Garden of Dreams and Desires - Kristen Painter Page 0,27
gift of forcing emotion into a person against Ava Mae. Whether or not that was the case, she didn’t know, but if Harlow’s strength continued to grow, there was a very real chance she might force Ava Mae out.
That could not happen. If Ogun didn’t know how to seal her into this form permanently, she’d have to find someone else who could.
She grabbed her shopping bags and dumped them on the bed, rifling through the clothes to find an outfit that would give her a reason to smile and would bother Harlow with its boldness. Outfit in hand, she marched into the bathroom for a hot shower to help prepare her to face Lally at breakfast.
Ogun’s help could not come soon enough.
Giselle had dropped Ian at her new house, then gone to Zara’s to discuss in private the matter of the chaos spell. She stood now in her sister’s kitchen, a cup of coffee in hand as Zara sipped tea. Zara’s ever-present youthful glow had dimmed these past few days, undoubtedly a sign of the stress caused by her preparation for the casting of the ruina vox. It might be the early hour, but Giselle doubted that. “Everything all right with you? You seem… not quite yourself.”
Zara held her cup in both hands. She stared into the liquid. “I’ve been working hard.”
“I know. You have been. Which is what I wanted to talk to you about. You haven’t said much about the preparation for the spell, other than needing the twelve souls for the well, and I haven’t pressed you, but I’m asking you now. What can I do to help?”
Zara shook her head and lifted her gaze to the granite island between them. “Nothing, but as soon as you can help, I’ll let you know.”
Not enough of an answer. Giselle had no option but to push her. “You have everything you need to make the ruina vox work?”
Zara’s silent frown was answer enough, but at last she raised her head and after a quick glance at Giselle, looked out toward the garden, a long sigh slipping from her lips. “I’m close but, no. I’m not there yet.”
And there it was. “What are you lacking?”
Zara choked out a harsh laugh. “The bloody sigil. The key to it all. I’ve spent days casting runes and poring over mother’s notes. I can’t find it anywhere. I’ve searched her grimoires, her diaries, her room.” Her mouth bent in frustration. “It’s part of the reason there’s no rush to collect the souls. Until I have that…” She shrugged. “The spell can’t be completed.”
Giselle smiled. “I think I can help.” She pulled the thick ivory candle from her bag and set it on the island between them. The crystals affixed to the wax sparkled in the bright morning light. “See for yourself. Don’t those markings look like something more than just a random design?”
“That’s the candle you took from Mother’s room.”
It wasn’t a question, but Giselle answered anyway, offering a gentle reminder as to why she’d taken it. “Yes. The one that seemed meant for me because of the crystals.”
Zara put her tea down to pick up the candle, her gaze steady on the carvings for a long moment. Finally her head came up. “These definitely aren’t random. These are sigils.”
Giselle nodded. “That’s what I thought, too.” She covered herself. “I had no idea until I really looked at it this morning. Maybe it was the extra-strong coffee I made, but all of a sudden it just hit me that’s what they might be. And that’s why I came over here first thing. You hadn’t said much about setting up the chaos spell so I had no idea if you had the necessary sigil or not, but—”
“But you think the sigil for the spell might be in these designs.” Zara hefted the candle and looked at her sister, the shine in her eyes a welcome sign. She smiled slowly. “I do, too.”
Relieved her sister wasn’t angry, Giselle jumped in. “How do we figure out what they are? My eyes glaze over if I stare at it for too long. It’s too intricate to make sense of.”
Zara lifted a brow. “I have an idea.” She put the candle back on the counter. “Hang on.” She left, returning a few minutes later with a pad of art paper, a tray of watercolor paints and a brush.
Giselle pursed her lips. “It’s a little early for arts and crafts, don’t you think?”