Chapter 17
The elder retrieves a knife and a long, carved stick painted with symbols. Feathers dangle from the end of the carved wood. She retrieves another wooden wand with something like deer hooves affixed to the end. The dried hooves clatter and set my nerves on edge as she rests them on the table. Next, she pulls out two tiny jars of something that glows like the bioluminescence I've seen in the sea sometimes when I've been exploring with my mother.
When she's laid out all her instruments, the shaman says, "Close all the curtains and lock the doors. We must seal the space."
"Ama," Axel snaps, and Ama rushes around the house, covering the windows and slamming the doors, turning a part of the knob that makes a snicking sound.
When Ama's done, the elder turns to her and says, "You stand as a witness, Second. And you…" She points a bony finger at Axel. "Come and stand before your True Mate."