We arrive at the library, and I guide my coven sisters to the back room with the locked door. Retrieving the key from around my neck, I unlock the door with a satisfying click. Drawing my wand, I flick the tip, illuminating it with a soft glow. Fern and Ela follow suit, and with a simultaneous gesture, we cast 'Illuminate,' flooding the room with light.
'Woah!' escapes from everyone's lips. Fern, clearly astounded, asks, 'Luna, do you even know what this room is?'
I confidently reply, 'Yeah, it’s the forbidden room. It’s been locked for hundreds of years, so no one could access any of the books as magic was forbidden.'
Fern takes a moment, then explains, 'Luna, this room isn’t just to lock books away. This table isn’t just a table. It’s an altar. This room is a secret witch's study and an ancient one at that!'
'Ooh, really?' I respond, my eyes widening with fascination.
'I believe Fern is correct. Take a look at all of this, and these volumes are centuries old,' Ela chimes in, flipping through the pages of one of the books on the altar. 'Even these scrolls appear ancient,' she adds, reaching for one and unravelling it. 'This is a gateway spell to access the realm of shadows. It's the home of the vampires. It's also where Alec, the Vampire King, has his fortress.'
'These aren't ordinary spells, Luna,’ Lilac remarks as she reads the titles on the other scrolls. ‘No witch, wizard, or mage even knows how to cast half of what's in this room.’ The gravity of our discovery settles in as we stand amidst the ancient secrets concealed within the forbidden room.
In the corner of the room, a burlap sack hangs from the handle of an old broom crafted from a sturdy branch, its bristles intricately fashioned from fine sticks. Eagerly, I sling the burlap sack over my shoulder and delicately place a couple of books and a few scrolls inside. 'I’m going to bring some books back home with us,' I convey to my coven sisters as they watch me.
'Luna, there are a lot of spells in here that are quite harmful. Maybe we should leave them? They are locked in here for a reason,' Ela cautions.
Reaper reinforces her sentiments through our shared mind-link. ‘Ela is right.'
Understanding their apprehensions, I carefully take the scroll that Ela had unravelled on the altar, tie the red ribbon around it, and place it back on the shelf. 'It’s fine. I’ll just take a couple of books to read and study. I promise to return them here once I’m done,' I reassure them, hoping to alleviate their concerns.
Reaper flies over my shoulder, snatching a book from a nearby bookcase. He returns to me, dropping the book into my hands before landing on my shoulder again. 'This one looks interesting,' he mind-links.
I nod in agreement, my eyes fixed on the book in my hands—' A Guide for Magical Weapons.' I acknowledge Reaper with a nod and carefully tuck the book into my burlap bag.
My attention then turns to a quill sitting in a vat of black ink. I grab it, move to a bare corner of the room, and draw a circle with a star inside. With hands on my hips, I contemplate the need for stones. My gaze settles on the old stone wall with small, crumbling parts. Collecting five crumpled rocks, I place them at the tip of each star point in the circle I had drawn. 'There, now we have a permanent port to get here,' I declare with a satisfied smile. 'Let’s go back home. Yiselda and the Wolf Council will be arriving soon.'
The others follow suit, stepping into the circle with me, and as I think of home, we materialize by the unlit bonfire. Together, we return to the packhouse, anticipating the imminent arrival of Yiselda and the Wolf Council.
Instead of joining the girls upstairs, I retreat to the privacy of my room. As I settle on my bed, I eagerly open the burlap bag, revealing the treasures I procured from the forbidden room. Placing the book on weaponry beside me, I reach for the next one. 'Mysteria: The Origins of Magic,' I read aloud, feeling a surge of excitement at the prospect of delving into the knowledge held within its pages.
Opting for the book on weaponry, I begin to peruse its contents. Meanwhile, Reaper settles on the window's edge, seemingly lost in contemplation as he gazes out into the distance.
As my eyes scan the pages, my thoughts unexpectedly drift back to Alec. A peculiar urge to see him again tugs at the corners of my mind. 'Don’t be ridiculous, Nina,' I scold myself internally, attempting to push aside the unusual thoughts.
Reaper turns to look at me, breaking the silence with a wry comment, 'Did you know that talking to oneself is a classic sign of insanity?'
Rolling my eyes, I dismiss his jest with a wave of my hand. 'Yeah, yeah, I probably am insane,' I quip, my thoughts still ensnared by Alec's mysterious allure.
‘Why would you think that?’ Reaper asks a more serious tone underlying his question.
I meet his gaze, considering whether to confide in my familiar. 'When I’m not thinking of Magnus, I’m thinking of the Vampire King. There has to be something wrong with me,' I reply with melancholy.
Reaper silently scrutinizes me, his gaze penetrating. Unsettled by the intensity, I divert my attention back to the book on weaponry, choosing to immerse myself in its contents.
While reading the book of magical weaponry, the pages reveal a mesmerizing array of odd-shaped staffs adorned with various gem forms, wands boasting intricate patterns and jewels, chakrams, sceptres, charms, and an assortment of jewellery. My fascination deepens as I flick through the pages, arriving at the section dedicated to knives and athames.
Just as I'm about to delve into the details inscribed on the page, Magnus's voice echoes through the packhouse, calling out my name. The urgency in his tone prompts me to hastily return the book to my bag, and with Reaper in tow, I dash downstairs.
As I reach the main floor, I spot Magnus and impulsively leap into his awaiting arms. Our lips meet in a passionate kiss, sending electrifying sparks coursing through my body. The magnetic connection between us is undeniable, and I find myself revelling in every touch. Magnus cradles my face in his hands, planting a sweet peck on the tip of my nose.
'Are you ready for the Wolf Council's arrival? They will be here any moment now,' Magnus asks, concealing his worry beneath a composed exterior.
'I'm ready to face them,' I reply with confidence, determined to confront whatever decisions the Wolf Council may have regarding the presence of witches in our pack.