Page 94 of Witches of Dubious Origin
“Right,” I agreed. I didn’t correct him by sayingifwe got home.
“Ready to open the grimoire?” Jasper prompted me.
I glanced down at the volume in my hands. I studied its matte black cover and the hexagonal lock on the front. I paused, realizing I felt…remorse?…coming from the book. “Yes, even though it caused me to bleed out of my eyes…which was very, very wrong and it should never do that again…I forgive it and I’m ready.” I felt a surge of relief coming from the book. It was so preposterously weird to have a book withfeelingsand yet it was beginning to seem normal. “Anyway, let’s see if it will do it again.”
“You two work on that and we’ll see what we can do to shield this place,” Miles said. “Ariana will be here soon. We need to be prepared to defend ourselves.”
“Maybe she won’t find us,” I said.
“She will,” Olive said.
“But how?” I persisted, not wanting to believe it.
“The book.” They all said at once.
“Magical objects like your grimoire have their own auras. Anyone sensitive to them can track them,” Miles explained.
Ariana was coming for us. Terrified, I sat on the filthy ground and placed the book on top of my backpack in front of me. I didn’t care what might have scurried through this barn dirt before us. It was nothing compared to this day, the scariest of my life to date, and I’d certainly had some bangers during the past few weeks.
Without hesitating, I squeezed my eyes tight to form some tears. I didn’t know if they’d still be bloody, but I figured it was easier than finding something unsterile to stab myselfwith. One, two, three drops fell into the tiny well in the center of the hexagon.
As soon as the hexagon turned and the latches popped, I wiped at my eyes with my sleeve. I leaned close to the book and said, “Show me again, please.”
Immediately the cover flew open, as if the book was actually eager. The pages flipped with a dizzying speed. There was a pause, then the pages flipped back before it stopped. Lying face up and wide open was the second-to-last page of the section Mamie had written. And halfway down the page were the same symbols she’d taught me when she’d drawn them in the sand. They were in the book! Somehow I had missed them.
“Miles! I know these symbols!” I grabbed the book and jumped to my feet. I didn’t wait for him to come to me but crashed into his conversation with Olive and Tariq. “These symbols here. Do you know them?”
Miles adjusted his glasses and glanced down at the page I was holding. He pursed his lips and then shook his head. “No, it’s nothing I’ve ever seen before. I can’t even come up with any frame of reference. Olive? Tariq? Jasper?”
In turn, they each examined the page. While they studied it, I said to Miles, “Mamie taught me those four symbols when I was a kid.”
“You’re sure?”
“Today on the beach by her house I remembered her drawing them in the sand and making me repeat their names, but I can’t remember the third one. Or I couldn’t until right now,” I said.
Miles went very still. “You can verbalize those symbols?”
“I think so,” I said. “Of course, I have no idea what will happen if I do.”
There was a noise outside and Tariq hurried over to the gap between the sliding barn door and the wall. We had closed it but it was not a particularly snug fit.
“We have a problem,” Tariq announced. “Two problems, actually.”
“Do tell.” Olive crossed her arms over her chest, expressionless as per usual.
“There is a small army of undead headed our way with Ariana in the lead, and the storm is strengthening and it looks to be a doozy.”
“What do we do?” I asked.
“Use that incantation your grandmother taught you,” Olive said. “We’ll deal with the consequences, whatever they are.”
I turned to Miles. He nodded. “Knowing Toni, if she taught you those symbols in particular, she did it for a reason. It might be our only hope.”
“No pressure,” I muttered.
“They’re getting closer,” Tariq said, his voice noticeably higher.
“Ziakas, work on your spell. Griffin, help her.” Olive strode over to where Tariq stood and Miles followed.
