13. Sybil

Chapter 13

Sybil

W e've been searching for days, and we've found nothing." I drag my fingers through my hair as I place the last book on the pile.

The parchment we found in the chamber at the bottom of the mountain was a calling card.

"That's a dumb idea." Cassara had scoffed when I explained to her that sometimes, famous thieves leave them behind as a sign of their work.

We had then returned to the library, whereMarcelene had rounded up every book on symbols she could find in the hope we'd discover information about the dagger and heart drawn on the parchment.

The last two days of discoveries have started to take a toll on me, but I can't stop. I finally feel so close to grasping something that will help me make a difference in this war. I take a deep breath and realize I can't remember the last time I saw the sky or felt the sun on my skin.

"I think I have to leave the library," I whisper, breaking the silence. The three witches sitting around the table look at me.

"But you have just started your training with Alexander," Marcelene says, lips upturned.

"I have done what Queen Rose pleaded me to. I sought training, I know the magic we need to defeat Tricella is part of me," I say, placing a hand to my chest. "I simply need to stop being afraid of it."

Scraping one of the empty chairs next to Cassara, I join the witches. They look at me with apprehension except for Thalia, who's determined gaze spurs me on.

"Knowing that Tricella's ancestry lies in both shifter and elemental lines showed us a weakness in her armor we didn't know before. This could be leverage! We know her anger is spurred by her desire for power and immortality but what happened before that? Why would a half shifter turn against her own people?" I shake my head, still trying to grasp how all these puzzle pieces fit together. "And now," I continue, "we also know she is in possession of potentially two of the most powerful books on the entire continent, penned by the Goddess herself. And we might even have a lead on who got these books for her." I slump back in my chair and start fidgeting with the hem of my light blue sleeves. "This might not seem like much, but after losing someone I really cared about, after being tortured and locked away, for the first time, I feel hopeful."

Marcelene claps her hands together, making us all jump. "Right, witches and unicorn, let's get our smart little heads together and come up with a plan."

Thalia rolls her eyes. Cassara stretches her arms as if readying herself for battle. It feels good knowing I won't be alone at the front line. Lemon crawls out of the pocket of my dress and jumps on the table.

"The books," Thalia begins. "We need to find out if Tricella has both. Because if she only has the book of darkness, there might still be a chance the book of light is out there, holding the knowledge of how you can amplify your magic, Sybil."

"If only there's a way we could track the thief using the ca–"

Marcelene's words are interrupted by a thick, emerald leather-bound book plopping on the table between us. Golden swirls depicting a rearing unicorn on the cover glint in the mage light.

"I've never seen that book before," Marcelene says as she traces the intricate design with a finger. The mage light above us flickers.

"That's odd," Cassara says, glancing at its side. "Look on the spine, it has the mark of the prohibited section in the library."

"It's a section only the high priestess has access to," Thalia explains in response to my furrowed brows and confused expression. "They contain spells and secrets passed on from high priestess to high priestess to uphold Harpalyke. We should not have this book." She straightens her back and goes to take the book but it shifts further in my direction.

As my fingers brush the book, a jolt of electricity shoots through me, leaving a buzzing sensation in my fingertips. "Did you guys feel that?"

"Traces of power from their writer are imprinted into the pages of many magical books. The same as the way magical objects are created," Marcelene explains.

"The energy, the magic it feels familiar–" I gently turn the cover and it opens with ease, revealing a loopy scrawling script, The Power of Wynstar, without an author.

"Who is Wynstar?" Cassara says.

"Or what is Wynstar?" Marcelene leans over the table. "Is it a place?

That name sounds so familiar…

"I'm not sure, but the library clearly thinks it'll help us," I chime in. "The Power of Wynstar–"

As we stare at the book in contemplation, the pages begin flipping rapidly of their own accord. My eyes stay fixated on the mesmerizing movement, unable to look away.

With my heart racing, I stand from my seat as the pages abruptly stop turning. The book is spread open revealing a page with a neatly scrawled title: ‘Seeking a Lost Object,' accompanied by a carefully drawn design and spell.

"Let me see that." Cassara slips the thief's parchment into the chapter and then flips through the pages. "It doesn't look too complicated. Library, could you get us a map of Craeweth?"

Moments tick by before a rolled up old map appears on the table. The aged parchment crackles under my fingertips as I spread the map open across the table. Tears prick the corner of my eyes as my finger is drawn to the small dot where my village was south of the Armaghdale forest.

"Is that where you're from?" Marcelene asks quietly.

"Yes," I say. "It feels like eons ago." My throat tightens and chest aches for the familiar scent of my home, the feel of soil under my hands as I plant the spring harvest.

"Don't worry, Sybil. Everything will turn out as it's meant to be." Marcelene smiles softly at me, then turns to Cassara. "Anything?"

"Thalia, we're going to need your help."

I can sense Thalia's internal conflict between wanting to call the high priestess and helping us. Eventually, she scoffs and leans toward the book.

"I've never seen spell work like this before," she says, looking up to me. She flips it open to our marked page and holds up the scrap of parchment before running her finger along the text. "But it doesn't look too complicated."

She sets the book to the side and peers at the map. Humming under her breath, she pulls a pearl hairpin from her bun and sets it on the parchment and places both at the top of the map. She braces her hands on either side of the map and begins to chant.

