"A man, sir?"
"Just do it." He didn't need his list to get any longer. Shawn walked into his tent, bowl in hand, zipping the door flap up behind him.
He set down the bowl of earth, right next to the one of water. Further away was burning incense to represent air, and a lit candle for fire. Shawn took out his Athame, and sat down in the middle of a pentagram drawn on the nylon tent floor with chalk. He turned the black, worn handle of his Athame over in his hand, thinking about his father.
My father.
Shawn had never pinned those words to Cato until after it was too late. As a boy, ever since Cato had passed the Athame to Shawn on his thirteenth birthday, Shawn had studied the magical history of the Athame ad nauseum. He’d adhered to guidance from the book of The Order of the Golden Dawn. According to the book, the consecration needed to happen on the day of Mercury, meaning Wednesday, and the knife needed to be tempered ‘thrice’ by fire and dipped into the blood of a black cat and juice of hemlock. It had taken some time to find hemlock, and even longer to find a black cat. Eventually, both were procured through local Wiccan covens.
It was doubtful the Shades would give him their power of Akasha willingly; he was on his own with that. But Shawn knew exactly what he had to do to obtain it.
Make amends with all those you have wronged.
Ahi's words flitted through his head in a whisper. Shawn sighed again, thinking of the one at the top of his very long list. Sarah.
She was long gone, but her Shade remained. The only thing he could think to make things right was to release her. First, he need the Athame back – allied with him and not Kaitlyn.
He took a deep breath, and began the spell, "I cleanse and purify this tool from all my past negative energies. Spirits of Earth, bless this Athame. Lend your strength and stability to my magic." Shawn sprinkled the briny earth, direct from the bottom of the Great Salt Lake, onto the blade.
"Spirits of Air, bless this knife with the power to direct my magic on my journey, penetrating through space and time." Shawn waved the blade through the rising, smoky incense.
The tent flap opened, intruding Shawn's circle with light and a breeze that doused the flame on his candle.
"Did you say something, Sir?" David asked, poking in his head.
"Not to you," Shawn hissed over his shoulder. "Please don't interrupt until I come out. And make sure no one else does either."
"Yes, Sir!" David closed the flap.
Shawn took another deep breath, trying to release his anger. He relit the candle and continued the spell, "Spirits of Fire, who forged this blade, bless my Athame to be the instrument of my will, pure in its direction of my energies." Shawn held the blade over the flame, turning it so both sides grew hot.
"Spirits of Water, bless this magical knife to be a tool used with love, and in respect for the Shades." Shawn dipped the blade in the bowl of water, cooling it. "I bless this Athame in the true will of my spirit."
He touched the blade to his forehead, giving in to the consecrated knife and his subconscious. He fell forward, but didn't stop at the chalky outline of the pentagram. He floated right through it. His feet drifted down to the ledge of a platform inside the cave. Shawn looked around him. Gaseous forms of Shades flit around, filling the cave and the water below in deep, shimmery blues, golds, and reds.
One single form descended from a far corner of the cave, placing herself in front of Shawn and taking form.
"Hello, Arianna."
She nodded her head once.
Shawn looked past her, stepping toward Sarah's cove – the entrance high on one of the cave walls.
Arianna blocked his way. "She knows why you have come, Athame wielder, and she has a demand."
Shawn narrowed his eyes at Arianna. "Let her tell me herself."
Arianna shook her head. "She refuses to see you until the task is performed."
Shawn moved to step around Arianna. She placed one, solid hand on his chest. "To force yourself in would be bad. It would nullify the consecration, and the blade's magic would become useless to you – without the possibility of restoring the relationship."
Shawn's jawline tightened, and he released a slow, controlled breath. "What is her request?"
Arianna lifted her chin, looking Shawn in the eyes without blinking. "To release every one of the Shades here before Sarah. Only then will she see you."
"And your powers will go with you?" Shawn asked, wondering what would be the point of having the Athame at all in that case.
"Yes," Arianna said. "But to find what you seek, you must let go."
Shawn resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He crossed his arms. "Fine – who’s first?"