by D. G. Swank
“The book’s calling you again, isn’t it?” He must have seen the answer on my face because he said, “Something in your face changes when it does. You have to ignore it, Ro. Don’t give in to the evil.”
“It’s not evil, Logan. It wants to help me defeat them,” I said, though I couldn’t help wondering if the book was purposely trying to make me forget him. He was the only one trying to convince me to turn my back on it.
“Arthur,” Donall snarled. “She’s going to use it against us. Do something.”
“Rowan,” my father snapped in a harsh tone I still wasn’t used to hearing from him. “Enough nonsense. Find the spell for controlling the power orb, and I’ll let you decide what happens to your sisters. I’ll give you more power than Donall, if you like.”
“Arthur!” Donall shouted.
The book was outraged. “Give me more power than Donall? With the book, I have more power than the two of you together. Do you think I’m going to just hand it over to you?”
They plot against you, the book whispered in my head, a soft female voice that caught me by surprise.
“What happened to Rowan’s mother?” Logan called out. “Her accident wasn’t natural. Who caused it?”
My father looked annoyed.
“He’s right,” I said. “You know. I’m certain of it.”
My father remained silent, but then shot a quick glance to Peter.
It was all the confirmation I needed.
“Why?” I demanded, giving Peter a hard stare.
“She found out the Dark Set was back,” my father said.
“Because you were their leader!” I countered. How had I never known? The signs had all been there—his thirst for power, his attempts to get a position on the Small Council, the fights I’d overheard between my parents.
“We needed more time,” my father said. “She needed to be stopped before she could get to Lucia.”
“Which means you told him Mom knew about them,” I said. “You knew he would kill her.”
He didn’t respond.
I gasped as the truth hit me. “Oh my gods. You may not have been the one to kill her, but you were on board. You knew it would devastate all of us, especially Celeste. Mom was the only one keeping her magic in check.” I was faced with another hard truth. “You wanted to take over her training. You wanted to prepare Celeste to use her expression magic for the Dark Set.” I felt sick to my stomach. How had I been so blind? “Months ago, you told Donall to contact Celeste. You’d been keeping tabs on us, and you knew her control was getting worse. Donall told her he could help her, and she grabbed on to that like a life preserver.”
“What were you doing to help her?” Donall asked. “She was desperate for help, and neither one of her sisters understood what she was going through. You outright ridiculed her, Rowan. You claim your father deserted you, but at least he had an excuse for not being there. What was yours?”
Shame washed through me. He was right.
“Celeste was eager for help. At first she was reluctant to use the book, but once I convinced her it held the secrets she wanted, she began to sneak it open. She’d put a sleeping herb in your bedtime tea so she could collect your blood in the middle of the night. It communicated with her, but she couldn’t read it. Neither of us understood why, but Arthur suggested it needed to be removed from Whelan land. She wasn’t happy about that, so we forced it.” Donall’s eyes hardened. “But you can be sure she tried again once the book was in our hands. She was overjoyed when it gave her the spell for the power orb.”
“Why would she want the power orb?” I knew the answer before I finished the question. “You told her it would take away some of her power. Even her out.”
Donall smiled, but his eyes were cold and calculating. “She tried to send it back, but the book wouldn’t let her. She refused to help anymore. We sent men to take you, hoping you could feed it your own blood and read from it, but the Protective Force stopped them. They only got a sample, so we tried to use Phoebe instead.”
“That makes no sense,” I said. “Phoebe said you tried to kill them both.”
Donall’s eyes hazed over. “Mistakes were made.”
My father released a low growl. “He thought if he killed the book’s guardians and fed it their blood, it would reveal its secrets to him.”
Would that work?
No, the book whispered, her voice a caress. I belong to you and you alone.
But was that true? It had revealed itself to Celeste, and Celeste had sworn she was its owner.
Celeste.
If my father really believed I was the only one capable of reading the book, like he’d said in that inscription, why had he chosen to take Celeste first and not me?
The pain of the truth stabbed me in the gut, nearly making me fall over. “You lied about the inscription. You never thought I was special.” I swallowed. “There were no Whelans who could see through glamour.”
“That’s not true!” my father shouted. “There was one two hundred years ago.”
“But you didn’t really believe I could do it,” I said, trying to contain my grief and disappointment. “You never thought I was special.”
You are special, the book said as a fine mist started to rise up from the pages. Together we will rule the world.
“Of course you’re special,” my father said in a rush. “I’ve always thought so.”
Lies. He was full of lies. He’d written that inscription in the hopes I’d prove myself, but he’d done it after collecting the book from the Small Council. “You only think I’m special now because this gods-damned book is talking to me.”
“I’ve always known you were special, Ro,” Logan said in a calm, clear voice. “I don’t need some possessed book to tell me so.”
“Everyone wants something from me,” I said, my voice breaking. “The Small Council. Donall. My father. Even this gods-forsaken book.”
“I can give you great power.” The voice, soft and feminine, echoed in the room as mist poured over the edges of the pages and onto the floor around the book. The book had spoken to us, actually spoken. “I can give you great wealth, Rowan Whelan. I can give you love and family.”
