by Alicia Rades
“No, I suppose not,” Genevieve said, raising her head slightly. Her dark pixie cut lay flatter today than the first time I met her, but she still looked like she’d stepped out of a middle-aged women’s fashion magazine. “What are you doing here? You know I refused to work with you again after—”
She cut off when Sondra shoved an envelope in her hands.
Genevieve raised a curious manicured brow. “What is this?”
“It’s the debt I owe you,” Sondra said simply. “All of it.”
“Sweetheart, where could you possibly have…?” Genevieve trailed off when she opened the envelope and saw the number typed out on the cashier’s check. She only let her surprise last a second before her face fell again. “I assume this isn’t all you came for?”
“No,” Sondra said. “We need your help.”
Genevieve pressed her lips together. “Of course you do. Right this way.”
She turned on her heel and left the door open for the rest of us to follow. The six of us filed down the hallway. I expected Genevieve to lead us into the door on the left like she had the last time I was here, but instead, she gestured to the room on our right.
We stepped into a sitting room dotted with Victorian-style furniture. A long red couch with a curved back sat opposite a large fireplace. Two matching black chairs sat on either side of that. The room was bathed in dark tones and lit only by two small lamps on end tables. An antique piano was situated next to an old grandfather clock. Large framed photographs and two huge mirrors hung from the walls.
“Please, have a seat.” Genevieve sounded strangely pleasant. It was probably thanks to the giant check she’d just received. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.
I sat between Venn and Fiona on the couch, while Sondra and Teagan claimed the chairs and Ryland sat on the piano bench. He no longer wore his sling, but he favored his left arm like it was still quite sore.
Genevieve stood in front of the empty fireplace. “Can I get you anything? Tea, perhaps?”
“Tea is fine,” Sondra answered for everyone. I personally didn’t care either way.
“Perfect.” Genevieve snapped her fingers. “It should be ready shortly. Now, what can I help you with?”
Sondra leaned forward in her seat. “We’re looking for information on an item called Sapiens noctua, or The Wise Owl. Have you heard of it?”
Genevieve nodded. “I have, but I must say I’m shocked to hear that you have. Most people haven’t heard of it, and those who have tend to write it off as myth.”
“We hear you’re in possession of the book that explains it,” Teagan said.
Genevieve’s lips twitched. “Who told you that?”
“That doesn’t matter,” Sondra said. “It’s true, isn’t it?”
Genevieve held Sondra’s gaze for several seconds before motion by the door caught her eye. A pleasant expression washed over her face. “Ah, here’s the tea.”
A silver tray floated into the room. A teapot with seven cups sat upon it. We all watched as the tray slid onto the table in the corner by itself and the teapot began pouring tea into the cups. When the first finished, it floated through the air over to Sondra and landed gently in her hands. Sondra took a sip. It wasn’t until we all had steaming cups of tea in our hands that Genevieve finally spoke.
“It’s true. I am in possession of such a book, but it’s not for sale.”
“We’re not here for the book,” Ryland said. He hadn’t even touched his tea.
I glanced to Venn, who was sipping his. I shot him a questioning glance, as if to ask if it was safe. Genevieve totally could’ve poisoned it. He gave a light nod, letting me know I could trust it. I took a sip. It was the most incredible tea I’d ever tasted.
“We’re just here for the information in the book,” Ryland clarified.
“Of course,” Genevieve said, taking a sip of her own tea. “But with information this valuable, I must ask what you intend to use it for.”
Sondra sighed. “You know me, Genevieve. Even you wouldn’t use something like this for evil.”
“Of course not,” Genevieve scoffed. “Look around you. I have everything I could ever need. I have a beautiful home, more clients than I could ever dream of, and more wealth than you have in your pinky toe. And don’t even get me started on my husband. He’s a total dreamboat.” Genevieve wiggled her eyebrows.
