Page 13 of The 13th Daughter

"We're not trying to get the truth out of someone specifically," Billy frowned. "More like trying to find out the truth about someone."

"That could be a little harder." People were openly staring at me now. I fidgeted.

"Yeah, we know," Billy said with a sour expression. "We've written this thing at least a hundred times and no one can make it work."

"Well, you're looking for the truth so you want to work with an Element that's grounded in stability." Emily used to go back and forth with that. It was crucial, she'd said, to use the right Element. "Probably Earth. It's ever changing, but alwaysessentially stays the same. The truth is simple, but can expand and grow as it evolves just like the earth does. It's the lies that we build around the truth that are complex."

Jeff and Billy both looked at me like I'd suddenly sprouted horns.

"What?" I asked. "I picked stuff up."

"Okay, Earth magic," Billy nodded. "What else would you do?"

"Focus it around an object representing the truth you seek. I don't know, a tree maybe?"

"A tree?" Jeff asked skeptically.

"Sure. Trees are constant, surviving thousands of years."

"Something like tree of wisdom, tree of knowledge, give us the truth we seek?" Billy frowned, pen poised on his notepad.

I laughed. He glared at me. "Sorry," I said. "Couldn't help it."

"Alright, smartass, let's see you come up with something better."

I suppressed another laugh at the blush on his cheeks. Jeff grinned at him.

I thought about Emily and how she would have worded it. The lines came easily to mind.

"Tree of wisdom, tree of knowledge,

leaves of truth, leaves of change,

I call upon thee to bend your branches unto me

and listen as I speak.

Show me now the truth of which we seek."

"Shit," Billy whispered. His eyes were wide with shock as he stared at me. No wait, he was staring behind me. Everyone in the café was staring behind me. I turned to look. Something flickered at the very edge of my field of vision. I followed it with my eyes. What was it?

"CJ!" Billy's voice held a bit of desperation. He reached out to take hold of my hand. I let out a shriek of pain. He'd grabbedmy bandaged wrist instead and pulled hard to get my attention. Bursts of agony raced up and down my arm, centering in the bones of my wrist.

"Dammit, Billy, let go!" Jeff pried his fingers away from me. "Are you okay?"

I let out a hiss and cradled my arm to my chest. Hell no, I wasn't okay.

"CJ, I'm sorry," Billy whispered, still looking behind me.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I whispered. Damn, but my arm hurt.

"That's a good question," Ethan glared down at Billy. I hadn't noticed him come up to our table.

"I am sorry. I didn't know you'd hurt your arm," Billy apologized, his eyes never leaving Ethan.

"It's fine," I told him absently. Why was he staring at Ethan like he'd just grown another head? And what was that shadow thing I'd seen? I frowned and looked behind me again, but there was nothing there now.

"What happened?" Jeff signaled to the waitress. He asked for some ice in a towel for my arm which immediately distracted me. Wow. Jeff being considerate? What was up with that?