Where The Numinous Awaits

Ch. 9: Dex's Path

The more we talked, the more pronounced my accent became. Abuela told me what my cousins had been up to lately. My laughter got more exuberant. She reminisced about her wild youth. I guffawed and expressed disbelief. I had no secrets of my own that I was willing to share, so I told her about the sneaky goings-on in my neighborhood, and she chortled.

After the transformation from mature, polite granddaughter to giggling, mischeivous gossip buddy was complete, and we had both nibbled our fill of casserole, Abuelita reached into her floral blouse and pulled out a small fabric bag that she passed over to me.

"For protection," she said. "Wear it."

"Sí, gracías, Abuelita." I humored her and put it on.

My grandmother and I were very different. Even though I was a Supernatural—La Loba, the Wolf Woman—I preferred to keep my feet planted in the real world. I was a Finder of Ways through diligent research. I avoided mystical experiences, which was why Van der Woodsen had sent her. I trusted the soil, the flora, the fauna, the things I could touch. Things I could explain with science. The director of OASIS probably thought this mission required a touch more of the occult.

"So, what did you dream?" I asked at last.

"Pelicans," Abuela replied enigmatically.

I laughed to myself. "You'll have to be more specific, mí corazon."

"What would be the fun in that? Look up the spiritual meaning." She grinned.

Smiling, I pulled out my phone. "They symbolize self-sacrifice."

"And teamwork," she added.

"And that prompted you to drive fifty miles to visit, Abuela?" I smirked.

I shut the search bar and noticed I had a new email. Dr. Steven Altman had responded to my inquiry about The Book of Tides. I had asked the Ancient Civilizations professor to send me everything he could find on short notice. I read his lengthy message as I listened to my grandmother.

"The ancestors have been mumbling up a storm. They insist it's time for you to be initiated," she said, "perhaps even in preparation for this assignment you've mentioned. There's an electric current in the air. Change is coming, and people like you and me must be ready for it."

"Initiation for what?" I asked distractedly. Her gnarled fingers covered my phone, and she brought the device down to the table. I lifted my gaze to her.

"The Age of Magic is returning. Initiation onto the path of shamanism."

"Abuelita... You know I have no use for that. I'm a scientist."

She leaned back and fixed me with a stare. "You are what you are. You think you get to decide what that is, but it chooses you. Those who walk the path of the shaman understand this, and some day you will, too."

I threw my hands up and pushed away from the table. "Lo siento, Abuela, but it's late, and I have to get some work done before I turn in for the night. Why don't you let me get you comfy in your bed, hm?" I beckoned her to her feet. She gave a tight-lipped smile that said she knew she was being summarily dismissed and why.

Her talk of shamanism sounded like stuff and nonsense to me. I didn't need that. I needed funding for my research and to finish this OASIS mission so that I could get back to being an unassuming college professor.

Once I got Abuela tucked in bed, I reclaimed my phone and took it out to my workstation where I could read in peace. Dr. Steven Altman wasn't a Supernatural, but he was a years' long friend with a passion for esoteric lore. As I scrolled through his email, I felt the same buzz I had felt when reading Nixie's dossier.