"Okay I got it," L.L. said as she came up the stairs a few minutes later, then stopped at the top step when she noticed Bucky over by her bed holding a piece of paper. Her cheeks grew warm when she realized it was one of the many letters he had sent her. She had completely forgotten that she had been sorting through them before she went to meet James.
She cleared her throat and raised the pitcher some to indicate that she had completed her task. "I got," she repeated, then dipped her head in embarrassment as she made her way to the pedestal. The water flowed from the pitcher into the bowl and, once the pool of clear liquid went perfectly still, placed a hand over it.
"It shouldn't take long and I'll need quiet to concentrate," she informed. Closing her eyes, L.L. began to mumble in a strange language. Light emitted from her palm once again, causing the water to glow a brilliant blue. She opened her eyes when she finished the chant and leaned forward to peer into the bowl. The water began to ripple and swirl; this was a normal occurrence when scrying. What wasn't normal was the blackness that crept from the edges and merged with the swirl until it had completely snuffed out the blue glow.
"This is-- ah!" L.L. quickly straightened, narrowly missing the electricity that sparked from the water's center and danced along the surface. "Enough!" She commanded with a wave of her hand and, what once was a pit of blackness pulsing with electricity, turned into a peaceful clear bowl once again.
She cursed. "They have magical wards protecting the location from scrying. They even put a lightening spell that activates when the wards are triggered." She gave Bucky an apologetic look. "I can't see him. I'm sorry."