Divination (Spells and Sins)

Chapter 13

Chapter

Thirteen

"The path of magic is never straight, but the journey always reveals the way."

Elysia

“ T hat’s not the blueprints for the clock tower.” I sat cross-legged beside her and eyed the document. “I’m pretty sure that’s where the coffee and bookshop stand now.”

“Coffee and books together?” Lunara’s brow eased, erasing the lines of worry as she glanced over at me. “That sounds amazing.”

“Facts.” I pointed to an area on the paper that appeared to be blank to me. “You’re seeing words again, aren’t you?”

Her eyes widened. “You can finally see them, too?”

“Unfortunately, no.” I pinched the edge of the plans and lightly pulled them closer to me. “But what can you read?”

“I—” Lunara sighed. “It’s a bit cryptic, but I’ll read it to you.”

“Beware those who seek beyond the mortal veil. Here lies a threshold marked by the ancient pact, where realms once converged under moonlight’s watchful eye. The land is bound by oath, its roots intertwined with the power of fae and mortal alike.

The lantern that once shone here was more than a beacon for weary travelers; it was a sentinel, guarding the passage between realms. The heart of this place, sealed with the Orb of Starfire, keeps the balance. Woe unto those who awaken what was meant to rest, for shadows and silver light will reclaim their due.

When the sigil’s glow is mirrored in the blood of its bearer, only then will the path reveal itself. What was taken can only return where fae and mortal vows were broken.”

“What do you think it means?” I glanced at the lines of words I could actually read, trying to figure out a connection. Reading the headline to myself, something familiar tugged at me. I skimmed more and gasped. “This is for The Crystal Lantern. It mentions the business was originally established by the Astor family.”

“Do you know the Astors?” Lunara asked.

“Astors…Astors…” I sifted through memories, trying to figure out why that name rang a bell.

“Were they a founding family perhaps??” Lunara asked, searching my face. “Wait, when did The Crystal Lantern cease to exist?”

“One question at a time.” I rolled up the aged document and set it on the floor in front of us. “I feel like I should know the Astors. I just can’t place where I’ve heard the name. And as for The Crystal Lantern… the gods only know how many different establishments it’s been through the years. It was converted to a diner before I was born and became a coffee shop and bookstore about a decade back.”

Lunara stood up and then retrieved the rolled-up paper I’d placed on the floor. “I wonder if another fae portal once existed where The Crystal Lantern was built.” Lunara gently tapped the rolled-up blueprint against her palm as she seemed to mull something over. “There were rumors floating around about human lands once owned by the fae, but they never mentioned where.”

“I’ve not felt anything magical at the Mystic Brews and Tomes, which is what the Crystal Lantern is now.” I rose from the floor, quickly dusting myself off as I tried to recall any sense of portals in any other spots in town. “Surely, I would have noticed a magical portal to another realm.”

Quirking her brow, Lunara asked, “Did you sense the portal that brought me here?” She pressed her lips into a thin line before continuing. “If whoever guarded it didn’t want it discovered, I doubt you’d know it existed.” Lunara set the roll on a nearby table and began pulling out other blueprints. In an instant, her attention returned to our task. “We still need to find the plans for the clock tower.”

“I don’t think we’re going to find them here.” I gestured to the bottom shelf that now stood empty because we’d gone through everything it held. “There’s nothing left to search through.”

Lunara’s shoulders sagged. “You’re right.”

We gathered up all the rolls and gingerly placed them back on the shelf.

“We could always go check out that coffee and book shop,” Lunara suggested. “What’s it called?”

“Mystic Brews and Tomes.” Which was fitting considering we’d just pilfered through all the tomes in the historical society.

As we stepped out into the cool, brisk air, a chill took over my body. “It’s getting colder out here.”

“I don’t think that’s the weather.” Lunara rubbed her hands up and down her arms while looking left and right for signs of trouble. “I can feel something creeping nearby.”

I quickly looked to my car and back at her. “Do you think it’s after us?”

“I can’t tell intentions, just somewhat of a location, but I’d rather not stick around to find out.” She hightailed it over to my car and slipped inside as I hit the button to unlock the doors.

Following closely behind her movements, I dashed to the driver’s side and hopped in. “Damnit, I should have taken pictures of the blueprints for the coffee shop and Morgana’s house.”

Lunara lifted a single eyebrow. “You know… you should have.”

