Chapter 28
Chapter
Twenty-Eight
My heartbeat stuttered for a moment, a dull tightness clutching at my chest.
I turned to face Willa, taking in the way her long brown hair shimmered beneath the moonlight. Just like my adoptive werewolf mom, my witch mother was beautiful.
"Thoradis, the God of knowledge, authored The Book of Thoradis. It contains various spells, rituals, and names of power. These names are so powerful that virtually anything is within your grasp if uttered." Willa paused, her eyes searching mine for understanding.
"I’m aware. The book is dangerous," I said, my voice wavering slightly.
"Only in the wrong hands. This tome of eternity is a collection of words and a living artifact infused with the essence of Thoradis's wisdom.
It has the power to guide a mortal toward immortality.
But only a worthy person can unlock its secrets and open the book—one who seeks to use its power for the betterment of all beings. "
A shiver ran down my spine. Immortality. The thought both thrilled me and frightened me. To live forever, to never age, to never die. But at what cost?
My gaze flickered to Torin, who stood close to his brother, talking. Torin had hints of a smile on his face. I focused my gaze on Willa again.
"Thoradis is the God of the moon, of reckoning, of learning, and of writing," Willa continued, her voice low and soft. "He presided over the judgment of souls and is the God of both vampires and werewolves. He married the Moon goddess, and in her honor, he built the Celestial Hall of Truth."
"Where is this hall?" I asked.
"Underneath some library somewhere. It’s only fitting.
But it has to be close to Los Angeles, where I felt its calling," Willa said.
"The Gods couldn't have children, so they put the knowledge of absorbing divine power into The Book of Thoradis—the ability to turn a person into a deity with immortality and unimaginable power.
But only a deserving person can be granted access to the knowledge. "
"Someone with a pure heart," I murmured, my thoughts racing.
The former and the new Kings of the fairies sure were not worthy of the book’s powers. I gave my head a slight shake.
"Thoradis had compassion for mortals," Willa continued. "He decided to share a fragment of his divine knowledge to help humanity ascend beyond their mortal limitations."
The weight of this revelation settled heavily on my tightening chest. The power within The Book of Thoradis was immense, and the temptation to wield it was almost irresistible. I couldn't let it fall into the wrong hands or let Hayden use me to find the book for him.
"Breanna." Willa's voice brought me back to the moment. "You must find The Book of Thoradis before someone else does. You are the one who can protect it and ensure that its power is used for good."
“Hayden is after me to use me to find the book,” I said.
“This boy doesn’t learn,” Willa said.
Finding the book would be like holding the key to immortality itself—but it came with a price. Everything that was worthy had a cost.
"Thoradis knew that such knowledge could bring danger," Willa explained, her voice barely audible above the rustling wind. "He foresaw how immortality could disrupt the natural order, so he imbued the book with protective enchantments."
“So it wasn’t enough that the God hid it away,” I murmured.
"That’s right. Dark witches cannot feel its pulse or open it," she said, her eyes narrowing in thought. "Humans would have even more difficulty finding it without magic. But a light witch like you… You could access its secrets if you prove yourself worthy."
My heart ached. My gaze sought Torin again. He stood at the same spot, but this time with his back to me, not too far away, his strong presence both comforting and reassuring.
It was for him that I wished to become immortal—to stay by his side for all eternity. But the responsibility that came with The Book of Thoradis was significant. I couldn't allow my personal desires to cloud my judgment.
"Only those with purity of heart, true humility, compassion, and the desire to use immortality for the betterment of all beings can unlock its power," Willa said softly. "A worthy person, guiding humanity toward a higher understanding of existence."
I clenched my fists. When pursued with pure intentions, immortality was not merely a quest for endless life, but an opportunity for growth and transcendence of mortal limitations. Yet guilt plagued me for desiring the book as a way to remain with Torin.
Not exactly the purest of intentions.
If I were to find The Book of Thoradis, I would have to make a choice. Would I use it for my selfish desires, or would I destroy it to prevent others from misusing its power?
I would burn it—no doubt about it.
I took a deep breath, inhaling the earthy scent of the forest around us.
"Breanna," Willa continued, her gaze locking onto mine, "Hayden knows you need to fully embrace your light witch powers to find the book."
Oh, that was the reason he insisted I remained a light witch.
