| |
"It's hard to understand what's part of the real story and what has been watered down and twisted," Billie remarked as she turned another page.
I was grateful for her presence. Usually, it would just be me with my head in these books, muttering out loud to myself and writing things down. Now, with Billie here to help me sort through some of these things, we were making more and more headway with what and who Azolata was.
"Yeah, some of these stories I know for a fact aren’t true. Like, this one: Azolata was the God of beauty, love, and spirituality. Whatever he is, it's not that," I said.
Billie laughed and pointed to the pile of books that we had labeled useless. Unfortunately, that pile was bigger than our useful pile and our possibly useful pile.
There were a few things that we knew for sure. We knew that Azolata was the God of the north, ice, human misery, darkness, and the invisible. It was possible that he could also command the darkness and the shadows and was able to dole out justice and punishment to those that deserved it.
"What I don't get, is if he is able to do all of these things, then why does he live here? Why isn't he in his own version of heaven? Why, if he is such a badass, does he run from a fight every time it comes even a little close to us?" I asked.
Billie shrugged but did not look up from her book. She knew when I needed to work things out aloud.
A lot of what we found out about Azolata was bothering me. He seemed powerful but the Azolata that I knew was more coward than a warrior.
"I guess maybe because he isn't a fighter by nature. Of all the things that we have read about him, being a warrior and fighting is not something that he does," Billie said.
I nodded and was about to say something else when I heard the front door open. I looked up to see Celia rounding the corner and heading straight for our office.
She looked like she ran from wherever she came from but she looked exhilarated, excited. Her eyes were bright and there was a smile on her face.
"It's time to get ready. Lou and Dante want to join the pack," she announced.
I felt my eyes widen. "Really? Are you serious?"
"That's where I was. They wanted to talk about it. They probably wanted to hear it from me that it would be fine despite the Ascendancy and their threats. I think they finally figured out that the Ascendancy is coming after us no matter what and we would do better as a pack than not."
I stood up and nodded. I reached for some books that were hidden away, books that were already calling out to me.
"That makes sense. But we don't have long. And I can't even imagine what their tests will be like."
"That's what I was thinking. I have no idea what they will face and I have no idea what Dante's test will be. I don't even know where to begin to look," she said.
I dragged the wooden ladder from the corner of the room over to where I needed it, closer to the bay window. "Well, I would usually tell you to go talk to Azolata, but no one has seen him since last night."
"I know. But this is an emergency. We don't have long."
I agreed. It would have to take place on the next full moon and that was only five days away. I knew what I had to do to get Lou ready but Dante was a whole other story. I pulled down three heavy books and handed them to Billie who was waiting right below me.
"Let me get these books to Lou and I will see what I can do about finding Azolata for you. If nothing else, I guess we can research what we need."
Celia nodded. "Do you want me to take you to Lou’s house?"
"No, I think we can walk. It's not far."
Celia nodded and tapped the door frame once before turning around and running upstairs, no doubt looking for Eli.
I looked at Billie. "Want to go for a walk?"
***
"WHERE IS STEPHEN?" I asked as we headed into town.
"He said he was going into town to look for Azolata." Billie stared around the small path that led us on the outer edge of the woods to tell she seemed particularly curious about the woods and I had seen her glance that way more than once during our research.
"Do you not want me to go into the woods for any particular reason? I mean, other than the obvious threat of nightmare creatures that you are comfortable living side by side with," Billie asked.
I was surprised. I hadn't thought about it, but cutting through the woods and going that way would have been faster. "Not really. I just thought it would be nice to go through town. I know that Eli drove you through yesterday, but it's pretty cute. I thought you'd like it this way. I promise, on the way home, we can cut through the woods."
Billie seemed satisfied with that answer as we headed into town.
I wasn't lying when I said our downtown was cute. If our town was well known, it would've been all over social media with influencers and celebrities posting pictures. I had lived here my whole life and I still expected to find Hansel and Gretel coming out of one of the shops on Main Street.
"This is one of the best coffee shops,” I said and nodded at a shop that we were coming up on. “They have a great hot chocolate but if you ask whoever is at the counter, they can make you whatever they feel like you need."
Billie shifted the books in her hands. "What do you mean?"
"The witches that run that coffee shop can read your aura. If you have a sore throat, headache, if you're feeling restless, whatever. They have a drink that will help you."
