6. Asa

CHAPTER 6

Asa

“ T he library? Really?” She gives me her signature “are you shitting me” look and I can’t help but smile.

She’s still the Sapphire I’ve known all this time, even if she didn’t take my revelation the way I hoped.

Who can blame her really? I can’t imagine anyone else would react differently if a complete stranger approached them and told them they’ve been together in his dreams. I know how it sounds. I know it’s not normal or believable, but she asked for it. She wanted to know how I know her so well and I told her. It’s not my fault the answer isn’t what she expected.

“The library, yes. Where else does anyone look for a book?”

“Oh my God, are you as dumb as a rock? I could have done that myself, you know. The library! Pfft.”

I hide my chuckle behind my wing and turn a corner.

“Of course you could. But I know this town and its people. Hence, you need me.”

I can still feel her steely gaze like cracks in my stone. It’s so good to be under her watch even if she doesn’t think the best of me at this moment. So good to be in her physical presence. It feels even better than the dream version of her which almost feels sacrilegious to admit, but if I’m right and they’re mere visions of the future then it makes sense the real her would be some much more beautiful. So much more intense.

“I don’t need no one. I got myself this far, haven’t I?”

I turn to her and study her face for a moment. She’s trying to keep up her tough exterior but I can see the flicker behind her eyes, the struggle.

“How did you get here?” I ask.

It feels strange not knowing the answer, but at the same exhilarating getting to know her all over again.

“I traded my car for this stupid compass.” She takes it out of her purse and shows it to me and watches it for a second before putting it back in. “But I’m starting to think the wizard who sold it to me tricked me. It hasn’t worked since I got here.”

I nod.

“Ah yes, our magnetic fields are all over the place around here.”

“So I’m told.”

“Okay, so you traded your car but what got you to that point? Why not use your magic to find the Book?”

Sapphire stops and glares at me.

“What?” I ask her.

“Are you kidding me? You pretend like you know everything about me and you don’t know the basics?”

I tilt my head to the side and purse my lips, searching my memories but coming up blank.

“A witch can’t unlock her powers without her Book of Shadows. Surely you know that.”

“I know it passes from generation to generation.”

How did I not know it’s also key to unlocking a witch’s power? I’m sure it would have come up in twenty years’ worth of dreams, when discussing our children’s future, but no, nothing.

“Yes, it does. And with each new successor it holds the spell to unlock their powers. Grams went missing before any of us were of age so my sisters, brother and me never got the chance to become fully-fledged witches. We lost our house, our fortune, our good grace. The previously powerful Nightingale line is nothing but a joke.”

“Which is why you need the Book.”

She raises an eyebrow that signifies the “duh” of her expression and starts walking again.

“It’s not just the Book. It’s Grams too. I want to find out what happened to her. What…got her.”

“Got her?” I frown. “You think something got her?”

“Or someone. And yes, we do. Grams would never leave us. Not like this. Not without a goodbye. And she’d never leave with the Book of Shadows. Or at least, not without unlocking our powers first.”

I want to hug her. To caress her neck and whisper in her ear that it’s all going to be all right, and if it’s not, I’ll be there for her anyway, but after the way she reacted to me at the Brew I don’t think she’ll take kindly to that.

The large imposing library building appears before us, with its large arched windows with decorative tracery perfectly reflecting the night sky and the full moon above making the building look majestic and mystical.

I notice the empty spot where Xavier usually perches which means my fellow gargoyle is out and about guarding his precious library.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a prettier town,” Sapphire says, admiring her surroundings just as much as I am. “So much color and variety all in one place. Who knew New England had such a hidden gem?”

“I remember New England being very pretty anyway.”

Sapphire nods. “Yeah, but nothing beats Beastly Falls. I’ll be sad to leave.”

Leave.

It sounds like such a dirty word I want to spit it out, but it won’t do me any favors. Of course she’d want to leave. She has nothing here. Nothing but the prospect of her Book of Shadows and the promise of a happily ever after with me. It’s a shame she only cares about the former and doesn’t believe the latter.

“The town will be sad to lose you too.”

“I mean, if She lets me go.” She shrugs.

I don’t see why not. She let her through once. Maybe because She knows she needs her Book and to find out the truth.

“You coming?” she asks and when I focus my eyes again she’s already at the door.

I follow her inside and we’re immediately greeted by Anya, the library director.

“Asa, what a surprise! So good to see you. What brings you here?”

I gesture toward Sapphire and Anya notices her as if for the first time.

“Oh hello there. You must be this newcomer I keep hearing about. Anya Kanea. Library director. Pleasure to meet you.”

“Sapphire Nightingale.”

“What a gorgeous name. How can I help, Sapphire?” Anya asks and Sapphie wastes no time giving her the low-down.

“So if you have any Book of Shadows in your archive or know where we can find them…”

Anya shakes her head, chewing her lip before she replies.

“We don’t have an archive I’m afraid. Book of Shadows whose owners have passed?—”

“Are destroyed, yeah. I thought as much.”

