The Fae King's Dream (Between Dawn and Dusk #2) - Jamie Schlosser Page 0,60
herbs or roots will do the trick. Lavender, chamomile, ginger. Even some dried flowers will work sometimes.”
Loosening the string, I look inside at the little purple pieces. Lavender, I think. I take a good amount between my thumb and forefinger and drop it into the water.
Astrid gives me an approving smile. “Let that steep for a few seconds. We’ll also need a few strands of your hair and stardust.”
Nodding, I wince when I pull several strands from my scalp. I keep them in my grasp as Astrid reaches into her pocket and brings out a glittery substance. The fine powder sparkles on her fingers.
“Your hair goes in next.”
I do as she says, then I hold out my palm so she can give me the stardust. It’s such a small amount. It looks like a shimmery highlighter I had in my makeup collection.
At her instruction, I sprinkle it in with the concoction. “Am I supposed to say a chant or something?”
“Sure, if that makes it more fun for you, but it’s not necessary. It’s enough to know which way you want the spell to go. It’s a lot like our portals. You have to visualize the end result in your mind. Will it into existence.”
Panic sneaks up on me. “What if I end up blowing us up or something?”
Cackling, Astrid slaps her knee a few times. “You’d need a lot more hair for that. Stir it.”
Here goes nothing. I dip the spoon in. As I move it around, it’s almost as if the stardust activates as it mixes with everything else. The liquid begins to glow.
“See?” Astrid shrugs. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?”
“I’m done already?”
“Oh, no. Now for the fun part. Keep stirring and imagine a force field around your mind. Close your eyes if you want. Yes, that’s it. Picture a transparent dome. It keeps your secrets in, and your enemies out.”
As she speaks, I can tell something is happening. I’m reminded of the way it feels to cuddle under a warm blanket I just took out of the dryer. Only, it’s not a physical sensation. In my consciousness, the spell finds a foundation. A place to rest.
And then I feel it detach from my thoughts, like a bubble that lands on water and floats away.
Slowly, I open my eyes. “Did I do it?”
Taking the spoon from me, Astrid gives me a proud look. “Yes, you did, and on your first try, too. You’re more powerful than I thought. That’s all for tonight. Let’s meet every day after lunch, and I’ll teach you something new.” She aims her serious eyes at me. “There will be secrets between us—things you can’t tell anyone else.”
“Even Damon?”
“Especially him.”
Dread fills my stomach at the thought of lying to Damon, especially after all the shit I gave him about being transparent with me.
I dip my chin. “It wouldn’t feel right.”
“This is literally a matter of life and death,” Astrid says. “We don’t want the coven to anticipate your next move. Once they realize they can’t get information from your head, they might try the person closest to you.”
“And what about you? We’re friends now, right?”
She taps her temple. “Protection spell. You and I are going to make a plan to save Damon. As long as we keep everything between us, it’ll be safe.”
Excited, I whisper-yell, “You have a plan? Why didn’t you say so sooner?” I make ‘gimme’ motions. “Tell me what it is.”
“Not now.”
“When?”
“When the time is right.”
I cross my arms. “You don’t know, do you?”
She sputters, and it’s obvious that I’m right and she doesn’t like being called out. Letting the subject go—for now—I get up to help her pack her materials.
Shuffling over to the bed, I hand her the pouch. “Do you really think we can save him?”
“Yes,” she answers resolutely. “There’s a way. We just need to figure it out. In the meantime, tell no one about our scheming. Got it?”
“No one,” I agree.
Damon
“So, what did you and Astrid talk about last night?” I wind a lock of Whitley’s hair around my finger as she stands in front of me on the dock.
She shrugs. “Seer stuff.”
“Did that Seer stuff have anything to do with a spell?” When Whitley stiffens slightly, it answers my question. “I couldn’t get into your dreams last night after you got back to sleep,” I explain. “There was a barrier in my way.”
Gazing out at the water, my mate sighs dejectedly. “Sorry. It didn’t occur to me that you wouldn’t be able to get in. It