The Five Cursed Witches: Volume 1 - Zoe, the Witch of Innocence

Chapter 43 The Library again

Zoe

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I couldn't believe what had almost happened. It had been so close, our lips almost touching. I had panicked and known that I needed to get away before anything irreversible happened. In the panic, only one place and one thing had seemed like the place to go and do.

The Library, to see if I could manage to ask the right question.

I had teleported to Salem, straight to the passageway that existed there and gone through it. Only a few seconds had passed since I was in Hartford, but now I stared at the Library.

Still, without giving myself any time to think or calm down, I walked in. It was when I looked into the eyes of the Librarian that I finally stopped.

Green. His eyes were so beautifully green. Exactly the same shade of green as Felix's.

I looked at the boy more closely and it wasn't just the eyes. Although the Librarian was about five years old and had features to match, it was unmistakably Felix.

"My dear Zoe, what brings you back so soon?" the Librarian asked, waking me up from my shock.

"You... This is what Felix looked like as a kid? Why do I see Felix when I look at you? And why as a kid?" the questions flowed out of me as I slowly walked closer.

"I do not believe this is what brought you here."

I sighed. I should, of course, have known better than to ask those questions. He would never tell. Honestly, he never told anything, so I really didn't know why I had even come. Especially now, looking into the eyes of the child-version of Felix. I wanted to be back with him, or at least, I wanted to go back to explain properly why I had to leave for a bit. I knew he had to be worried considering how I left.

But it was better to not dwell on that. It was better to find the information I needed quickly so I could return to him, hopefully with the ability to touch him and a way to get around that I was sent out to kill his father.

"I'm here about my curse," I said, getting straight to the point.

"You aren't cursed."

By reflex, I opened my mouth to argue against him. But slowly I closed it again. It was likely the rarity of the clearness in his words, how out of character they were, that made me stop and think. Was that the issue? I had always blindly looked at it as a curse. I had never considered that it might not be. That it was something else. But what then? A gift like Father had always claimed?

"What magical creatures can kill with a touch?" I asked instead.

He snapped his fingers and indicated for me to go through the door behind the desk. I hesitated for a moment. With the possibility of answers so close, I got scared. I had been chasing it for so long. Would I finally know the answer?

I opened the door, went in and started looking through the books on the bookshelf on the other side. There was only one shelf with thirty or so books, and a table to sit by next to it. 

After closing the last book, I laughed. Of course, there wouldn't be any answers. Half of the creatures mentioned in the books didn't even have that ability. The only magical being mentioned that did, in fact, have the ability were the Death Shadows, which a Necromancer could command.

Others that were mentioned were, for instance, dragons since their claws held a certain amount of poison so one scratch could potentially kill. Giants were mentioned since they literary could crush you as easy as a fly. Most ridiculous was a book about nymphs that I was sure must have somehow gotten there by mistake since they only healed.