Page 35 of The Holy Academy of Witches

I placed it down carefully and after a quick scan of our surroundings, I cast a repellent around the classroom, dissuading anyone from wishing to enter. I removed the illusion on the book, revealing it’s true identity. The bible morphed back into the large and heavy book it once was, the edges of its pages glowed with anticipation.

I stepped back and gestured for Sage to take the lead, “I think you should be the one to ask for the book we desire, seeing as it revealed itself to you already. I don’t want anything to interfere.”

Sage shuffled forward, a hesitance to her that wasn’t there before. “It’s okay,” I assured her, “you can do it.”

“Okay,” she breathed. Running her fingers over the cover, she screwed her face up in concentration.

“What’s that face? What are you doing?”

“What? I’m doing what you said,” she said in bewilderment.

“You look constipated. Just clear your mind and try again.”

With a sigh, she looked down at the book, opening to the first page and said aloud: “I want answers.”

After a few moments the wordsMagnus Liberappeared. Sage bounced in her chair. She really was like a puppy. She leaned forward, hovering over the book, “what now?” She whispered.

“You don’t need to whisper.”

“I don’t want to scare it away.” She ran a finger over the swirling script. “Where?” She whispered to the book. I rolled my eyes but stilled when more font began to appear beneath.

Leaning over her shoulder, I waited until the text was complete.

The answer to this riddle lies

where the moonlight softly dies.

Where the shadows dance and play

on a night as dark as day.

Follow the path that leads you through

the woods that lay so close to view.

Where the trees stand tall and proud

beneath the light of the moon’s bright shroud.

A riddle. Excellent.

Sage clapped her hands together, “yes! I love riddles.”

“Of course you do.”

“You don’t?”

“They’re fanciful twaddle.”

Rolling her eyes, she snapped the book shut. “Well, I’ll let you know what it means then when I figure it out,” she said with a challenge.

“Alone?”

“I am quite capable of more than you know! Just because you help me with most things, doesn’t mean I need you to help me with everything.”

I raised my eyebrows at her. “I am well aware of how capable you are, Sage. I don’t think of you as any less talented or capable than myself… and I regard myself very highly.”

She looked at me stunned. Surely she knows how clever she is. She’s the one who just bit my head off over it after all.

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