Page 79 of A Time of Witches

Lilith clicked on her flashlight and leaned closer to inspect the first canvas. A figure showed in the second-floor window in every canvas. The corner-most library window. Leaning forward, she studied the image, making out a woman with honey-colored hair, wearing a dark T-shirt and jeans. Was that…her?

The next painting showed the woman, this time as a shadow. On and on, the paintings were lined up to show the woman growing less visible in the window.

A final painting remained on the easel. Lilith approached, her throat gripping her heart.

In the last painting, the window was empty.

As if the woman had ceased to exist.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Lilith

Lilith fled the room in her panic to escape the paintings and nearly toppled down the stairs. Dragon raced after her, watching her with wide green eyes.

Those paintings…her…was that what Asher hadn’t wanted her to find?

He was right—she shouldn’t have been there. She shouldn’t have seen the canvases, the confirmation that she was going to fade from this world.

Her heart clattered against her ribs, sharp and hollow.

She ran down the stairs to the second floor, around a servant bustling by with a pitcher in her hands, and into the room that called to her the loudest.

The library.

She shoved the books aside and wrenched the lever so the trap door flew open, issuing a complaining creak at her urgency.

This is where she ought to have been since discovering Jacinda’s absence.

Lilith rushed into the hidden room with Dragon at her side. The candles flickered to life, revealing the grimoire still flipped to the same page as before.

Place into a satchel to wear upon your person:

Crystal to amplify intentions

Amethyst to elicit power

Rosemary to heighten your senses

Heads of snakeroot to amplify your need

Laurel for success

Bring these together by the light of three candles with focus and intention.

She opened the drawstrings of the pouch, her fingers trembling as she added the clear quartz and amethyst to the herbs she’d gathered the day before. Her heart jackhammered, still in chaos mode.

In this moment, Essie would tell her to ground herself.

“I’m in a small room.” Lilith filled her lungs with enough air to expand her diaphragm. “I am in a small magical room with an ancient book in front of me and I’m fixing to do a charm.”

The frantic sputter of her pulse smoothed out, calming under her words.

“Thank you, Essie,” Lilith whispered.

She put the small pouch over her chest, the lumps of crystals pressing into her breastbone. The candles flickered.

She hesitated. How did one “call the earth”?