Billie's eyes widened and she nodded. She almost made like she was going to go in there, but as she stepped towards the door, it opened and a few teenagers stepped out.
The school system here in Glenwood Lock wasn't huge. Everyone knew everyone and that's just the way it was with the small town. It could be suffocating.
For most of my life, I was known as one of the most powerful warlocks. With that, came a certain kind of social status. I still couldn't tell if it was good or bad, but it's labeled me as different in a town full of different. Even among them, I was separate.
In other words, I didn't have that much of a social life.
"Hey, Artie," one of the guys said as their laughter faded and they caught sight of us. Oliver Windsor. Nice guy, both parents were clerics, though his mother could have been a witch if she wanted to be.
"Hey," Juniper Marshall said and raised her hand. Her father was a bear shifter and her mother was a witch.
"Oh, hey Artie," Lucas Blair said. His mother was a witch, and initiate to Miss Maricel.
They shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot and they couldn't quite meet my eyes. I always wondered what their parents told them about me. If they were told to keep their distance or if they should always show me respect so that I wouldn't lash out at them.
"Hey guys," I said. I shifted the books in my arms and Billie did the same. Oliver looked like he was going to try to take the books out of Billie's hands but then stopped, the movement aborted.
I knew what they had been told about me and my books. That they weren't to touch them. That was actually good instruction because some of the things that I was known to carry around weren't exactly compatible with everyone. I had exploded my own brother more than once.
"This is my friend Billie. She and her brother are visiting from out of town," I said.
"Nice to meet you. You guys staying for very long?" Juniper asked. She was a slight girl with half her head shaved and the other half died bubblegum pink and bright blue. Her eyes were an arresting black, often lined with makeup, with a smattering of freckles across her nose.
"I actually don't know. I guess we are here for as long as we are needed. And as long as we don't stay overstay our welcome," Billie said and blushed when she realized that all three of them were staring at her.
I had seen this reaction yesterday. Billie wasn't weird, maybe a little socially awkward, but not weird. She was not used to talking to people her own age and even with me, it took her a little while to relax. And I'm not known for my smooth lines and charismatic presence.
"Well that's kind of how it is here, isn't it?" Lucas said with a crooked grin. He was trying to flirt with Billie but Billie didn't seem to understand what he was doing.
She frowned and looked at me. "I guess it's that way in a lot of places," she said softly.
"Can I help you with those?” Lucas asked me and looked at my books.
I looked down and considered for a minute. There was nothing in the books that could hurt them, not without them reading them, and that was even on the off chance that they could read them.
I nodded and handed the books over for a minute. I was able to adjust my glasses and brush my hair back out of my face. Oliver took that as silent permission to help Billie as well and she was able to adjust her jacket and pull her hair back before she took the books from Oliver once more.
"Well, we have to get going, but a bunch of us are planning on meeting up at the movies tonight at seven. You guys should come, if you don't have anything else to do," Juniper said.
She was looking at me and I felt my throat grow dry.
But then I realized the books that I was holding in my hands and all the other things that I still had yet to do. I felt a flash of irritation towards all the responsibilities I had. "That sounds like fun. I'll see what we can do, but don't wait on us," I said and lifted my books as if they needed proof
We exchanged goodbyes and headed toward Lou's house.
Billie was strangely silent and I glanced over at her a couple times as we made our way.
I thought it was funny. Billie looked like one of those girls you would see in a teenage drama where she and the brooding hot guy would have a forbidden love affair and cause all kinds of drama. Billie would be able to cry elegantly, without smudging her makeup or messing up her hair, despite standing in the pouring rain. The girls that looked like Billie, with thick blonde hair and sweet smiles were often the subject of more than a few books and TV shows.
Her warm brown eyes were expressive and they gave away more than I knew she wanted to. I didn't comment on her silence, because I knew that it would only make her more uncomfortable.
"I read once in a psychology book that children learn to form friendships and how to speak to their peers in the early school years," Billie said.
I glanced over at her but she kept her eyes straight forward.
"I also read that if they are not given chances like that, friendships and intimate relationships are harder to construct," she added.
I didn't reply. I knew where she was heading with this but I didn't want to make any assumptions. For all I know, she was talking about me.
“I think that's what my problem is. Whenever I get around people our age, I start to freak out," she said.
"Why?" I asked.
Billie shrugged. "I want friends. I would like to be able to find people my own age that I can just hang out with. But when it comes time to make friends, I'm usually too busy beheading demons or staking vampires or exorcising poltergeists from houses," she said.
