Chapter 39
THIRTY-NINE
SALEM, PRESENT DAY
Sephy closed the shop. She spoke to one of the police officers who attended and told him what Addison had told her: that she worked in a coffee bar, and her friend Tommy had sent her here because she’d burned herself.
When he’d written everything down, he left her and she had sat down on the chair the girl had not long been sitting on, full of life, breathing and alive, her entire life ahead of her.
The fact that Sephy with all of her magic powers had not foreseen the terrible accident had knocked her a bit sick.
A tear ran down her cheek, this was awful, too awful to contemplate.
It was also black magic. It had to be. It was as clear as day that someone had wished ill upon the girl – and whoever it was they were powerful because their wish had worked instantly.
Sephy had a feeling it was the woman who had turned up at the crash scene distraught.
She’d had a blackness cloaking her just like Addison had described, but she had taken off running before she could really talk to her.
As much as Sephy hated to think about it, she might have to speak to the council of witches and that would mean speaking to Clara.
This was a serious matter. They could not have an inexperienced witch using black magic without knowing the dire consequences of their actions.
She closed her eyes to summon Lenny and Dora to the shop; they had to know what was going on.
Even though Sephy didn’t detect any threat to themselves, they had to be cautious for they had not defeated Corwin only to then get involved in another matter that was dangerous to them be it indirectly.
A knock on the door made Sephy stand up.
She felt so weary not to mention on the verge of tears.
Dora and Lenny were standing there and she ushered them inside, locking the door behind them.
Not that anyone would be trying to shop this afternoon as the road and surrounding area was now closed while they investigated the horrific death of that young girl.
‘What happened out there? Lenny had to almost bribe the officer guarding the scene to let us through,’ said Dora.
‘I fear someone is using a book of black magic, well not just any book, The Book of Black Magic.’
Lenny crossed her arms. ‘How do you know, Sephy?’ Lenny was frowning.
Sephy talked them through the last hour.
‘This woman who turned up at the scene, what did she look like?’
Dora was the one to answer. ‘Did she have long black hair, wearing all black, red lipstick, my age or slightly older and could pass for Morticia Addams?’
Sephy snapped her head in Dora’s direction. ‘Yes, you know her?’
‘Not really, I was at home when Hades turned up acting all weird and said “trouble”. I followed him to the Ropes Mansion gardens, and he led me to a woman sitting alone on the porch out the back. She was full of attitude and Hades wanted me to help her, he kept saying “trouble”, but she didn’t want help.
Was rude and obnoxious so I left her there.
She did say her name was Morana. That was all I got from her. ’
Sephy stared at Lenny. ‘This is not good, not good at all.’
Lenny nodded. ‘Morana is the ancient Slavic goddess of death. It seems she is living up to her name.’
‘So, she isn’t real? She’s a goddess?’ asked Dora.
‘No, dear, she was as real as you and I. I don’t think she is an actual goddess, but I do think she has somehow found your father’s book. The one that Lucine wrote in when she was going through her dark phase and almost turned into a shadow witch so full of blackness that no light could penetrate.’
Dora shook her head. ‘Here we go again with the family secrets that are locked in a vault until someone decides it’s time to open it. You guys are like a nightmare to keep up with.’
‘Shut up, Dora, this isn’t about you. We do what we must, keeping you and the rest of the world safe is not an easy task.’ Lenny was glaring at her.
‘How did Morana get hold of that book?’ Sephy was pacing up and down, wringing her hands.
Lenny sighed. ‘Corwin, it had to have been. He took it, then hid it away.’
‘Did he hide it in the bookstore?’
‘Don’t be silly, dear, you cloaked the bookstore so well that no one found it,’ Sephy replied.
‘Why do you ask that, Dora?’ Lenny was watching her face.
‘I went back the other day and the bookstore was there in plain sight for anyone to find if they were out looking for it. Before I cloaked it, I noticed there was a space on one of the shelves where a book had been. It was missing.’
Lenny arched an eyebrow at Sephy.
Sephy gasped, cupping a hand over her mouth. ‘I don’t like this, I fear we are going to have to inform Clara. It’s too far out of our control and I do not want to be responsible for what is happening this time around.’
‘Clara? You want us to go to that old witch and tell her we think someone is using our sister’s long-lost book of black magic. Are you insane, Seraphina?’
‘Unfortunately not, Lenora. What choice do we have? This is bigger than us and at the moment it doesn’t directly involve us, so let us not put ourselves in danger.’
Dora held up her hand. ‘Erm, I might have to disagree with you there, ladies.’
This time they both turned and glared at her.
‘For some reason, Hades is way too involved with this Morana. He wanted me to help her. She knows who I am, she knows Hades can talk and, well, I don’t think we can just brush it away, especially if she’s using this book.
It’s our responsibility. If it was my father’s or my mother’s.
If it came from the bookstore. This is my fault and I need to fix it. ’
‘Why is Hades so bothered about her, and how did he find her anyway? That must be where he keeps disappearing to,’ muttered Sephy.
‘That damn bird is a liability,’ said Lenny.
‘That bird must have a reason though. Think on the positive side, at least he can show us where to find her. We can go speak to her, ask her nicely to give the book back. You two can destroy it like you should have hundreds of years ago and maybe, just maybe, nobody else has to get hurt.’ Dora was smiling at them both.
‘But before you destroy it, I’d really like to take a look at it, read it.
You know, it’s a part of my history that I should be fully aware of, don’t you think? ’
‘No, Dora, that book should be destroyed.’ replied Lenny.
Lenny stared out of the kitchen window. ‘That book was never meant to see the light of day, it was the darkness that poured out of Lucine’s soul the second time we lived, she filled it with bitterness, but even she knew enough not to finish the spells inside of it.
They could only be finished by a bloodline English or Hadden.
So, how did it get into the bookstore? I’m speaking hypothetically here, no need to answer.
’ Lenny paused. ‘I can only think that Corwin had it, he took it from her that second time he found us and he kept it safe all this time, knowing that it was of no use to him, but one day it might be useful for a descendant. Dora, you left the bookstore open, you thought someone was watching you. I think he followed you and found the bookstore, I also think he realised there was a chance that he had met his match with you, Dora, and maybe he hid it in there hoping for someone to find it. Someone who would use dark magic, someone not afraid of the consequences that using dark magic brings. Someone who might use it to set him free if you did manage to defeat him. It was his backup plan, whoever found the book didn’t realise the power it held and somehow, it’s ended up in this Morana’s possession. ’
‘How did she get hold of the book? And how is this Morana making them work?’ replied Sephy.
‘Morana was distraught about her friend, maybe she didn’t mean for this to happen,’ said Dora.
‘Delusional, just like Lucine,’ growled Lenny.
‘And there you both go again, talking about me as if I’m not here. It’s really annoying.’
‘Shut up, Dora.’ Lenny was glaring at her. ‘We’re thinking, that’s all, stop being such a self-absorbed fool.’
Sephy walked over and wrapped her arms around her niece. ‘We are trying to figure things out. Sorry, it’s not personal. The stress makes Lenny even grouchier than she usually is.’
Lenny shrugged. ‘We’re going to have to take this to Clara. I can’t see any other way out of it.’
‘I told you, dear, it makes sense the council should deal with it.’ Sephy winked at Dora who looked bereft and she couldn’t blame her.