Willow waited patiently for Justine to retire to her room. She had already nursed Violet to sleep and had her tucked safely in the center of the bed. When she was sure that Justine was asleep, she slipped out of bed, and pulled a shawl over her shift. She reached under the mattress, to the place where she had wedged the agate stone between the mattress and wooden boards.
She brought it to the hearth, along with a candle in a brass holder. She lit the wick and knelt in front of the fireplace. Firelight danced across her solemn, determined face as she cupped her hands around the stone and began to chant words in an ancient, long forgotten language. The stone grew hot as it absorbed power and energy from Willow’s hands. When she dropped it on the hearthstone, it had a slight lumine
