Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 98961 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 495(@200wpm)___ 396(@250wpm)___ 330(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98961 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 495(@200wpm)___ 396(@250wpm)___ 330(@300wpm)
Chapter
Twenty-Two
The soft thudding of my boots on the cobblestone echo off the walls. I’m on my way to meet Evander in his office, oracle in hand. Tabatha’s words repeat in my head, and I know she’s right. As long as I’m alive, a demon will see me as a tool to use to help them win the war against the angels, Lucifer included.
If my aunts and uncles swear to look over and protect me, it will make the demons think twice. Paimon might be too much for one archangel to take on, but all of them? He wouldn’t stand a chance.
But getting my not-so-holy aunts and uncles to agree to first not kill me and then second to protect me? Hah. I have a better chance asking Death to let me ride double with him and terrorize a few villages. Binx shadows along next to me, and my mind drifts back to when my father fought his own brother. The clash of wings, the explosion of energy…it was terrifying.
Remiel first tried to kill me—the abomination—and then went after my father for protecting me. He did it out of duty and I know many others will side with him. Other than my father, I have Lucifer on my side and he’s not the most popular with his siblings from the start.
“Knock-knock,” I say, stopping outside Evander’s open door.
“Good morning,” he says, looking up from papers he’s grading. “Did you stay up all night?”
“Hah. Not this time. My new alarm clock is rather persistent though.”
“How is my little god-witch doing today?”
“She’s perfect.” I can’t help but smile when I talk about her. “And busy being spoiled rotten.”
“Ah, Mother has her.”
“I’m pretty sure she’s already showing her off to all the witches in the library. Apparently, they finished the fairytale book last time she was here and now needs something more serious to read.”
Evander chuckles. “Yes, because every three-week-old needs to hear about the serious nature of black magic.”
“Hey, gotta start her young.” I close the door and hold out the black velvet bag. “I found the oracle Julian had been searching for.”
“So I heard.” Evander comes over and takes the bag, carefully and curiously taking the stone out.
“From whom?”
“Kristy filled me in on everything last night.”
My brows go up. “Because she spent the night in your bed?”
“Will you stop with that?” Evander gives me an annoyed look. “She’s like a sister to me.”
“Don’t say that and deny true love.”
“Do you want my help or not?”
“Fine,” I huff. “Any idea how to get that thing to work? It’s supposedly cursed, but it doesn’t feel cursed, does it?”
“Not at all.” He sets it on his desk and opens a drawer, pulling out a black crystal hanging on a chain. He holds it over the scarab, waiting a bit before reading the energy. “Whatever this has is well contained.”
“That’s what I thought too.”
“When we were researching the Underworld in the library, I came across a section about how the witches and warlocks of the time would communicate with the gods. This should act almost like a phone, in a sense.” He picks up the scarab and turns it over in his hands. “I say we cast a circle and go about using this like a spirit board.”
“Sounds good to me,” I say back. “And easy. I can do it at home so you’re not—”
“If there’s a chance this thing is cursed, best to keep it here where we can whisk it away with little consequences. Eliza’s helped you a lot lately, but she can’t help you break a curse,” he adds pointedly. If I wasn’t so focused on the chance of getting to see Lucas, I would be bothered by his last statement.
“Good idea.”
I move the little couch and coffee table away from the fireplace and pour a circle of salt on the floor. Evander casts a protective spell on his office, and we have the velvet bag full of salt ready just in case we need to throw the scarab in and make a run for it.
“Ready, sis?”
“I am.” My head bobs up and down. “Please, work,” I whisper to the stone. Evander steps out of the circle and I put my fingertips on the scarab, as if it was a planchette for a spirit board. I quiet my mind and start to feel a vibration coming from deep within the stone. “Osiris?” I call into the vibration. “God of the Underworld, please hear my cries.”
My whole body begins to vibrate and tremble along with the stone, and I can feel the thrums of energy pulsing around me. My heart is pounding so hard I can hear it in my ears. I wait several beats and then straighten up…but something feels different.
I’m not seated on the soft rug in Evander’s office anymore. The ground beneath me is hard, cold, and gritty, like sand covering stone. My eyes fly open and I realize that’s exactly what it is. I’m not in the office anymore, but in some sort of temple. The oracle isn’t in front of me anymore, and I scramble to my feet