Goddess Unravelled

Just a Taste

I saw the network. She had to see it again.

Her eyes darted to the door of the shop, then the stairwell. Altair was still in the shower, she could hear the water running, and Maya was keeping both of the women busy. Gabriel was talking to another customer now…

Alice felt for that dark little spot in her mind. She found the barrier and nudged it experimentally. Fear made her timid, cautious. The last time she’d opened herself up was in the weaving competition with Athena, and before that, with Ambrose. Neither of those were good memories.

The barrier was down before she knew what was happening, it vanished like it had never been there at all. She watched, eyes wide with alarm as the thread dissolved into her palm.

“Oh shi…”she scrambled to sit up straight, and then froze.

Her palm was glowing, a dim light that pulsed in time with her heart. She took a deep, even breath, trying to calm herself down.

Now what?

Ambrose had taken the magic from her last time. It hadn’t occurred to her that she had no idea how to actually use it herself. It was trapped under her skin, how did she get it out?

Her alarm was slowly fading, because despite the fact that she was uncertain and knew she was behaving foolishly, the magic felt good. The power made the hair on her arms stand up, and she felt little electrical shocks run across the surface of her skin. It was on a much smaller level than it had been with Ambrose. It felt like something she could control.

She was aware of the potential of this particular thread. It threw up images of water. Rain, storms even, when it was mixed in with a bigger pattern. But it was small right now, and it wouldn’t do much. She stood up, wandering around the office, and an idea struck her when she spotted the little cactus that Gabrielle kept on the window sill.

She reached out and place one glowing finger in the soil. The barrier was back up again, but this time it was effortless to push past it. She felt the magic leave through her fingertips, and spread out into the cactus soil. The dirt turned damp and packed with water under her fingers.

I did it! She’d taken in magic by herself and learned how to use it. Alice couldn’t help feeling ecstatic. Her muscles were practically humming with energy now. It was like the magic had given her a shot of energy.

Later in the day Alice was watching Shakra fixing the spells on the Mexican blankets they’d bought, making them less likely to attempt to smother their customers. She’d just got the hang of the pattern Shakra showed her, and was grabbing one of the blankets, when the door swung open wildly and a woman staggered in.

She was a witch in a tall black hat, her dark hair puffing up wildly from under the brim. She had a thin, pale face and her eyes were wide and shocked looking. She staggered to a halt just inside the shop, clutching at the front of her drab grey robes. She was muttering to herself,

“Just touched it once. Wasn’t nothing…just once…where is he?” the woman darted a look over her shoulder, mouth hanging open wide.

Alice half stood up out of her chair, feeling a bit alarmed. Did the woman need help? She looked frightened and lost, and Alice glanced out the glass door panel behind her, half expecting to see someone chasing her. Maybe a god or something…

“Just once…” the woman mumbled. “Just one time…”

Shakra put a hand on Alice’s shoulder and said in a low voice, “Don’t worry. No one’s actually chasing her or anything. She’s got aftershock madness.”