by CY Jones
The library is just as brilliant as the first time I was here, but this time, I don’t allow myself to be side tracked by all the glorious books itching for me to explore. Reading my mind, I let the bobbing light lead me to the section I need which is located far up the tower until I can’t even make out the bottom. I’m not afraid of heights, but I avoid looking down for sanity’s sake. One clumsy move and I’ll topple over to my death. “You never have to worry about falling. I will always catch you,” Archer whispers in my mind.
“Aww, how sweet. Aren’t you a romantic?” I tease, and yes, I’m blushing like hell.
“What do you mean?” he questions. I can practically feel his confusion. The more our bond grows, the more I can sense him.
“Sorry, don’t mind me. It’s nothing but stupid human sarcasm.”
Just when I start to think the little ball of light will never stop rising, it stops and starts to blink before it zips down a row of books. Lengthening my stride, I follow it until it stops at one of the golden shelves and blinks rapidly on an empty spot where you can tell a book used to be, but is now missing.
“Are you looking for this?” a familiar voice says behind me.
Slowly, I turn to see Milo holding up a black leather bound book with gold trim. In a flash, Archer materializes in front of me, blocking Milo from my path. Milo’s own Champion comes forth, dressed from head to toe in black like its Master and a tattered robe, gripping a deadly looking scythe in its bony fingers. When I picture the Reaper of Death, Milo’s Champion is exactly who I see in my head. I’m sure if he lowered his hood, all there would be is a grinning skull.
“Sorry, Angelica. I did not sense another mage here, especially one welding a Champion,” Archer apologizes.
“The enchanted library nulls our magic. Not even those as strong as Champions are unaffected,” Milo explains before I can tell Archer not to worry about it.
“Why are you here? Have you come to finish off the job or are you foolish enough to think you can steal my Champion from me? Don’t think I forgot how much of a hard on you had for Archer.”
“If you want to see my dick, I’d be happy to show you,” he replies crassly. It’s a stalling tactic, but his comment still goes straight to my clit. I really hate how attracted I am to these assholes.
I roll my eyes at the asshole in question, mentally patting myself on the back for not replying back and feeding his ego. Yes, I would love to see him naked, but I won’t be telling him that. “Why are you here?” I ask again.
“Call your Champion off and I’ll tell you,” he replies in an almost taunting manner and I shift my gaze to Archer, who currently has his bow with an arrow aimed at Milo’s Reaper.
“Fall back for now, but keep an eye out for any shifty movement,” I order Archer in my head and he materializes to his invisible form. Milo’s Reaper does the same, which leaves me and Milo.
Either I’m being stupid or showing a lot of trust here, but I don’t think Milo wants to kill me. If he really wanted to, he could have last night or before, when he first met me in the library.
“Why don’t you take a seat?” he says, pointing toward the hidden lounge at the end of the aisle.
I might not think he’ll kill me now, but I’m still cautious as I let him lead me to the lounge so I don’t take my eyes off him. Once seated as comfortable as I’m going to get in this circumstance, he sits down closely beside me. The couch is small, intimate, and I can practically feel the heat from his alabaster skin. Skin so very pale, like it was bathed in the moon’s light, but those beautiful dark eyes of his make me want to board the USS Enterprise and get lost in space. Someone that dark shouldn’t be so damn beautiful. It defies all logic. I don’t know Milo, like at all, but he’s the type of mage that seems to always be surrounded by tragedy. A modernized Edgar Allan Poe.
“I came here because I knew you’d come looking for this after last night,” he finally answers.
“So, you decided to hold the book hostage?” I retort, raising my brow.
“No, I wanted to offer my help.”
I laugh unconvinced. Really? How stupid does he think I am? He came to help? Yeah, right. The only thing he’d most likely help me do is kill myself or get me killed, but he has my curiousitity, and I can’t help asking questions.
“In exchange for what? I’m not giving you my Archer or joining Zion’s merry little band of psychotic idiots. He made it abundantly clear last night we could never work together and besides that, you’re all assholes.”
