by K. C. RILEY
I glanced up at Sister Clara.
The woman finally yawned. “Well, that’s it for me tonight. It’s been a long day. Will you be okay by yourself?”
Was she kidding? “Sure,” I said. “You left me plenty to read.”
Sister Clara smiled. “Carry on then. Oh, and I do have some good news. We may be closer to finding an unbinding spell for your powers. Just a little more research and we should have a spell for both you and Jake in a couple of weeks.”
“A couple weeks? In two weeks Jake could be dead.” The blood surged hot underneath my skin. I told Sister Clara about the dreams I had been having of Jake. How real they were. How I could feel it in my gut. He was close to dying.
“I promise we’re doing all we can to find a spell that will allow both you and Mr. Patrilo to get through this safely. Just a little more patience and research, Miss Maverick. We’ll get Jake back, but we’ll do it the right way.”
Patience. There was no more to spare. I knew Sister Clara meant well, but she hadn’t seen Jake torn and tattered as I had. And she wasn’t the one responsible for putting him there, wherever there was.
“Keep up the studies, Miss Maverick. You’re doing great. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight,” I said, knowing full well I wasn’t waiting two weeks for anyone to find a spell.
Promise or not, I knew exactly what I needed to summon, The Book of the Unnamed.
“Itres Liborum,” I said.
Nothing.
“Itres Liborum.”
Still nothing. The book wasn’t materializing. What was I doing wrong? The words had to have been right. I checked my notes and saw that they were. I tried changing my intention to just unbinding spells.
“Itres Liborum.”
An old manuscript materialized onto the table, but it wasn’t the book.
“Itres Liborum.”
A book bound in leather materialized. But again, not what I was looking for.
A funny feeling bubbled in the pit of my stomach. I scanned through both books I was able to summon. None of them had actual spells in them and unbinding spells were the keywords I had focused my intention on.
I pulled three more books, all of them useless. Not one spell or anything whispering that I could save Jake. It was all just theory. Irritated, I sent all of them back and pulled five more. But it was the same, books on the concepts of binding and unbinding magic, but not an actual spell to do either.
I tried one more time to summon The Book of the Unnamed. It was like it had been checked out. And was that even a thing? Something was up, and I wondered if Sister Clara was behind it.
I quickly texted Cassie.
Hey, something’s wrong with the library.
I can pull up everything but books with spells in them.
It didn’t take long for her to text me back.
I tried earlier, too.
Something must have happened...
They’re all on lockdown.
Working on finding another way.
All the drama I went through to get Fallen venom seemed to have been for nothing. And what could have happened in just one day?
I bit on my lower lip as to what to do next.
What do you mean by another way?
I anxiously watched as the little dots on my phone rolled over and over as she typed.
The dark web. I’ll explain later.
Tell no one.
Sure, because I was the star child of popularity. Even if I wanted to, who on earth would I tell? I typed back, K, before going into another tailspin rant about everything. What was the point of being in magic school and having access to the all mighty and great Halls of Alexandria if I couldn’t pull a book to do one stupid spell? And all the time I wasted here waiting for Sister Clara to leave. Three hours.
My eyes welled and I wasn’t sure if the venom was making me crankier than usual. I finally realized there was something I hated more than magic and not having it. Frustrated, I wiped my tears as I thought about Jake.
10
I was sound asleep when a knock at the door woke me up. Groggy, and thinking the sound was just a dream, I wasted no time drifting back off into a coma. Whoever was at the door knocked harder, almost as if they knew I was having the best sleep I’d had in days, weeks even. Not one nightmare through the night. In fact, I hadn’t dreamt at all; just a peaceful night’s rest in beautiful darkness.
I dragged myself out of bed to answer it when a letter slipped underneath the door.
It was The Society. I could tell by the red wax seal. With a deep yawn and sleep still in my eyes, I opened the letter by the window as the sun rose.