"Which is not to be underestimated. It's a valuable service."
"I’m serious."
"I know you are but, let me tell you something."
She looked over at me.
"I hear all about how I'm powerful and how I'm supposed to help lead the next generation of magic users. It used to make me angry, but it doesn't anymore. I've accepted it. But I'm still sixteen. I would like to go to the movies tonight, but with the way my life is, it's not always in the cards for me. Maybe I don't even have cards. Maybe I'm playing an entirely different game. Maybe you and I are playing a board game and they are playing go fish. I just think that you have to find someone who is playing the same game as you."
She didn't say anything for a long time and I hoped that I hadn't made her angry. As we approached Lou's house she looked over at me. "I prefer the cards."
I smiled and opened the gate for her. “I've got cards.”
***
LOU LOOKED DOUBTFULLY at the books that I sat down on the table in front of him.
"Is this all you have for me?" He asked.
"You should feel so lucky. When I had to do my own rite of passage, there wasn't anyone to give me the books. I had to study all of them," I said.
Lou shook his head and sighed. "I'm sorry. And I know that this is going to be huge and important, but you gave me six days and fifteen books."
I did feel bad for him but pack laws stated that when you welcomed a new pack member, they were only to be given the barest of details until the night of The Walk. "I wish I could help you more, but this is what we have. This is what everyone goes through and sometimes that's all you'll ever get. Your magic and your books."
Billie looks between us. "At least you have magic. When Stephen and I go out, we usually only have guns and machetes."
Lou gave her a small smile. "Yeah. I'll keep that in mind. At least I have my magic."
"You have six days. Your walk will take place on the night of the new moon. These are the books that I thought would help you. I don't know any more than you do, so even if I wanted to help, I couldn't."
Lou nodded and a shadow crossed his face. "What happens if I fail? What happens if Dante fails?"
I swallowed hard. That was the one question I was hoping to escape and the one that Celia would have to answer. "If you fail, that means that you will be rejected from the pack and our land."
Lou looked up sharply. "You mean I'm going to be kicked out of Glenwood Lock if I fail?"
I nodded.
Lou fell silent and drummed his fingers against one of the books. He was looking out the window, over the kitchen sink. The view outside was dark and the skeletal tree branches swayed in the wind.
"I guess I can't fail then, right? Because if I fail, that means that I don't have my teacher anymore. And seeing as the prophecy said that you were the only one who can teach me, that means that all the new were magic users would be screwed."
That was exactly why I wanted to avoid the question. He would worry more than study and then it could result in a mistake, something important forgotten, and the consequences were dire.
"No pressure?" I tried.
Lou snorted. I didn't want to leave him angry so I did what I could. "The walk will take place at night. You have until then to study everything. I wouldn't recommend doing much else until then."
"Got it. Study. Do you know where it will be?" He asked.
"Not for sure, but I imagine it will take place in the forest."
There was some relief on his face when I said that. "Good. I like the forest. The forest likes me. That'll be okay. I’ve got that much going for me."
"Take comfort in that, but don't get too lax. That forest can turn on you in a moment's notice," I said.
He nodded. "Can I call you? If I have questions."
"Anytime," I said.
"Is that all? Are there any more rules?" He asked.
"Right before your Walk, you will be given further instructions. Until then, I can't let you know anything else," I said.
Lou looked betrayed. If I did anything else to help him, it could be disastrous. If I directed him to study one thing in particular, I knew that something else would come up. Usually, people had years to study for this ceremony. Lou, on the other hand, had days. And only a month with his own magic.
"These laws are stupid, I know. But I also don't want to screw up the chances of you getting into the pack."
Lou let out a deep breath. "I know. But it just feels like you are setting me up for failure."
"You won't fail. I have all the faith of the world in you," I said.
"Do you know what Dante's test will be like?" He asked.
The tradition of having a beta join and fight the strongest fighter would not work here. The strongest fighter was Celia and that wasn't going to happen. I wasn't clear on why, but it was something about pack hierarchies. Fighting Eli would be a joke as well. Dante was simply too strong, too fast.
"No. Not yet. I imagine that it will be a physical test of his strength, but we haven't gotten any word yet on what that might be. And the sources that we do have, seem a little reluctant to help us. I think the Ascendancy has gotten to them and they are trying to distance themselves," I said.