“Are all of us assholes now? What have I ever done for you to have such a high opinion of me?”
“Nothing, which is exactly the point. You know Zion is an ass, but you follow along with everything he does and says anyways. You all do. Plus, this isn’t my war. I may have accidentally gotten a Champion, but our interests are not the same. I don’t care to take anyone down in matters that do not concern me to elevate my family’s name. I’m not here for the glory or prestige or whatever the fuck you all are doing this for. Maybe my family stayed out of all this for a reason. It would be stupid of me to ignore their reasoning.”
“You don’t even know what their reasoning is,” he rebuts.
“Does it matter? There’s a lot I don’t know. That seems to be the common denominator since my brother and I came here.”
“Obviously you’re not content with not knowing. You’re here, aren’t you? This is your second visit to the library seeking answers.”
He has me there and I hate him for it. Maybe I’m not content in my lack of knowledge, but I’m still not joining up in their war. Fighting on a side where friendly fire is a possibility is just plain reckless. Plus, the general hates my guts. Not to mention what spending time with them would do to my heart. It has proven before the organ is prone to make stupid choices. Unlike with that douche Constantine, I don’t think I’ll survive if they break me.
“I just want to know who I am, nothing else. You chose to participate in this war, have been groomed for it since birth. All my life, I have had to hide who and what I am, and frankly, I’m tired of it. I’m tired of walking around with a big fat question mark circling above my head like an icon above a player in a video game. You have no idea how it feels to not know who you are and where you come from. Finally, I’m in a place where I can find answers, but instead, all I’ve gotten is nothing but more questions.”
His gaze is intense and he lasers on me. Slowly, he moves his hand and palms my cheek with a gentleness I didn’t even think he was capable of. “You can’t run from destiny, raven. You may think this war has nothing to do with you, but you were brought here for a reason. Like it or not, this is your war as much as it is ours. Maybe even more so, if fate would go to such extreme measures to bring you here.”
Lowering his hand, he sets the book on my lap before standing and leaving me alone deep in thought. Is he right? Was I brought here for a reason? And what about Quinn? Does he also have a Champion? I remember them mentioning last night that they didn’t know who ended up with the Berserker. Was it Quinn? Holding the book tightly to my chest, I drop it off in my room before heading out to look for my brother.
After hours of searching for Quinn, I give up. I could not find neither hide nor hair of him. It’s like we’re kids all over again. He was always good at playing hide and seek. I know my brother. I won’t be able to find him unless he wants to be found, which makes me wonder even more of why he’s hiding from me in the first place. Is it because he does have the Berserker? Does he actually think I’d kill him? No, that’s absurd. I’m his sister. I would never hurt him. Besides, it's not like he knows I’m a Master wielding my own deadly Champion. Something else has to be going on in the goodie-two-shoes camp for him to be in hiding. Every light mage I passed did look a bit anxious, and I’m sure those dodgy looks had nothing to do with midterms coming up. Hell, maybe they all know about the Mage War and are all on guard. Casualties in war are known to happen.
“Archer, what is your opinion on
what Milo said in the library?” I ask in my head. People already think I’m crazy. No need to feed the rumors by getting caught talking to myself.
“I have to agree with him. You were destined for this war. No matter how hard you try to deny it. You have a place in all this, and won’t be able to run from destiny for long.”
“Let’s say I agree with you. How would you force my hand?” I’ve been pondering this question myself since we left the library. I may not know Zion well, but I’m far from stupid. He’s not going to let me skip off in the sunset with Archer for long. They need him, which means, like it or not, they need me to.
“I’d make it so that you had no other choice but to fight, or else risk dying.”
“I’m not surprised you came to that conclusion because that’s exactly what I was thinking,” I tell him.
