Don’t mind if I do. Nine dug in and gnawed at the steak.
I turned my attention back to Holly, whose mouth hung open. I don’t know why, and I was sure it would turn out to be a mistake, but I admitted everything about what Aspen and I had seen in the woods. She probably would have never stopped bugging me if I didn’t.
“I hadn’t planned on taking Aspen’s backpack. I was just so confused when we got back from the hike that I forgot I had it on my shoulder. I didn’t even know the keys were inside until I unzipped the pocket.” I shrugged. “Going to look in Lakeshore’s office is probably too risky.”
Holly’s eyes brightened, and she studied the keys still in her hand. “That is exactly why we have to go. This is a huge mystery, and you’re going to kick yourself if you don’t even try to figure it out. I’m the perfect lookout, and Nine can help get us past any guards that might be on duty.”
My heart thundered, but Holly somehow made the plan sound like a good idea, even if it wasn’t.
I raised my eyebrow at Nine, who was still eating his dinner. “You up for a midnight prowl?”
Chapter 13
It wasn’t actually midnight when my shaking hand turned the key in the building’s outer door. Holly, Nine and I slipped inside. Professor Lakeshore’s office was directly next to Magnolis’s, and being in here at night again was making the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. I couldn’t help thinking that the Morelli might be hiding around the corner, ready to release one of their Hunter spells on me again. But this time I couldn’t seem to call up my magical abilities enough to hide us from them. Whatever happened that night that made the magic come alive in me had passed for now.
The hallway was dark, save for one emergency light near the entrance. Holly snapped her fingers, and her hand lit with magic.
“I’ve been practicing,” she announced in a proud whisper. “My magical abilities have been improving a lot.”
Can we just get this over with? Nine complained. There’s not going to be anything in Lakeshore’s office. And what are you going to do with it even if you find something?
I didn’t know why Nine even agreed to come, but I had a sneaking suspicion that he really did love me and couldn’t stand to let me do this on my own—even if it was stupid. Who would bring him snacks from the dining hall if I were gone?
“You’re probably right. Give us fifteen minutes, and then we’ll be out of here.” I hurried down the corridor with Holly hot on my tail. We ended up at Lakeshore’s door, and Nine came skittering up behind, his tail puffed out three times its normal size.
I glimpsed down at Aspen’s keyring and the dozen or so keys that were on it. The one to the building had a different shape than the rest, but all the others looked basically the same. “Which is it?” I whispered.
“Here, let me try.” Without asking, Holly pulled the keys from my hand and held them in her palm. She muttered a few Latin words under her breath, wiggled the fingers of her free hand at the lock, and then covered the keys with the same hand. When she lifted it away again, one key glowed a pale yellow. “I told you I’ve been practicing.”
I snatched the ring from her palm and plunged the glowing key into the lock. The latch turned, we hurried inside.
The drapes were cracked open, and I had learned my lesson the last time. So I raced to the window and pulled the curtains completely shut.
“Don’t turn on the lights,” I announced since I didn’t want any strong illumination escaping through the cracks. Holly’s magical flashlight hand was going to have to do.
As I scanned around the room, my mind raced. The office was a cluttered mess, but it didn’t look as though the Directorate investigators had ransacked it. Nothing was turned over or fallen to the floor. This was organized chaos. Dried plants tied into bundles hung from the ceiling, and other live plants were growing in water-filled containers on the shelves. A small desk sat on the left side of the room, and a microscope, much like the one Lakeshore used in the classroom, sat on top of it.
“Where do we look first?” I asked.
Nine jumped up onto a bookshelf next to the window and walked along the ledge.
“Maybe the desk?” Holly held her hand up higher, casting light across the disarray.
Why not? It was as good a place as any.
The desk was covered in papers. The first thing I went for was a stack of ungraded tests from one of the upper classes about the technical names and characteristics of herbs used in magic. That was no help. I riffled through the rest, but it was mostly notes on various plants—nothing particularly suspicious.
