Turning, I crossed to the bed and stooped down in front of the chest. This was one of the main reasons I’d come here. I was determined to get inside, even if only emptiness greeted me. Last time, I’d tried to jimmy the lock with the tip of my blade. Sparks and flames had erupted from the opening, sending me flailing backward.
Today, I had a different plan.
Closing my eyes, I sorted through the power stored in my moonstone, tossing aside yellow threads and blue, pink, and red. Until I found a solitary strand of black.
Only an Unraveler could manipulate the most powerful thread of them all.
Too bad I was only a baby Unraveler.
When I fought the nightlace months ago, I’d somehow stored this miniscule amount of power. And I was convinced the chest’s lock was bespelled.
I tugged on the black thread, coaxing it up from where it lay dormant in my stone. It wavered in front of me, just beyond my reach.
Snapping my mind out, I grabbed ahold of it and pushed it from my mouth with one word. “Unravel!”
The power burst from me and hit the chest.
A dull click resounded in the room.
I opened my eyes to find the top of the chest cracked open.
By the fae, I’d done it! Done something. I wasn’t sure what.
My second unraveling?
Fingers trembling, I reached out, bracing myself for the burn. But the top parted as if the hinges had been oiled this morning. The lid hit the bedframe with a dull thud, and I leaned forward, anticipation dripping from my skin, wondering if I’d find anything inside except air.
A small velvet bag lay in the bottom. Nothing else.
Holding my breath, I reached inside and picked it up. Something solid yet light in the sack shifted. The golden strings securing the top parted when I tugged on the loose ends. The string fell to my lap, and the small bag gaped open.
“What’s this?” I whispered. I upended the bag and a silver ring fell into my palm. Tossing aside the bag, I lifted the ring. An oval moonstone winked at me, shooting blue and purple fire. Mesmerized by the colors lighting the stone from within, I slipped it onto my left middle finger then stroked the stone.
“I did say you’re smart, now didn’t I?” Minerva said from behind me. “You were able to unravel the spell.”
Whirling around, I clutched my hand to my chest.
The ring! It wasn’t mine and I’d… I tried to wrench it off but it felt as if it had been glued in place.
“Don’t remove it yet,” she said with a laugh. “I just got here.”
“Wearing the ring called you?”
“Clever, just as I’d assumed.” She clapped her hands. “I’m going to love teaching you everything I know.”
“What are you going to teach me?”
“I’m the one you’ve been seeking, child.” With a soft smile, she dipped into a shallow curtsy. “I’m a Master Unraveler.”
Chapter 14
My mind immediately shot to Donovan. “If I bring someone here, could you unravel the bespelling someone placed on him?” Somehow, I’d talk Donovan into following me.
Into the moat for a swim in December. Right.
But could fixing this really be that simple?
“I’m afraid I can’t help,” Minerva said sadly. “You see, I’m dead. Threads can only be drawn by the living.”
“You’re an Unraveler but you can’t unravel even one simple bespelling?” Simple might be a stretch, but I was desperate.
“Not any longer.” Her lips curled up, and her eyes twinkled. “But someday, you’ll be able to unravel even the most complex bespellings.”
“Someday is too long from now. I need to unravel a spell now.”
Her laugh came out like she was indulging a clinging toddler. I expected her to pat me on the head. “Impatient, aren’t you?”
“You would be if you were in my situation, too.” I paced back and forth in the room. I was agitated because I needed answers but also because I was worried I’d turn into a block of ice if I stopped moving. Shivers quaked through me.
“Are you chilled, child?” A wave of her hand, and a pile of sticks beside the bed burst into flame. No smoke, but I wasn’t going to look into this too deeply.
“I thought ghosts couldn’t do magic?”
“It’s a lesser known and simple spell, using elemental magic.”
Another spell I needed to learn.
Warmth coasted through the room, drawing me closer to the flames. I crossed over to stand in front of it, my hands outstretched to catch the heat. Pure heaven.
Floating to the bed, Minerva sat. Sorta. She hovered over the mossy surface. Patting the mattress beside her, she said, “Have a sit. Tell me what’s troubling you.”
When I joined her, the frame groaned and the mattress sunk down, disintegrating under my weight. Leaning back against the wall, I lifted my feet and roasted them like marshmallows on sticks in front of the flames. “There’s this guy,” I finally said.
“There’s always a boy.” Her grin hinted at nostalgic memories. “Or a girl, for some. Do tell me more.”
“He’s…special.”
She chuckled and nudged my arm like we were best friends gossiping about the new cute boy in class. “Aren’t they all?”
“He’s the king’s younger brother. We met on our first day here at the Academy, and we’ve been together ever since. But after I stabbed the king—”
“Ah! There’s a story there, I assume?”
“It was an accident but the king didn’t believe me. He asked me to back off, to let Donovan choose. But Donovan wanted to be with me, which pissed off the king. He had his Court Bespeller cast a spell on Donovan and now he no longer remembers me.” My heart ached all over again at my loss. “Then Donovan got a charm from Katya.”
Minerva hissed. “No one should trust the Bespeller sorceress.”
