Chapter 8 #2
“Surely you saw your mother’s well of magic?” Sybil sipped her tea, then caught Jessamine’s glance. With a quirk of her lips, she made it very clear that she was doing the same thing she had once done to Jessamine.
The ancient witch in the room did not look like the crone she was. And yet, Sybil was clearly the witch who would teach all the young women who came to them, even if that meant she had to do so with a little tough love.
“I saw it only a few times. She kept it hidden.” Elissa’s hand never moved from her own chest.
“Good. Keep yours hidden as well. It’s unlikely that other people will see it, but if they do, they’re far more likely to want to hurt you. And did you feel the power swell last night?”
“It felt like a wave,” she whispered. The parrot stepped a little closer to her, reaching out with a wing and gently placing the tips of its feathers on Elissa’s shoulder. “I could feel it cresting over my head, and I could either drown in it or I could allow it to sink into me.”
Sybil nodded. “That’s the connection you have with the Deathless One.
He can give you power, and he can take it away.
He doesn’t even need to be in front of you to do it.
We have a patron who gives more than he receives, and for that, you should be grateful.
Few people are given the chance to explore their witchcraft, let alone those of us who were born for darker things. ”
Jessamine frowned and interrupted. “What power surge? I felt nothing.”
Sybil lifted the teacup up to her mouth, her eyes glittering with laughter as she took a hefty sip. “That’s because you were the reason for the power surge, my dear. Bravo, by the way. If I could feel it all the way in the other cabin, it must have been quite remarkable.”
“Oh gods.” She pressed the backs of her cool hands against her suddenly burning cheeks. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
The other two women burst into laughter, and soon enough, she joined them.
Jessamine hadn’t felt like she was among friends in a long time.
But right now, they were just three women laughing about a sexual experience with a god.
She wasn’t even sure her friends in the castle would have laughed at such a thing.
She’d missed this sense of camaraderie. A family that had chosen to build itself was so much stronger together than they were apart. And yes, she didn’t know Elissa all that well yet, but they were bound through their dedication to a god.
She shook her head, still laughing with the other two. “We all have our own way of worshipping, I suppose.”
Lips pressed against the top of her head, just before a deep voice said, “And how talented you are at worshipping, princess.”
The shocked expression on her face set the other two off into peals of laughter that filled the room. Jokingly, she glared at Elric as he joined them at the table. But even he had a soft expression on his face.
This felt like… home. Not the building or where they’d rested their heads, but in the friends that laughed with them and the people who felt like a warm hug just to be around.
She tucked her hair behind her ears and listened to the conversation that flowed easily among them now.
They talked about simple things. Sybil needed to find new herbs, but she’d be happy to teach Elissa some herb magic.
Elric told them both that he expected more sacrifices, and the two women laughed at his harsh tone as though they knew he was joking.
More ribbing came about the magical spillage that had happened from their coupling.
It was light and easy until Elissa cleared her throat and stood. “If you’re going to find Fortuna, then you need to look the part. You can’t be walking around the Pleasure District like a trio of beggars who accidentally stumbled into the city. No one will talk to you.”
“I think that’s where you come in,” Jessamine replied. “I had hoped you would cast some pity on a trio of beggars like ourselves.”
“That is where you are wrong. I have very little money to my name. Unfortunately, this house is rather expensive to maintain, and a lifestyle in the Pleasure District certainly does not lend itself to wealth.” A secretive smile twisted her mouth.
“I do know someone who wouldn’t notice if a few of her products are missing, though.
She’s a bit of a legend around here, but one who has been a thorn in my side for far too long. ”
“A thorn who won’t recognize me?”
Elissa shrugged. “Who knows? I’m sure some people here still recall the princess of Inverholm, but maybe they don’t.”
She wasn’t sure if this was a good idea or not. People could easily recognize her, even if Elissa’s friend didn’t know her. Frowning, she asked, “How well do you know this woman?”
“When I started my career here, I wasn’t breeding birds.
I wanted to be a fashion designer. My mother had skills in sewing, and I adored designing new dresses for both of us to wear.
Unfortunately, another in the Pleasure District had different ideas.
Fortuna Beaumont’s mother, in fact. She made sure none of the ladies bought clothing from my mother until all the money just…
dried up.” Elissa crossed her arms over her chest. “No matter. I like breeding birds. Birds make sense where people don’t.
But this woman was the Beaumont woman’s best friend, and I would still love an opportunity to rob this woman blind. ”
“So not so much of a friend, then.”
“It’s hard for me to call anyone what I really think of them. Friend, enemy. We’re in the Pleasure District, Lady Jessamine. Those words are one and the same here.”
It was a risk they would have to take. Jessamine glanced over at Elric and waited to see what he would say. The thoughtful expression on his face gave her pause.
But finally, he nodded. “We’ll seek out your… friend tomorrow.”