Page 46 of The 13th Daughter
He shook his head. "The book never leaves this room. It's forbidden to remove it."
Double damn.
"The wards are down," he whispered. "Someone broke through the wards and took it."
Someone stole my Book? No freakin way! I needed that Book!
"Are you sure?" I demanded in a hoarse whisper. What else could go wrong?
"Can't you smell it?" he whispered. "Sulpher and burnt wood?"
I sniffed and to my amazement, I did. It was very faint, but the odors were there. Sort of smelled like rotten eggs. So, ugh.
"We have to go," Jeff pushed me toward the door, but we both stopped at the sound of a knock next door.
The library door opened and Mr. Martin greeted the newcomer. "Gregg, we didn't expect you this early."
"My plans fell through so I thought I'd come over a little early. You're still planning on consulting the book about the specifics for the ritual aren't you?"
Crap. It was Jeff's dad. Jeff breathing hitched up several notches. Panic mode hit him full force.
"Yes," Mr. Martin agreed. "We were just about to go in."
"Shit!" Jeff's voice came out in a strangled whisper. "They can't find us here, CJ. The book is gone...what the hell are we going to do? There's no way out of here!"
"Surely they won't think we had anything to do with this," I argued.
My stomach clenched and I doubled over from the unexpected pain. Okay, so maybe them finding us here wasn't such a good idea. My instincts agreed with Jeff. He was right, though. What the hell were we going to do?
More voices joined the men in the hallway and panic crept up my spine. Its icy fingers teased the nape of my neck and my stomach wrenched painfully.
"CJ..." Jeff's panic hit a new level. He grabbed my hand and squeezed. Hard.
"Be quiet," I hissed. "Let me think."
Calm down, I told myself, and think. We couldn't get out. There were no windows in the room and nowhere to hide either. Dammit. Well, Emily had said I was good with spells. It seemed to be our only option at the moment even if it sounded ridiculous. I said the first words that came to mind.
"Earth and Air, I summon thee
To hide us from eyes that must not see.
Shield us and protect us, so that we may learn
That they wish to keep unknown from us."
Okay, it wasn't the best thing I'd ever come up with and it didn't really even rhyme, but I don't think it honestly mattered. A jolt of something like static electricity coursed through meand I breathed in the scent of freshly mown grass carried on a fragrant summer breeze. It invaded my senses, wrapped around me like a warm, comfy quilt on a cold winter's night. A peaceful calm washed through me and the panic retreated. We were safe. I knew it. I gave Jeff's hand a reassuring squeeze and he stared at me in awe. Could he feel it too? Did he smell what I did?
"As you all know, the preparations have already been made." Mr. Martin opened the door. "Everything is ready. We just need to double check the specifics as no one has even opened the book since the last time..."
His voice trailed off as his eyes fell upon the pedestal. An outraged gasp seemed to echo among the men staring past him. The room erupted into shouts.
"Be quiet!" Mr. Martin yelled. He walked further into the room and muttered something I couldn't hear. He searched every inch of the room with his gaze. His eyes passed over Jeff and me without faltering. I wanted to shout for joy. It had worked. We were really safe. They couldn't see us. Thank you, Elements.
"The wards have been broken," Mr. Parker bit out. Anger blazed in his voice. "These wards were put in place three years ago and no one has been able to get through them since."
"Until now," Mr. Corey, the drugstore owner, pointed out.
"Yes, we can see that, Mark," Mr. Martin barked. "I can't find a trace of magic. Whoever broke these wards and stole the book is very good."