"I hate those guys," Billie muttered.
Lou and I nodded.
"We still have a few places to look, but as soon as we know anything, we will let you know," I promised.
Billie and I left. We went out the back door as I had promised to take her through the woods. As we made our way down the trail, I saw a small figure dart out of the trail and behind a tree.
"How are you with meeting new species?" I asked and looked over my shoulder.
Billie had her head craned back, looking up at the fairy lights above us. Her mouth was open and she stumbled over an upturned root. Before I could reach out to stop her from falling, she twisted her ankle and fell off the trail and into some mossy dirt.
I hurried over to her and she was pulling her knee to her chest. She was grinding her teeth together and blinking back tears of surprise. "I think I twisted it," she said.
I pulled the cuff of her jeans up and pulled down the thick socks she was wearing. It was already beginning to swell.
"It looks like it," I said.
I felt something on my back; sharp claws and something pulling at my hair as it stood up on my shoulder.
"Don't freak out, but you have a small, green, angry woman standing on your shoulder," Billie whispered, her eyes wide.
I looked over and saw the leader of the duende. She was peering at Billie closely and neither one of us moved.
"They are called the duende. Don't worry, they are friendly, as long as you are respectful," I said.
The woman on my shoulder hopped down gracefully and turned to me. She glared at me and said something while she pointed at Billie's ankle. Then she strode over to where Billie was sitting and patted her knee consolingly. She said something else to Billie, but it sounded far more soothing than whatever she said to me.
"Did you do something to piss her off?" Billie asked.
I sighed. "You are a guest of the forest and I'm supposed to take care of you when you are here. Obviously, I did not."
Once more, the woman chittered at me and stormed away. I had to suppress my laughter on seeing her walk away from us like that.
"Should we go?" Billie asked.
"No. She'll be back," I said and sat down next to Billie.
Sure enough, a few minutes later, the woman was back. She had with her three other of her people and they were carrying a stack of leaves. They wrapped Billie's ankle in the thick leaves and then pulled her sock up and over them, to keep it all in place. The woman snapped at me once more and pointed her spear at me menacingly. I held my hands up in surrender.
This time when they did leave, I knew that they wouldn't return. I made a note to offer them something as an apology later on.
I stood up and dusted myself off before pulling Billie to her feet. She gingerly checked her foot and managed to put a little bit of weight on it.
"It doesn't hurt at all anymore," she said.
"They have their own kind of magic."
I turned and gestured to the path that we were on only a few minutes earlier. Billie went to step forward, but something made me put a hand out. She looked at me and then looked around the forest.
"Is everything okay?" She asked.
It definitely was not.
It was hard to explain, but there was more than one way to see things. Physically, you saw things with your eyes. Mentally, you can look back on memories. Werewolves could see things in the distance that I couldn't. And then there was the way that I could see things with my magic. It was colors and shapes and objects, sometimes people. It was how I saw the necklace that Billie wore under her shirt.
Most of the time I could ignore it; all the colors and sounds. Growing up with an ability like this, I learned to ignore things, because it could be too much input.
But there were times, like the night that Dante was bitten, when the magic was too much to disregard, the way it shifted suddenly.
But even knowing all that, seeing with my magic wasn't able to come close to explaining what was going on now. I watched as something foreign flowed through the trees and the undergrowth and gathered at my feet. It was like I was being put in a straitjacket and locked up.
"Get behind me," I said through gritted teeth.
"I can fight," Billie said. I knew she had a gun on her, I saw her tucking it away into her jacket before we left.
"I know you can. But I don't think you can kill whatever this is with a gun," I panted and looked around. I was having trouble staying upright.
It was like the wind. It was everywhere all at once but I couldn't see it. It had claws and it was clutching at me, holding me still. The trees around us were creaking and protesting what it was doing to me.
I felt Billie wrap a hand around my forearm. She could feel it too, now.
"Artie –" she started.
"I know," I said. It was trying to push me to my knees, but I was fighting with everything that I had.
I let it push me to my knees and dug my fingers and hands into the dirt. I called on everything I could and pulled as much power as I felt I could control from the forest itself.
I was shaking, my eyes were watering, and I felt like I was going to scream from the pain that was building in my head. Whatever was holding me down was holding the power that I was calling from the forest down too. Finally, with one last push, I broke its hold and fell backward on my ass at Billie's feet.
"Well. You are everything that he said you would be," a man said.