“The secrets in them are too precious to fall in the wrong hands,” Anya explains to me.

“So now what? Any other bright ideas?” Sapphire raises an eyebrow my way but I’m not ready to give up just yet.

“Can you check your records, anyway?” I ask Anya. “You might not have the Book but you might have information on her grandmother. Maybe she was here before the curse and used the library, or something.”

Anya frowns, holding my gaze for a few moments which tells me she thinks I’m being stupid too but I don’t care. We can’t give up just yet.

“Please.” I whisper.

“Fine. Fine. But I can tell you already I’d remember a Nightingale if there ever was one. What was your grandmother’s name, sweetheart?” She waits for Sapphire’s answer before she turns to the computer and types away.

“I thought those things didn’t work here.” Sapphire points at the machine and Anya glances her way.

“Anything that was here pre-curse works, but I can only use it to access library records and solitaire.”

“Solitaire?” Sapphie asks. “Boy, that thing is ancient.”

Anya doesn’t acknowledge the comment, focusing on the monitor instead and her cup of coffee in her hands.

“Yeah, see, nothing here. No Celestite, no Nightingale. I’m sorry, guys. I don’t think…” She starts when a heavy book at the end of the counter opens of its own accord and its pages turn maniacally as if subject to an invisible wind.

“What…what’s that?” Sapphire asks as we all walk toward the book.

The pages stop shuffling and there are rows of names, addresses and other details all written in black ink.

“These are the residential records,” Anya answers and touches one page with careful fingers. “That’s odd. It’s never done that before.”

“But why—” I start.

Before I can finish my question, Anya hisses and jumps on the spot, her mug toppling out of her hand, landing beside the book and spilling its contents across the pages. In one straight line.

“The hell?” Sapphire exclaims and we all lean in to read the line highlighted by coffee.

“Selene Shadows?” Anya reads.

“Who is that?” Sapphire asks.

“A witch living in the woods on the other side of town,” I tell her.

Anya studies her hand that was holding the cup and turns back to the page.

“I don’t know what just happened but I have a feeling the town is trying to help,” she says.

Sapphire purses her lips from side to side and huffs.

“You think this Selene person is somehow involved?” she asks.

“Can’t hurt to check it out,” I say and double check the address before thanking Anya and exiting the library.

Sapphire is right behind me with a piece of paper in her hands and a determined look on her face.

“Which way?” she asks, looking from side to side.

“It’s that way, but…” I look up at the sky and the moon’s position and take a deep breath. “It’s a long walk. By the time we get there it’ll be sunrise.”

“Okay. I can do it on my own, you know.” She shrugs.

“No! What if something happens to you? What if it’s dangerous? I can’t leave you to do this alone.”

Sapphire grimaces. “Is Selene a bad person?”

I shake my head.

“Has she ever hurt anyone?”

“Not that I’m awa?—”

“Great. Then I’m not in any danger.”

“Regardless,” I insist. “I’d like to be there for you in case she has bad news or something. And my way is faster.”

“Your way?” She frowns for a second before realization hits her. “Oh hell no. No way.”

“I know you hate flying?—”

“I don’t hate flying.”

“I once carried you a foot above ground and you threw up on me.”

She scoffs at my comment and looks away from me.

“I can get us there in five minutes.”

I watch her move her head from side to side, probably weighing the pros and cons and then she approaches me.

“Fine!” She lifts her hands as if she’s expecting me to pick her up by the waist.

I instead put my hand under her knees and behind her back, take her in my arms like I have countless other times and take to the skies.

She feels good against me. She feels warm. And like a good stone my body gets hot all over as if I’ve caught on fire.

“I knew you’d want to get there as fast as possible.” I smirk.

She shakes her head.

“No. I just didn’t care if I threw up on you,” she says and my laugh carries across the night.

“I’m glad you have the same sense of humor,” I say when I’ve composed myself.

“Is there any—” She brings her hand up to her mouth and retches but she takes several deep breaths which calm her down. “Is there anything I do you don’t like?”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know. You’re here acting as if you’re the perfect boyfriend and you love me unconditionally, but that’s not how people work. You must hate something about me. Like my asymmetrical boobs or my nighttime farts.”

My chuckle builds into a laugh and even Sapphire cracks a smile.

“I love your East-West boobs and your nighttime farts smell like a meadow.”

She snorts.

“They don’t and you know it.”

“And yet I still love you no less.”

Her mouth opens but no words come out. Instead she stares at me as if she can’t decide what to say or do with me.

“We’re here,” I say as my feet touch the ground in front of the quirky house with the thatched roof sitting alone on a rock and Sapphire gets off me.

I immediately feel her absence from my body like a bullet in the heart. Or how I’d imagine a bullet in the heart would feel if I didn’t have impenetrable skin.

“This is it?” she asks, staring at the house.

She takes the steps up to the porch and a sparkle of fireflies light the way at her feet.

I keep close to her and stand by her side when she raises her hand to knock on the door.

Before her knuckles touch the wood, the door creaks open and Selene appears behind it.

“Grams?” Sapphire exclaims.