Marked by Fae (The Fae Chronicles Prequel)

Chapter 6

Quickly, I shut my eyes and then open them again. But no, the words are still there, and I can still read them. My mind races with possibilities. If I can read this, does it mean anything? Or does this book just have a random part written in modern language? But how would that be possible? None of this makes sense.

I get to my feet, walking over to the door and then back to the table. There has to be a rational explanation. Sure, I found the book because of some weird noises. Yes, I'm getting a little protective over it, but I get protective over any research I do. Since I'm the one doing the work. But no, this is different. It feels different. Maybe it's enchanted.

Yes, that must be it.

Stopping near the book, I close my eyes for a second, centering myself and my magic. Then slowly, I open my eyes and place my hand, palm down, over the open pages. I call on my magic, asking it to come forward and feel my surroundings. If there's an enchantment, my magic will be able to tell. But when I feel it rising, it's not pausing to find a culprit. It reaches right for the book, as if it's been waiting for it. My powers are almost giddy with excitement. I snatch my hand back before I cause damage. I'm afraid to do anything with it, since it's been going haywire. But I especially don't want to hurt the book.

Glancing down at my hand, I frown. This is getting stranger by the minute. Taking a few steps forward I resign myself to what must be done. I have to read everything that's written on the page. That's the only way to figure out if this is an enchantment or if I can read this ancient book. Goosebumps race over my spine as I take a deep breath.

Slowly, I move my eyes down the page until they land on the paragraph in the middle. The words are as clear as day.

"Many centuries have gone by since the rise and fall of the magical kingdom. But there is none who has answered the call of the forest."

My mind processes the first two lines quickly, and it doesn't feel strange in any way. It feels almost natural. However, the words make no sense. It's like I'm coming into the middle of a story. I move my eyes farther down to read the other three lines. As I do, it's like something inside of me clicks.

"There are those who will want to steal the power for themselves. There are those who are eagerly waiting for the door to open. Yet, there are those who possess the skill and steadfastness of a real knight."

A big rush of power surges through me, nearly knocking me off my feet. I grip the table for support. The magic inside me dances in glee, twisting and turning with such happiness it takes my breath away. Gasping, I try to reel it in. It won't listen. It won't be tamed. It's answering a call I can't hear, and it's more excited than I've ever felt it to be before. And it makes me happy. It makes me laugh.

Just as quickly as the feeling comes, it leaves. I'm bent over, gasping to force air into my lungs. My body feels exhausted, but my skin buzzes with power. Also, I feel more balanced than I have in months. None of this makes sense.

I stand up slowly, checking on my magic and feel it nice and settled. It seems satisfied somehow. I'm definitely going to have to ask Dad about this. He's told me before that our magic can do weird things, but it's never been this strange before.

When I finally look over at the book, I stumble away, hitting my back against the other table. There's no way I'm seeing what I'm seeing. Once again, I close my eyes and count to ten before opening them back up. Tentatively, I take a few steps forward, as if I'm sneaking up on an injured animal. But when my gaze lands on the book, it's the same.

Instead of being able to read the middle paragraph, I can now read the whole page. Both pages actually. The words are no longer foreign.

Shaking my head, all I can do is stare. There's no way this makes sense. Before I can do or think anything else, there's a banging on the outer door. The Headmaster's voice reaches for me.