Milo seeking me out seems like some last ditch effort before they implement their real plan. Whatever it is it must be terrible for him to try to talk sense into me beforehand after what I did to them last night. Not only is Zion the leader, he’s a strategist. No way in hell is he going to just let me go when they need Archer so badly. I’m sure not having him is throwing a wrench in his plans and he has way too much pride to ask for my help. Not like I’d help him if he came to me on his hands and knees. No, he’s going to do just what Archer surmised and force me to fight, and the only way to do that is by putting me in danger.
“Do you know what they are planning?” Archer asks after reading my thoughts.
Zion took great pleasure in making it seem like Kirito betrayed me. I’m sure the bastard got off on the hurt he intentionally inflicted on me, and if he’s sick enough to find pleasure in that, then ratting me out to the other Masters would be child’s play in his book of deceit.
“I can take a guess. Zion is an evil bastard and stubborn as they come. Because of his pride, he would never ask me for help. If I were him, to force my hand, he’d have to rat me out. By informing everyone in this war that I have a Champion, he’ll be laying me out in the open without a proper shield,” I answer.
“That’s diabolical, but it would do the trick,” Archer agrees.
I hope like hell I’m wrong. Zion may be a cocky bastard, but he has to know his plan has a chance of backfiring. One, he could get me killed. Sure, I’ve gotten stronger since I started at the academy, but even I can’t fend off a bunch of bloodthirsty mages with Champions hell bent on killing me. Then there's the most pressing fact. Why on earth will I work with anyone I can’t trust? Kirito may have a sliver of my trust now, but if he goes along with Zion’s plan to out me, then that already fragile line will snap and flutter away in the wind. I can’t team up with anyone I have to keep an eye out for performing a Brutus on me.
Stupid Quinn. I wish he was around. I could use someone I trust to talk to about all this. Someone who wouldn’t lead me astray for selfish reasons. He’s another mind to help guide me through my problems. I need him here, by my side, being my big brother and not some self-absorbed asshole like he’s been acting. When we were first separated into two different sides, we swore we would not let the academy divide us, but now it seems he has done just that, having less and less time for me. I get that he’s ranked number one and all, but still, I’m his sister. His blood. Shouldn’t that mean more? The ultimate trump card.
Sighing, I head out to the meadow where I like to collect herbs. It’s out of the way of the academy and quiet. I need to think. Plot a course of action. Come up with some kind of plan if I want to survive.
It’s the perfect Sunday afternoon. Sunny without a cloud in sight. Normally, I’d enjoy such a day if I weren’t so melancholy. I need answers and I need them quickly. I’m more of a doer, not a strategist. I’m used to running out into the frey, following orders. My father was my general and I was content with being his foot soldier. He didn’t prepare me for what to do if the captain was ever lost. I could send him a message asking for help, but I fear his reply would come too late. Liar. You fear he will not help you. What reason did he have for sending you here without warning? I ask myself. Think, Angelica, think. You’re strong and not totally useless. The pieces to the puzzle may be scattered, but they're still out there. My mission isn’t as hopeless as I’m making it out to be. Looking up, I spot a bird’s nest in the tree and an idea comes to mind. I may be feeling less and less like a harlequin lately, but I can’t say the same about being a voodoo priestess. Those powers I have been making good use out of lately.
Climbing up the thick trunk of the tree, I swing myself up the branches like an acrobat before carefully grabbing the nest off its perch. I’m delighted to see three blue spotted eggs inside, perfect and unbothered. Holding the nest close to my chest, I flawlessly flip down to the grassy field below. Some people may think it’s strange to carry around a velvet pouch full of animal bones, but for a voodoo mage, it’s just common sense. To me, bones are an everyday necessity, like a pen or cell phone.
Using the bones, I scatter them around me in an octagon shape. Then I sprinkle a concoction of dried herbs over them. Prinking my finger, I make another pass, dropping droplets of my blood as I go. My blood will fortify my structure and ensure it won’t break or change shape and distort the spell. Working with spirits is always tricky. They can be some sneaky bastards and are always looking for an escape. Powerful blood is good at keeping whatever I call forth in. Can’t have any stray spirits making a break for it.
