Divination (Spells and Sins)

Chapter 8

Chapter

Eight

"Magic whispers where the wind refuses to speak."

Lunara

W hile Thalia’s disappearance was troubling, I couldn’t fight the feeling that she brought this on herself. Her dismissal of the recent strange events as we approached Samhain shouldn’t have been denied.

I honestly had bigger fish to fry, especially with Elysia’s most recent discovery of that mysterious note. But she had a connection to the woman, and I had to see where her head was at. “Are you okay?”

Elysia shrugged in response and looked away, but as I opened my mind to my senses, I felt her struggle with how to react. We’d all seen how dismissive Thalia had been to the warnings.

As she continued to stare at that one line of text on her phone, I reread the quote at the center of the frail, yellowed page and watched in skeptical wonder as gleaming letters slowly began to appear.

“Holy shit, Elysia. Look at this.” I held the paper out to her, my hand trembling as cursive letters came into focus.

“I know. Where time stands still, the truth awaits those who can see beyond the ticking hands .” She reread the quote as if it was all that remained on the page.

“No. Look.” I pointed to the first line that was now fully revealed while another sentence appeared below it.

Elysia seized the paper from me, scratching at a dark smudge on the sheet just below the first line of text. “Are you freaking out about this mark? I think that’s just a stain.”

“No, not that.” I pointed to the first line again, which was now slowly disappearing as if it never existed in the first place. “That.” The moment my finger brushed the page, the first line quickly seemed to gain strength, rewriting itself as if I somehow charged the paper to reveal the message.

Reclaiming the sheet, I stared in impatient wonder as more and more lines slowly appeared below the couple that were present previously.

“Are you sure you’re feeling okay?” Elysia’s brow crinkled as she placed her hand on my forehead then stroked her hand tentatively down my cheek. “It is a little warm up here.”

“What? No, I mean yes. Yes, I feel fine. You seriously don’t see this?” I shook the letter in front of her face, expecting her to finally notice the text.

“Maybe we should head back downstairs.” Elysia slipped the book under her cardigan then tugged at my arm.

I pulled from her grasp and the page slipped out of my hand. When I went to pick it up, I noticed more writing on the back. The entire page—front and back—was now covered in a poem of sorts. “Listen to this,” I urged as I began to read:

“In shadows deep where time holds sway,

Beneath the chime of the ticking day,

A sentinel stands, both tall and proud,

Guarding secrets within its iron shroud.

Seek the structure where echoes reign,

Where hands of time weave joy and pain.

At every hour, when the world takes note,

Of the shroud of the orb for which I wrote.

When the moon casts its gaze on the dial’s embrace,

And the clock’s soft whisper unveils its face,

Listen close for a heart beating strong,

A rhythm concealed within its powerful gong.

Beware the glimmer, for not all is as it seems;

True treasures are hidden in the fabric of dreams.

Only the brave with intent pure shall find

The light that dances where shadows unwind.

For the one who unfolds this mystical rhyme,

There’s no turning back the hands of time.

Should you fail at your task, heed this advice:

In the hands of time, all secrets suffice.”

When I finally finished the riddle, I asked, “What do you think it means?”

Without answering, Elysia snatched the paper from my hand, rapidly blinking as she perused the page. “There…there’s nothing there. Where did you read that?”

I pointed at the sheet again and huffed. “It’s right there, silly.” While I dragged my finger over line after line, I asked, “Can’t you see it? It’s literally glowing on the page.”

Elysia shrugged as she flipped the page over and back, examining each blemish and crease. “Maybe the letter has a cloaking spell.”

“But, the longer I held it, the more words were revealed.” As my eyes stayed glued to the riddle, it slowly began to vanish again. “It’s like it was enchanted to only be revealed to a particular person. Or maybe race? That’s it. Maybe it only shows itself when a fae touches it!”

“Maybe,” Elysia said softly as she held the letter out to me, scratching her head as she seemingly waited for the words to appear to her. “Hmph.” When I didn’t immediately take it, she pushed the paper back into my hands then made a beeline for the stairs.

“Where are you going?” I took off after her, but when she paused on the stairs, I nearly ran into her.

“I—I’m gonna check in with Morgana. You…” She peered back up at me with a perplexed look on her face. “Feel free to see if you find any other magical texts hiding within any of the pages up there.” The way she said magical made my heart lodge in my throat.

I blinked and was stunned to find she was already halfway down the stairs.

Needing to clear the air, I raced after her, folding the paper up and tucking it inside my waistband as I navigated the ancient stairs. “Elysia, wait.”