Meeting in Alexandria @ 8:00 a.m.
Urgent. Don’t be late.
-The Secret Society of Souls
The plan was to get up early and get some research done anyway. But that was before finding out that all the spell books had been put on hold. Maybe the books were once again open to the students. That idea was quickly overshadowed by the slight guilt that gnawed at my gut.
Even though I had slept well, I still felt bad about having possibly killed their raven. What if that’s what the meeting was about? Burning me at the stake for the bird or a memory swipe for stealing the venom. Speaking of which, I was sure it was the venom that was responsible for my good night’s rest, one without some demon burning the hell out of my arm, or watching my boyfriend hanging from chains battered and helpless. And let’s not forget kissing Kai only to devour him to death.
After a cold shower to wake up, I threw on an old pair of jeans and a purple T-shirt with the chalk outline of a big dragonfly on it. Something I picked up from the thrift store around the corner from Vye’s. It reminded me of Mom. I had originally bought two, a purple one for me and a pink one for her. Maybe it was morbid, but who cared? It was the kind of thing she would have totally worn, that and the gold charm bracelet with pink lace, a star, a unicorn, an ace card, and a cute little Eiffel tower I had gotten for her to match. It had been two weeks since I decorated her headstone with the shirt, bracelet, flowers, and candles.
I took one drop of venom before staring into the mirror. The slither of guilt vanished. And my complexion looked like I had slept for an entire year. Sleeping Beauty. There were no bags or puffs under my eyes, no stressed-out dried split-ends, and not one pimple on my face. My skin was radiant, hair, impeccable, and oddly enough I had the sudden urge for a cup of coffee.
Odd or not, I went down to the dorm kitchen and poured myself a cup with extra milk and sugar. It was like tasting coffee for the first time in my life; an entirely new experience of all the flavors, notes, and layers of the beans. So much so, it was as if I had picked, roasted, and brewed them by hand at the crack of dawn in the misty mountain ranges of Columbia itself. And I wasn’t exaggerating.
After having the best food-gasm over a simple cup of coffee, I grabbed a piece of toast with butter and raspberry jam that I crammed into my mouth before catching the elevator.
Upstairs, I hightailed it through the girls’ bathroom wall and arrived in Alexandria out of breath with five minutes to spare.
“Good. I’m glad you’re all here.” With a stylish black hat and veil, Mrs. Ellington looked as though she was dressed for a funeral.
I could have guessed whose as I swallowed hard and tried to catch my breath. Maybe the bird died after all. I needed to stay calm.
Mrs. Ellington peered from over the oversized black shades that practically covered her face. She scanned the room of girls looking for the culprit, the murderer, someone to skin alive and then burn at the stake in front of everyone. And it was weird. None of the Lycans of Anubis were present. Maybe they hadn’t gotten the memo.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Thalius, Sir Isaac’s Familiar, and The Society’s most cherished guardian and wisest friend of the last four hundred years.”
Everyone gasped.
I had no idea the raven’s name was Thalius or that he was that old. Or that h
e was…It hit me, the portrait of Sir Isaac hanging in Mrs. Ellington’s library. The raven I murdered and the one that was sitting on Sir Isaac’s shoulder in the painting were the same. I had killed Sir Isaac’s Familiar and was back to feeling like crap.
Mrs. Ellington dabbed her nose with a handkerchief. “We’ll be holding a memorial service for him at my home this evening at seven.”
I really was going to burn in hell. Sure I had gotten what I wanted but at the expense of another life. What made it worse was if I had to do it all again, I would have. Well, minus the part where I was almost diced to death by stone angels with swords.
“I expect you all to be there.” Mrs. Ellington’s glance stopped at me. Her stare practically burrowed through my head.
She knew. I tried swallowing the lump in my throat. No. I was being paranoid. Mrs. Ellington never mentioned a word of foul play about Thalius or anyone stealing Fallen venom.
