Page 22 of Sophie's Ruin
“Good evening,” the witch greeted me, setting down her cup.
“Evening,” I murmured, as I approached the table and took a seat across from her.
Resting my forearms on the flat wooden surface, I cradled the amulet in my hands. My gaze cast down, I got momentarily distracted by the pulsing blue light.
“Is there anything you want to ask me?” Celeste prompted, drawing my attention to her. When I looked up from the Tear, her sharp blue eyes watched me as she waited. My brows flew up—she’d known I’d come here in search of an answer. The world must have whispered it to her, carrying the news through one of the invisible threads.
“Yes,” I told her. “My grandmother and my mother forged the Tear.” I waved the amulet in front of Celeste before putting it in my pocket for safekeeping. “Do you think I could create an enchanted object?”
“Perhaps one day, but you have a long road ahead of you before then,” Celeste gave a practiced answer.
My forehead creased. “I need a shortcut, don’t you think? The longer I delay going after Henry, the more torture he endures.”
“His suffering is unfortunate, but you cannot rush this,” the witch explained calmly. “They will not kill him because they need him alive to lure you out.”
They would not kill him, but they would make sure he wished he were dead,I wanted to say but saw no point.
The way Celeste had spoken the words, matter-of-fact and detached, let me know there was no appealing to her softer side. I wondered if she even had one. Was that why she lived alone, separated from the village? She’d never mentioned any family or anyone she was close to. Perhaps she chose not to grow close to anyone on purpose because having loved ones or people dear to you was a weakness in this world where evil roamed so freely. Still, I had the urge to shake her to rattle the stoic facade, but I didn’t, reminding myself that I needed her guidance. So, I balled my hands into fists in my lap under the table and took a steadying breath.
“I’m ready to begin my training. What’s the lesson for today?”
“You still need to work on establishing your connection to the world. Once you accomplish that, you will be able to tap into the energy around you and manipulate it.”
My ears perked up at her words. “Manipulate how? Will I be able to use it for fighting?”
“Yes, but that shouldn’t be your main focus.”
“It is my main focus. I need to learn my magic so I can fight for Henry.”
“That cannot be the only reason. The magic in your blood is your legacy. You need to learn how to honor it.”
“I will honor it. I just don’t have years to learn it,” I bit out.
“It will take as long as it takes. You are only at the beginning of your journey, and it is not something you can force.”
My nails dug into the palms of my hands from how hard I was clenching my fists, trying to keep my composure. I wanted to force it, and I wanted to force Celeste to approach the situation with the same urgency I did, but the witch seemed unyielding.
“Alright,” I tried to say calmly, but the word came out as a growl. Celeste arched a brow, the look on her face warning me not to challenge her on this. I cleared my throat and tried again, “What should I work on tonight?” This time, my tone was more measured.
“You need to get to know your magic. It is a part of you, but it has been dormant for all your life. Think of it as trying to unlock it. Your powers are asleep. You need to wake them up and bring them forth.”
“I thought I needed to learn how to tap into the world around me?” I asked, uncurling my fists, and scrubbing my face with my hands in frustration.
“The two are not mutually exclusive,” Celeste replied.
When I stared at her, waiting for more instruction, she gave none before lifting her cup to her mouth to finish her tea. I imagined reaching across the table and swatting it out of her hand.
“You should go for a walk in the woods. Being close to nature helps,” she said, eyeing me over the rim of her cup.
“The woods?” I stared at her in dismay. “Are you suggesting a stroll in the Black Forest?”
“You are a vampire. I trust you can take care of yourself,” she said nonchalantly. “But you can also take this.” She reached across the table to hand me a small brown pouch. “A hex bag to protect you in the woods.”
My eyes grew bigger at her words as something occurred to me.
“You’re not coming with me?” I asked in disbelief.
“This is something you must do on your own. This journey is between you and your magic.”