“You don’t need the book for that,” Logan called out. “You don’t need it for any of that. The only thing I want from you is the gift of you.” I shook my head, but he continued. “I can give you love, Ro. And if you want a family, we can have that too. I’d love to see a smart-ass little Rowan running around.” His smile fell, replaced by worry. “You don’t need the book. Leave it and let’s get out of here.”
“I can’t,” I said. “I’m weak without it.”
His jaw clenched. “The fuck you are. You’re the strongest person I know. Neither one of these assholes gives a damn about you. Now use your magic and let’s go.”
Donall laughed. “I love how you think she can just zap you out of here.”
The pages of the book began to flip until it showed me a page labeled “Teleportation.”
My eyes grew huge as I lifted my gaze to Logan.
“What does it say?” Donall asked.
I slowly turned to look at him, giving him a coy smile. “Read it yourself.”
He rushed over and pushed me to the side, then released a groan. “It’s still gibberish.”
My grin spread. The book deemed me worthy, not Donall—so much for their vision of mage supremacy. Hells, the book was feminine, proving we were stronger, but they’d probably turn it around claiming the book was designed to serve them.
“You can actually read it,” Donall said in awe.
“Can you read it, Rowan?” my father asked.
“Wouldn’t you be disappointed if I said I couldn’t?” I said in a snotty tone. “All that scheming for naught.”
“Rowan,” Logan said. “Let’s go home.”
A lump formed in my throat. “I don’t have a home anymore. The Dark Set stole my sisters. They were my home.”
His eyes pleaded with me
. “I want to be your home. Let’s just go.”
Could it really be that simple? Would it even be possible to leave without the book? I could glamour myself and the book, but how would I get Logan free? And how would we get away? He was still limping. On top of that, Donall would still be able to find us through our thoughts. I could probably hide mine, but could I hide Logan’s?
I realized the mind reading barrier I’d set up had broken. I was no longer hiding my thoughts from Donall, but he didn’t seem to notice I was plotting an escape.
The mist became denser, and I realized the book was masking my thoughts for me.
Donall and the Dark Set were evil. Surely it would be okay to use the book to save us just this once.
The edge of the teleportation page fluttered slightly, as if to say yes, I’m here for you. I glanced at Logan again, and even though he shook his head, I felt my will solidify. I had to save Logan, no matter what it took. No matter what it cost my soul.
But something held me back from using the spell to flee the compound. The orb. While the last thing I wanted to do was free the orb for my father and Donnell, it held Phoebe’s power. If I left it here, she’d always feel incomplete.
I couldn’t let that happen.
My impromptu plan involved teleporting me, Logan, and the book to the basement. I’d have a very short window to release the orb and get us out of here.
Easy peasy.
“Logan,” I said. “Do you trust me?”
His eyes widened slightly, then he said, “As long as you and I leave here together, I trust you, Rowan.”
I glanced down at the book and started to recite the spell. It had revealed itself in Latin, a language our mother had taught us even though we’d never used spells growing up. I was rusty, but my pronunciation must have been good enough because the book felt pleased.
“What are you doing, Rowan?” Donall asked.
I ignored him, grabbing the edge of the book and concentrating on Logan as I said the words to transport us downstairs. Would it work if I wasn’t touching him?
I heard shouting outside the room, and Donall’s head jerked up. “Smith,” he barked at one of the guards. “Go check that out.”
The guard ran out of the room, leaving three men standing next to Logan.
Donall was getting more worked up and tried to push me away from the book, but the mist coalesced into a translucent hand and shoved him away, sending him sprawling backward.
“Rowan,” my father said as I continued reading the spell. “Have you found the spell to control the power orb?” The hope in his tone was almost pitiable. Almost.
I picked up the book and made my way to Logan, worried he would be left behind if I wasn’t careful.
“I can’t let you take the book, Rowan,” my father said. “Put it down and let’s discuss this.”
The book felt pleased that I was holding it, and the words I recited thrummed with power. I took a step toward Logan, avoiding his eyes. I knew he’d be disappointed in me. I didn’t think I could deal with that now.
The shouting outside the room increased, spiking my pulse, and breathing hard, I read faster and more urgently, growing louder, and louder, getting lost in the frenzy of the spell.
“Rowan,” my father warned. “Stop this now.”
I ignored him, getting closer to the end of the spell, but I was still ten feet from Logan and the guards were moving in front of him to block my path.
I continued walking to him anyway, trusting the book to protect me.
The guards advanced toward me, but the book repelled them just like it had Donall—the mist coiling into attacking limbs that sent them flying backward.
I placed my hand on Logan’s arm as I said the last words of the spell, envisioning the room where the Dark Set had kept the body, down to the stench.
A swishing sound filled my ears, and then everything went black. Milliseconds later, I was staring at the mage’s rotting corpse.
Chapter Twenty-Three
“Wow,” Logan said, looking startled. “Shit. That’s a dead body.” He took a step back as though to escape.
