"Temperance said its edges were burned. It must have been in a fire." He shrugged.
"Mm. Maybe."
Closing in on the final stretch to the iron gates, we slowed as a strange sound came from high above the trees.
At first it sounded like a crowd of people, shouting and laughing. But then, as the sound grew louder, surrounding us from all sides, it became more ominous.
A dark shadow covered the sky like storm clouds rolling in, and as the screeching filled our ears, the swarm of black birds came into view.
From every direction, birds flew in, joining a vortex of flight over Hazeldene. The cawing scratched at my ears and I covered them with my hands, squinting against the wretched sound.
"It's Chloe," I screamed through my cringed face. "She's using the board!"
Flying through the iron gates, we barreled toward the manor, desperate to catch Chloe in the act.
Performing any form of ritual or spell in secrecy was dead-set against Hazeldene rules. Clearly, it was far too dangerous to dabble in unknown magic, particularly as a supernatural. Our powers trickled deep into the unknown, and using caution with each new skill was paramount.
And now, Chloe was going rogue.
And it a threat to us all.
"Where would she be?" Noah huffed, looking up at the high gables of the estate.
The tarnished drainpipes and water-pouring gargoyles added a whole new layer of worry, making the house appear haunted.
And now with crows circling its heights, it was even scarier.
"The birds are concentrated around the back side, by the huge chimney," I called, noticing several of them sitting on the stonework.
We bolted toward the manor, keeping a good distance back, and moved around to where the birds had gathered.
"By the balcony." Piper pointed.
High above the terrace, the balcony of the library was lined with resting black birds. Those in flight continued to circle around the gables of that location.
"It's the library," I panted. "Where we read the journals."
"And Josie," Noah added with a snarl.
Leaping onto the terrace, we barreled into house.
"Whoa, where's the fire," Ms. Harrison and the kitchen staff lifted their hands to slow us.
"No fire," I said. "Just in a hurry. Lots of planning to do, you know."
"Wait, weren't you supposed to go to...," her voice trailed off as we sailed by.
I'd have to fill her in later, but at the moment, finding Chloe was our only focus.
Flying up the stairs, I prayed we wouldn't run into anyone else. Closed doors to the study and great room concealed lessons and other gatherings perfectly, allowing us to make our way through the house unbothered.
As we reached the third floor, we were breathless. Panting, we gathered ourselves together, preparing to enter the library with synchronized force.
That was when we heard it.
Chanting.
Humming.
"It's her," I breathed, holding back my fear of whatever she was doing.
Temperance had spooked me with her tales of Ouija Boards, and an unsettled feeling coursed through my veins.
Inviting evil into our realm was the last thing I would ever choose to do. I couldn't believe Chloe was dabbling in such a thing. When this was over, I swore I would give her a piece of my mind.
Clayton and I moved to the double doors at the same time, and with a joined effort, we pushed them open with a bang.
Immediately, the hum and chanting stopped.
The six of us poured into the library, searching for the pagan ritual that had summoned the blackbirds.
After scouring the space, we gathered in the middle by the large fireplace, perplexed.
No one was there.
The space was vacant.
"It makes no sense," Clayton murmured.
"I heard them in here, clear as day," Piper said. "At least two voices."
We stood in shocked silence for several moments, uncertain of our next moves.
Piper moved to the glass doors that led to the balcony. She pushed the curtains to the side and scanned the outside area.
Hattie moved to the far corner of the room, inspecting the faces of portraits that lined the walls. Looking back at us with a blank expression, she lowered herself to the floor and leaned against the wall.
With a shrug she said, "Maybe it was the ancestors." She pointed to the paintings.
Then her legs shot straight out and her spine grew rigid. Her wide eyes nearly bugged out of her head.
"Hattie, what is it?" I begged, leaping over to her. "Are you okay?"
With eyes still wide, she swallowed hard.
Her lips trembled as she struggled to speak.
"There's someone behind me," she whispered.
I stared at the white paint of the wall behind her and shook my head in confusion.
Hattie swallowed hard again.
"In the wall."
I launched over to Hattie, and pulled her away from the wall.
Her words had sent terror through me, confirming the manor was haunted.
Pulling her close to me, I turned to the others and pressed my finger against my pursed lips.
I listened with every fiber of me being, and stepped closer to the wall.
Leaning into it, I pressed my ear against the antique moldings and listened for any sound.
All eyes watched as I focused, and then, without warning, I jumped away from the wall.
"I heard it," I whisper-screamed. "Oh my god. Something's in the wall."
Piper's eyes nearly bugged out of her head.
"Mice?" Noah squirmed.
"No," I retorted. "Voices. Whispering."
Hattie's head nodded a million miles an hour in agreement.
Clayton pressed his ear to the wall, keeping a sharp eye on the double doors. He pointed to Noah and motioned for him to close the doors. His finger shot to his lips to be sure Noah would be silent.
With a slow click, the doors closed, and Noah snuck back over to us.
By that time, Clayton had turned his full attention to the wall and moved his hands along the moldings. As he slid down along the edge, his hand stopped at a small hole. He bent down and peered into it.
