CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO #2
In a matter of minutes, he had several glass beakers of differing shapes lined up and what we called a microscope in my world. I eyed the glass vial and needles before me, glancing at Sebastian with hesitance and dread. I had a feeling he didn’t just need a single drop like Seraphine.
As he slid the needle through the papery skin at the crook of my arm, my head lolled back along with my body.
Sebastian grabbed the back of my neck, pushing me back upright with ease.
He held on to me firmly as nausea roiled within me, a brewing storm nearing its descent.
I leaned into his grip to keep me grounded as my body threatened to drift off.
I let out a breath and cringed as he withdrew the needle.
He then wrapped my arm tightly in a bandage, continuing to mutter strings of thought I couldn’t make out.
He examined the vial holding it up to the light as if the answer would appear through the crimson.
Then he placed a drop onto a thin piece of glass, placed another thin piece of glass over it, and slid the sandwiched bead of blood beneath the lens of the microscope.
As he looked through the lens, he stilled ever so slightly, but I saw it, and Sebastian did too judging how we eyed each other.
Though the professor concealed his reaction as he moved about casually.
Dropping the blood into the beakers, he placed one over a small flame, adding mixtures to the others, then retrieving drops from his various concoctions and examining them under the microscope again.
He sat back in his chair eyeing the wall blankly for a moment, until he finally spoke.
“This tracking spell was a side effect of a greater spell.” He turned over the words in his head.
“What spell? I don’t know. But the side effect acts similarly to a tracking spell, one that isn’t cast often because the only way to break it is through death of one or both parties via a dagger made of black obsidian.
It’s a lost magic because if the spell is not broken properly in life, it extends into death.
If one party dies, they would still be able to track the other in life, beyond the veil.
They would retain their connection with the living.
” So, Alaric could actually haunt me from the grave like the ghost he had been masquerading as.
“And the living would also be able to track the dead beyond the veil. As intriguing as that sounds, it is not so pleasant.”
“So, it’s true that if I give in to this spell, I would be able to track him too?”
“Yes. You’d just need to accept it.”
“And how exactly would I do that?” Sebastian shot me a look I ignored. There could be a time where I would need to find Alaric. This spell could prove useful as we attempt to corral him out of my world.
“It’s as simple as an intention. Just will it to be.”
I nodded slowly. If it were that simple, I worried if I could accidentally accept it. I needed to keep firm walls in place in the meantime.
He stood abruptly and exited through one of the doors. We waited as he rifled through papers and clattering items.
“Don’t even think about it.” I turned to see Sebastian’s eyes already on me. His voice was low and calm, but I knew the tone of his threats by now.
“It could be useful if we need to find him.”
“You don’t know what else that spell entails, what other side effects could result from it.” He seemed almost angry at the thought of me considering it.
“Do you?”
“No. No one ever knows the full extent of the consequences from casting spells. Even with the soulmate bond between lovers, it can create a life-changing love, but when one partner dies, the other is left completely decimated. There’s a cost to all magic, to the twisting of fate, to forcing nature’s hand. It’s not worth it, Charlotte.”
“Is that how you feel about the soulmate bond? It’s not worth it?” I wasn’t sure why that was the one question that came to mind after all he had said.
He fought with his thoughts for a moment. “Any spell tying you to Alaric is not worth it.”
Before I could point out that he didn’t answer my question, the professor returned.
He placed a dagger before me with a black blade and an ornate silver handle.
It looked similar to the black tourmaline daggers of the Society.
It would fit right in with my other dagger.
After being briefly kidnapped by Alaric at the harvest ball, I doubted anyone would question why I wanted more protection.
It looked a bit heavier, and it felt different too.
A silent hum emanated from it, telling its stories lost to time.
Beside it, he placed a piece of wrinkled parchment with hastily scribbled words.
“Though this is a side effect of a greater spell, it could still be broken by the tracking spell reversal. Lucky for you, I just so happen to have a black obsidian dagger, but unlucky for you, we all must hope it works. We’re working with missing pieces here.
I’ve copied the reversal spell onto this parchment here, which should be spoken to the blade to incant it before use.
This can be done at any time, and I suggest you do it as soon as possible, as I’m sure the opportunity to use the dagger will spring itself upon you without warning. ”
I nodded, taking the dagger and parchment.
“And the portal. We were told someone from her world and someone from our world opened it, and only either one of them can close it. Can you tell us anything else?” Sebastian asked.
He glanced around the room growing increasingly more uneasy with each spot his eyes landed on.
“I’m afraid not. I don’t even know how this portal was opened in the first place.
As with this unknown greater spell, the portal is also an old magic meant to be forgotten because of how dangerous it is.
If the portal can only be closed by the one who opened it, then it could remain open, forever connecting worlds that should have never been connected. ”
Something heavy and fragile fell within me.
We arrived right back at the same problem.
It was foolish to have any bit of hope in getting Alaric back through the portal, and even more monumentally foolish to believe he would willingly close it.
And we couldn’t just leave him in my world.
Either he needed to quickly develop a change of heart and maybe an entirely new personality, or we had to force him through and imprison him.
Or we had to kill him. Which settled uncomfortably in my stomach.
He was torturing me, sure, but despite Sebastian’s nickname for me, I did not want to be a killer.
I couldn’t even kill in the name of defense when a vampire was a moment from sinking their teeth into me.
And the longer Alaric remained in my world, remained tied to me, the closer I’d get to an inescapable fate. He could turn me at any moment, bond me to him forever. And I’d have to kill him before that happened.
And the very thought made me want to retch.