“I don’t care. She’s my mom, Donovan.”
“I understand that, but some people can’t be saved.”
I ignore him and walk back to Stacy’s place, a plan boiling within me.
***
When I open the door to my house, cold wind from inside punches me in my face. Silver lights beam in front of me. I glance at the bookcase in my living room. Dawn runs downstairs and appears next to me. My heart races. Something about bookcases and portals seem to follow me wherever I live. I witness a white haired guy waving his hands in front of the books, making them shake.
He turns around. His blue eyes pierce me.
Who is this stranger in my home?
I rush to the kitchen to grab a dagger off the table next to me. The books stop moving and the winds in the house become stiff. Dead silence fills the space in our home. The shelves on the bookcase snap apart and the guy is pulled into a portal behind the bookcase. The wood from the case snaps itself back together. I run angrily toward the spot the guy was at, and throw the books out, trying to figure out how it was activated. Walking backwards, I step on something cold and metal. I lift my foot and pick up the object. I hold the gold object up and squint at it.
It’s the ‘J’ from Jared’s collar.
Chapter 28
I go to the library to try to find out more information about Ravamere, mystics, and witch killers. I don’t understand why there aren’t any witch books in a public library. I place my head on the pile of useless books I’ve gathered and close my eyes.
Sighing and annoyed, I hold onto Jared’s charm. I tuck it into my pocket. I’m not sure if that silver haired guy was him or not, but it was someone who knew about the portal in my house. I can’t believe there’s another portal to Ravamere and with all the houses in the world, the portal is in my house and Mom’s house.
A man next to me who is studying gets up and walks away, looking at me angrily and mumbling something under her breath. A few seconds later, when he returns, a librarian taps me on my shoulder.
“Please be quiet. You’re disturbing others,” she instructs politely. She walks away with papers in her arms.
My mouth drops. I look at the guy, tempted to gasp. He could’ve told me I was being too loud. It wasn’t like I was going to kill him or anything…Well, killing is what witches do, apparently. I’m just not so selfish to kill over something like this. Then I realize that killing him would in fact trigger the final process of my transformation. Maybe I need to feel what it’s like to be corrupt in order to activate this broomstick and enter Ravamere.
I shake my head, disagreeing with what I thought. That can’t be the only possible solution to completing this weird witch transformation, Eliza. I bite on the eraser of my pencil.
The guy shoots me another look as he wiggles his chair closer into his cubicle. A ‘Hmph’ sound leaves my mouth while I toss my purse around my shoulder and log off the computer I was using. I walk out of the double doors and bump into someone’s muscular chest. The research papers I managed to print out fly out of my hands and onto the ground.
“Oh gosh, I’m sorry!” I blurt, bending down to grab my papers.
The guy helps me retrieve my papers.
“Thanks.” I glance up to see who is helping me.
“You’re welcome,” Donovan says under his breath. “Researching about witches?” He chuckles as he reads the notes on one of my papers.
“Would you like to help?” He doesn’t answer me, so I roll my eyes. “Are you following me? Leave me alone.”
I snatch one of the papers out of his hands and brush against his shoulder. Walking toward my car, I beep it unlock.
“Actually, I’m here to study other things thank you very much,” I say, giving him one last smirk.
“Cool. I hope you fail whatever you’re studying!” he snaps back. “You’ll understand why I act the way I do, Rose. You’ll never get through your transformation resisting to kill a mystic.”
Rose? Oh, right...I didn’t give him my real name.
“Whatever,” I say, closing my car door. I zoom off, almost running over his foot. I can see him jumping away in my rearview mirror and smiling at the ass of my car.
Dammit, I missed him by an inch.
***
Back at home, Dawn is cleaning around the house. After she finishes, she plops on the couch and turns on the TV. “Hey, Liz!”
I throw my grimoire on the floor beside the couch, forgetting that Mellissa can feel it. It’s kind of weird. It’s like my great grandmother actually isn’t dead. She helps me from time to time when I need her, which is useful because I don’t have anyone experienced enough willing to help me. Even Donovan is selective about what he will and won’t help with.
“Oh, look what I found while cleaning.”
Dawn picks up the rose from on top of the shelf and hands it to me. I could’ve sworn Miss Canary destroyed it, and now it randomly appears in our home. Something about it creates an eerie feeling within the home.
“It just keeps coming back in my life,” I say under my breath, holding it in my hand and tracing its markings on the stem.
“Well, now we have it, so don’t lose it. We don’t want any mystics getting to it or anything.”
“Right…Well, thanks,” I say.
“Any luck at the library?”
Dawn sits back down on the couch. I shake my head and place the papers I printed out on the ground. I put my legs over her lap as she flips through the channels. I twirl the ends of my hairs around my fingers and release a big sigh.
“Okay. Mellissa, I need some help.” I give in, waving my hands at the grimoire on the floor.
“Mellissa? Who’s that?” Dawn says.
“Just wait for it.”
The grimoire flips open. I guess she was waiting for me to tell her what I needed help with.
“Well, it’s nothing to do with mystics or anything. It’s about my transformation. And please, I beg of you, don’t suck me in. It gives me horrible whiplash after,” I moan while Dawn looks at me, puzzled.
