I couldn’t place the unusual smell of incense, not that I burned the stuff. I liked many of the smells, but it had always been too much for me. Too much scent for my small apartment. Placing out a stick of the stuff alone had been more than enough, so I’d never burned it or bought more. The three items looked out of place with the décor, so I assumed, as she fingered the rock and lit the other two, that they were for me, not for some ambiance she was going for. Every element had a meaning associated with it. I often had to look them up when writing stories that involved magic. I was curious to see how much of that was true, as well, or actually utilized by those who practiced, I should say.
“Yes. The incense is Dragon’s Blood. It not only clears the space of negative entities or influences, but also promotes healing. It is mainly used to increase the potency of any spells or rituals, like this one. The rock is hematite. It has a dual meaning, as well. First, it is a stone healer, purifying the blood, hopefully helping your body to become unblocked. As far as the ritual goes, it assists in psychic awareness, helping with things like astral travel or scrying when used to reflect a candle’s flame.”
“Guess you do use the elements, then. Anyway, did you just know all of this, or did the Royals teach you all of this while I was in the shower?” I asked, as she seemed so knowledgeable and sure of herself, which I will admit went a long way to helping me trust and go along so easily, along with my insane desire to reach the other half of my heart. Right now, I’d have probably bought anything she was selling and tried it.
“Both. We vampires here have long trained in magic, like what we used to heal you. It assists us in protecting and healing, as our job requires. We like to think of it as bettering ourselves. Beyond that, the Royals gave me the specifics here, exactly what to use and what order to use it in. So, are you ready to begin? I will guide you through the process to get you first focused, and then hopefully connected to him again. Think of the first as a mediation practice. Are you familiar?”
“Yes. I practice yoga, so I’ve dabbled in meditation, as well, enough to know how it works at least, unfortunately not enough to be good at it.”
“Good, that will help,” Nira said with a small smile that barely hit her eyes before she grew serious again. “So, to begin, Christina, you need to pick up the hematite and hold it in your dominant hand. Then stand.”
I followed her orders, grabbing the stone, and standing so fast that my head spun a bit, but I soon focused in on her again. A gust of wind blew up my hair into my face, the bite of its cold hitting my ear, cutting through my clothes despite the spring sun. I shook off the immediate reaction to think it an omen. I’d no idea where the thought had come from, other than insecurity as I ventured into unknown waters, with barely a knowledge of boats to ride through a storm, which I now needed to guide the ship through.
“Take it slow and easy. I can sense your heart beating hard in your chest. We need to get you to a state of calm to have the best chance of this working. Stand with your feet out, about shoulder’s width apart, then stretch out your arms, even with your shoulders to make yourself represent a star. Now, with your left palm up, facing the sky, and your right palm down, facing the earth, you must begin to breathe. Focus on the breaths, making them deep, long, and steady. You want to pull the air into your belly, not just your lungs, help kindle further the fire that already burns in there. Good. Now just keep breathing, focusing only on your breaths outside of my voice.”
I nodded, but continued on as she instructed. With each thought that entered my head, from feeling silly to being panicked for my Lex, my mission, I tried to dismiss them as I’d learned to do from yoga tapes. Pushing out my lower belly, I let the air fill the area, and actually felt it, or at least I thought so, fanning the flames of my powers.
Nira stood, the burning white candle in her hands, to bring it up even with my face. “Now, I need you to begin to focus on the flame. As you do so, continuing your breathing, you need to release any blocks. Imagine you have an opening in your navel, and as you let this bright light fill you, mix with your own, you are letting the block release out into the world. In your mind, see the candlelight come into you through your head. Then, imagine it flowing through your body, white, bright, and pure, cleansing away any darkness within you. Let that darkness flow out of the opening in your belly or let it go into the ground under your feet.”