DELILAH'S LAP EXCERPT

 

She felt like she was breathing water.
Every hair on her body stood on end, and she was aware of every flying, creeping, and crawling
thing. When she reached the water’s edge, she knelt in the mud, sat the jar down, and began
opening the lid. Inside of the jar were the ingredients to draw Oliver to her and make him remain there. The jar contained a small portrait of Oliver crudely sketched, another crudely sketched portrait of herself, 2 candles, matches, tea bags, and a blue cloth that would be used to bind together the 2 sketches. The jar also contained blue butterfly wing, claw, snowberries, and hagravenspriggan sap. The latter ingredients would make the spell stronger.

 

The jar itself was a sacrifice to Itoshi. She began to chant, “ Harken to these words, hear my cry. I call unto you, spirit from the other side. I wish to speak to you here. Come to me! Come to me!” After chanting these words several times, the water in the bayou began to ripple. A little at first on the far side of the water, then suddenly the ripples rushed toward Amaline, and the head of a massive crocodile came to the surface.

 

To anyone looking on, it would appear that Amaline and the crocodile were just staring at each other in a test of wills...but they were actually having a conversation. Itoshi demanded to know why he had been summoned, and he also wanted to know who had taught this unlearned peasant how to summon him.

 

When Amaline mentioned her grandmother’s name, Itoshi’s eyes burned with an eerie flame and Amaline felt the wind light up with electricity. He then told Amaline that she could have whatever her heart desired, if she would promise him the souls of of all of girl children born of her blood for the next 100 generations. It didn’t take long for her to agree to the pact, for she believed that Oliver was worth every precious soul that Itoshi requested. Itoshi grinned and told her to hurry her ritual along, and assured her that the thing that she desired would be hers before the moon wanned. She swiftly lit the candles and she began muttering, “With the light of the burning flame, I light your desires. When I speak your name you will feel my fire. The spell has been cast...

 

-Delilah's Lap