“Thank you, Mrs. Ellington.” Sister Clara, also dressed in black, stepped forward. That was a first. “We will all miss him, I’m sure. That said, it is with a dispirited heart that we’ve gathered you here today. Mrs. Ellington and I have been informed that all spell books have been placed on hold until further notice.”
Mrs. Ellington sniffled and wiped her nose again as sighs of disappointment rolled across the students gathered in front of the altar.
“I assure you it’s for your own safety,” Sister Clara said, attempting to calm everyone down.
The guilt over Thalius quickly turned to angst. No spell books meant no Jake. I looked around the room waiting for one of the students to say something. But no one said a word. Not even Cassie.
“Our safety?” I asked.
“The hold on spell books is a direct order from the High Council,” Sister Clara explained. “We can say no more than that. I am sorry, Miss Maverick. I’m afraid Jake and finding a spell to unbind you will have to wait a bit longer, at least until the High Council has made all books of magic available again.”
There was no way in hell either could wait. And I was sure this all had to do with me pulling The Book of the Unnamed. Why hadn’t she told me yesterday when we were in the library? Why lead me on to think she was actually working to find a spell for both me and Jake? I had to stay calm. Grounded. Maybe Sister Clara didn’t even know what the High Council was up to until this morning. Then again, maybe she was the one who had told them.
I looked over at Cassie who remained quiet as a mouse.
“Are spell books off-limits to faculty as well?” I asked crossing my arms in front of me.
Sister Clara and Mrs. Ellington exchanged glances. There was something neither of them was saying. The truth.
“Students have been forbidden access to all spell books,” Sister Clara repeated. “That is all we can say for now.”
What was the point of joining The Society again? was almost my next question, but Cassie stared at me so hard it was clear she wanted me to keep my big mouth shut.
“Classes and defense training with what spells you already know will continue as usual,” Sister Clara said.
That was great for everyone else. But, the only spell I knew was for turning the lights on and off in the Hall.
“In fact,” Sister Clara continued, “we will be doubling up on your training next week, so come prepared to work hard. We’ll see everyone first thing Monday morning. And of course, this evening for Thalius’ memorial service.”
Doubling up on defense training. The High Council putting all spell books on hold. It all seemed fishy. Even stranger was the fact that Mrs. Ellington had very little to say about any of it.
The students all grumbled as we dispersed. I got a text from Cassie saying to meet her and Josie outside the main doors. Something was up. Josie’s puffy face looked like she had been crying all night. And it was still strange how the Lycans were missing from the meeting.
I waited for the crowd to clear and met the girls outside the main doors.
“Let’s walk,” Cassie said. She and Josie were still acting strange.
“What’s going on?”
“It’s Mason,” Cassie said. “But not here.”
At the sound of Mason’s name Josie’s eyes started welling with tears. Something was wrong. Very wrong.
We took a different way back through the caverns. One that was more private. Cassie came to a stop.
“So, what’s wrong?” I asked again.
“Mason could be dying,” Josie said. The tremble in her voice vibrated to my core.
No, was my first thought. Not another death.
“How?”
“Alexei told us this morning the transformation ceremony for the new Lycans didn’t go well,” Cassie said. “At least, not for Mason.”
“I still don’t understand.”
Josie’s voice continued to tremble. “Boyd and Mason’s turning ceremony was apparently two days ago. I knew the ceremony was close but Mason couldn’t tell me exactly when. The Lycans of Anubis is like a secret society within a secret society. They can only tell us so much about what actually goes on within the organization.”
“Alexei was the one that gave them the bite,” Cassie said. “He said the turning usually takes place within twenty-four hours, forty-eight at most. But that didn’t happen for Mason. The poison is still in his blood.”
“If he doesn’t turn soon. The bite will kill him.” Josie broke down in tears. “I can’t lose him. He’s all I’ve got.”
The stale air in the dimly lit caverns grew heavy.
