The Rise of Venus

Bringing Sin Comfort

Song: cute songs to help you cope with stress & anxiety playlist by Ambition

I waved goodbye as Leo drove off with the girls to go get groceries. When the black SUV disappeared around the bend I trudged through the foliage and onto the stone path. Pride's cottage greeted me moments later.

I'd grown accustomed to the caving roof and the slanted windows. Living here was like living with an old friend. An old friend that Pride had to patch up with magick after almost striking me down.

"Why didn't we all go?" Reign asked from behind.

"Because there are things that I want to discuss that's not for everyone's ears." Reign followed me inside where we found Pride in the library. Mountains of books surrounded him as he leafed through them anxiously. A frown graced his tired face and I found myself worrying for him once more.

By the time we returned from the past life it was three in the morning. An entire day had been lost and all Pride wanted to do was get back to the cottage as soon as possible. He never told us where Fergus was, he just wanted to read and make sense of things first. I didn't push him in the beginning as I was still reeling from their love story. But it was the afternoon now. With Flora and the half siblings fighting absent, I was hoping to get some answers.

"Pride, where is he?"

Sighing, Pride tossed the book he was reading aside. "Well, the good news is that he's still in Salem."

"The bad news?"

"He lives in Thunder Forest and it can only be accessed on magickal holidays," Pride replied. He glanced at me with his swampy eyes, already upset by whatever it was he was about to say. "The next magickal holiday is Mabon and it isn't celebrated until the Autumnal Equinox."

"Ok?" I wasn't seeing the problem here.

"The Autumnal Equinox isn't until the twenty second of September."

That, that was eleven days away! Eleven days of sitting around while our Packs continued to be attacked was not a viable option.

"There has to be a way to enter the forest earlier," I said. "Maybe a spell or something we can do-"

"There is." Pride held up the small brown book on his left. Opening it to one of the last pages, I settled beside him, skimming over the unknown language. Pride stiffened but didn't say anything when I didn't move away from him. "It's a little risky but-"

"We can't do it," Reign interrupted. The tan wolf glared at us from where he reclined in a leather armchair. His black boots tapped noiselessly against the hardwood floor.

"Why not?" I asked. "If it'll get us there faster-"

"We'll lose Flora." His tone was sharp and cold. I felt myself lean away from his empty aura and closer to Pride. Thankfully, Pride didn't shy away from my touch this time. "If we perform that ritual then me and Flora die. Sky goes crazy after murdering me leaving only three of you to finish the journey."

Pride snapped the book shut, placing it beside him. "How much of the Chronicle did you read?"

"Enough." Reign's dark brown eyes darkened even further at the mention of the book. Pools of vacant black stared into the empty fireplace.

"What's it like?" Pride asked. "The Chronicle, I mean. Gwendolyn said the stories were set up by alphabetical order so-"

"It is." Reign scratched the leather chair, cutting into the dark stuffing underneath. "You can only read your own stories though. I tried to read the others but it wouldn't let me."