“The mage they dug up in my family cemetery,” I said, looking around the room.
“I have so many questions,” Logan said in a surprisingly calm voice given that I’d just magically transported him to a room with a dead body.
“And I’ll give you every single answer I can, but first I need to figure out how to get the orb out of this body before my father shows up.”
“The power orb?” Logan asked.
“Yep.” I set the book on a counter, then took a step back, waiting for it to do its cool page-turning trick, but nothing happened. “Come on,” I coaxed it. “Show me how to control the power orb.”
“Why do you need the orb?” Logan asked, sounding alarmed. “Isn’t that what they want you to do?”
“I have to get my sister’s power back.”
“What will you do with the orb then?”
I jerked my gaze up to his. “Get it as far away from the Dark Set as possible.”
He watched me for a second, then said, “Tell me how I can help.”
“I don’t know,” I said. “Before, it helped me—it turned to the page I needed. Now it’s doing nothing.”
“Maybe it doesn’t want you to get the orb.”
He could be right, but something felt off. Like the book had turned off. “Maybe it needs more blood.”
“What?” he exclaimed. “No!”
“I need that orb, Logan!”
His brow furrowed as he looked at me, almost like he didn’t recognize me. “Are you hearing yourself, Rowan? You sound like Donall.”
“No, I don’t.”
His brow shot up. “Don’t you? We could be escaping with the book, the only way Donall can figure out how to free the orb, but you’re wasting time trying to get the orb for yourself.”
“That’s not fair,” I said, starting to open cabinet doors to look for something sharp. “I’m doing this to help my sister get her power back.”
“Would she want you to risk your life for it?”
I opened another cabinet, finding nothing. “The book will protect me. It protected me upstairs.”
“No,” he said, sounding calm and rational. “It’s not helping you now. You just said it needed more blood, and that’s the last thing you should be giving it. Look what it’s already done to you, Ro. You’re pale, shaking. You need medical attention.”
The shouting upstairs rose in volume. It was clear that people were fighting.
“Do you have any idea what’s going on up there?” Logan asked, hobbling closer to the door to the hall. “Do you think your sister and her boyfriend showed up to help us?”
“Maybe, but we can’t count on that. They could be fighting amongst themselves. Arthur—I mean my father pissed off the guards earlier.”
He grimaced. “About that…”
I gave a firm shake of my head. “No. I’m not discussing my father right now.”
“Fair enough, but can we please leave?” he pleaded. “We can figure out how to restore Phoebe’s power later. Donall can’t get the orb without the book, right?
“But…”
“We’ll get the orb later. Come on, Ro, I have a bad feeling about this.”
I had a bad feeling too, but it didn’t seem right to give up when we were this close.
Still, I hated putting Logan in more danger.
I opened another cabinet, then slammed the door shut when I found it empty. “I need something sharp!”
The room shimmered a little, as if full of a fine rain.
“Rowan, please,” he begged. “Let’s go. I might not know much about magic, but I know any magic that requires blood is bad. Really bad. You’re selling your soul to that book every time you use it. Let’s just take it with us, and we’ll find another way.”
I was about to agree with him when I remembered how I’d cut myself the first time.
“How could I
be so stupid?” I held out my hand and glamoured the dagger I’d used upstairs.
Logan limped over to me and grabbed my wrist. “Ro. It’s not worth it.”
My chest tightened as I warred with myself. “I’ve spent my life being jealous of my sisters’ power. If there’s any hope of helping Phoebe, I have to try. Otherwise, it looks like I left her power behind on purpose.”
“We both know you didn’t,” he insisted. “I’ll be your character witness.”
But we were already here, and the dagger was in my hand. Getting the orb would only take an extra couple of minutes. Tops.
And there was no denying something deep in my soul wanted to use the book again…
Before he could stop me, I slashed my other palm and held my hand sideways over the open book. I could feel the Book of Sindal’s hunger the moment the first drop of blood hit the page and soaked in without leaving a stain.
The door burst open, and I lifted the dagger as I pushed Logan behind me. I was prepared to glamour us, but then I saw who was standing in the opening and my mouth dropped open.
“Celeste.”
Her eyes had a slightly wild look as they landed on the book. They lingered there for a moment, her eyes lighting up before lifting to my face.
“Rowan.” Her gaze landed on my hand dripping with blood. “I see you’ve learned the secret to getting answers.”
The slight accusation in her voice filled me with shame until I remembered she’d done the same thing for far more selfish motives.
“I have to get Phoebe’s power back.”
She didn’t respond, instead walking straight toward me.
“What are you doing here?” I asked as I felt the book’s power surge. The edges of the page started to flutter, mist wafting up around them.
“I’m here to save you, of course.” Her gaze lifted to Logan. “Who’s this?”
“Her boyfriend,” he said. “Logan Gillespie, and also an officer with the Mount Vernon police department.”
Her lips twitched. “You’ve been busy over the past week, Ro.”
“Yeah.” I could offer her an explanation later. I was so flabbergasted at her unexpected appearance that I was having trouble figuring out what to say period. Had Xenya brought her?
