Logic took over quickly. If she was Aso, then I wouldn’t be able to claim her soul.

Kanesha had promised to go think of tactics. I went through the motions at school, so visibly distracted Clara cornered me at lunch.

“You’re not okay.”

“The ghosts that were around.”

“Well, they seem…”

“The root cause hasn’t been. And we need to find a spirit that could be anywhere.”

Clara frowned, “Any clues at all?”

“Just that she’s African. Probably Akan. But she could also be an animal.”

The frown deepened. “Does she want to be found?”

“We’re not sure on that. We just don’t have a better idea.”

“I’ll talk to Zaid.”

“Thanks.” I smiled. “Tell them we’re looking for the spider’s wife.” For some reason, I almost wanted to call Zaid female.

Probably because I was thinking of wives. It was an impossible task, though, without some kind of luck.

Or some kind of extra wisdom. Maybe the Norns would have an idea. They saw fates, after all.

But possibly not African fates. “I’m getting really tired of ending up entangled in the affairs of people who aren’t even my relatives.”

Clara laughed. “Try being a witch. Either people think you’re nuts or they…”

“…want love potions?”

She shook her head. “No such thing, really, but try telling them that. What the Medieval wise women sold as love potions were, well…” She blushed.

“Aphrodisiacs.”

“Right, and they weren’t to use on somebody you wanted to be with, they were for using on your husband when…” She blushed even more.

“I get the picture.”

“Wise women were mostly healers, after all. And some of the stuff I’ve found out really did work, but while you could make somebody fall in love with you, it wouldn’t last once the spell wore off and they’d probably hate you.”

I grinned. “I don’t need a love potion.” I knew I didn’t. And if it didn’t last forever, well, so be it.

I hoped it would. “Thanks for talking to Zaid.”

I rather thought they would have a better idea than Clara herself of what to do.