It must be here somewhere.
Her hair was falling loose from its bun now as she pulled books haphazardly from their shelves, leafing through them in a frenzy before tossing them aside. Nessarose was usually tidy; she had been almost obsessively careful about keeping her father's house in prime condition after his passing, yet now she had seen Boq again her desire to keep him close took immediate priority, and if that meant breaking the spines of a few books, well, that was a price that would have to be paid.
She tried to count the hours since she had last seen him - how far could he have traveled by now? Would she be able to bring him back to her tonight, even if she did find a spell that would allow her to do so? There were spells somewhere in the library, she knew this much; although her father had abhorred sorcery, Nanny had managed to keep a few of her old books and scrolls hidden among the others. If she could only find them...Nessarose straightened up, glancing around herself, brow creased. Where would Nanny tuck away her things? Perhaps the bookshelf where her childhood stories had been kept, away from her father's books.
This one moment of semi-rational thinking served her well; her guess had been correct, and a stack of old scrolls were tucked next to a book of old lullabys. Nessarose pulled them out, heart pounding - if there was a spell in there that could help his situation, even slightly, then surely his feelings towards her would be warmer? She scanned each page desperately, tossing aside spells for hair growth and cold cures, and one particularly ridiculous page dedicated to giving a mind to household objects, before stopping short at the third to last page.
"Designed for those whose instructions are never listened to, to ensure that their orders are obeyed."
Well, if she could simply order Boq back to her...
No, she wouldn't. She had treated him awfully enough, hadn't she? Caused him enough pain? Although, perhaps...if he would only return, allow her to right her wrongs. After all, the world wasn't kind to those who were different, Nessarose had learned this much - he would be safer with her. She would have a chance to make things right. It was for the greater good - hardly a sinful thing to do. The ends would certainly justify the means.
She read through the spell with care - her last attempt had undoubtedly been an unmitigated disaster and Nessarose had no desire to repeat it - and frowned. She hadn't been aware that spells could involve objects, yet she was now instructed to find "something that the person you intend to obey you desires greatly." What did Boq desire? Glinda, Nessarose though bitterly, before she remembered - a heart! Of course! And there must be something heart shaped in this household...Nanny had that ghastly red pocket watch tucked away in her bedside drawer...
A moment later she was crouched in front of the spell again, the heart in her hand, praying to the Unnamed God that this time, it would work. She murmured the enchantment, slowly this time, cautiously, and waited, wondering if something ought to feel different.
"Whisper orders to the object, not the person, and they shall be forced to obey," the scroll read, and Nessarose held the watch closer to her mouth, feeling foolish.
"Boq...Boq, come back here." She paused, before adding, for safekeeping, "Come back here without the axe. Immediately."
