Two flames danced, and Summer couldn’t help smiling. “You hear me. You forgive me?” What was it she’d done differently this time, from all the other times? She’d claimed Loki as her patron god for years and never had any kind of response before.
“Won’t you show yourself?” She racked her brain, trying to think what she had that might entice a god known to be a bit fickle. “I have … ” There was that bottle of whiskey she’d bought to give to her twin. She could always get another one. “I have a bottle of white label Dickel whiskey for you,” she coaxed.
Whoever this stranger was, he didn’t know her. It was easy for him to know when another was devoting their time to him, especially nowadays when he had no one really worshipping him. And yet she spoke to him like he was an old friend of sorts. Difficult to be one’s patron when he never gave permission for it, much less never knew about her. Gods chose whom they were the patron of, individuals weren’t supposed to choose one themselves. Then again, perhaps she was just a new Lokean.
Showing himself, though, was completely out of the option. This one was a stranger to him and, again, he only showed himself in dreams or when the individual astral traveled. Never did he appear to one in the real verse in his true form. There was also the fact that he was four weeks clean and couldn’t drink. The offering was nice and he willingly accepted it, but nothing more. Abruptly, the candles stopped moving, his own silent way of saying no.
The candleflames stilled, and Summer slumped. “I guess that means no.” Well, at least she didn’t have to buy another bottle of whiskey, but it was still disappointing. The whole thing was like the first time she’d made a spell that actually worked — a lot of excitement and surprise over something small and mysterious. Now that she couldn’t get any further response, it felt like a letdown, despite the sheer miraculousness of the whole thing.
Her mouth twisted in a self-deprecating smile. “Well, thank you,” she said, softly. “I don’t know how I deserved your attention suddenly, but I’m glad of it. So thank you.” Quick brushes of her fingers put out the candles, hands lingering over the north candle. She wanted to say thank you again, but somehow the words just didn’t seem enough.
For the first time in a long time, she couldn’t sleep easily that night. The events of her little ceremony kept buzzing around in her head long after she would normally have been asleep. Finally, finally, she slid over the edge into dreamland, images of Loki floating through her imagination.