A tip I should apply to myself, except I had no choice, now did I? When I asked Katya to help, I’d have to guard myself against tricks. “The charm let Donovan remember me but the cost was too much. It was draining his power. I asked him to destroy it, and he did.”
“And he reverted back to his bespelling and no longer remembers you.” Grief came through in her voice. I wondered. Did she think about the loss of her consort, the Bespeller who’d gone rogue and cast a spell on the patriarch of the third family and then been killed for the crime?
I wanted to tell her that Donovan knew who I was when he was in dragon form, but his shifter ability was his secret, not mine to share.
“And this is why you’re determined to reach a Level Five?” she asked. “To unravel his spell?”
“As soon as I can. Cloven has been working with me—”
“How is Cloven?” Her longing couldn’t be denied. “I miss him.”
“Your son.”
She leaned away from me and studied my face. “Someone has been talking.”
“A…friend. She knows more about the past than most.” And how did Tria know so much? She’d alluded to her Seeker skapti being a reason, but that didn’t explain why she wasn’t subject to the same bespelling as everyone else. “Cloven’s doing great. He’s a nice guy and an awesome teacher. You’d be proud of him.”
“It’s been ages since I’ve seen him.” She sighed. “And my family lives for a very long time. But death steals everything.” Staring down for a long moment, she said nothing before seeming to gather herself together. “My grandsons. What have you heard about them?”
I couldn’t betray Tria’s confidence by sharing, not without asking permission first. “I…” If they were dead, wouldn’t Minerva know this already, since she was dead herself? Or didn’t everyone meet up in the afterlife like I’d always assumed? “I think your grandsons may have passed on.” Such a benign way of saying it. Passed on. “Cloven thinks they’re dead, though he’s unsure about Blaine.”
“The scoundrel.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard he was a bad dude.” Cloven had speculate
d that Blaine might be involved with the nightlace attacks. If he’d found a way to drive them to kill, was he still around cooking up another plan? Actually, was he a Bespeller? Cloven had said no, but it was something to think about.
“Avoid Blaine at all cost,” Minerva said.
How could I do that? I didn’t know what he looked like. I could ask Cloven about a picture, though cameras didn’t seem to be a thing in the Sídhe world.
“Would you like me to tell Cloven hi for you?” I asked.
“Oh!” She clapped her hands. “That would be wonderful. Tell him I think of him all the time and hope he’s well.”
“I will.” My clothing was drying out. I might not freeze to death after all. “As I said, Cloven has been trying to teach me unraveling.”
“Lovely.” She beamed. “Then show me what you can do, apprentice Unraveler.”
Hope, a wispy thing I’d struggled to cling to, blossomed inside me. I could do this. We could do this. I’d found a Master Unraveler to teach me!
“Cloven has taken me as far as he can. I’m able to call—some of the time—black threads,” I said.
“You’ve achieved Level One. Well done!”
It didn’t feel like much of an accomplishment when I’d been unable to progress further than that.
“As for black threads.” She scowled. “They’re pesky things, aren’t they?”
“Why won’t they cooperate like the other colors?” I asked. All the other threads seemed eager to donate magic. I spent too much time shoving them away. But they wouldn’t give me what I needed to unravel spells.
“Black threads will do what you ask once you teach them. You’re in control and they’ll soon learn to behave.”
“Which means I’m still a Level One. To reach Two, I need to be able to consistently store them in my stone. So far, I’ve only stored one by accident.”
“I assume you mean that, in a time of great need, you were able to jump Levels?”
“Something like that.”
“Someday, you’ll be able to do it with barely a thought.”
Someday wasn’t near enough for me. “Can you show me how to get to Level Five?” Desperation came through in my voice. “I have spells to unravel.”
“Spells? Not just one bespelling related to the boy, then.”
“I’ve also been bespelled. I can no longer flit.”
She reeled away from me. “Who did this?”
“We have no idea. There are only two known Bespellers alive, the Court Bespeller and Katya. No Unravelers other than me, as far as I know. Cloven believes we’re dealing with an unknown Bespeller. A rogue.”
“This person—this fiend—has caused you harm.”
“It’s not just about taking my ability to flit. The person has been hunting outlings. There were eight of us on campus when I started in September, but now there are only five.”
Her green eyes widened. “My goodness! This Bespeller killed three outlings?”
“Two. Sarah and Drea.” My heart ached for my friends. “Jenny was nearly killed. She asked the Headmistress to strip her of her power and send her back to her family. The Bespeller tried to kill me, too, but my friend rescued me.”
“And this person is still after you.” She fisted folds of her gown. “You’re in danger. You must leave the Academy until the Bespeller is caught.”
Give up and run? No way. “I’m not leaving. My friends and I have a plan. We’re going to set a trap for the Bespeller.”
She scowled. “With you as bait, I assume?”
“The Bespeller does seem particularly interested in me.” And why was that? What made me different than any of the other remaining outlings? As far as I knew, the Bespeller wasn’t yet targeting Eli, Carly, Miguel, or Eben.
Maybe because, unlike them, I was in attack mode, not waiting for something to happen. And I kept snooping into the sixth family.
It couldn’t be as simple as that, could it?
