I nodded.
Mary hummed as she continued reading. "After you warm the oil you charge it with magic then add the hair or bit of the person. Add a bit of fresh rain to spread the magic into the atmosphere if you're not right beside the person. Easy, easy." Her finger traced along the page. "Say the incantation, add a pinch of Angelica Root..." She chuckled. "Since it's an angel. I've never done this variation. We've always had to use these spells on other witches."
She held the book against her chest and scurried over to a set of shelves filled with ingredients. "I've got a bit here. Should be enough, it just says a pinch. It calms the nerves. Probably makes the transition easier," she mused.
Lucifer held up one finger. "He is an Archangel. Does that make a difference?"
Mary shot him a look. "We'll make it a big pinch to be safe."
Luc nodded and looked properly chastised. I slapped his arm. "Hush. We know about using our magic, but she knows about spells. Let her do her job."
Mary grunted and looked at the bottles again. "It also calls for mugwort to boost energy. This must be a draining spell. Odd, the human variety isn't really." She found the bottle and set it on the counter underneath the shelves with the Angelica Root. "And White Sage. Of course. For the impurities." She winked at us. "I've already got a smudge stick made of White Sage."
"Of course you do," Michael said. "You're our miracle worker."
We were some of the most powerful beings in the universes, and we were at the mercy of a witch-woman from New Orleans and her spells. How had it come to this? I couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought of this before.
"I think we're ready, as soon as we get our bit of Raphael," she said. "Come on." Mary gathered up the ingredients and walked into her kitchen, leaving the doorway to the magic room open behind her. "We'll start warming the oil."
I watched in surprise as she turned on the gas stove eye. "On the stove?"
She chuckled. "Magic doesn't have to be mysterious and otherworldly. We're going to cook up this spell like we will cook up some gumbo for supper later."
She hummed as she stirred the oil in a pot with a plastic ladle. Just like she would soup. This was a side of magic I'd certainly never seen before. I kind of liked it, though.
"Hello?" Gabe called from the magic room.
"In here," I replied.
He walked in holding a strand of dark hair. "I got this from Raphael's pillow in Elysium."
I grinned. "Let me delve into it."
Gabe handed over the strand, and I focused on it. "No, it's too old. I can't get anything off of it."
Mary nodded. "That's okay. It'll work for the spell."
"I never knew Raphael to take anyone to his bed in Elysium," Michael said. "We were close for a long time. I never even heard a rumor of it. It's likely his hair."
"Well, hand it over. And Lucifer, if you're taking the power, come here."
He walked closer. "The last time I let that guy handle a spell for me, I nearly died."
She chuckled and patted him on the arm as she continued to stir with her other hand. "This one isn't a brand-new, untested spell. You'll be fine."
"He has no power to charge the spell with," I said. "Can I do it and transfer the power to him as it hits me?"
She furrowed her brow. "I don't see any other way we can do it," she said. "But if you all can link up, just in case it doesn't transfer over to him, that way you can absorb it together and not have one of you dead on my floor from power overload. Raphael may have Lucifer's power, too, and when you take his, you may get your own back in the process."
Luc's eyes lit up. "We can hope."
"Here we go, then." Mary dropped the hair in the skillet. "Lilith, give it some magic and ask it to search for Raphael."
She slapped her cheek. "I forgot the rainwater. Hang on, it rained yesterday." She handed the spoon to Lucifer. "Go ahead with the magic," she said.
I trickled magic into the oil and hair and waited until Mary ran back in with a leaf. A bit of rainwater was collected in the large piece of greenery. She poured it into the pan and the power of the spell took hold. It would've been difficult for me to break the connection, though I thought it possible. Just hard.
The drain on my energy began. "Add the mugwort. It’s the last thing," I whispered.
