Page 71 of The 13th Daughter
"I call upon the guardian of the watchtower of the east to guide me this night.
To find the truth that is hidden from the light,
Tonight, Samhain, I summon thee to guide me upon my quest.
I seek my sister's soul.
Bind it to me so that I may see
That which is lost unto me."
The locket came alive in my hand. It twisted left. I turned and started walking. It led me into the woods. I walked for twenty minutes heading deeper and deeper into the trees. Whenever the locket swayed in a different direction, I turned. The clearing soon came into view. It led me to the one place we'd both loved and had felt at home in. It hummed and vibrated, swaying steadily west. It fell motionless when I reached the outer ring of trees and came to a stop under the oldest oak tree standing.
Emily's tree. She'd sat under it for hours on end just drawing. Her book had been here all along. Why had I never thought of this? She'd always told me the best hiding place was in plain sight. The Coven used this spot on a regular basis. Of course she would have put it here where they'd never have thought to look for it. Hell, even I hadn't. I was such an idiot. Some Coven leader I'd be, I thought wryly.
There wasn't any obvious hiding place. Emily would have made sure no one could find it even if they stumbled upon it. What would she have done? Earth magic. Earth was her element. I pictured what her book might look like in my mind and came up with a quick rhyme.
"Earth, I summon thee
To help me find that which is hidden from me."
The ground gave a soft shudder beneath my feet and I beat a hasty retreat back a few steps. The black soil turned and erupted upward, carrying with it Emily's Book of Shadows. The black, leather bound book came to a rest at my feet.
My hands shook as I reached for it. All the answers I needed were in here. Or at least I hoped so. I brushed the dirt away from the cover and stared at her name embossed in gold letters across the front. The soft leather was intact and unharmed. It was beautiful.
I made my way over to the log I usually sat on and opened the book. The moon was full, but there still wasn't enough light to see by. I hadn't brought my purse which held a mini pen light. "I need light," I groaned out loud.
The same lights I'd seen buzz around Megan the night of her initiation materialized in front of me. They surrounded me and I could see as clearly as if I were sitting under a lamp at home. "Thank you," I murmured, not knowing which Element to thank, but offered my gratitude anyway.
Emily's handwriting scrawled across the pages. They were filled with countless spells she'd written and potions she'd crafted. I came upon one to find a lost object and laughed. If only she'd known how desperately I'd have needed that particular one. I flipped to the end and found what I was looking for.
October 13, 2023
I did it. I broke the wards. They'll know, of course, but we'll be gone before they figure out who it was. The book confirmed it all. A curse. I still can't believe it. Everything we are has been about revenge. He's there. It's all true. Only thing is they miscalculated. They think it's Susan, but it's not. They were counting the miscarriage Ms. McDonald had. He counted it. The curse only takes into account the living. It's either CJ or Kay. I need to get them away from here before they figure it out.
There was a blood promise made, a sacrifice promised, and the burning re-enacted. They're going to burn her. Revenge? How does killing one of our own make us any better than those who betrayed our ancestors? It doesn't. What they're planning is evil.
I can't let them find out they're wrong. I have to get CJ and Kay away from here.
October 14, 2023
I knew Ghost Boy couldn't be on the up and up. He was set in place by those who betrayed us to make sure we didn't succeed. I met Matthew today. I'm not sure if he's the same as Ghost Boy or something different, but he told me everything. He also exposed Ghost Boy for who he was and sent him back into the veil. They know now they're wrong in their calculations. It won't take them long to figure out the truth.
I need to get them and leave today.
October 15, 2007
It's too late, little sister. Mr. Martin knew I was up to something and cast a truth spell on me. I couldn't stop myself. I told him everything. Everything. He knows about both of you. He won't let me leave. He'll kill me first. They all will. Revenge burns in their souls. They'll destroy anything that gets in their way. This is the only way I can warn you. I pray to the Fates you find this.
On that night in 1692, George Howe invoked the aide of the god and goddess of vengeance. He cast a curse that would set loose a terrible evil upon the members of their Coven who had betrayed them. It will seek out their descendants and cause them to suffer a horrible death. It's dark magic, CJ. I know dark magic is a part of witchcraft, but I never thought anyone in our Coven would use it.
I did something I know I shouldn't have, but I can't let them ever use that dreadful curse again. I destroyed the pages it was written on and everything about it. I will not write it down here either, but I will tell you about it. You need to know.
The 13th daughter signifies the 13 who were betrayed. She will invoke the curse. Her blood must be spilt upon the ashes of our ancestors. This will give them substance again and her soul will be bound to theirs. She must burn as they did. I'm not sure if this is to release the curse or not, but it must be done. Together, their essence will fan out and find the descendants of those who betrayed us in Salem Village all those centuries ago. The souls of those people were promised to the god Arwan as compensation for his assistance. They'll burn for an eternity, never knowing any relief from the feel of flames eating away at their skin. It's the most horrible fate I can imagine.
The book says 'The 13th bearer of life shall be born on the night between shadow and light.' It's an old reference. It refers to All Hallows Eve - the night when shadows are free to break through the veil into the light. You and Kay were born on theday that signifies the shadows representing the dead and the light representing the living. One of you is the thirteenth girl to be born on Halloween. Problem is, little sister, no one knows who came first. You were born within the same minute and no one recorded the second. It could be either of you.
The curse will be invoked on your eighteenth birthday. Sara Bishop cast a spell herself before she died. She made sure that the 13th daughter would have some sort of life, could be prepared to fight for herself. Otherwise the Coven could have killed you when you were born.