A woman seated at a desk on the first floor narrowed her gaze and shushed me rather forcefully as I rounded the last step.

“Sorry,” I whispered before continuing after Elysia.

For such a petite thing, she moved impressively fast. I wasn’t able to catch up to her until we were just outside the library’s main entrance.

“Elysia.” I clutched her forearm, halting her escape down the stone steps that led to the sidewalk. “Why do I get the feeling you’re pissed at me?”

“I’m not.” While she denied my accusation, her sigh and the sagging of her shoulders told me she wasn’t being completely honest. Had I struck a nerve somehow? What had I done wrong?

“Then why are you trying to brush me off?” Even if she denied it again, I felt the tension Elysia tried to bury like bile rising in my throat.

She turned and fled down the stairs then scurried along the sidewalk toward her car.

I followed closely behind.

The moment she reached her car, she leaned against the hood and toyed with her cell phone, now gripped in her hand like a lifeline. “I need to find out what information they have about Thalia’s disappearance.” She wouldn’t even look me in the eye.

I shook my head and crossed my arms, folding in on myself with the grief coming off of Elysia. “I can feel that it’s something else.”

She pushed off her car and started to walk around to the driver’s side, ignoring my statement.

“Elysia, talk to me.” I dropped my arms to my side and balled my hands into fists. “Did I do something wrong?”

Keeping her back to me, she shook her head ever so slightly.

As I walked closer, I noticed the way her head hung. “Then, are you pissed about the letter?”

Her heavy sigh was more than enough of an answer. But, when she chose to get into her car without acknowledging me, I couldn’t deny the overwhelming feeling of rejection.

I was conflicted with what to do next. Did I take the knowledge I gained from that letter and go in search of answers to help me find what I’d been tasked to retrieve? Or should I take my seat on the passenger side and try to work through whatever was eating at this person I had growing feelings for?

After a brief deliberation, I chose the latter.

When I opened the passenger door, Elysia’s voice drifted out. “So there’s still no sign of her? Nothing?” Her head rested against the steering wheel, the book she hadn’t checked out resting on the dash, as the person on the other end of the line spoke. “Okay. Call me if you find anything useful or let me know if she happens to turn up.”

Once Elysia hung up the phone, I turned to face her, lightly laying my hand on her thigh. “Will you talk to me?”

She glanced at me defiantly, but then her expression softened as she took a deep breath and blew it out, letting her shoulders relax, if only marginally. “Do you have any idea what it’s like to feel inferior to someone else?”

I snorted, well acquainted with that feeling. “Elysia, I’m a half-breed. Of course, I know what it’s like to feel inferior. I’ve had to deal with that my whole life. Human or fae, those who know my identity all tell me my blood is diluted, tainted, deficient.”

Her gaze dragged from me to the ceiling of her car as she leaned her head against the headrest. “When you were able to read the riddle, I felt…” She sucked in another ragged breath and squeezed her eyes shut. “I felt useless.”

I snatched her hand in mine, squeezing it tight as I willed her to believe me. “You are so not useless.” Leaning closer, I rested my head on her shoulder and stared up at her. “I would’ve never found that riddle if it weren’t for you.”

“You mean the one that I couldn’t even see?” She pulled her hand from my grip and instantly grabbed the steering wheel.

“Hey,” I called, waiting for her to acknowledge me. When she finally lowered her head to look my way, I said, “Thanks for not thinking I was crazy. I can’t tell you how many times my own kind has looked at me like I was nuts.” I chewed my cheek, thinking of all the instances when the fae had made me feel like an utter outcast. “Well, I guess humans are my kind, too, but I’ve never really felt like I belonged here, there, or anywhere.”

“That must be so lonely.” While Elysia didn’t reach for me, I felt like I was breaking through her walls.

Pulling a leg up into the seat, I hugged it and rested my chin on my knee. “Being alone is all I’ve ever really known.” The feeling of vulnerability didn’t sit well in my stomach and I ended up turning my attention out the window.

While I observed a mother and daughter hurrying past, Elysia rested her hand on my shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

Lifting my head, my eyes followed her arm all the way up to where her hand rested. “Nothing to be sorry about. I’ve managed.” I offered her a half-smile, hoping to put her at ease.

“Still.”

A few beats of silence stretched between us until Elysia ripped her hand from my shoulder and twisted in her seat to face me. “Hey, do you still have that letter?”

“Yeah.” I eyed her curiously as I pulled it from my waistband, offering it to her.

She smirked, staring at the paper for a moment. “Can you read it to me again?”

Gingerly, I took the page from her and unfolded it, then read the riddle once more.

“Oh my goddess. I know where we need to go.”