Holly pulled out the middle desk drawer. “What about in here?”
The drawer revealed little but office supplies and a smattering of dried leaves. Even so, Holly continued to dig around inside.
My stomach whirled with nausea as I glanced around the room again. Nine was stretched out and clawing at the bookcase’s wood—basically being no help at all. “I don’t even know why we did this. It was totally stupid.”
I won’t say I told you so. Nine yawned.
I glared at him but then for spite scanned the desk again. I checked around the lamp and then the microscope. Positioned under the lens was a small slide.
“I need some light over here.” Without looking at her, I grabbed for Holly’s still-lit hand and brought it closer to the slide.
“What is it?” She leaned closer in interest.
“Probably nothing.” I removed the slide with my thumb and index finger. Between the clear glass and the coverslip was a bit of plant matter. In tiny letters the label read “Aestreadleaf test #8.”
“Professor Lakeshore was studying Aestreadleaf before class yesterday. I spoke to him about it.”
“Is it poison?” Holly asked. Curious, Nine leaped onto the desktop and immediately sniffed at the slide.
“Oh, now you’re interested?” I said to him.
Nine ignored me and drew back his face in disgust. That doesn’t smell like Aestreadleaf.
“And what do you know about herbs?”
I’ve been around for a long time, Josy. I know a thing or two. That plant is similar to Aestreadleaf, but something is different about it.
My eyes widened when I remembered speaking to the professor about the plants. “It’s not Deadnettle, is it?”
“Deadnettle is poison, right?” Holly backed away slightly.
Nine shook his head. Definitely not Deadnettle.
Glad it wasn’t poison, I relaxed and placed the slide back under the microscope. Finding the plant Lakeshore had been working on meant nothing, and disappointment settled in my stomach that it wasn’t some sort of clue.
“I guess we should go.” Holly lowered her hand and the light over the desk dimmed.
A shadow caught my eye under the device’s raised base, and I pushed the microscope to the side. Wedged underneath was a leather-bound journal.
What’s that? Nine sniffed the corner and drew back again. Smells like the slide.
I flipped open the cover and saw Aestreadleaf Test Series written in a careful hand. I continued flipping, and each page consisted of notes on different types of Aestreadleaf. In total there were twelve hybrids he was working on. I flipped to Aestreadleaf test #8.
“It’s just notes on his plant experiments,” Holly said.
But for whatever reason, something inside my chest stirred and compelled me to read it, even though doing so seemed ridiculous. My index finger warmed as I ran my hand down the page, and handwriting appeared where it had not been before.
So far, Aestreadleaf #8 shows the most promise. Reference Henrik’s diary.
“This isn’t important,” Holly sighed. “We should go.”
“But the writing was magic and reacted to my ring. Like a secret code or something,” I insisted and kept reading.
“But we don’t even have this ‘Henrik’s diary.’ So it doesn’t do us any good.”
Before I could agree or disagree with her, my ring began to
glow, and magic energy snaked from the red stone.
Holly gasped, and the magic in her hand snuffed out.
The illumination from my ring grew like a cord through the darkness and found its way to the ground, settling there. Several of the wooden floorboards lifted and slid aside, revealing another journal under the floor. This journal was ancient and worn, so old that it looked like it might fall apart if touched.
All three of us stood there in shock as the journal floated up and placed itself on the desktop.
“Well, you have to open it now,” Holly mumbled, and she snapped her fingers to reactivate her light.
Hands shaking, I grasped the book. What if some terrible magic flew off the pages and grabbed hold of me—grabbed hold of all of us? The hair on my arms stood on end.
