Nausea swims in my stomach as I take in Meg’s pale skin and red lips. ‘You ate that?’
A nod.
‘But…but you don’t eat meat.’ My words are small, shaky.
She shrugs and smiles. ‘Gross, I know.’
I swallow down the bile that scalds my throat. ‘Meg, what the fuck?’
She places a hand on her stomach. Her nails are bitten and the beds swollen. ‘I’m trying to help.’
‘I can’t—’
‘And it worked,’ she says. The chill crawls through me as she steps towards me. ‘I did it today. I did it properly and it worked. She spoke to me, Michael.’
‘Meg…please.’ I’m shouting. ‘This is crazy. You didn’t do anything!’
She frowns. ‘Oh yeah. Then explain the crow.’
There’s a scratching behind me. I turn to the desk with the raven lamp.
The wings on the lamp move and I jump back.
‘Fuck.’
Meg laughs.
The wings shift again as a crow hops out from behind the raven. It cocks its head and one unblinking eye meets mine. Its beak is long and sharp and glistening from…
‘You captured a fucking bird and fed it meat?’
‘It did say you had to give an offering to her. The bird appeared at the window when I ate the meat and started the chant.’ The crow hops to the end of the desk and caws. ‘But I think there’s more to the ritual. If we do it together, we can—’
‘No!’ I shout. ‘Stop this. Stop it, now.’ I turn towards the door and find the light switch, hitting it with a force that jars my palm. As the light comes on, the crow calls out in protest. Wingbeats fill the air as it lands on her wardrobe.
Meg rubs at her eyes. ‘Calm down. This is amazing. Don’t you see?’
I stare at her. ‘Oh my God. You have a fucking wild animal in your bedroom, you ate raw meat and you think you’ve spoken to a goddess. You’ve lost it!’
‘What did you say?’ Her eyes are hard.
‘You’re crazy. I can’t say this any clearer. Listen to me.’ I lean in. ‘I’m done with all of this! My powers, the past, the Morrigan.’ The crow on the wardrobe caws and I stare at those dark angry eyes. ‘I said I’m done.’
A heavy silence sits in the room.
Meg glares at me. ‘I’m not crazy.’
‘I shouldn’t have said that,’ I say as the anger starts to ebb.
She raises her chin. ‘You’re upset, I get it. But, Michael…’
‘What?’
A sneer. ‘I don’t think it’s a good idea to throw this back in her face.’
‘Why not?’
‘Because even if you don’t believe the ritual worked, you’re right about one thing. Ihaveread a lot about the Morrigan and I know one thing for sure. You do not want to piss her off.’ She folds her arms. ‘I’m here when you’re ready to accept who you are.’