Minerva huffed. “I can’t imagine my son is allowing you to conduct your own investigation or endanger yourself by laying a trap.”
Unable to meet her gaze, I squirmed. “I haven’t exactly told him about the plan.”
“How is he handling the investigation?”
“Cloven and the Headmistress created wards that minimize the Bespeller’s magic on campus.”
“Excellent idea.”
“And the Council sent Seekers. After they learned an Elite student—Alys—was bespelled to turn into a nightlace cluster and hunt outlings, they kicked their investigation into high gear.”
“You need to leave this to my son and the Seekers, then. They’ll take care of the Bespeller.”
“I refuse to give control of what’s happening to me to everyone else.”
“I do understand.” She stared forward for a long moment. “There was a time in my life when I, too, was eager to learn who was using magic against me.”
Her consort? Had he not only bespelled the patriarch of the third family but Minerva, as well? “Can you tell me what happened back then?”
“I’d like to tell you everything but can’t.”
Nothing new there. “You already suggested you’re not bespelled. Or do bespellings remain locked onto a person beyond death?”
“I’m free to speak of it but I believe, for your safety, it’s best that I don’t.”
Another roadblock when I was getting so close. I growled.
“I’m asking you to promise me you won’t look into this further,” she said.
I crossed my arms on my chest. “I can’t give you that promise. I’m sorry. If that means you won’t teach me, then so be it.” What the fae was I saying? Without a Master, I wouldn’t progress further with my skapti. The last thing I needed to do was antagonize her.
“I will teach you.” Her hand reached out, but it passed through my shoulder. Cold. It felt colder than a block of ice. Shivers rippled through me. Not caused solely by the temperature but by the fact that a ghost was touching me. “But I worry about you, child. I don’t like to think of you endangering yourself.”
My chin lifted, and my arms relaxed at my sides again. “I’ll be careful. I can promise that. And my friends are watching out for me. We’re a team.” Including, to some extent, Alys. Never thought I’d be thinking something like that.
“I’ll have to be satisfied with this promise.” She clapped her hands. “But Level Two. We need to work hard and use our time wisely. The sooner you’re an Unraveler, the better.”
“My thought exactly. I may not be able to protect myself from a bespelling, but I can protect my friends. My professors. You, if you need it.”
“You’re sweet but I’m safe from just about anyone.” Her arm went around my shoulders. A thick icicle sliding through my shoulders. Beyond creepy. But I didn’t shift away from her. I didn’t just have my friends looking out for me. To some extent, I also had Minerva.
“I’ll come here as often as I can.” I couldn’t hide how eager I was to get started. To reach the next Level. It was hard to hold myself back. I wanted to do everything. Now.
“You won't need to come here again unless you wish.”
“You're going to teach me how to get to Level Five today?” How was this even possible? Everyone said I needed a Master but surely there was more to this than one lesson?
“That would be impossible.”
My gut sunk. So close. I’d been so close. Would she snatch my dream away?
“Come now.” An ice block patted my thigh. “You have my ring. When you're ready for more training, tap the stone three times. But only do so where we won't be disturbed. Remember, only you can see and interact with me. Someone watching would believe you were speaking with yourself.” Her soft chuckle rang out.
Didn't want that.
“Can I call you a lot?” Like, two or three times a day?
“Whenever you wish.” Her lips took on a wry twist. “Death is dull. Uneventful. I welcome the opportunity to liven things up by wor
king with an apprentice.”
I sat forward, eager. “I'll practice all the time.”
“I know you will. But one thing you must consider.”
I tilted my head.
“You said you're doing this for a boy.” She frowned. “To reach Level Five, you'll need to do this for everyone.”
Anxiety twisted inside me. I’d been driven to do this for Donovan. “What do you mean?”
“With three Bespellers, this world desperately needs an Unraveler.”
“Balance?” Was that what she was saying?
“Exactly. Life needs balance. These Bespellers are unchecked. They can do whatever they please, without repercussions.”
How horrifying. If corrupted, they could change the world and no one would know. No one could stop them.
Hold on. Who had bespelled everyone to forget the history of the sixth family? I shook my head and brushed off the thought. The Bespelling had been done for a valid reason and likely at the request of the king. Families must’ve taken sides, some with the third, others with the sixth. Making everyone forget allowed them to get along peacefully.
Had the Council asked for a spell to prevent a civil war? A farfetched idea on my part, but the thought kept picking at my brain, telling me to pay attention.
“No one should be able to control others without their permission and knowledge,” Minerva said. “You, my Unraveler student, will be tasked to keep the Bespellers in line.”
I couldn't imagine policing the Court Bespeller’s actions, let alone Katya’s. But the unknown Bespeller? Yes, I’d welcome the chance to rein that person in.
“But this conversation is for another day. For now, we must work on getting you to Level Two.” She turned to face me. “First, show me your selection stone.”
I pulled my blade and laid it on my lap.
She reached out to touch, but her fingers passed through my moonstone. “So,” she sighed out. “I’d wondered. After all this time…” Tears brimmed in her eyes. The dead could cry? “It is you.”
Crystal Wing Academy- The Complete Series Page 59