“We can’t go back in now.” I threw it into reverse and exited the parking lot. The need to get as far away from the dark force hovering nearby overrode needing to take pictures of anything. “Maybe we can swing by tomorrow.”

“No need.” Lunara drew a series of patterns into the air and revealed two scrolls that somehow materialized from out of nowhere.

“Lunara!”

“What? You said we needed them.” She tucked them back into the invisible pocket in front of her and sealed it with a spell. “We can look at them later.”

“But you stole them.” I huffed out a breath of frustration. “I only wanted to take pictures of them to review.”

“Sometimes pictures don’t hold all the pieces to the puzzle.” That pondering look returned to her face as she stared blankly in front of her. “No camera is capable of capturing the magical words that appeared when I touched the blueprint.” Lunara’s hand settled on my shoulder. “With them in our possession, I can see if my heritage, or the history of a particular place can bring about any other words that may be on that one or maybe even the one for Morgana’s house.”

“You really think there’s something there that I don’t know about?” Morgana was my mentor. If there was some magical history of her property, I think she would have told me by now.

Lunara angled her head my way, pursing her lips. “Are you certain there isn’t?”

I shook off her question as I turned onto Sycamore Street and rolled to a stop at a red light. “We’re returning the blueprints as soon as we’re done with them. Got it?”

Lunara removed her hand and sighed. “I understand. We’ll return them as soon as they’re no longer needed.”

“Good.” I got through the green light and veered onto Hickory Lane then parked near the curb of the Mystic Brews and Tomes.

A gasp escaped Lunara and she clutched at her chest.

“What’s the matter?” My eyes roamed over every inch of her, trying to figure out if she was having a heart attack or a stroke. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, but I can feel that darkness following us. It can’t travel as fast as your car, but it’s inching closer and closer.” She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, then slowly released it. “I hate the way dark energy makes me feel.”

“Should we go back to my cabin? We should be safe there with the wards?” Peering up and down the street, I expected to find some dark, nefarious black cloud drifting toward us, but all I saw were humans and witches alike meandering in and out of shops, oblivious to the evil lurking in the town.

Lunara’s face seemed paler than usual, but she shook her head. “Hopefully whatever is following us will refrain from attacking us out in the open.”

“Hopefully?” I swallowed hard. “I’d rather bank on certainty than a fleeting hope.”

Lunara shook her head. “There’s no time to waste. We need to look around the coffee shop and see if we can get any leads before more dark energy slips through the veil.” She eased out of the car and waited for me on the sidewalk. With a wave of her hand, she beckoned me to follow.

“Fine,” I grumbled to myself as I opened the car door. “We’ll just leave the safety of the car and get ourselves killed.”

“What was that?” Lunara asked.

“Nothing.” I ushered her toward the door to the establishment. “Let’s make this quick.”

Inside, the coffee shop was warm and inviting, a stark contrast to how I currently felt. The smell of roasted coffee and new books bombarded me, but I wasn’t mad about it. Old wooden beams ran across the ceiling making the place feel rustic, yet chic. Along one wall ran bookshelves filled with both fiction and older antique-looking books. As my senses took in the sights and smells and sounds, my anxiety eased a bit.

Glancing to the other side of the shop, I tried to keep my mouth from watering as I saw the counter with a display case full of pastries. Behind it, a menu written in different color chalks displayed the prices for different coffees, enchanting herbal teas, and magical-themed sweets.

“Those antique lanterns add a nice touch, don’t they?” Lunara's eyes stayed trained on the light fixtures as she gestured to the ceiling that housed a row of lights directly above the counter. Those same fixtures were sprinkled here and there over tables and couches to lend light to the darker spaces of the establishment.

“Makes you wonder if it was on purpose with what this place used to be,” I said.

“Mmmhmm.” Seemingly distracted, Lunara slowly stepped up to the pastry case then lowered her gaze to eye all the sweet morsels inside. “How do you choose?”

The cashier giggled demurely behind her hand. “It’s tough picking out just one, but might I suggest our extra-large cinnamon rolls?” She rolled open the sliding door on the back of the case, reaching a set of tongs inside toward the massive treats. “They also pair well with our cinnamon dolce latte.”

“Oh?” Lunara straightened and gave the barista a mischievous grin. “That sounds heavenly.”

I was about to ask my own question about an item in the case when my phone rang.

With my phone in hand, I answered. “Hello?”

Morgana was crying and my heart instantly plummeted as she began to speak.