think this has nothing to do with seeking advice. It may have to do with the gods. We’re in the middle of one of their games. No matter what we may want to do, the scenario they designed has to be played out.”
“I hate deterministic crap,” she muttered. “What’s the bottom line on what the runes said?”
“Based on the runes something big is about to change. I don’t know more than that.” His shoulders lifted and dropped. “I gave up figuring out the gods’ plans the second time Poseidon’s right-hand man tried to kill me, even if he did claim he’d done it in the name of training.”
“You know his right hand guy? Maybe you could ask him about the Trident for me?”
“I have no idea when I’ll see him again. Maybe never. It’s not as if I can ask him to appear. He’s a god. A lower-level god, but still not something I can control.” Actually, he didn’t know if he could request Bythos’s presence. He’d never tried. However, he distrusted the god enough not to try it, even for her.
“Would you mind asking him, if you do see him soon?”
“Sure.” He was pretty sure the next time he saw Bythos he’d be about to die, and that might not be a moment conducive to a chitchat about her issues.Tell her about your death date.The words wouldn’t come out. Vocalizing it to her would confirm his impending death as reality. Even though he’d spent years knowing of it, judgment day seemed unreal. He functioned by avoiding it and focusing on the current day. If he didn’t speak of it, then the horror of it couldn’t own him.