"But I also have dark magic in me," I said.
Willa offered me a gentle smile. "So do I, Breanna. And so does Cordelia. But you've made the choice to embrace light over darkness. Your heart desires betterment for all species and to coexist in peace. You’re a light witch… It’s just that your powers and identity are not complete.
” She paused. “And only when your light witch powers are fully activated will you be able to find the book.”
As her words washed over me, I blinked repeatedly. “I thought I completed my identity with the wolf spirit.”
“To complete your soul, you have to be connected to your mate, dear. If there is doubt in your heart and mind, your soul won’t be complete.”
Because I was mated to the wrong mate, or perhaps because I didn’t fully accept my chosen mate, my soul was still incomplete, and so was the pentagram on my bracelet.
“I have no doubt I want to be with Torin.”
“But you doubt that you’ll ever be free from Hayden, right?”
I nodded.
“You’ll have to kill Hayden to free yourself from him, dear.”
I gulped for air. “I couldn’t kill Cordelia, so why would I be able to end Hayden’s life?”
Willa didn’t offer advice or wisdom of sorts to soothe me. She only gave me a knowing smile, which told me, “You know what you have to do.”
I sighed and started pacing in front of my mother. “There is so much more I want to ask you,” I said. “Is the daisy wheel symbol a birthmark of a light witch?”
"Yes, every light witch bears the daisy wheel as a mark that shows we are the protectors of others, especially when it comes to books and the knowledge they hold."
I’d thought about it all wrong. I assumed that my witch birthmark protected me. But I was actually the protector of people and books.
"Books?" I asked, furrowing my brow.
"Because, my dear," she said, "books contain ancient knowledge, stories from the past, and the power to change our realm. They are precious artifacts that transmit vital information, and we, as light witches, are tasked with safeguarding these treasures."
I glanced at Torin, my heart aching with love for him. I knew that I wanted nothing more than to be by his side, but that wasn’t enough to fully complete my identity and spirit.
But murdering another being, no matter how evil he was, felt wrong. I wanted Hayden to be judged and held responsible, but killing him…
Willa reached over and touched my bracelet. "Your pentagram of protection and power will show you," my mother said, her voice a gentle whisper. "But only when there's no doubt in your mind that you can be with Torin and that you'll be free of Hayden's bond."
A cold knot of uncertainty grew in my chest.
Willa looked at me, smiling. "You have to want it so much that you're willing to sacrifice your humanity and morality in order to be with your fated mate."
By killing another being.
Willa tapped on my bracelet. “You’ll know you’re a full light witch when your pentagram is complete. The fifth symbol, for your connection to your mate, will appear.”
My heart raced. I loved Torin, but that wasn’t enough to complete my soul and have the fifth symbol appear. The love Willa mentioned was the one without any doubts, the one where one was willing to die for their partner.
I let out a heavy sigh.
“Go to sleep, dear. It’s been a long day,” Willa said.
After walking to the tree that Torin chose, I sat among the gnarled roots that burrowed deep into the earth, providing a natural shelter. The broad trunk would shield me, the space just wide and deep enough for me.
As soon as Torin spotted Willa walking away from me to find a place to sleep, he stepped toward me. When he reached me, he extended his hand without saying anything. I was so in tune with his needs that I knew what he wanted. I placed my hand in his, standing up.
Torin sat on the cold ground and leaned against the rough bark. Then he tugged on my hand, and I sat on his lap. The gentle pressure of his arms wrapped around me and the soothing rhythm of his heartbeat lulled me into slumber.
A sense of weightlessness, as if Torin lifted all my burdens, washed over me. I recognized this feeling as my deep trust for Torin. My muscles relaxed against his hard body—a place where I belonged. Torin was my fortress where I could let my guard down.
I shifted and pressed closer to him, earning me a low growl and a kiss on the top of my head.
As the morning broke in the corrupted forest, the sky turned a sickly yellow hue. The stench of decay and burned wood that I would never get used to suffocated the air. But the new day brought more hope.
As we walked by blackened trunks and bony branches, Milo fluttered around excitedly, leading us to a large, darkened tree deep within the forest. The entrance to his home was a carved door that blended into the tree's bark.
“Why do Milo’s parents live in the corrupted forest?” I asked.
“It’s their home,” Willa said. “They don’t want to abandon it.”