Chapter 24

After giving a little nod to herself, Kusuma Ila exited the room. She left for a little while and then returned with a wooden bowl, a feather from an eagle, a book of matches, and a small bag in her hand. She then opened the bag, emptied its contents into the bowl she had placed on the coffee table, and replaced the bag. She lit a match, and then she set fire to the food that was inside the bowl. There was a noticeable rise in the level of blue smoke in the atmosphere, and with it came the aroma of sage and sweetgrass.

Kusuma Ila waved the feather of an eagle over the bowl while softly muttering something that Phil believed to be Apache. This caused the smoke to be drawn toward Gwen. The singing of the elderly woman gradually became more forceful and audible. This continued for a good number of minutes.

Phil maintained his position close to Gwen's head. As the power of the elderly witch spread across the room, he clinched his palms into fists. He was able to sense it pressing against