A Study of Poisons

TWENTY THREE

      I found a whole page that talks about a scrying scene, where as grandmother talks about the spell. If I do this it'll show me the fates of the destined. However, if casted wrong, I might see nothing but a void of darkness and the devastation to follow. It was a risk I was willing to take.

He slipped a drawing pencil in my hands, "This is something important to you?" I asked him, my brow rose as I watched him move. His eyes daunting over my own as he allied himself with the wall. "I meant like a photo or a piece of clothing." I motioned as I clutched on to the pencil.

A smile came to the edge of his lips, "I can take off my shirt if you want? I didn't realize we were playing that sort of game." He told to me, it was out of his character to act like this. Flirtatious. I guess the rumors were true then, because right now he was acting just like Nelo. "It's important to me, it's the first charcoal pencil my mother gave me when I was a child." The low smirk showed the tips of his fangs. I'd never imagined Alex to be somewhat of an artist.

"Can I see one of your pieces one day?" I asked him. His cheeks fading to a sudden red, covering his mouth he nodded at me. I guessed he wasn't expecting me to care about his interests this much. I almost reached out for him to reassure him, but instead I held myself back.

I turned as I mentally prepared for the spell with every inch of my being. Alex began to walk away from me, but my teeth clenched. "Could you actually stay with me?" His eyes followed the corners of my back, the hair on the back of my neck stood as he took a step towards me. "I just don't know how the spell is going to work and I don't want to be alone for it." This was so embarrassing.

"Do you think it's going to be bad?" He asked me.

I frowned.

I was stuck in thought, everything was coming to this. Magic that was untouched laid dormant inside of me, it tingled down my hands until I could feel it between my fingertips. Alex reached out and touched my hand, I looked up at a reflex to him. His eyes were soft as he spoke. "Maybe it's not a good idea to do this then." He told me.

"Something is coming Alex, I need to know what so I'm not caught off guard either." My brow furrowed up towards a crease in my forehead. Alex let me go as I moved around the room.

My hands moved to lock the door as I began to prep for the spell. I needed to know who else threatened Alex's life- and needed to know soon, I could feel it in the blood that something was about to shift. Our lives were about to change. I could feel it in every inch of my blood. In my dreams they read for fear but here I waited for it. Flipping open the book, eyes followed my back.

Alex sat on my bed and watched from a far, "What's that?" I never realized he didn't look at my things until now. He always waiting until I gave him the invite to look. It was calming to see someone like him.

"The grandmother from the shop gave me it, it's a witches diary." I told him as he reached out for it, sliding the leather from my own hands to his. He read each page with a different sense of intrigue. He was truly captivated by yet, yet entirely filled with every ounce of concern.

He brought up the obvious, "I thought Keepers couldn't do witch magic."

To tell him the truth would be admitting the very worst of myself. I was a Keeper at heart, born and raised. I have the mind of a Keeper. I swore an oath and I should keep it. "Keepers are taught the blood craft, forcing magic. Witches are naturally talented to move magic. Apparently, I can do both." Then again, I have broken almost every rule in the book. I do get along better with Vampires than the average Keeper. The witch blood will only make me stronger at protecting my friends.

"So you are a witch." It wasn't a question, it was an outpouring statement.

Looking down at my fingers, I could feel the hum of magic rest between them. Like a calling that devoured me every time I thought about it. Consuming me entirely. "I guess I am. My father's entire family is full of Keepers so it can't be them, my next guess is that it's my mother's family." I knew nothing about my mother's family but her last name. A last name that was so distant I wondered if it truly existed at the end of the day.