My stomach roiled as I cracked open the pages. Visions of people I didn’t know before now—people with snow-white hair—flickered in my mind. But instead of rage as I’d seen in earlier visions of the Morelli, these people were filled with sadness, especially a Morelli named Henrik Dumont. Their heavy emotions rolled through my mind and body. My hands shook as I absorbed the crushing feelings. Suddenly an Aestreadleaf plant grew from the ground. The thing weaved and curled its way around the people and squeezed like a boa constrictor until they were all dead. There was nothing I could do. I shook off the vision and glanced at Professor Lakeshore’s journal on all the varieties of Aestreadleaf. What had he been doing?
“This is a Morelli book,” I whispered.
What does it say? Nine stood on his back legs and pawed at the book’s edge.
The words on the page tumbled from my mouth. “My eyes are full of tears as I write this. The only way I have been able to ensure the survival of my people was to flee to The Middle. I know that it is a dangerous place and our lives will not be easy.”
Holly pulled back her hand for a second and the light over the pages dimmed. “This supports what Magnolis told me. The Morelli were forced to the Middle because staying on The Side of Magic would have meant certain death.”
Why don’t you let Josy read more? Nine said. Maybe you’ll find out.
“Oh . . . sorry.” Holly brought her hand closer to the page again.
But before I could comply with Nine, a click came from the door. We had been so engrossed in the book that we hadn’t even heard someone approach the office.
Nine dove behind the desk and Holly and I scrambled for a place to hide, but instead of finding one we collided with each other. I swung my attention to the door, and there in the opening was the man who had returned from the dead. Professor Lakeshore.
Chapter 14
“Josy Barrows, Holly Leighton.” Professor Lakeshore quickly closed the office door and stroked his forehead. “What are you two doing in my office?”
I braced myself for whatever might happen next, but the man looked as shocked as we must have and, honestly, not at all threatening.
“I . . . I . . .” was all I got out as I still clutched the book in my hand. Holly wasn’t any help despite all her bragging about her amazing ability to pull the wool over her parents’ eyes. She just stood there with her hand over her mouth.
“I suppose you are wondering why I’m not dead?” The professor pulled out his pocket watch and glanced at the face before returning it to his pocket.
Holly was the first of us to get out an entire sentence. “Actually, Josy already knew.”
Thanks for throwing me under the bus, Holly, I thought.
Lakeshore gave me a quizzical look, and his eyes dropped to my hands. “That is a very rare journal and not something you should have seen at this time.” He stepped toward us with his palm extended. “Just hand it over, and I’ll be out of here.”
My heart pounded against my rib cage at his words. If I gave it to him, maybe he would leave us here. But I didn’t see how that was a possible outcome. We’d broken into his office and knew the secret that he was still alive. My ruby ring warmed my skin, and something inside me sparked. “There’s more to the Morelli’s story than everyone is being told, isn’t there?” I clutched the book, not wanting to give it to him, no matter what happened next.
“Just give it to him,” Holly muttered under her breath.
The professor furrowed his brows and released a frustrated sigh. He held his hand to me again. “Please give me the book, and you both need to return to your dorm. It’s not safe for you here. I only risked coming back to retrieve it and a few other items.”
I wasn’t sure that what I was about to say was the best choice but decided it needed to be said anyway. “But you are working on something wrong. The Morelli never wanted to be evil. They were painted that way.”
He pinched his lips together, not confirming or denying my statement for way too long, but finally, he spoke. “And a curse was brought down on them to ensure that they would never be able to re-enter The Side of Magic successfully.”
“Curse?” I squeaked.
“That’s just a scary story told to kids,” Holly piped in. “There isn’t actually magic strong enough to curse an entire people.”
“Miss Leighton, if you believe that, then you’ve never seen how powerful magic can truly be.”
Holly pressed her lips together. It was obvious from the question in her eyes that she wanted to say more but held back instead.
Lakeshore’s eyes filled with compassion as he glanced to me. He pulled out his pocket watch and studied it again. “Not only do I not have time for this, Miss Barrows, but you learning any of what I have to say is premature. That said, I fear I have already said too much to stop the dam from bursting.” He scratched his head. “You would need to know this information eventually because not only does it concern you as a half Morelli, but it also concerns your parents.”
