Page 122 of The Holy Academy of Witches

“Well you sure don’t!”

“What the hell is…”

“Children, children… this isn’t a productive use of our very limited time.” Cillian interrupted, giving Theo a challenging look.

I rounded the statue to look upon the figure standing proudly in the vast space. The Horned God, male counterpart to our deity, the Triple Goddess. I paced around, looking at the carved marble from every angle. I was pleased to see Cillian doing the same, our minds working at speed, both of us rising to the intellectual challenge of a mystery to be solved.

“Surely the Horned God has no relation to our riddle.”

“Maybe she got the riddle wrong.” Theo replied.

“I’m sure I didn’t.” I snapped.

“Oh well so long as you’re sure.” He deadpanned.

Sighing in frustration I looked to Sage whose eyes were boring into the back of her brother’s head. “I agree, there’s no relevance… it’s also odd that this statue is hundreds of years younger than the building itself.”

“Could the original statue have been ripped out and replaced with this one?” Sage wondered aloud.

“Unlikely,” I replied, “They haven’t done so with any of the older relics on our campus, so why do it here?”

“There are some old columns and stuff in the woods?” Theo volunteered.

“Where?” Cillian asked from his knelt position by the statue.

“It’s kinda hard to describe, you know where we did the run trials? If you head down the path back towards campus and then cut a right into the forest after a kilometre. It’s not too far in… worth a look?” He asked.

“Adeline said the statue they’ve already found was facing toward this location, the forest would be way off course.”

“Maybe Adeline’s strength isn’t in orienteering.”

I closed my eyes in frustration before pausing my pacing in front of the statue. Looking into the Horned Gods eyes I grew more frustrated. “It doesn’t make sense. It should be here.” I placed my hand on the marble, expecting to feel its cool hardness but instead being greeted with the gentle warmth of magic. “There’s magic emanating from this.”

Sage perked up at my words but then deflated again at Cillian’s response. “It’s a protection spell against weathering and such, all the ornaments and decorative items have them.”

“What if it’s not… or rather what if there’s more?” Sage stepped forward with her hand raised. Her hands glowed faintly as she worked to strip away the basic weather proofing enchantments.

“You’re right. There’s a glamour.” I replied, joining her.

Her brow furrowed in concentration, “I’m not sure I can remove it. It’s nothing I’ve felt before.”

“It’ll be the age.” Cillian remarked, coming to her side. He spoke in her ear quietly, the most intimate gesture I’d seen between them. Theo bristled uncomfortably and I felt his gaze flick towards me.

“Okay,” Sage replied softly to Cillian as the pair of them used counter magic to strip away the illusion in place. Sages tongue poked out in concentration. I looked at Theo’s profile and wondered if his tongue did that. Then I cursed myself for thinking about his tongue at all. “Yes!” Sage shouted, her eyes widening as she realised she shouldn’t have yelled. “I mean… yes!” She whispered and did a little victory dance.

The centuries old glamour fell away revealing exactly what I’d hoped for. I almost stuck my tongue out at Theo but my pride got the better of me.

The statue was broken, long lost to time. Her swollen belly, full of hope for a new world, one of the only parts left standing.

“It’s the visitation…” I whispered.

“What?” Sage asked.

“The statue. It is Mary, pregnant with Jesus. See how her body is tilted slightly - at odds with her legs? She’s facing Saint Elizabeth.”

“Sooo, what does the visitation mean?”

“For us? Or in general?” I asked.

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