The Young and Gifted

75. a wish for hope

Josie sat in the library, in the dark as she liked it. Too much light hurt her eyes and she needed to give her mind space to be able to read. At this point, she had nearly read every fantasy book on the shelves. She had even read a couple non-fiction ones and old-fashioned ones. She scanned through the aisles, on a hunt for another book. Her fingers travelled down the spine of books until she stopped. It pointed at a golden framed book. She pulled at the spine and stared at the empty cover.

She narrowed her eyes, not remembering the book being there last year. Dorian must have done a restock. Josie approached the desk with the book, fully interested. Before she could dive in, the doors boomed open and Stephanie emerged.

Her eyes landed on Josie and they widened. "Oh sorry! Do you need some privacy? I'll come back later."

Josie flicked her hand, dismissing her. "Don't worry about it, sometimes I like company." Stephanie smiled and shut the doors behind her. She approached Josie's desk with a sigh and sat down. "So you and Landon?"

They had recently called made it official a couple of days ago. "How did you know?"

Josie chuckled lightly as she rapidly scanned and read the pages of the book. So far, she realized it was a book about mythical monsters. Vincent talked about them all the time and she could use the book to boost her grade in school. "News travels fast around here, trust me. I have the head of the rumour mill living in my room."

Stephanie shrugged. "I really, really like him. My mom always warned me about the type of guys in high school and how they only use you for sex but Landon...he's far from that. He gets all red and flustered when we kiss and he struggles to give me compliments because he's nervous about whether or not they are rude. I can definitely see myself falling in love with him at this rate."

Josie smiled genuinely. "I'm happy for you." She swallowed. "But be careful." Stephanie cocked her head to the side in curiosity. "Her name was Penelope. She and I were on and off over the years but...she was always my rock bottom. She helped me push out of my shell and identify the worst traits in people to protect myself. When she died...it was like my lungs, my heart, my eyes were all ripped out and I couldn't see a purpose of living anymore. I couldn't see a light, couldn't see anything. Just darkness and isolation and I believed it was never going to be over. But with the help of my mom and a couple of people, I'd like to say I'm fine. Not perfect but fine. Just don't be too vulnerable because you never know what will happen that night or even that hour."

Stephanie grabbed her hand in comfort, squeezing it as she expressed, "I am so sorry that that happened to you. It must have been horrible."

She shrugged. "It was." Before she had a chance to continue, her eye snagged on one of the last pages of the book. "Hold on. This doesn't make sense."

Stephanie stood up and rounded the table, leaning over Josie's shoulder to see. "What doesn't?"

"This book is about mythical creatures but all of the chapters are about the monsters except this one." She pointed to the title, A Wish For Hope. "How is hope a creature?" None of them knew this but the book wasn't talking about the concept of hope, it was talking about the tribrid. And she herself was a creature.

"Maybe it's like a metaphor, maybe the book is trying to say having hope is bad?" Stephanie shrugged with evident confusion. 

Josie narrowed her eyes. "I don't know. This chapter doesn't fit with all the other ones." She brushed her fingers across the pages, feeling the faint pulse of magic. "I'm getting an odd vibe—" Accidentally, she began to siphon. But instead of the magic pulling away from the book, it seemed to get angry.

Light blasted in the room and Stephanie shielded her eyes with a scream dying in her throat. Josie blinked and all her surroundings were gone. All that was left was a pitless abyss of repeating silence and cold.

"Stephanie?" She called but no answer.

"Welcome, Josette Olivia Saltzman, lineage to my creator," a voice boomed around her. "How may I help you?"

"I—" she glanced around the room. I must have tripped a trap mechanism from the book. Certain magical artifacts knew how to protect themselves. "I think I'm lost."

"Is that all you wish for? To return home?"

Josie paused for a second. And let curiosity get the best of her. "Why is the last chapter of your book different from all the others?"

"I am afraid you're not of the capability to know."

So there is a reason. "How can I become of capability to know?"

"You must become my Master," it stated.

"And what happens when I do?" It couldn't be so bad, it's a book.

"You'll understand the meaning behind the last chapter of my book."

Josie thought about it. Vincent had told them that magical deals were tricky but as long as you understood how to use your magic to defend yourself, everything else was just an obstacle to tear down. "Fine, I'll be your Master." Josie winced when a searing jolt of pain shot up her hand. She glanced at it and spotted a jewelled gold ring with a jade ore in the centre.

"I am at your mercy."

"Tell me what the last chapter is about."

There was no response and Josie thought she had been tricked. She huffed and looked at the ring, trying to pull it off. It didn't come off. The more she pulled, the more annoyed she got. But she froze when she heard the faint scratching behind her. Her heart shrivelled up in fear as she turned around.

But it settled when she saw a girl, sitting on the floor. Dark brown hair, green pearly eyes, red rosy lips. She seemed to be drawing on the hard reflective ground with a fang ring and the more steps Josie took closer, she began to recognize faces. Her face, Lizzie's face, Kaura's face, Landon's. The artists had her father's talent. 

And then there was a wave that streamed through her body and Josie found herself recognizing the individual in front of her. "Hope?"

The girl turned to her immediately and her face was masked with confusion. "Josie?"

Her eyes watered as she ran to the witch, holding her arms out. "Hope. Wh-what are you doing here? How did I forget about you? I missed you so much."

She accepted the hug with more confusion. "What are you doing here?"

"I don't know. I asked the book to see you and it just let me see you."

"Josie...please tell me you didn't make a deal with the book."

"I—" she looked at the ring. "I think I did? It said something about being its Master."

Hope's eyes widened and she opened to say something but the place started to crumble. The floor shook and a trembling screech echoed from the walls of nothing. 

Hope immediately told her to run. Josie panted heavily as she sprinted through the darkness, Hope following behind her. Ahead of them, they could spot a bright light and instantly, the witches knew it was the exit. "We have to hurry!" The luminescence was shrinking rapidly and the dark around them was collapsing.

Just as they were about to reach the portal of light, Josie tripped on a rock of black amethyst. She didn't even notice it there but it must have been what the walls of darkness were made of. Hope slowed down to check on her but Josie already knew that waiting for her to get up would waste time. And she with the stinging pain on her knee, she would only slow them down. So without hesitation, she brought her hand up and shouted, "Volant."

Hope's eyes widened as she flew up into the air towards the light and she screamed, "NO."

But it was too late, she was engulfed in the white beam and everything was gone. 

~

"On the regular. I care too much. It's kind of a problem."

try to guess who said it and don't forget to vote ;)