“Adelaide, why don’t we take a break. You must be hungry,” Atarah cut in once again as she went to the door and opened it to show a tray of food ready to be delivered.
She was hungry. I hadn’t noticed at all until now. In fact, she’d only gone to use the bathroom twice, now that I thought about it. She was dead set on making me remember either the spell or how to call my grimoire that she seemed to be fighting anything that could distract her from her mission. At the sight of the food, she frowned but walked to the table and sat down with a huff, shoving half the sandwich into her mouth.
“Has the witch been troubling you?” Theseus asked me gently.
“No,” I said, smiling as I pulled him to the window farthest from anyone in the corner of the library. “She’s a little…hardheaded and pushy, but I feel like she’s coming from a somewhat good place. I might be the one truly troubling everyone. Arsiein and Atarah are basically forced to watch us do nothing but argue and fail at spells.”
“Is it wrong that I am pleased to know your day was of little event or entertainment without me,” he asked as his arms wrapped around my waist.
I rolled my eyes. “So when you aren’t with me, you want me to sit in boredom?”
“Absolutely.” He nodded.
“Yes, that is very wrong.” I couldn’t help but laugh as I reached up to fix his buttons on his shirt. “We are trying to figure out this mess, remember? Ugh, I’m tired of the word remember!”
“Why?”
I made a face. “Because I’ve said that word like a thousand and ten times today. Want to know what I’ve been doing? Holding my finger up in a flame.” I lit my finger to show him. “Then saying over and over again, I remember, I remember, the sky I was born under, it rumbles above me like thunder, my mind cannot wonder. The times are not torn asunder. For I remember, I remember, the sky I was born under.”
I blew out the fame, and the moment I did, the room darkened as if someone had turned off the lights. I could smell magic pouring into the room, to the point where the hair on the back of my neck stood up. I felt the desire to step away. It was so strong and heavy that it felt like it could crush me. And it kept coming closer and closer before the door burst open, and I saw myself stumble inside, shaking, blood staining my tattered clothes, and hair looking as if it had been almost yanked out of my head.
“Wraith.”
I watched with everyone as a large, thick, leather-bound book appeared in my bloody hands.
“I will return. Until then, hide.”
I watched as I whispered, then began to speak in a language I didn’t understand, causing the grimoire to transform into a black and white composition notebook. I watched as I flung the book, like a Frisbee, before it disappeared somewhere in the library. Just like that, I stumbled back out the door of the library. The lights turned back on, and the vision was gone.
“This is what you all called nothing?” Theseus asked me, but I shook my head, speechless.
Adelaide stood up with her mouth agape and the sandwich still in her hand. Even Arsiein was transfixed, walking back to the door to make sure he’d seen what he’d just seen, which was comforting to me. I was glad they all saw it. That meant I didn’t have to explain it because I did not have the words to do so.
“This didn’t happen before,” I finally said.
“So why did it happen now?” Atarah asked, looking between Adelaide and me.
Slowly, Adelaide put her food down and shifted her gaze to me. “The spell you said shows you what you forgot. Like if you forgot where you left your keys. The spell would show yourself putting your keys away, but it should be for you to see only, but we all saw and felt it. That magic…I’ve never felt anything like it before.”
“You wanted to know the name of your grimoire. Well, I assume it just reminded you?” Arsiein replied as he stepped back inside. “But again, why now? What is different this time you did the spell than…” His speech drifted as his gaze fell on Theseus.
So did Adelaide’s as she stepped forward. “You.” She pointed to him.
“What about me, witch?” Theseus asked her.
“You’re her key,” Adelaide replied.
“What?” I repeated. “Key to what?”
“Your magic, your memories…” she replied, still thinking. “Step away from him completely and call out for your grimoire.”
I did what she asked and stepped away from him. Theseus crossed his arms, not pleased but did not say anything on it.
“Wraith?” I called out, and nothing happened.
“Theseus, hold her again,” Arsiein said, standing beside Adelaide as they examined us. Theseus stepped beside me and held on to my hand. “Druella, call it again.”
“Wraith,” I called out once more, and as if a vampire pitcher threw the damn thing at my head, it came flying at me with so much force the bookshelf it was on trembled. I caught it and held on tight to the notebook.