Page 33 of The Goddess is Fierce
“My grandfather might be awake,” Church said. “He’s been spending his retirement gambling with his friends and doing those diamond paintings. He would know.”
I didn’t know if Azren would know for sure, but if our current and past headmaster didn’t know then there was one person I knew would. Freya was really Beatrix Halliwell. She knew all the Academy of the Profane’s secrets.
If there was an important forge here, Freya could tell us when she got back.
azren
. . .
This arrow wasfascinating.The little seer was right. It wasn’t functional. I knew a little about archery. It wasn’t just the metal. The arrow wasn’t balanced right. The only way it would fly was through magic and if he used magic to shoot it, he wouldn’t have lost it.
I kept turning it over in my hands trying to figure it out while chatting with Baldur and Odin. Odin was used to staying up late writing, but I think the big guy liked to go to bed early because he was yawning. It was honestly kind of adorable.
“This isn’t any metal I’ve seen before. I thought it was gold when I first saw it, but it’s not. It’s not brass either. It’s almost like a stone.”
I thought it was just an old arrow that had been under the floorboards for a while, but when I polished it, it became clear it wasn’t metal.
“Pyrite?” Odin asked. “It could be Fool’s Gold. Most pyrite is harmless, but iron pyrite has a little arsenic in it.”
“You know, I think you’re right. It’s metal, too, but it’s not completely metal. This has someone’s essence in it. I can literally feel it. It’s just a tiny piece, but I’ve never known anyone to go that long without it. It’s not enough for me to tell who it is, but I’ve never met them before.”
Just then, George appeared surrounded by literally everyone. These cottages used to have families in them, but they weren’t really meant for this many people, especially when a lot of them were god sized. Baldur alone took up half the couch. I conjured a few chairs. I thought she was worried about her uncle’s vision and Drake wanted to know about the arrow, so I started talking. She was here for something else because she started talking, too.
“Sorry,” I said, giving her a nod.
She couldn’t show me the notes because ghost writing never lasted after it was read, but George told me what it said. I didn’t know about the forge, but Ididknow about the speakeasy. That was all Freya. Then she came back as either a teacher or a student and drank there because that was the kind of badass my friend was.
“I wasn’t headmaster long, so I don’t know about forges.”
“My dad is either sleeping or doing things that are going to upset George, so I haven’t called,” Michael said.
George shot him a look that could cut glass.
“I texted my grandfather, but he hasn’t responded. He might be sleeping or he could just be enjoying his retirement.”
“It can wait until morning,” Odin said. “You all said you know which dodgeball match this is and you have time.”
“Have you learned anything about the arrow?” Drake asked.
“I think it was created by magic. I know the ghosts said to look for a forge, but this wasn’t made by a normal blacksmith. It seems to be a combination of stone mixed with metal. There are zero impurities like it was made on a forge but I don’t know why it was conjured either if it was. There’s definitely a bit of someone’s essence in this arrow, which doesn’t makeanysense. Everyone’s essence leaves them, but it always comes back.”
“What?” Oscar said, paling.
Explaining this to mortalsandgods always blew their minds because they didn’t know. Honestly, I wasn’t sure where they thought their magic came from.
“What makes gods and supernaturals different from humans is that our essence is supercharged. When either of us uses magic, we’re essentially tapping into it. Gods eventually get tired, too, but for the most part, we use it and it comes right back to us unless we expend massive amounts of it. The reason supernaturals get tired after shifting or complicated magic is because your essence leaves you and goes to the Aether to recharge.
“Youalwaysget it back and the amount you are born with comes from your parents. It goes to the Aether every time, not a random object. When you hex someone, you are sending them your essence and your intention. It infects the other person’s essence and goes to the Aether to recharge. Spelled and cursed objects are a little different, but the essence doesn’t remain.
“Theonlybit of magic I know of where a supernatural leaves part of their essence in an object are sentient books and that why most of them are feral little assholes that bite. I’ve neveroncemet a sentient book that wasn’t a complete dick but making them was all the rage for a little while.”
“We used to ask to go in that room at the library all the time when we were kids. We thought it would be so cool. Even when my dad showed us the scar where one of them bit him, we still wanted to. The first thing I did when I got my library card was go to that room. Some bitch ass book screamed at me and tried to hit me in the face,” Michael said.
“Itoldyou not to go in there. The sentient book craze was big the first time I was alive. Everyone’s books were assaulting them and keeping them awake all night screaming and they were pretending like it was the coolest thing ever. I didn’t know it was because their essence was in there,” Mags said.
“Mm, yes. Being separated from your essence isn’t meant to happen. It only makes the person feel slightly off. They probably can’t even put their finger on what’s missing. The essence that has been cut off feels it the strongest. It’s not very smart and can’t tell you why it’s angry and bitter, but it wants to go home.
“Whatever this arrow was forged for, it’s protecting the essence. I can’t hear it and it can’t speak. I could probably pull it out, but it would destroy the arrow. If two seers tell me this arrow is important, I’m going to leave it until I know why.”
