Chapter 4 #3
Rhi gestured toward my mother, as though to say, “Be my guest,” and my mother heaved a resigned sigh.
“The Conclave is old school,” my mother began, and then, seeing the incredulous look on my face, she amended, “Yes, I know, all of Sedgwick Cove is old school, to a degree. But the Conclave is particularly stuck in their ways, and they are especially fierce when it comes to security.”
“Meaning?” I asked.
“Meaning that if they caught wind of this book reappearing, we’d likely never see it again,” Persi answered.
“That’s not true,” Rhi scoffed. “The book belongs to the Vesper coven, they know that.”
“And they also know what spells must be contained in this book, which means they’d be tripping over themselves to make sure it was buried again,” my mom said.
“Ostara especially,” Persi said, and her expression hardened into a mask. “In her mind, that book is the reason her coven was disgraced. It’s why she’s always been so fierce about dark magic, keeping the books locked away from her family. She will fear the temptation this book represents.”
“Which means she’ll fight to have it locked away,” my mom said.
“Or destroyed altogether,” Persi added.
“Oh, be reasonable,” Rhi cried, though she sounded more plaintive now.
“Why? Ostara certainly won’t be. We need to think strategically here, Rhi,” my mom said. “I’m not saying we shouldn’t tell them. We should, and soon. But let’s get what answers we can first.”
“Such as?” Rhi asked, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Such as who this Jess… what’s her name again?”
“Ballard,” I supplied.
“Right. Let’s track down this Jess Ballard and get the full story of how this book resurfaced.
I don’t think she—or this Dr. Vesper, for that matter—understand what this book really is; but we need to be sure.
We also need to know who else has handled it, and whether they were able to unlock any of its secrets. ”
“Surely not, or they would have kept it!” Rhi said. But her voice was weak now, and Persi, sensing victory, jumped in.
“We have to be sure. And we need time to examine it for ourselves. Rhi, this book is the most important legacy our family has. Do we really want to hand it over before we’ve had the slightest chance to look at it?”
Rhi stood there tapping her foot. “Fine. But you have to promise me we will tell the Conclave.”
“Of course we will,” my mom was quick to reassure her.
Rhi’s mouth twisted into a disapproving little knot, but I could see her eyes softening, and even I could tell she was about to cave. “Samhain,” she finally said. “I’ll give you until Samhain, and then I’m telling them myself.”
Persi looked like she wanted to argue again, but my mother gave her a warning look. It’s the best we’re gonna get and you know it, that look seemed to say. Persi nodded curtly.
“Okay, Samhain it is,” my mom said. “That means we’ve got two weeks.”
I looked through the window to where the book sat on the kitchen table. Two weeks didn’t seem like enough time to plumb the depths of a tome like that, but it seemed it was all we were going to get.
“How do we start?” I asked.
My mom looked over at me, startled. “Oh. Wren, honey I really think we should… I mean this book could be dangerous.”
I frowned at her. “Didn’t you already test to see if it was safe to handle it?”
“Well, yes, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t more danger to unmask on the inside, honey.”
I narrowed my eyes at her. “Are you saying you aren’t going to let me help?”
All three of the sisters looked at each other now, and I realized that not one of them had planned to include me in the investigation of the grimoire.
“Jess delivered that book to me. Me, specifically,” I reminded them.
“Wren, honey, you’re still so new to witchcraft, it wouldn’t—”
“And whose fault is that?” I asked, firing up. “That wasn’t my choice.”
My mom’s face flushed with guilt, but I didn’t care. I wasn’t going to be the only Vesper left out of the most important thing to happen to our coven since the Covenant itself.
“Just… just let us get started. We won’t keep you from it when we know it’s safe, honey.”
“But I know it’s safe! Asteria said—”
But I stopped myself suddenly. I had never told them about Asteria coming to me at Xiomara’s.
I never told them what she had said, about the girl and the book, and how I needed to trust her.
This silence was partly Xiomara’s idea—she thought the message was incomplete, and I should continue reaching out until I had more information.
But for me, it was more than that. My mom and her sisters thought their mother was gone—not just dead, but that her spirit had crossed over peacefully.
I didn’t want them to know that Asteria was restless and confused.
What good would that do? Besides, her message wasn’t for them—she had never mentioned them at all.
Her message was for me. The book was delivered to me. Didn’t that mean something?
“What did you say, Wren? What about Asteria?” my mom asked, interrupting my inner turmoil.
“Asteria… wouldn’t want me to be excluded,” I lied. “She wanted me to be a Vesper—a real Vesper. But I can’t be if I’m always on the outside.”
My mom’s expression twisted, and I experienced a stab of guilt. But before either of us could say anything else, Rhi forestalled us by blurting out, “You’ve got to get going, Wren! You’re going to be late for your lesson with Xiomara.”
I wanted to argue but she was right, and Xiomara was not the kind of person you left waiting.
“Fine,” I snapped. “But I’m not letting this go.”
“I wouldn’t expect you to,” my mother sighed.
Normally, I’d have been angry that I couldn’t stay and continue to plead my case, but not in this moment. In this moment, a session with Xiomara was exactly what I needed. Asteria had left too many questions unanswered. If anyone could help me find those answers, Xiomara could.