You're the heir apparent to the head of the Council,ergo-"
"Dad,it is way to early to be using words like 'ergo.
We're going to open this bookcase and remove the grimoire."
Now I wasn't surprised so much as shocked. "No way," I shot back. "This thing is enchanted to hell and back-maybe literally."
Dad closed his eyes and took a deep breath, like he was having to physically restrain himself from yelling.
You're handling someone's life energy, so it's intense, yeah, but there's like this charge from it."
"I'm not sure how I feel about you 'handling my life energy,' Cal."
He grinned, and I was taken aback by how different it made him look. Cal spent so much time being stoic and solemn that it was easy to forget he even had teeth. "I'll buy you dinner first next time, I promise."
Okay,the grin was one thing, but that had definitely been flirting. Then, like I wasn't thrown enough, Cal leaned down and picked up a potted African violet on the low table next to the sofa and brought it over to me. For a second,I wondered if this was his socially awkward way of trying to give me flowers, but he said, "Any Prodigium can do it,really.Not on the same level I can, but still.You just have to be patient." He pushed the plant toward me,and I noticed a few brown spots on its velvety petals. "Wanna try?"
I looked at the droopy violet and snorted. "Thanks,but that poor little flower looks like it's suffered enough." Wiggling my fingers, I added, "I'm way better at the blowing-stuff-up part of magic.
Curiouser and curiouser."
Startled,I glanced at him. "I say that sometimes."
Even with his face tight with worry, Dad managed to look a little amused. "It's from Alice in Wonderland. Appropriate, don't you think?"
Yeah,except that our rabbit hole was a heck of a lot darker,I thought.
I pretended to study the bookcase in the far corner. I'd expected boring books about Prodigium history or shifter economy, and there were a few of those, but I also noticed some recent fiction, as well as several Roald Dahl books. Dad went up in my estimation another notch.
Dad's office was actually one of the smaller rooms at Thorne. Inside was pretty nice,though. There was a cherrywood desk and ivory carpets, plus comfortable leather chairs and sturdy-looking bookshelves. He also had nice view of the river.
Dad was at his desk when I opened the door, doing what all British people do when they're freaked out: drinking tea.
This grimoire was written in the language of angels."
"Shouldn't that be,like, harp music or chanting, and not hard-core hieroglyphics?
I closed my eyes and took more of those deep breaths Dad was so fond of, thinking that it was no wonder Prodigium were always getting their asses handed to them by humans. I mean, every time I had to do an intense spell, there was all this focusing, and relaxing, and picturing, and breathing...It wasn't exactly the most effective battle strategy against something like The Eye.
I should've known better than to think about The Eye,though. As soon as the name popped into my head, my control shattered.
And so did the terra-cotta pot.
Black soil rained down on my feet, and the purple flower drooped even further. I could have sworn it actually bobbed accusingly at me.
"Ugh," I groaned, as Cal quickly scooped the jagged pot out of my hands. "Sorry,but I warned you I was destructo-girl.
Or maybe your magic isn't that destructive after all. The rain of Doritos, the bed thing,this...Maybe it's just that you create too big, you know?"
When I could find my voice, I said, "Cal, that might be the nicest thing anyone's said to me since we got here."
He twirled one of the naked roots between his fingers, and didn't meet my eyes. "It's true." Then he glanced up and gave one of those half smiles I was really starting to like. "And it's also true that I need to find another pot for this guy.I,uh, guess I'll see you at dinner."
"Great.We can pick out our colors."
"What?"
"For the wedding. I'm thinking melon and mint. Supposed to be really hot next spring."
Cal laughed out loud,the first time I'd ever heard him do that. "It's a plan. See ya, Sophie.
Cal was dressed in a Hex Hall uniform. The blazer was a little tight on his broad shoulders, more so when he shrugged. "It was mine.Mrs. Casnoff brought it with her. I don't really, uh, do costumes. Figured this was a good compromise."
I'd thought no one but Archer could make that uniform look good, but Cal proved me wrong. The bright blue was nice against his tan skin and golden hair, and he looked younger. There was a dimple in his cheek as he smiled at me-something I'd never noticed before. "You make a good Hecate," he said.
I would have snorted and made a sarcastic comment, but there was something in his eyes that made me just say, "Thanks.
Saint Anthony's medallions are very powerful objects. Witches and warlocks used them in the Middle Ages, usually if they were traveling. You could give them to someone and use them to telepathically show your location. Very useful if you got lost or captured, both of which happened quite often in those days." He flicked it back at me. "I'm actually not surprised you found one. We have dozens in the cellar at Hecate."
Well,that explained it,then. Secret demon hunter and thief. Man, did I know how to pick 'em.
« erste vorherige
Seite 34 von 56.
nächste letzte »
Data privacy
Imprint
Contact
Diese Website verwendet Cookies, um Ihnen die bestmögliche Funktionalität bieten zu können.