Mason and Boyd were like big brothers to me, annoying bickering brothers, but brothers nonetheless. And I had never seen Josie cry, let alone break down.
“That’s not true,” I said. “You’ve got us. What can we do?”
“I’m glad you asked,” Cassie said. “When the time is right, be ready.”
“For what?”
“Anything. Everything,” Cassie replied. “Did you take the venom?”
I nodded yes.
“And you’re still alive. Good. The only thing left to do is to trust me.” Cassie paused. The warm amber in her eyes darkened to something ominous. Palpable. “With all of it.”
I knew she was talking about finding a spell on the dark web. But there was more to it. A lot more. Saving Mason.
11
Miss Lyle massaged her hands before lifting them from the keyboard and moving her laptop to the side of her usual table at Aunt Vye’s café. She had given up on her first novel, The Orient Express, and decided to start another.
I placed a hot plate down in front of her. “All right, I’ve got one chocolate croissant with a spinach and artichoke soufflé.”
She continued rubbing her hands.
“Are you okay?”
“Arthritis.”
“Sorry.”
“For what? Me aging?” Miss Lyle chuckled. I poured her some more coffee and she motioned her hand for me to stop close to the rim. “That’s good dear. And don’t ever get old. It hurts like hell.”
Writing and a new puppy seemed like the things that were keeping Miss Lyle going. Inspired. I might not have been old, but I got it; the need to feel like there was a reason to get up in the morning. Especially after losing my mom and a brother I barely remembered. It may have sounded lame, even pathetic, but Jake was my reason. And how could he not be? He was my guardian angel, one that had sacrificed himself for me.
“Is there anything else I can get you?”
“Now, that you mention it, I could use your help.” Miss Lyle’s brown eyes brightened which meant I had already been suckered into something. But what?
She reached over and pulled out a folded piece of paper from out of her bag. “There’s a reverend coming to town. The Reverend Brother of Light.” She handed me a flyer with a grin that was bigger than her face. “We haven’t had a good ole church revival and healing in this town since I was a little girl. Lord knows this place and the demons in it could use a good cleansing.”
I wa
s cornered like a mouse, my mouth wide open and clueless as to how to escape. It was the same flyer that Alexei gave Cassie, the one from her father’s pocket. I still couldn’t figure out what he’d been doing with it.
“The problem is my eyes,” Miss Lyle said.
“I thought it was your hands.”
“No. Well, yes. What I mean is, the thing doesn’t start till seven in the evening and by then it’s just too dark to see at night. Oh, I can’t wait, Elizabeth. I’ve heard such wonderful things about the Reverend Brother of Light. Just wonderful. You can pick me up at six next Thursday, sharp.”
Woah. My mouth hung open and yet nothing was coming out. I couldn’t. My hands were full with Jake. Besides, the idea that Mr. Johnson may have been going to this thing creeped me out to the bone. I was barely hanging on as it was.
“Liz? Are you all right? If you can’t take me, I’m sure I can find someone else. Possibly. Then again, everyone is so busy these days. No one’s got time for an old lady.”
And there it was. The old lady card. The guilt trip snapped me out of the mental stupor. And even though every part of me screamed to let someone else do it, I caved. There had to be a spell for learning how to say no. “It’s fine. I can take you.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful, dear.” Miss Lyle clapped her hands together as though they had already been healed. Her mood completely changed. “This looks delicious,” she said, eying her plate. “And who knows, maybe The Reverend Brother of Light will have a healing for you too.”
Could the Reverend Brother of Light heal the dark hole in my heart? Bring my mom back? Jedidiah back? Jake back? I doubt it. But there was no point in unloading all of my baggage onto Miss Lyle. It was the most elated I had seen her since taking her to get Kota, her new puppy. I still felt awful about how Aunt Norah had killed Max, her first dog.
“Maybe,” I said, attempting to smile. Another customer flagged me down. “I better go.”