The gesture was weird, to say the least. Not to mention I was a little surprised to hear she was married. She seemed like the kind of person who would murder all four of her husbands for the money.
“If I wanted such an object,” Genevieve said, “I would’ve found it by now. There’s a reason I haven’t divulged the information of its whereabouts.”
“Why’s that?” Fiona asked. She’d already finished her tea. She held her cup in her lap like she was hoping for more.
Genevieve took another sip. “Considering you know about The Wise Owl, you must know what kind of power it holds. No witch would want anyone else using that power on them. I have not gone after it because it is safest right where it is.”
“That’s exactly why we need to find it,” Sondra insisted. “There’s a vampire after it, and we believe he intends to use it to control who gets power and who doesn’t. We hope to destroy it.”
Genevieve’s face fell. She dropped her teacup, but it hovered there in midair and glided back to the tray.
“Why you?” Genevieve asked skeptically. “Why should you be the ones to destroy it?”
We all exchanged a glance. No one knew how to answer the question.
“Why not us?” I blurted.
All eyes turned to me, including Genevieve’s piercing stare.
“We’ve lost everything,” I said. “Everything except each other. Our magic is one of the last things we have left. It’s part of who we are. Come hell or high water, we’re going to protect that—for everyone.”
Sondra shot me an encouraging smile. She approved of my speech.
“You have a good point.” Genevieve turned to Sondra. “I believe you will not use The Wise Owl for your own personal gain. What I do not know is if I can trust your colleagues and if you have enough power to retrieve the object on your own.”
“You can trust us,” Sondra promised. “All of us.”
Genevieve pressed her lips together. “And what will you do with it once you find it?”
“Destroy it,” Sondra said simply.
Genevieve sat there like a statue, contemplating our offer. “Okay. I will tell you, but should you fail, this is on your head. There’s no going back.”
“I know,” Sondra said with confidence.
Venn ran his fingers across the back of my hand. I hadn’t realized my hands had clenched around my teacup until then. I hadn’t been sure we’d make it out of here with an answer.
From across the room, Genevieve snapped her fingers. The sound of a wooden chair against the hardwood floor reached my ears, and a chair immediately flew in through the door and stopped behind Genevieve. She sank into it casually, the skirt of her black dress lightly billowing around her. She snapped her fingers a second time. A leather-bound book floated in through the door, following her command. I remembered seeing the book sitting open on a table in the other room the last time I’d visited. I wrote it off as decoration. I was sorely mistaken.
Just as Amalia had described, the front leather cover was stamped with an image of the moon eclipsing the sun and the stars scattered all around them. The book was huge, at least a foot and a half across and thicker than a stack of pancakes. The book floated gently into Genevieve’s outstretched hands. She opened it to the index and began scanning the page, using her pointer finger as a guide.
“Mm…” she mused. “Let’s see… ah, there it is.”
She opened the book to the middle and flipped a few more pages until she found what she was looking for. We all held our breath, waiting to hear what she had to tell us.
Genevieve scanned the page. “The last know
n location of The Wise Owl was at a history museum in Minneapolis.”
“That’s it?” Teagan asked in disbelief. “That’s the safest place for it? Out in the open?”
“That does seem strange,” Sondra agreed skeptically. “Matias would’ve known where to find it by now.”
“I assure you, it’s not that easy to retrieve,” Genevieve warned. “You will have to undergo grueling obstacles before it is yours.”
Fiona leaned forward in her seat. “What exactly is it we’re looking for? I mean, what is The Wise Owl?”
Genevieve blinked several times, like it was obvious. “It’s a literal owl.”
“Like, a stuffed owl?” Ryland asked.
Genevieve shot him an unamused glance. “No, a carving of an owl. You will know when you see it.”
“Is that it?” Sondra peeked at Genevieve’s book.
Genevieve snapped it closed. “That is all you need to know. When it comes to power like this, you can rest assured I would not lead you astray.”