“Are you about to do some kind of ritual?” Archer asks. I sent him off to gather branches from the trees. I’ll need them to help channel the element of earth and keep me grounded. I would hate to accidentally fall into the spirit world at a time like this. It’s a real bitch getting back. The last time that happened, it took a whole week for me to find my way back, and the time I spent there was not nice. Having to constantly fight off being possessed was not a fun time. I had to haunt my family for a whole week until finally my father figured out what was going on. Although it wasn’t all bad. I’m not going to lie and say I didn’t enjoy scaring the crap out of Leslie.
“Yes, I’m attempting to invoke the spirits using the unborn hatchlings in this nest as a sacrifice. New life tends to draw them out.” The last time I evoked the spirits, I sacrificed a human being, but those spirits haven’t yet passed to the after-life, so I didn’t need to do a ritual. Hopefully, the ones here won’t find my offering lacking.
Assembling a small pyre, I light it with the lighter I keep handy in my jacket pocket. Unlike Zion, I do not have a tie to any of the elements and cannot just call upon them. When the fire starts to sputter and blaze, I take a seat within the octagon and cross my legs indian style, keeping enough distance to not get burned, but close enough to still feel the heat of the fire on my skin. Sensing my magic, the flames crackle and tilt toward me, aching to get closer to lick my skin and absorb my magic. When I throw the nest in the fire, eggs and all, it rises, bursting into red and orange dancing flames.
“Spirits of this meadow hear me, I invoke thee
Take this humble offering of new life and heed my call
Come forth, I invoke thee
I invoke thee, I invoke thee
Spirits hear me, I invoke thee”
I know exactly when they come. Even with the heat from the flames, a chill courses through my body, making the hairs on my arms stand on end. My body heat is completely leached out of me and my teeth start to chatter. It feels like I’ve been dropped in the snowy tundra when, in fact, I’m still sitting in a sunny meadow.
“Why have you summoned us, mage?” an eerie voice whispers in my ear. Now, I’m shaking for another reason. No longer cold, but fucking terrified. I can sense this spirit is not one to be trifled with.
“I invoked spirits seeking answers. Do you know of the academy nearby?” I reply as I keep the tremble out of my voice. I don’t need to alert the spirit that I’m afraid of it.
“Yes, I know of the place. It’s filled with more foul creatures like yourself. I have been watchi
ng them in these very meadows I was born in for thousands of years now. I have seen that foul place built and grown into what it is now, but the building itself is not why you summoned me here.”
I don’t know what kind of spirit this is, but it’s clear it’s not a fan of my kind, so I rule out it being a mage. I also sense that it’s strong, dangerous even. I’m surprised it heeded my call for a few eggs. I might need to tread carefully.
“You’re right, I’m not interested in the academy, but those who attended there. Do you know if someone with the powers of a manipulation has ever gone there?” I ask it flat out. It’s better to get straight to the point. The longer I hold the spirit here, the more it drains and weakens me. Dally long enough and I’ll be too weak to stop it from escaping and send it back.
“Tell me, pretty mage, what will you give me for that information?” it asks in a taunting voice. Invisible fingers caress my cheek and I jerk my head back. Bargains, I growl. If I had to guess, I’d say the spirit is of the Fae. He did say he was born in these meadows and the Fae are notorious for hating our kind.
“I’ve already made my offering and you accepted it. Give me the answers I seek and then be gone,” I grit through clenched teeth.
“The answers you seek are important to you. A few hatchlings is not enough compensation.”
“You will get nothing else from me. If you refuse to answer me, then leave this place. Go back to the spirit world where you belong.” Sure, I’m disappointed, but I rather not dig myself in a hole too deep to climb out of.
“My, pretty, don’t you have quite the temper. What I want isn’t much. It’s insignificant compared to the answers you seek.”
“You should not trust this spirit,” Archer growls in my head. The tone of his voice more than tells me how uneasy about all this he feels.
“I’m not dumb. I don’t plan on falling into any traps, but I can’t overlook what it’s offering without hearing it out first. What if it really does have the answers I need?”