Bones

"Bones bones, show me the way."

As the dice bounce on the table the runes chipped into them refuse to light up. They used to glow a haunting blue. At least they did when the moon was last full.

"Kai," I yell at the ceiling. "Kai, have you been messing with my bone box?"

Bare feet come clattering down the rickety wooden stairs of our humble home. "No, I mean, I only knocked them, Ayla." My student winces as he hops from foot to foot.

"My bone box is an it." I scoop up the three dice and hold them out to him. "Whereas these are a them. You have messed with my dice."

"Only to help me with my readings." Kai clutches a scroll to his chest. "And you said the dice were only to be used when there is a full moon or an eclipse. Tonight is a full moon so I didn't see any harm in giving them a quick roll with a question."

"I hope you got your answer because I won't be getting mine seen as they can only be used once every full moon, which means I don't know where the in-between is so I am unable to get to the Nocturnal Market which leads to me being unable to purchase Soul Powder for Sorcerer Eli as promised, which results in him losing his temper at two this morning when he is due to pick it up ," I say exasperated.

I was a fool to take on such a curious student. He apologises more times than he helps. Reads what he shouldn't. Snoops around in my study and constantly shies away from me when he gets caught.

"Maybe you should boil the kettle and get out the Luna Cakes unless you have eaten them."

"While you do what?"

"Think of a way out of this mess. Eli has a sour reputation when he fails to get his own way."

I sway on my stool as Kai scampers into the kitchen to sort out refreshments for our soon to be peeved guest. Working with sorcerers is a nightmare; I much prefer conversing with the dead. I toss the dice into my bone box. I could always whip up a batch of fake Soul Powder. No no, too obvious. He'd see straight through my deception. There is always the truth. I sway more harshly on my stool. The truth will only have him turn on Kai and as much as a nuisance he is I would rather my student did not end up stored in a bottle or blasted to vapour. Finding a person willing to learn necromancy is a struggle. Kai was the only candidate which explains why I took him on in the first place.

A lie it shall have to be.

I pick up my bone box as Kai places a tea tray on the table. He drags over a stool to sit beside me. I place my box on my knee for safe keeping. All there is to do now is wait. I pour tea into two cups. Pass one to Kai. There is no point in sitting fretting; we may as well enjoy sweet tea.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

"Come on in," I call without bothering to leave my seat. "Act normal," I muster to Kai. To be fair neither of us know what normal is.

Light leather shoes pad along the hallway into my study. I smile gauntly at the little man with the pot belly and elaborate, long, scarlet coat. "Good evening Eli. Please pull up a stool. Take a load off. We're having tea and Luna Cakes."

His eyes travel round my study at the various portraits of crows and moons. "I shall just have my powder thank you."

I slap a Luna Cake into his outstretched hand. "Saying no to free cake is silly. Kai baked especially for your visit."

Kai looks up, from pouring our guest a drink, with his dark circled eyes.

"Do you two sleep?"

"Not often. Maybe a couple of hours around dawn. Here show Sorcerer Eli your scroll. He's trying to decipher a way to banish a tricky spirit from our house. We let it in quite by accident."

"Tricky spirit you say," stumbles Eli as he splashes tea over the rim of his cup onto his trousers. "My Soul Powder please Miss Ayla. I won't ask a third time."

"There isn't any."

"What?" Eli falls into a fit of rage slamming his cup onto the table smashing it. "You mean to tell me I came all the way to this forsaken graveyard in the dead of night for nothing?"

"It's my fault I…" stammers Kai.

Wow, talk about a temper. I wave away Kai's words. "No one's fault. We were rather late to the market and they had sold out of Soul Powder. There's nothing to be done except wait until the next full moon." I sweep crumbs off my black skirt and get a distasteful glower from Eli. Will he explode? Please don't explode.

Yellow static sparks on Eli's fingers. Okay I do not have his sort of magic. Best protect the house mind, seen as Kai is sinking into his chair as though he wants to be gobbled into oblivion. I start up nonsense chanting as though calling forth evil spirits to my study. Beneath my shirt I sweat. I chant louder as Eli's sparks scorch the table. He falls back off his stool, gets tangled up in his cloak as I drum out a tune to my chanting on the table.

"I'll never do business with you demons again," huffs Eli as he backs out the study and out of the house entirely meaning I can stop my performance.

My eyes lock with my student's. "Do you see what happens when you meddle in my bone box? We have to scare off wealthy customers."