AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Guys,” I say, taking a shaky breath in and letting it out again. “Jasper is missing.” Tears fill my eyes.
“I have work, but I’m going to call my boss and get it covered,” Ash promises.
“I’ll be ten minutes max,” Linden adds.
“Okay.”
“I’m in the car now,” Oakley tells us.
There’s such a flurry of activity that I don’t really know what to do or say.
“Jas? We’re going to hang up now so that we can drive and get to you faster. Do you wanna get dressed, love, so that when we arrive we can go look for him?”
I nod and watch as they all hang up. Anxiety twists in my stomach. I think the guys are more freaked out that someone was in my house last night and today with me while I slept, but all I can think about is Jasper. I need to save him. I can’t lose another pet.
The dark part of my brain reminds me that these things always happen in threes: First, Accio-cat, then Batfink, now Jasper. I know I didn’t technically lose Batfink, but try telling my heart that. I love too fast and too hard, always have.
Anxious for the guys to arrive, I decide to pass the time by doing as they said. Before I go upstairs to get dressed though, I check all the windows and doors are locked. They are. Happier, I go to my bedroom, blindly picking out the first outfit I can get my hands on. I leave it on the bed and move to the bathroom to get washed. I contemplate showering but it will take too long to dry my hair afterwards, and I don’t want to hold everyone up, so instead I just have a thorough strip wash. Once I’m done, I head back to my bedroom and pull on my chosen outfit: a white crop top and skirt combo with a long lace jacket. I brush my hair, apply my bangles, going through the motions on some kind of autopilot.
When the doorbell goes, I jump out of my skin.
It’s just Linden. I let him in and he surprises me by scooping me into his arms for a massive hug.
“Jasmine! Are you okay, darlin’?” He sounds genuinely worried.
“I’m fine,” I reply. “I just need to find Jasper.” I take a moment to enjoy his embrace and draw comfort from his warm arms, despite my assurances that I am fine.
“Okay, how can we do this?”
“Do what?”
“Find him.”
“Oh, I don’t know. I guess we should split up and start checking the neighborhood,” I suggest with a shrug.
“Jasmine, you’re a witch! Surely you can do a spell or something to find him!” It’s the first time Linden hasn’t questioned my powers or been sarcastic about them. Finally, he believes me.
“I don’t know. I mean, I connected with Jasper before, but only one time.”
“Use that!”
“It was only once,” I say, dubiously.
“Exactly. So you can do it. Whatever you did before, try that again now.”
“Okay.”
I take a deep breath and wander through to the lounge. I need to meditate. I need to clear my mind first if I’m going to stand half a chance of connecting with anything. I say this to Linden, and he offers to wait in the kitchen. Surprisingly, that helps.
I start by lighting my favorite candle: it’s called Ground and was made for me by Willow. It’s exactly what I need right now. Once the flame flares to life I take a few deep breaths to draw in the scent of vetiver, ylang-ylang and patchouli. I give it a moment to cleanse and ground the space, and then I light my second candle from Willow: Meditate. This one has a collection of crystals set into the top of the wax, Clear Quartz to amplify spiritual awareness, and Selenite to awaken the gifts of the 3rd eye. I’ve never willingly tried to bring on a vision before, so I figure I’ll need all the help I can get.
I walk over to my bookshelf—which holds more crystals than books—and begin selecting what I need. Hematite to ground me. A piece of rose quartz and jasper to connect me with Pupdog. A selection of crown and 3rd eye crystals to create a small circle around me.
I sit cross-legged in the center of the rug, and take several deep, calming breaths. I place the candle down in front of me and the hematite at my feet. I always choose to ground first and work my way up. You need a stable foundation to work with and you can’t do that without an anchor. Next, I begin to randomly place the small selection of raw and smooth, polished tumbled crystals in a circle around me. I alternate each crystal with a piece of clear quartz, the master amplifier. Amethyst, tanzanite, fluorite and purple garnet for the 3rd eye are mixed with apophyllite, the clear quartz and optical calcite working for the crown. It’s a powerful mix of crystals, ones I wouldn’t normally consider using all together at once, but I’m pretty desperate right now. When I set the final crystal in its place, north, I feel a powerful rush of energy as the circle completes and opens around me.
I take the rose quartz in one hand, and the jasper in the other, closing my fingers around them and allowing my eyes to drift shut. The telltale tingling starts at the back of my head and I breathe deep, knowing what’s about to happen.
Darkness immediately assaults me.