"A keyhole," he mouthed.
Everyone moved in closer.
I glanced around, searching for the missing key, knowing it had probably been lost centuries ago.
"Push on it," I whispered, getting closer and placing my hands near his.
Positioning our pressure near the vertical line of molding, we pushed at the same time.
With a squeak of wood rubbing on wood, the wall shifted an inch.
My heart rate shot pressure into my head, and my breath sucked in.
"Oh my god," I breathed. "Push again."
And with a second shove of our bodies, the wall broke free, revealing an opening through a small door.
"It's a secret room," I whispered, leaning inside for a better look.
In an instant, I reeled back, gasping in shock.
Clayton pushed past me and looked inside.
"Stop!" he shouted into the secret room. "Chloe. Josie. Take your hands off the board!"
My mind whipped into a frenzy as I realized what was happening.
"Get the hell out of here, Clayton." Josie's annoyed voice sent bristles down my spine.
And before I could control myself, I stormed into the hidden space.
Ready to knock their hands off the board, I stomped toward them, only to stop short in amazement.
The room was incredible—filled with artifacts, like a museum.
Gold-gilded portraits, antique furniture, faded war veteran uniforms, historical multi-layered gowns draped over headless mannequins. Crates and leather bound chests lined the edges, holding time-capsule mysteries that blossomed my imagination.
But then my eyes landed back on Josie and Chloe. Their fingers still sat upon the planchette as it moved across the Ouija Board.
&
nbsp; "You don't know what you're doing," I shouted. "Stop!"
"We can't stop now," Chloe said, pleading with her eyes. "He's finally talking with us. You don't understand. I've been trying to communicate with the other side for so long."
I gasped at her words.
"But... but Chancellor Kelly said you already could...." My words were cut short by Josie.
"Chancellor Kelly thinks Chloe can do it on her own. She has no clue she uses the Ouija."
"Because she would shut it down," I barked. "She would never allow this."
"Exactly." Josie batted her lashes. "And it's too late for her to stop it now. We've summoned more than you know."
Chloe looked at Josie and tipped her head. "I just needed to figure things out before the moon ritual. Chancellor Kelly's counting on me to connect with The Goddess."
I stared at Chloe, baffled by her naivety. She wasn't the one I had to worry about, though. She was just trying to save her ass before being exposed as a fraud at the ritual.
It was Josie I had to worry about.
Chloe shifted with insecurity. "Plus, Josie said these things never actually worked anyway. That it was just a game."
She glanced back at the board, knowing her words were wrong. They'd made contact with someone or something.
Josie chuckled.
"Right. They never work with just one person, Chloe. It takes at least two. And you were very helpful in assisting me to conjure exactly what I needed."
Piper darted to the exit.
"I'm telling Ms. Harrison. You guys shouldn't be messing with that thing." The shake in her voice revealed her panic.
"Stop!' Josie spat. "I'll close it. You don't need to overreact."
"No, Josie. You're already on probation. You just totally screwed yourself." Piper bent down to move out the small door.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Josie threatened. "You wouldn't want to become the next target of Solomon."
A shiver ran up my spine as Clayton stepped closer to them.
"Shut it down now, Josie," he commanded.
His worried eyes darted to mine, and Josie caught the glance. She watched as the blood drained from my face from the thought of what Clayton had seen hovering over my bed.
"Ah, it appears you've met Solomon already," she said. "Excellent. Then you'll know to keep your mouths shut or I'll summon him to steal your souls."
My eyes widened as I stared at her with a dropped jaw.
I thought of Asher's story of Josie losing her soul to a man she'd fallen in love with.
Was she summoning him now to do the same to us?
I'd figure that out later. What we needed to do now was have them shut down the board and get out of there.
"Chloe," I pleaded. "I know you didn't intend to start anything sinister, but I think you should stop. Now. Shut down the board."
Chloe's nervous eyes darted to Josie.
"Don't be a wimp, Chloe." Josie fluttered her lids with a smirk, like she was losing respect for her on the spot. "I thought you wanted to be a part of my group."
Chloe froze as if stuck between doing what was right or doing what would gain her increased social status.
I closed my eyes and dropped my head back.
Chloe had never been included in much in the past. She was always on the outskirts, kind of an oddity among oddities. So it made sense that she craved belonging. But why did it have to be with Josie?
"Chloe," I whispered. "You can come with us. We can help you tap into your channeling gift."
Her eyes widened as a small smile pulled at the edges of her mouth.
"Don't let them fool you," Josie said. "Their coven is complete. There's no room for you there. But mine is still forming. I have a clear spot for you. If you make the right choice now."
Chloe looked from me to Josie and back again. Her uncertainty oozed from every muscle.
As she hung on her indecision, my attention moved to Asher as he walked through the room, observing each antique. He ran his fingers over the relics, closing his eyes as if he were traveling back in time in his imagination.
The secret room was its own time capsule, filled with items of the past. It made perfect sense this would be the perfect space for a séance.