“I want to see the book for myself.” Sondra wasn’t demanding it. She was merely stating a fact.
Genevieve stood. “Sweetheart, this book has more secrets in it than you have past lives. Nobody touches the book but me.”
“A book like that should belong to the public,” Sondra argued.
“Not when there are people out there who would use it against others.” Genevieve held her head high, confident in her reply.
It shocked me a little that Genevieve had a sense of morals. Venn had implied she was in to dark magic. She didn’t seem like the kind of person to worry about others.
Genevieve snapped her fingers, and the teacups in everyone’s hands rose and returned to their tray. I had to learn how to do that.
“That is all I can provide you at this time,” Genevieve said. “If there’s nothing else—”
“There is.” Sondra rose from her chair. “I need to purchase some supplies for a protection spell.”
Genevieve frowned. “Sweetheart, there are over a dozen different places in this city where you can buy protection spells. Why do you need me?”
“Because it’s not just any protection spell,” Sondra clarified.
Genevieve pressed her lips together. “Very well. Follow me.”
It was clear in the look she shot us that the invite was only for Sondra. The rest of us remained seated and exchanged uncomfortable glances.
I was the first to speak. “Why does Genevieve care so much about protecting secrets? I thought she was a dark witch.”
Venn leaned casually against the armrest of the couch. “I told you, even dark witches have to believe in their cause to perform magic. I don’t think she cares about protecting anyone else. I think there are things in that book that she’s keeping secret to protect herself.”
“Protect herself from what?” I asked curiously.
“Who knows?” Teagan asked rhetorically. “She’s kind of had a shitty life. A lot of people have taken advantage of her. I can see where she might be paranoid.”
“That’s why she works in dark magic?” I asked. “Because she thinks it will protect her from…”
I wasn’t sure I wanted to ask what would drive her down that road.
“From poverty, neglect, abuse…” Teagan shrugged. “Yeah, I guess.”
Fiona opened her mouth to say something, but she stopped dead in her tracks when Sondra and Genevieve returned. Sondra held a small felt bag in her hands no bigger than her fist. We all stood. Venn was so close to me that I could feel the heat of his skin on mine.
“Thank you for your help, Genevieve,” Sondra said genuinely. “And for trusting us.”
Genevieve nodded, but a cold expression remained on her face. “Just be careful, okay?”
“We will,” Sondra agreed.
“Excellent,” Genevieve said. “Because this is not going to be an easy journey. Good luck.”
8
The clouds darkened above us when we arrived in the Twin Cities, casting an ominous glow across the entire landscape. It was evening, but the darkening sky made it seem several hours later than it actually was. Teagan and Ryland seemed completely relaxed as they walked across the museum parking lot in front of me. Fiona practically skipped along next to them, and Venn’s hand was loosely tangled in mine. Beside me, Sondra looked nervous as she stared up at the building in front of us. The museum was the size of my high school with a long staircase leading up to Roman-inspired pillars at the entrance. The look on Sondra’s face sent a wave of anxiety through my body.
“We have an hour until the museum closes,” Ryland said, checking the clock on his phone. “Think we’ll find it in time?”
Sondra took a breath. “We better. Because I’m not leaving here without it.”
I like her attitude.
We climbed the steps and entered through the front door. The lobby was vast, with a ceiling that reached two stories high. A woman behind the front desk with wild curls and black framed reading glasses sold us our tickets, but not before warning us that the museum would be closing soon and that they didn’t issue refunds. Venn just shot her a smile and assured her we’d be out by closing time.
“This way,” Sondra hissed under her breath as soon as we had our tickets in hand. She led us out of the main lobby and into an exhibit hall on the right.
“How do you know where we’re going?” I asked. “Shouldn’t we split up to look for it?”
Sondra shook her head. “I can definitely feel something powerful in this building. Can’t you?”