Silver light beams out of the book and as the pages start to ruffle rapidly, I’m afraid she’ll suck me inside anyway. I cover my eyes and brace myself to fall onto something. The pages stop flipping rapidly and a soft hand brushes against my cheek and then pries my fingers away from my eyes gently.
Red, wavy hair flows over her toned shoulders. She’s standing in front of me. Silver swirly tattoos are on her right arm. She’s young and around her early thirties. She smiles at me with her soft, puckered lips, flashing her straight teeth at me. I blink my eyes frantically to make sure this is really happening. She smirks at me, placing her hands on her hips.
“Mellissa?” Dawn asks for me.
“Yes. I’m Eliza’s grandma. Well, her great grandmother.” She turns to me. “Your grandma can’t enchant herself out of the book like I can, and trust me, she’s horribly aggravated about not being able to meet her granddaughter.”
“What’s enchanting?”
“It’s a special ability some of us witches have. It’s rare elf magic. Nothing too big. It’s sort of like a time travel,” she explains.
“Witches have elf powers?”
“Picture it as stealing an ability. Deep dark magic.”
I look at her in shock and with my mouth open, trying to understand what she’s talking about. She sees this happening and waves her hands at me.
“You’ll learn about it later,” she says. “Now, you wanted to talk to me. What about? I only have so much time outside of the book.”
“Right. Uhm,” I start, trying to gather my thoughts. “My transformation. Why isn’t my broomstick working, and why can’t I use it?”
She watches me pull the weapon out and sighs.
“I knew this would block your transformation. Your mother…well, she’s stubborn. I taught her everything I knew about broomsticks and what they’re for. She never listened until one day a corrupt mystic strangled her in the forest. A mermaid
, I believe. Anyway, your mother, my granddaughter, was in a life-or-death situation. Her broomstick activated only to help her, and because it felt the pain she was going through, it understood the situation. Listen, Eliza. Just because it activated for her that way doesn’t mean the final transformation is done.” She places her hand on my knee.
“I’ve been in a life-or-death situation four times. My broomstick hates me.” I glance down at it.
“It didn’t feel like you needed help, dear, and that’s a good thing. Because you were capable of getting out of whatever situations you were in. Is it not true you received help those four times?”
I thought about Donovan saving me from the mermaids and saving me from David and Stacy. He was there when I wanted to fight a mystic myself and he saved me from that blonde mermaid. So when did he save me from the last one? I must’ve miscounted. I’m sure he was only there to help me, for the thrill of it.
“That’s true,” I say, lowering my eyes, “but how did you know I received help?”
She doesn’t answer my question. Instead, she walks back toward the book and says, “Don’t trust anyone. Do what you have to do. A corrupt mystic or witch will not hold back to kill you. They’re corrupt, and their thoughts have been tainted,” she mutters to me as she begins to fade away into silver mist.
“Wait, what about my question?”
Mellissa then fades away, and the book’s pages flip around rapidly. The grimoire closes itself.
***
Time quickly passes by. It’s now six’ o clock and Dawn has work tonight at a new venue so she’s out getting ready for it with her crew. I walk to my closet and pull out the long, plastic bag Dawn gave to me. Inside the bag is a white dress Dawn gifted me tucked neatly, ready for me to wear.
Standing over my bed, I stare at the dress. I can’t help but feel that it is was awfully quiet in my house. Jared hasn’t been home for some time now and I still have his necklace with me. He’s probably just out taking care of business, like he keeps telling me.
I pull out the grimoire and softly run my fingers across its binding before I open it. Flipping through the pages, I skim the titles for Ravamere.
I pass a page with a title that begins with the letter ‘R’ and quickly flip back to it. Ravamere, the title, is in bold letters. Usually the description underneath the titles are rather long and informative. This description is brief:
Entering into Ravamere is strictly forbidden. Pure witches, pure mystics entering Ravamere will become corrupt except for—
The page seems to be torn up purposefully after that sentence. The book suddenly slams shut. The sound vibrates against my skin. I jerk my hand away from it and run my hands through my hair, looking out of my window.
I caress the hard, cold glass in front of me. Hard knocking from downstairs reverberates upstairs.
I open my front door to see a tall guy with a masquerade mask across his face. His red lips glimmer at me and he’s wearing fresh cologne. He takes my waist and pulls me in toward him.
I will admit, I was a little stunned by this random event. He begins to smile and chuckles underneath his mint scented breath.
“Can I, uh, help you?” I manage to say.
“Instead of being a lazy bum at home, will you be my date to an art lounge event?”
The raspy voice clearly belongs to Donovan. Even with the mask on, I can tell it’s him. The markings on his neck glow each time he comes in contact with me.
He’s wearing a nice, tailored, polished black suit with a white bow tie. I see his blue eyes blinking down at me. Clearly, the height difference is bothersome. I don’t know what to say. This is so random. He points behind him at a black car. “I’ll be waiting.”
He closes the door for me. My hands fly up to my face. Now I actually have a reason to wear that dress Dawn bought. I’ve always wanted to go to an art lounge because the vibe is really soothing for me. Plus, I enjoy looking at strange art.