Just as my eyes moved back to Josie to calculate her next moves, Asher jumped, knocking her out of the way. He reached toward the Ouija and took hold of the planchette.
"Stop!" Josie shouted, regaining her balance. "Stop him, Chloe!"
Chloe went rigid, not knowing what to do.
With a swift motion, Asher moved the planchette across the board and landed it at the bottom edge.
"Goodbye," he commanded.
Then he took the planchette, and shoved it in his pocket.
"Are you insane?" Josie spat. "You can't just close the board when we've made contact with something so powerful!"
Asher grabbed Hattie and pulled her toward the door. Piper pushed them out as she kept her eyes on Josie.
"Well, looks like he just did," Noah snarked. "Maybe you should think about making nicer friends."
Clayton held his position between Josie and us, holding her back from any attempt to get the planchette back from Asher.
As we pushed our way out of the secret room, I glanced back at Chloe.
"Are you coming with us?" I reached my hand to her.
Josie's eyes narrowed, putting full pressure on her.
Chloe fought to find words and remained fixed in her place.
"Well, we're here when you need us," I said, moving through the door with Clayton following right behind.
He pulled the door closed behind us, just as Josie's voice blasted through it.
"He'll be back for you, Shaye. I'll make sure of it."
Chapter 12
As we barreled out of the hidden room, spilling into the library, I panted, looking over my shoulder to be sure we weren't followed.
Clayton had sealed the door tight, keeping Josie and Chloe locked inside.
They could do whatever they pleased at this point, it didn't matter. Thanks to Asher, we had the planchette, and they wouldn't be able to activate the board again without it.
"Nice work, Asher," Clayton commented with a nod. "How'd you know to do that?"
Asher shrugged. "No clue. The lady in the shop said something about the planchette being the part that did the communicating." He hesitated, as if realizing he himself had no idea why he did what he did. "I don't know. Maybe I've seen one of those things in action before." He shook his head, trying to conjure memories that seemed to allude him.
"Well, it would make sense," Noah stated. "Seems right up your ally, you know, with the crossing over thing."
"Noah!" Piper stared at him to shut him up.
He shrugged, half-apologetically, and stepped over to the fireplace to avoid her reprimand.
Asher reached into his pocket and pulled out the planchette.
"Well, we hold the power now," he said, tossing it in his palm.
The death's head moth etched onto its surface appeared to flutter in its freedom.
Clayton glanced toward the hidden door. "Let's get out of here before they decide to join us. We can figure this stuff out somewhere else."
I watched as Hattie chewed her thumbnail. It was like her mind was racing a million miles an hour. And I couldn't deny the fact that mine was too.
We needed to get our hands on that board.
It wasn't beyond reason that it might have the power to reach our parents.
I couldn't shake the possibility.
I knew it was dangerous. I knew it would be forbidden by the Higher Order. But it was right there under our fingertips—a communication device to reach across the realms of time.
"Let's at least check to see if the swarm of crows is gone," Piper chimed. "I need proof that that thing is truly closed."
The simple task was exactly what we needed—some focus and direction.
We streamed out of the library, and moved down the
stairs in single file. As we made our way toward the foyer, the sounds of academy activity filled the halls around us.
Fortunately, the groups had believed we'd headed into town for the day, so that bought us more time to do our own thing.
Stopping at the coat closet, we grabbed our heavy jackets preparing for the early winter chill.
As we passed under the massive crystal chandelier, making our way to the door, we froze like guilty criminals as a voice commanded us from behind.
"Stop right there."
In synchronized motion, we turned to the source of the demand.
Chancellor Kelly stood tall, heels clacked together, shoulders squared. Her narrowly fitted black suit shot fear through me as its formal appearance reminded me of her ruling status.
The amulet that hung from the chain around her neck shot reflective light from its center crystal, commanding our full attention.
"Something is off," she stated, inspecting each of us. "Why are you back so soon? I thought you were on an exploratory mission in town."
I swallowed hard.
"We were," I choked. "It didn't work out as planned."
"We decided to come back for more research before moving forward," Clayton added.
She nodded with eyes narrowed, as if she were unsure about our story.
"I see." She hesitated. "I feel like something is amiss. Have you secured the archives after your visit? Something feels unstable."
I darted my eyes to Clayton's.
We hadn't returned the ancient journals to the archives yet. How could we have been so negligent. Leaving them outside of their protected fortress was dangerous. We'd been so distracted by everything though.
"We'll check on the archives to be sure, Chancellor," Clayton said. "We'll take care of it."
She nodded in agreement. "I'll expect a full briefing as soon as you have a plan in place for your next steps." She looked directly at me, likely meaning more than just the obvious. She waited for more than one answer from me and it was an understatement to say I didn't feel the pressure.
She still waited to hear if I'd made the decision about going home yet. Of course, she knew she'd have to enforce it if I chose to not go. It was part of her responsibility to return graduates to their families if requested. But in this case, she knew the pieces were beyond complicated.
Mystic Coven: Winter Wiccan (Supernatural Academy Graduates Book 2) Page 10