Thief I seek, come to me

Wherever you hide

I shall see

See the sight

Hear the sound

Be it high in the air

Or low on the ground

Let who I'm looking for

Now be found

We all stare at the map as the tiny pin vibrates, lifting into the air before falling and rolling off the map.

"What happened?" Cassara asks, catching the hairpin before it falls off the edge of the table.

"I'm not sure," Thalia says, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Either the thief has a protection cast on him, or my magic isn't powerful enough–"

"What if we channeled our powers?" Marcelene asks.

"What do you mean?" I ask, looking at each of them in turn. "I've never heard of channeling powers before."

"It's not done very often, as it consumes a great amount of power. It's how we open the portal. We have to be physically touching and pull deep into the well of your magic."

"The portal?" I ask.

The three witches look at each other uncomfortably, trying to decide whether to let me in on their secret or not.

"The tunnels are not the only way in or out of the library," Marcelene eventually whispers. "This mountain is one of the few places in Craeweth where magic is so concentrated it opens a portal through space, able to take you to different locations."

"Well, we now know it's probably because the Goddess decided to store in this mountain the most powerful magical books ever created," Cassara interjects, raising her shoulders.

"We use the portal rarely as it compromises the library's security," Marcelene continues, ignoring Cassara's logical conclusion. "But in this occasion, it might be useful."

"We can't come this far and not try," I plead but the witches stay silent.

Dread coils in my gut. "We don't have long left."

Cassaralifts her eyes and meets Marcelene's, worry painting her features. "The council would forbid us to use the portal, let alone attempt this spell without further research."

This time, it's Thalia who scoffs and glances at each of us in turn before grabbing the book and placing it directly in front of her, touching the bottom edge of the map. She bites at her lower lip as she silently rereads the spell.

"They won't like this, but I was told we should all learn to live a little."

After a moment of surprise at Thalia's nod, we all burst into laughter, and it breaks the growing tension in the room. If even Thalia is willing to bend the rules of the white witches, then our options have grown thin. Marcelene lifts her hands, placing one on Thalia's shoulder and offering one to me.Cassara stands on my other side and mimics Marcelene.

"For Craeweth," I say, placing my hands in either of theirs.

"For Craeweth," Thalia says, her voice resonating in the room as she speaks, her hands gently resting on the ancient book.

A surge of electric energy courses through my arms, causing the tiny hairs to stand on end. A sudden gust of wind swirls around us. Delicate scrolls on the table and shelves to cascade to the ground. Above, the mage light flickers and dances, casting an ethereal glow around the room. The air becomes infused with the intoxicating scent of lemongrass and lavender, creating an atmosphere of mystical anticipation.

With each word of her incantation, Thalia's voice grows stronger and more mesmerizing. As she reaches the climax of the spell, the hairpin levitates into the air, spinning wildly in a dizzying display of power. Time itself seems to slow, and we all find ourselves holding our breath in anticipation. The room falls into an eerie silence, broken only by the resounding thud as the hairpin plunges toward the wooden table, embedding itself with a solid impact.

We all collapse back into our chairs, panting as we stare at the small pin lodged into a section of the forest at the base of the mountains near a small town.

"Looks like we've got our destination. Let's catch us a thief."

"May the Goddess bless your journey," Thalia whispers as she stands in front of Marcelene and myself. She hastily pulls our hoods over our heads as her hands tremble with unease. Before she steps away, I take her hand in mine.

"Thank you." The words are filled with unspoken gratitude and the love I have developed for these women in the short time I have spent with them.

Thalia nods and squeezes my hand two more times.

After finding the location of the thief, we all agreed to spitting up our party. The library needs witches like Thalia and Cassara to protect it, now more than ever. Yet nothing could have convinced Marcelene to stay behind. So, while we follow the clues to find the thief, Cassara and Thalia will continue researching about light magic and anything they can find regarding Tricella's past.

I hoist my healing satchel—heavily overstocked with supplies—further on my shoulder as I stand before an apparently ordinary stone archway located almost at the peak of the mountain. However, when the witches had told me about an ancient magical portal, I had imagined something a little bit more... ornate. Marcelene stands next to me as Thalia and Cassara take position behind us holding hands.

"The high priestess will not like this," Marcelene says, shaking her head with a smile on her lips. "Good thing she won't be here to see it." She winks at me and shuffles her feet, ready to sprint at any moment. She's wearing leathers; a large bow and quiver hang on her back.

"I don't know how long we'll be able to hold the portal open," Thalia says, trying to mask her concern. After some discussion, we had all agreed to continue our solo mission without involving the elders. After all, it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.

I nod, giving Lemon—hiding in my pocket—a little tap on the head. Cassara and Thalia clear their throats and I see from the corner of my eye a growing light emanating from the two of them. The center of the portal begins to glow iridescent like a large bubble. Marcelene reaches for my hand and squeezes it reassuringly.

"We, witches of knowledge and protectors of the past seek passage to our destination." Cassara holds the map up and it's ripped from her hand in a current of wind before landing on the stones before the portal. The center of the archway begins to lose its transparency and I see visions of forests, lakes, snowy peaks, deserts and plains, rushing one after the other before it settles on a quiet small town where smoke can be seen trickling into the sky barely lightened by the rising sun.

"Now!" Cassara screams and as we step through the portal, I thank the library for showing me the way.