My chest constricted at the mention of them. Does Lakeshore know that my mother’s brother is the Morelli’s leader?
“There is indeed a curse. During the Great War of Magic, the Morelli’s leader, Henrik Dumont—”
That was the Morelli who wrote the journal I still held. I knew it.
“—fell in love with Minister Devereaux’s daughter, and she loved Henrik in return. Because of this, he was willing to make peace. Henrik was ready to surrender, and Devereaux caught his daughter trying to go to Henrik to marry him. But Devereaux was not willing to let this happen. He became so angry that he murdered his own child, refused Henrik’s surrender, and instead launched a full attack on the Morelli. In his anger, he gathered the blackest magic and cast a dark curse on the Morelli. The rest of the Directorate found out what had happened, took Devereaux into custody and removed him from service, but it was too late. The damage was done. Most Morelli were dead, and those who still lived had an unbreakable curse on their heads. The Directorate scrambled to spin the tale to blame the Morelli for the attack and downplay the curse. And to this day they maintain the fiction.”
“What is the curse?” I swallowed the lump in my throat and glanced to Holly because she must know.
Lakeshore wrinkled his brow. “Because of the curse, regular witches and wizards cannot marry, or even dare to fall in love with any Morelli.”
My chest ached from the words I was hearing. “What happens if they do?”
“It leads to death for everyone involved. Not necessarily immediately, but all seem to die in untimely ways, nonetheless.”
I choked out the words. “My parents are dead. Does that mean I’m going to die, too?” My eyes flooded with tears.
The professor tipped his head. “I can’t answer that question. There are few documented cases, but there are those on The Side of Magic who follow the lives of those who have dared to challenge the curse. No couple has ever been successful. You are the oldest living half Morelli recorded—all others have died at or near birth. It’s one reason the Directorate is so interested in you.”
I shook my head in confusion. “Why are you telling me all this?”
“Because it’s important that you learn w
ho you truly are. Don’t trust the history books; they were written by the victors.”
Nine snuck out from his hiding place and wove around my legs, his tail wrapping my calf.
“Then why are you working for them?” I demanded. “Making all these Aestreadleaf hybrids to be used in spells against the Morelli?”
Lakeshore squinted. “Why do you assume that I’m choosing to work for the Directorate? If they call on you to do something, then you do it. If I want to live, I have no choice but to make them believe I am making hybrids of new herbs that will serve their purposes.”
So, you’re not actually trying to help them? Nine asked.
He brought his attention down to Nine. “Oh, you’re a talking cat.” The professor turned his eyes back to us. “Do not get me wrong; because of the rift, the Morelli are a real threat to both the Side of Magic and The Other Side. But I have tried to do what I can to prevent further damage being done.”
The Directorate must have discovered what Lakeshore had been doing and killed him—but they didn’t kill him.
“But why would they fake your death? Wouldn’t they just kill or arrest you if they thought you were double-crossing them?” I asked.
“You think the Directorate faked my death? No, my dear. That was me.” He walked to his desk and grabbed the slide of Aestreadleaf from the microscope, along with the leather journal on his desk. “Since your arrival, I decided that I cannot continue this work I’m being forced to do. I paid off someone to help me disappear, but everything happened on a much faster timeline than I had expected. Due to that, I left several items in my office that I should not have.” He retrieved two books from the shelves and placed everything into a small bag slung over his shoulder. The professor held out his hand to me once more. “I have told you much more than I should have, and now I must be going. My ticket out of here expires in less than thirty minutes.”
Reluctantly, I held the book in my hand out to him.
Lakeshore looked at my offering and sighed deeply. He took the book and placed it inside his bag. “When you leave this room, please ensure you are not seen. And I’d strongly advise you to stop snooping around. The time will come when more information will be delivered to you. But if you seek it out too soon, everything we’ve worked for will come crashing down.”
Spellcaster Academy Box Set Page 16