Page 50 of Rebel Spell
Carrying the book over to a lavender arm chair, I sat with it on my lap and flipped through pages of old parchment with varied handwriting. Some pages listed the names of women who had contributed to the book, dating back to England in the 1600s.
The book also included the phases of the moon, different moons during the seasons, and the types of magic most optimal during those periods. A listing of festivals and traditions followed. After that was a collection of spells and the ingredients necessary. Several witches listed their preferred methods on setting their altars, grounding themselves, calling the elements, and casting circles. What followed were instructions for clearing one’s mind as well as a number of spells and potions, such as those for protection. I snorted.
That would have come in handy recently.
The spells were written by various witches in my family over the decades. The earlier ones appeared to be in Latin, but the more recent ones were in English. The language didn’t appear to be what mattered, but the intention behind what was chanted. Anyone could say words, right? They could say things like I love you, but if they didn’t mean it, they were merely words.
But when they were true, those three words were truly magical.
Ah, what did I know?
I’d dated, but never experienced a relationship that intense—definitely not the kind that Diego had with agreeing to become a vampire for love. I placed my hand on my heart. That was morbidly romantic.
I continued flipping through the pages. In the latter half of the book, a page noted a warning:
The pages beyond this point involve complicated magic and should not be practiced as trivial?
I hesitated, the incident with the fire stoking fear like rising flames. After several shallow breaths, curiosity propelled me forward. The pages contained instructions for dealing with matters I thought fictional, such as banishing evil spirits, demons, and so on. Damn…
Mouth agape, I closed the book and stared out the window. What should I do with this powerful Book of Shadows I didn’t know existed until minutes ago?
My aunt had noted the responsibility to keep it out of the wrong hands. The most obvious choice would be to return it to where it had been hidden for now. The only ones who would be able to access it were the guys, but since it had been stowed here for some time, I figured it was safe.
After I stashed the book and returned boxes to hide the secret wall panel, I returned to pacing. I needed to talk to someone about this, but who? Who could I trust with the life changing discovery?
I thought about talking to Diego, but we hadn’t known each other for long. Besides, with how weird we’d left things the other day, it would be strange to confide in him—not to mention how I’d be telling a vampire about a powerful witch’s grimoire in a house he inhabited. In my limited knowledge of the supernatural world and this book, that could be a big no-no.
I’d known Gianna since childhood and trusted her with my life. I called her. When she answered, the sound of a Motley Crue song played muffled in the background.
“Are you at the club?” I asked her.
“Yes, what’s up?”
“Are you busy?”
“I can talk for a minute. Let me step outside. It’s so loud in here.” While the music faded, she said, “I was just talking about you.”
“To whom?”
“This hot guy who came in tonight. Tall, dark, and handsome with black hair you want to run your fingers through and green eyes that are so vivid you’d want to drown in.”
My nostrils flared. That didn’t sound enticing.
“There’s something about him that’s hard to describe,” Gianna added. “Yummy, though. A body any red-blooded female would want to roll with. I think you should meet him.”
I swallowed. “Gianna, you know I have something going on with Diego.”
“I thought that was just a fling, and it’s done,” she replied with confusion.
I resisted a groan. That had been precisely what I’d told her, but like she’d pointed out, I might be full of shit.
“Well, I told him to sign up for speed dating and that you’d be there. He seemed interested.”
“Oh, jeez.” I exhaled. Perhaps Gianna wasn’t the right person to call since she was already trying to set me up with someone else. “Why aren’t you going for him then?” I asked.
“Because I’m a good friend,” she replied. “And I think a little bit of this Dr. Feelgood is exactly what you could use right now.”
Some friends suggested ice cream. Others offered wine. My half-siren friend considered a hot hook up as medicine for any ailment.
