Two Eyes Cenote Leaf-nosed

belong to someone? qiao's ears cupped forward in repressed outrage. reductionist. belittling. these were the words wrapped around the seer's mind as she bit back her tongue. no, you only belonged to yourself -- and the sooner you realized that, the better.

you have already paid the first sacrifice. qiao observed darkly. but to become a witch, you will need to provide so much more. there is a ritual -- it will hurt. raw as eset felt now to experience the fruit of her womb silenced forever, qiao wondered what she would think to know it flooded with poison.

she thought of her first pupil, a young girl raped in the corn rows by passing soldiers. angry. bitter. qiao had acted out of impulsive kindness as she brought the girl to her first baptism, said the ancient words to bind her to their coven. the girl's anger had turned to black oil in her mouth -- she did not survive the water.

no, grief was a far more potent conduit. would you like me to help you?