I nod thoughtfully as I try not to focus too much on Tyler's arm around my shoulders, watching Delilah as she pops open the lid on each vial and throws some of the serum into a wooden bowl.
“What are those?” I ask with a frown, as Delilah turns stern eyes on me.
I guess this is the part when she becomes authoritative and controlling, because her imposing stare sends a shiver down my spine.
“Licorice root…” she says as she pours the first vial into the bowl. “Elderberry….” A rich, violet-colored serum goes in. “And Deadly Nightshade.”
“D-deadly…?” I gasp, and Delilah snaps out of her concentration.
“It's notactuallydeadly, silly!” she chuckles and waves a dismissive hand through the air. “It just has very potent hallucinogenic properties, to strengthen the vision you already had and infiltrate the rogue's mind. I'll be going under with you, just ‘cause I have more experience, and I'll be able to read his mind. Hence, the deadly nightshade.”
I nod slowly, exchanging a wary glance with Tyler before Delilah calls me over. She fills two cups with the mixture of brownish liquid, passes me one cup, then turns to face me.
She begins muttering in Spanish again, before lifting her cup to her forehead with both hands. She nods at me to do the same, and when I do, she speaks louder.
“We give thanks to the Moon Goddess, who orchestrates and guides our purposeful work in the physical realm…our bodies are merely vessels, and our minds are portals to show us the visions of the path we must travel.”
Delilah lowers the cup and tips it to her lips, and I follow her lead, drinking the tart mixture and chugging it down despite the tanginess that stings my throat.
When I'm done, I pass the empty cup to Delilah, wincing and grimacing as the odd drink flows down my throat. She returns the cups to her bag and turns to Tyler.
“Make sure that we're not disturbed under any circumstances,” she instructs in a stern tone. “We need to be uninterrupted for this to work.”
Tyler nods, remaining tight-lipped when Delilah gives her orders. He's clearly had experience with her when she's in strictly business mode, but she's not harsh with me.
“Come, sister…” she says in a gentler tone as she offers out her hand.
Once I take it, she leads me to the tip of the forest, guiding me down onto the soft blanket of grass in the meadow. She proceeds to lie down on her back, and I do the same, a profound thought entering my mind when I look up at the sky.
This isn't as bad as I thought it was…
The whole notion around being a half-breed isn't what I thought it would be. A wave of calm, powerful energy settles around my body, my fingertips and toes gently tingling with pleasant sensations.
It feels…familiar…like the warmth of a mother's embrace.
Delilah already explained that this ritual would be a calm one, and I should always keep one thing in mind.
“This, too, shall pass.”
It's how I'll be able to tell the difference between reality and the vision.
Inhaling deeply, I gaze fondly at the stars in the sky, a faint, distant voice calling out to me, echoing in my mind as if the stars are speaking to me. I surrender fully and allow the potion to work through my nerves, pulling me into a trance.
Swirling patterns in vibrant, bold colors dance across my vision, each outlined by strokes of gold that frame the bright blue, pink, and purple-shaded shapes. Like a flower in bloom, the painting of colorful patterns soon opens up, revealing the forest that usually shows up in my visions.
I hear my name being called again, this time recognizing Delilah's raspy voice. She's in my head, just as she warned me, threading the fine line between the physical plane and the astral realm where she can tap into the mutated rogue's thoughts.
At least, the thoughts he might have if the vision is true, and it foretells the future.
The same scene opens up, but I don't feel even a flicker of fear when I know this isn't real. The mutated creature chases me, but I'm not running for my life.
I'm running to buy Delilah enough time to read the creature's thoughts. The moment I crash and hear Noah's name, I'm abruptly snapped out of the trance.
Sucking in a full breath, I feel Delilah's hand on one shoulder, while Tyler's is on the other.
Delilah chuckles. “That was a wild ride!”
My nervous half-laugh comes sporadically as I cough, my throat dry. Tyler helps me sit upright and passes me a bottle of water.