Apart from the footsteps following beside me, the hall was quiet. I concentrated, trying to feel the power she spoke of. Energy sizzled through the air. It was reminiscent of static electricity, but it was different. It was magic.
“I think I feel it,” I admitted in a whisper.
“I don’t feel anything,” Fiona said.
“No,” Sondra replied simply. “You wouldn’t unless you were a witch.”
Fiona frowned. “I’m working on it.”
“I know,” Sondra said with a smile. “A few more years and you’ll be able to call yourself a low witch.”
Fiona smiled back, like she was perfectly happy to settle with being a low witch. It seemed there was a lot I could learn from Fiona and her positive attitude. I had to make it a point to spend more time with her and soak up some of her positivity.
We wove through an endless maze of hallways and small rooms, each dedicated to a different era of history. Everyone went quiet as our eyes danced from display to display, looking for any signs of The Wise Owl. It felt like a half hour had passed, but I hadn’t thought the museum was that big.
“I think we’re getting close…” Sondra said as we entered a maze of rooms on the outer edge of the building. Each room was about the size of the hotel room we stayed at, with a window on one side and displays dotting the walls.
Sondra stopped in her tracks, and everyone paused behind her. She stared ahead through a doorway that led to the next exhibit hall. Past that, about fifteen yards from us, another doorway opened to a larger room. A life-sized stone carving of an owl sat perched atop a display pedestal.
Ryland furrowed his brow. “That was… easy to find.”
“You’re right,” Sondra agreed. “This magic… it doesn’t feel…”
My attention remained fixed on the Owl, so much that I barely heard what they said. My breath grew loud in my ears. The stone owl radiated magical energy. It danced across my skin in waves.
All that power… I could take it for myself. I sensed the thought go through my head, but it didn’t feel like my own. I’d never wanted that kind of power. I just wanted to be me. If I was capable of more than I thought I was, that was something I would work for, not just steal from others.
No one should be able to take that hard work away from me… away from anyone, I thought. We have to destroy it.
The scent of smoke hit my nostrils, pulling me back to the present.
Teagan
sniffed the air. “Does anyone else smell that?”
“Yeah—” I started to say.
Before I could finish my sentence, a shrill alarm cut through the air. The noise was so loud that we all jumped. I immediately brought my fists up, my eyes darting around the room. Teagan’s hands flew to her waist, even though she’d had to leave her knives in the car due to the building’s security regulations. The sprinklers on the ceiling opened up like the skies, raining water down on us. Ahead in the next room, orange light flickered across the walls.
A fire.
Ryland shouted something, but it was hard to hear him over the alarm blaring through the air.
“What?” Sondra screeched at Ryland.
“This must be one of the obstacles Genevieve mentioned,” Ryland shouted. “We have to go through!”
“I don’t know,” Sondra screamed back with uncertainty. “I don’t know that—”
“I’ll go!” Fiona volunteered.
“No, Fiona!” Venn protested before she could shift.
Only a few seconds had passed, and the room in front of us was already engulfed in flames. They stretched into the air higher than my head, and dark smoke hit the ceiling and billowed out into the room we stood in. Heat radiated from the other room, and we all took a collective step backward.
“I’ll shift into a fox,” Fiona offered. “I’m small and can make it through.”
“You could get hurt, Fiona,” I objected. “I’ll go through. I can fly.”
“Everyone just calm down,” Sondra demanded. “I think—”
“I can do this,” Fiona argued. She shifted and darted between Ryland’s legs and ran straight for the doorway and into the fire. Her red fur disappeared. Concern for her whipped through my body, and my heart hammered a million beats per minute.
“Fiona! No!” Ryland sprinted forward, with me, Venn, and Teagan close on his heels.
Sondra stood rooted in place and began mumbling an incantation under her breath.
We reached the doorway, but a blast of fire kicked into the room. A searing hot pain spread across my body as the flames touched my skin. I stumbled backward and nearly tripped over the feet behind me, but Venn caught me.
