“Yeah, well, I’m smart enough not to waste my time with the likes of you. Jealous much, Caleb?”
I ignore his piercing eyes and the growling guttural sounds he makes in the back of his throat. Caleb doesn’t frighten me. I know it’s his jealousy talking. He loves Roman just as much as I do, if not more.
Rose and Roman come in next. She’s carrying several volumes of large books, and so is Roman. I look behind them for Soraya, but she isn’t there. Roman looks from me to Caleb and follows my gaze.
“Soraya is outside on guard with the others. We have a lot to get through and we don’t need any distractions,” he says, placing the pile of books on the side table. Rose sits her pile down next to his.
“What are those?” I ask, pointing.
“Ancient Grimoires from your lineage. They contain a wealth of power fused by magic, both dark and light. For what we have to do, we might need both.”
“Time’s running out. It would take me a year to read all of them?”
Rose places her hands on her waist and scans from one end of the table to the other, then regards me.
“If my suspicions are correct, for you, it’ll take less than fifteen minutes of solid concentration.” Rose gestures with her head for me to come closer.
Indecisively, I do, stopping by her side. I admire her confidence in my abilities, but I have my doubts I can do this.
“I have a spell you need to say while your palms are placed flat on top of the books. Roman and Caleb will guard the door from outside. I’ll call them back in when we’re done.”
As if on cue the men leave the room, closing the door behind them. My heart is pounding, and my mouth goes dry. I’m not sure about any of this; what good will putting my sweaty hands on some old books do? Clearly, to place so much faith in abilities I have yet to explore properly, means they’re losing hope.
I thought Rose would discuss it with me first, ease me into things. But this reading volumes of what look like giant encyclopedias in fifteen minutes through touch alone was too farfetched, and I wasn’t biting, not anymore.
Chapter Nine
“I can sense you’re doubtful. You trusted me once, when you were little. I’m asking you to trust me now. What’s the worst that can happen?”
Really? Umm…I don’t know but just off the top of my head, what if I do something wrong and send us to the moon? It’s not as if I’m driving everyone to the store. Rather, I’m expected to travel between worlds and she asks what’s the worst that could happen.
“Nothing…that’s what I’m afraid of—nothing will happen, and I’ll let everyone down. I’m not saying I don’t believe you. It’s just that I don’t know if I believe in me like you do. I’m still accepting what I’ve been told. If it’s real and nothing happens, then I’d have disappointed my friends. It’s a lot of pressure having those I care about rely on me to do something I’m not sure I can do. I’m not a fixer. I’m the one who needs fixing.
“I just want to wake up from this dream, and go back to being my regular self again. Once I lay my hands on those books you say belong to my family, life as I’ve known it could be over.”
The way she looks at me brings me back to the first time we met. Her face softens, and I can read her thoughts before she says a word. She’s pleading with me; giving me a pained stare, her eyes are begging me to trust her.
She shuffles from one foot to the other before coming closer and placing a reassuring hand on my arm. As if carrying a huge load, she lets out a weighty sigh.
“That life was over the moment you stepped through the doors of Paranormal Realms. You have to face it, Winter, this is you. This is going to be your life whether you accept it or not. I was wrong to have Bellamy take your powers. I should have asked her to teach you how to control them; to suppress them yourself. Stripping you of this life for fifteen years and expecting you to fall back into it is crazy, but we have no choice. We need you.”
I shake my head. I can’t think for the scratching in my mind and the gnawing on my insides. I don’t want to do it but a force greater than me takes me closer to the books. My mouth is drier than a saltine cracker, and if I held a mug under my palm, I’d fill it from the sweat alone. I rub them down the sides of my jeans.
As if she can read my thoughts, Rose hands me a glass of cold water. I can’t say from where. I gulp it down without hesitation. Anything is better than the sandy texture on my tongue.
Thinking of my friends, I make my decision—doing nothing would be worse than if I tried and failed. I move even closer to Rose.
“What do I have to do?”
“Place your palms flat on the top of these.” She holds my wrist and guides them into position. Gently, I place my hands on the Grimoires. They sink through like quicksand, up to my elbows.
My arms are trapped in the pages of these books. I should feel afraid, but I don’t. A strange calm comes over me. I face Rose. “What now?”
“Now we say the enchantment. Repeat after me.”
She says the words I’ve never heard before in a language I don’t understand, yet they feel familiar. My hands are being pushed upward from within until my palms are glued to the top of the books. Then the strangest sensation comes over me. It’s like marching ants under my flesh, and I watch as the words absorb into my skin, then crawl inside my head. I feel them assault my every fiber; neck, cheeks, forehead, everywhere. The invasion is followed by whispers echoing from inside.
I close my eyes and give in to the bombardment of words, old and new, filling my brain and expanding my mind. I know things both ancient and modern, languages I’ve never learned or spoken are suddenly familiar to me. I’m filled with knowledge, and I know what it is I must do—what’s expected of me.
“You are protected by the blood of your ancestors. You are the anchor between worlds. We all have a purpose, and this is yours.” A subtle, unfamiliar voice repeats the words over and over.
Feeling empowered by generations of magic, I say the same. “I am the anchor between worlds and protected by my ancestors.”
Energy surges through me. It’s as if new life is being pumped into my veins.
I’m unsure of how long I’ve been standing, time seems to slip away. My body absorbs every piece of text written from a long line of powerful witches. The energy is still surging through me when Soraya bursts into the room with Roman and Caleb in tow. She yells, “Werebeasts are coming.”
Chapter Ten
“Let’s go.” Soraya grabs my arm. We’re leaving the room when I look back and see Caleb and Roman shift into wolf form and head in the opposite direction from us. Rose stands over the table of books, with her eyes closed and arms open, mumbling something. I’m putting up some resistance to break free of Soraya’s tight grip, but the girl is stronger than she looks.
“No…I don’t want to leave them.” I stop in my tracks. “We have to go back and help.”
“Trust me, I love a good fight, but right now, getting you to safety is what we need to do. If you get hurt, it’ll be good for no one. I’m sure they’ll be right behind us.”
There’s a loud uproar and out of nowhere, white wolves charge us head-on. I’m still feeling the words from the Grimoires stream through me, when I raise my hand and send one of them flying into the air.
Others with it circle around the injured canine, while one stands directly in front of the pack, growling at me.
“Don’t!” Soraya yells, placing herself directly in front of me and the white wolves with her arm extended. I look at the canine and then her.
“Winter, they’re one of us, and are coming to help.”
My hand springs to my mouth and I gasp as Soraya makes her way to the injured animal.
I feel terrible. “Oh no! I’m so sorry.”