I walk upstairs and into my room. I quickly slip into the dress. It’s long enough to cover my knees, but a little too tight, showing my curves.
I didn’t have to battle with my hair, but my eyes and face were definitely a challenge. I manage to at least look decent for the event. Plus, I’m guessing it’s going to be a masquerade night, so I’ll be just fine.
I pull out a pair of white pumps and grab my purse with my broomstick tucked inside as well as a dagger just in case. I take a beige jacket from Dawn’s room and place it over my shoulders. I know she wouldn’t mind. I stop from walking, looking back at my rose on the couch. I walk over to it. I grab the rose and run back upstairs, take the ring from Dawn’s little key wall, and locked my rose in her drawer. Then I leave my house.
I feel like something is wrong. I don’t know what exactly, but wearing a dress at this event probably isn’t the best idea. I hold up my index finger at the car he pointed to. I change my mind and want to wear my white skinny jeans and a white dress shirt instead. I change clothes quickly. I keep my white heels on and glance at the mirror.
Yeah, this is much better.
I walk to Donovan’s car, open the passenger’s door, and slide into my seat. He looks at me and says, “Why did you change?”
“I don’t know. I just think this is more comfortable.”
“Well, since it’s a masquerade event, you’re going to need a mask.” He hands me a mask and then reaches in the backseat with a grunt escaping his mouth. “I’m meeting a corrupt mystic at the lounge and you’re gonna need a disguise.”
“Why are you meeting…?”
“Ask questions later,” he says, handing me a long blonde wig.
***
We are in the middle of Richmond now, passing tall buildings and busy nightlife. Different sorts of colors bounce off of my eyes, and the cold breeze from the a/c in the car tingles the tip of my nose.
“Just act normal and don’t do anything stupid,” Donovan says as he pulls into the valet. Someone opens my door for me. I step out of the car.
I see a tall glass building in front of me with a gold glow beaming out. The chandeliers inside of the building supply fancy colors that fall on my skin. I stand still, mesmerized at how high this building is. My mouth drops.
Donovan takes my hand and pulls me out of my daze. We walk into the revolving door. The slight murmurs from the people inside prove that they are having a great time.
Two large staircases are on my left and right and in the middle is a path leading to the art gallery. I remove my hand from Donovan’s grip. Holding his hand feels weird. He glances at me. I can’t tell if he’s upset or not from the mask he’s wearing. I smirk and walk in front of him. Several frames of pictures are on the white solid wall.
A staff member walks beside us. “Grasshopper martini?” The drink is a vibrant green with a mint leaf in the middle of the drink. It almost matches my green markings on my arm. I take the glass from her tray and say, “Thank you.”
Many of the people in here are wearing masks, and Donovan is searching for something. He’s the one who’s causing the scene and he thought I was going to be the one. I chuckle to myself and sip my green drink.
“So, what are we actually looking for?”
“I talked with that elf.” I look at him, surprised. “Miss Canary?” He clears his throat, watching the guests at the party. “She predicted something, and I’ve been chasing her for some time now. She told me a few weeks ago that something was going to happen here.”
“Okay, so just smell for it.”
“What are you talking about? What smell?”
Another thing he doesn’t know about yet?
“There’s a smell whenever I come across a mystic or one that’s nearby.”
He looks at me and purses his lips, then turns around and walks around the place as I follow. We look at the pictures as my heels click clack down the hall. It’s strange, being around so many masked people. You never know if they’re checking you out or not. There is a ding sound on a glass, as i
f someone would like to make a toast.
A lady dressed in all white holds up her green glass martini. She has long wavy blonde hair. “I would like to thank each and every one of you who is here for tonight’s charity event. All proceeds will go to American Foundation for Children. We will start the bidding in a couple of minutes.”
The sound of guests clapping fills the place. I sip on my drink, looking up at the lady and trying to remember where I’ve heard her voice.
“I think I know her,” I say.
Donovan and I are in the back, away from the crowd. We turn around to glance at a picture. It’s a stick figure with a red background. There is another stick figure on top of a tall building and then a splash of different colors in the center. The ends of my lips curl up as I walk to another picture.
“Are you sure?” Donovan asks.
“Yeah…”
The lady walks around the room, greeting her guests. When she makes it to us, I elbow Donovan to get his attention.
“Well, you two must be new. I am glad you have provided us with your company tonight.”
I check out my peripherals, lift my cup up at her, and then refocus my stare.
“Glad to see you again, Emily,” I say.
She nods her head and says, “Eliza. What’s the real cause of you two being here?”
“Why can’t we just be here to party it up with the many other rich people here?” I reply.
“Don’t mess anything up. I have a plan for the mystic,” she says.
“Rose, I don’t play around with pure mystics. They’re just as corrupt,” he says, taking my hand.
“You can think what you want, but I’m on no side,” Emily says. She catches another couple walking by and greets them.
“She was at Stacy’s party. That’s where I remembered her from.”
“She’s a rookie elf trying to help maintain peace or whatever she may think it is,” Donovan mumbles.
Mystical (The Mystical Trilogy Book 1) Page 25