As soon as she left I went straight for the grimoire. I carefully looked around it to make sure there weren't any traps. I mean who would just leave it out in the open. I looked around and noticed on the wall there was a huge picture of the grimoire. I looked at it on the table and I had a thought.
If I was a powerful grimoire I wouldn’t be out in the open no matter where I am. I walked over to the picture of the grimoire. I waved my hand over it and felt the power emanating from it. I thought I heard voices telling me to get it. My hand touched the painting and nothing happened. I knew I was running out of time so I tried something.
“Come to me,” I said as I touched the painting again, putting all my intentions in.
This time a vortex opened and my hand went through. I dug in deeper until I felt something and yanked my hand out quickly. There it was. Her family grimoire. It was thick but surprisingly felt very light. As my hands traveled across the leather I heard it. Voices coming from the grimoire. Little promises of great power swirled inside my head and I had to open it. When I did I was shocked.
“Alaia, no!” Mirja was back in the room with her guns out and pointing at me. “Put my family’s grimoire down.”
“Why are the pages blank,” I asked as if I wasn’t aware she was pointing her guns at my head. I was too shocked to even care. All this time I wanted to get this book, but there was nothing there. Just a book with empty promises. “Where are the words, the spells?” I started to yell.
Mirja cocked her guns, “Last warning, Alaia. Put.It.Down.”
I looked back down at the grimoire in my hand. The promises of power were great and I knew I couldn’t let that go. Maybe I was missing something. Grimoire as powerful as this wouldn’t just reveal itself to anyone. I had to prove my worth. My gaze went back to Mirja and I knew she knew I wasn’t giving this back. Before her finger could pull the trigger Nas came from behind and knocked her out.
“Well that was the most fun I ever had,” he said, bringing Mira’s body to her bed. He stared down at her and whispered. “If she was my type-”
“Keep it in your pants hotshot. We still need to figure out what to do with her and the bar.”
I sat the grimoire down and I actually felt weird letting it go. It felt like it was part of me. I looked around for some smelling salts to wake Mirja but first I pulled out the Nauthiz rune in her pocket and placed it on her chest. I didn’t want her to move. I took off her necklace that protects her from spells and broke it. I used the smelling salt and Mirja slowly came to. She smiled a bit when she saw me until her memories started to come back.
“Alaia, the grimoire-” She tried to move but realized she couldn’t. “What the-what did you do to me? Where’s my necklace?”
“Don’t worry. It will wear off. I’m sorry I had to do this, Mirja. I just need to get my old self back.”
“Yeah and what are you willing to sacrifice for that, huh? You think that grimoire will help but you know better than anyone there’s always a price. Are you ready for that?”
“How can I get it to reveal it’s pages?” I asked. My mind was already made up, so there was nothing she could say. Mirja looked away without giving me an answer.
“You do know I will eventually find out, Mirja. So just tell me.”
“No. I know you’re angry right now, but Alaia that grimoire won’t do anything but harm you.”
“What are you talking about? You were able to give me a bit of power not too long ago,” I said, remembering the ritual she performed. “You, yourself, used a spell from this grimoire to help me, did you not?”
“Yes! But I didn’t know what I had to sacrifice for it? You never thought to ask what I had to give up to help you.”
She never told me she had to sacrifice anything. “I didn’t ask you to give up anything for me,” I said softly. Feeling a bit guilty about the present moment.
“I know. You didn’t. That was my choice but I’m trying to keep you from having to make the same mistake.”
“It’s my decision. Mirja. Just tell me what I need to do.”
Mirja stared at me for a while before shaking her head and turning her head away. I got up and ran my hands through my hair with frustration. Nas came behind and placed her hands on my shoulders. A part of me hated him touching me via Elena, but the other part welcomed the simple caress.
He lowered his mouth near my ear and whispered, “There are other ways to get information out of someone.”
Though the thought of torturing someone who helped me when I was at my lowest didn’t sit well with me, I needed that grimoire. Nothing was going to stand in my way.
“Mirja, just help me out. I promise to bring it back in one piece.”
“Liar! You’re only going to dig yourself an early grave, Alaia.”
I walked back to her bedside and sat next to her. “I need this, Mirja. You know I do. I don’t want to hurt you but I will if that’s what I need to do. Work with me and we can both get what we want.”
She just stared at me, shaking her head. I can’t deny that I felt a bit disappointed. I thought at least I would’ve been able to get her to work with me.
Nas walked over with a silver knife. “Speechless. My favorite kind.”
I pulled out a silver collar from my bag and clasped it around Mirja’s neck. She hissed from the feel of silver on her neck but I knew she could handle it. I pulled out the wrist clamps I stole from the rehabilitation center and I placed them around her wrist to keep her from trying any magic tricks.
“I’ll be back in case you change your mind. Don’t try anything funny or this button right here will give you a little reminder to calm down. In the meantime, Nas has graciously volunteered to help out with the bar. I think that’s nice of him.”
“You bastard,” Mirja spit out before Nas placed tape over her mouth.
He followed me back to the door. “Keep me posted if she says anything. I’ll check in later. Don’t fuck up the bar.”
I turned to leave when Nas pulled my arm and kissed me. At first I was shocked and for a moment I gave in before pushing him back. I could feel Elena ready to come to the surface and claw his face off. He stepped back, laughing a bit.
“What was that for,” I asked, not caring about the blush rising on my cheeks.
“I just wanted to see if evil was as sweet as it looks,” he said, licking his lips. There was something about that that really turned me on. Nas plastered a cocky smirk on his face, knowing the effect he just had on me, but I wasn’t giving him any satisfaction.
“Thank you. Now I have to explain to my mate why he was in pain just now, you asshole.”
Nas shrugged his shoulders. “Worth it on my end,” he said, turning his attention back to Mirja.
This guy was going to get me in trouble and he had no intention of giving up on me. I left with the grimoire and a plan to take back control.