"This is a protective charm but it works in a different way, not like the ones we wear," Ruby explains while we all listen to her attentively. When someone wishes bad things for us or casts a spell to harm us, our charms deflect the energy, neutralize it or absorb it and turn it into good vibes. But this symbol works as a mirror, when someone casts a spell, it rebounds on the silver charm and comes back to the witch that sent it a little weaker but it still can cause harm. The purpose of our charms is to defend us in a passive way but we don't attack the person in front of us automatically, without a second thought."
"Even if she's a witch trying to screw us up with her bad energy?" I ask in disbelief and Ruby nods, smiling sadly.
"Mother Nature gave us the gift of magic to heal, protect and improve things around us, not to cause deliberate harm. We aren't that petty. Of course, if they insist on attacking us or a sister is threatened, we can react very strongly to that but we're supposed to defend ourselves wisely and in a proportionate manner. Powerful witches that allow their strong emotions take control are really dangerous."
"It makes sense, I guess." I nod, sitting back on the couch now that the disgusting charm is on the other side of the room. "It's pretty obvious this thing doesn't belong to us, do you think our enemy has been here? Has she followed us here from New York? I bet she got close to Jeanne at some point to be able to make a connection with her and use her weakness to force her to kill herself later."
"It was her or maybe one of her acolytes. This plan seems too big for a single witch, or demon, to handle it alone even if she's very powerful." Ruby points at the board and we all nod. "Lester, can you do your thing to track the owner of this pendant? I can't feel anything weird, to be honest, the traces of negative energy are very small because the Council cleaned the house thoroughly."
"It doesn't matter, actually, since my gift doesn't look for positive or negative energy, I'm only looking for someone through their possession. Angelie, I need a map of the city and a pendulum with a rock or quartz crystal..." Savannah rushes to help her grandmother to find what Lester needs while the boy pushes away the tea cups on the table. "Perfect... Give me the pendant... I'll hold it in my left hand and move the pendulum over the map with the right one. Be quiet, please, I need to focus on this..." We all hold out breaths watching our brother and I can't help getting a little closer despite the silver charm still makes my stomach feel funny. It's the first time I see Lester doing this...Minutes tick by while the energy swirls around him and the boy frowns, frustrated. "I think I got it..."
"That's close to the old Saint Louis Cemetery," Savannah points at the green area on the map where the pendulum has stopped suddenly. "It was on the outskirts of the city centuries ago but very close to the French Quarter."
"It's Saint Anna's hostel," Angelie taps on the table with her index nervously. "It's an old creole house with lot of charm that became a small hotel where witches visiting the city can stay safely, it's conveniently close to Bourbon and Royal Street but far from the hustle and bustle so they can sleep at night. The owner, Sylvie, is a lovely old lady but she's not our sister, her husband was a good fortune-teller who inherited the house from his family but he died two years ago, unfortunately. The widow is still running the hostel... although she's becoming forgetful and scatterbrained and some people are taking advantage of it. A friend told me that Sylvie has been accommodating witches with bad reputation but I don't think she knows it, she's not aware of what's happening around her."
"We'll go there and take a discreet look although, if our enemy is smart, she probably left the city days ago. I want everybody on alert, let's be cautious... and pay attention to Iselen's hunter."
*****
"It's a picturesque building," Aletta whispers while we get closer slowly, pretending that we're walking around aimlessly enjoying a warm evening in New Orleans. "But it looks like other houses in the French Quarter, with the wrought iron balconies and the big windows with white frames. It doesn't stand out for its aesthetics."
TWENTY-EIGHT (Iselen POV)
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