Elijah Pov. The smell of alcohol permeated the bar, the hustle, and bustle of noise thrumming with the bodies that swayed in the crowd. Fast-paced and thumping in a way I wasn't used to with traditional drum settings. It was completely different from when I was scaling the buildings outside. And now that I was back in my human form, I was barely able to push through the crowds, lights flashing above my head. The collisions of smells masked my scent perfectly, but it made it more challenging to keep my father in sight. People were everywhere. I was barely keeping up when I gently pushed away a scantily clad woman, her rear accidentally shaking on my upper thighs. Her large doe eyes shot up at me, bewildered when I grabbed her shoulders. "Excuse me," I uttered, manually moving her aside. I felt a little bad when I heard her sputter at me, but I was too busy trying to follow the streak of blonde in the crowd. My father was still with the woman, and they disappeared behind the bar. T
Elijah Pov. This was bad.Really, really bad!My hands plastered to the sides of the vents, and I stayed as still as I could. The room had grown silent, and at the angle, I was at, I could barely see the other man’s eyes peering into my hiding place.I was too scared to move, afraid the slightest noise would echo.My father stood up then, his chair screeching over the floor. “There is an odd odor, why don’t you check it out?” He prodded at the other man, and the stalky guy nodded.His thudding steps were drawing closer to the vent.Meanwhile, my lanky ass was scrunched up like a pretzel in the small space. I couldn’t budge an inch.I saw tan fingers rest on the other side of the crate.Any second now, he’d be looking right at me.His knuckles churned white when they slipped through the cracks. The grate creaked under the pressure, and my ears throbbed.Click.“Is there an issue here, gentlemen?”Zuri?I heard the sound of her heels, and the hand on the grate fell aw
“How are you handling the archives, child?” My nails that were gingerly resting on the pages paused and I looked up in time to see Mrs. Pearl hobble into the doorway. Her steps seemed heavier than they were before the fire, her long grey hair more wispy and tired. I watched as she used a cane to cross the distance, a rough scar on her cheek that hadn’t been there before. I was still sitting on the floor, cross-legged, when she pulled up a chair. Grimier was curled against my lap, his fluffy fur making a mess of my jeans as he made me an improv pillow. “They’re definitely full of things I never knew before, but any leads about my father come up empty. But, I have learned a lot about the artifacts and their potential protector packs.” I admitted, staring down at the plethora of books in front of me. All different kinds of books were spread out in a sea of color, decorating the plain wooden floors with their rectangular forms. After my ascension to Luna status, I had decided that be
It felt like an eternity while I sat there, holding my breath. I stared at the door with an ominous feeling pooling down my spine and I felt ridiculous. The very pores on my flesh mocking me. It was like I was suddenly transported back to when I was on the sidelines as a pup, afraid of my own shadow. I had been anxious as a child, secluded from my loquacious older brother.I felt like that awkward girl again.The time ticked on the wall and I snapped myself out of it. After all, time stood still for no one."Ah, sorry, I'm here! You can enter!" Quickly, I shot to my feet. I was heading towards the door right when she strolled in. Angelica's knowing hues bored into mine. Carefully, I slid the green book to the side and out of view. I smiled as brightly as I could when I peeled my hands away. "Is there something I can help you with?" I asked while exchanging a look with Mrs. Pearl. Angelica followed my movements, before tucking a strand behind her ear. "Pardon the intrusion, I jus
I can't apologize enough for disappearing. I know I can give a million excuses, but it won't do nearly as much as completing the book. Still, I apologize for going silent. My fiance has had severe health issues this last few months and I had to step back to not only take care of him but also deal with the financial burden. I honestly just didn't have the time or mental capacity during this. It was unprofessional to pause without notice however and I do sincerely apologize. All I can say within these next few weeks. This book will be completed. For every person who has shown support, thank you. To those who I have let down, I would never ask you to continue to support me, but do ask for your understanding. Once again, thank you to those who love this book and know it will not be left unfinished. Love, F.F
Watching the world pass outside was hypnotic in a way I could barely discern. Like a spectator, I could see the way the grass barely shifted in the breeze, how the world seemed to turn without me in it. It was dressed in an odd array of fog, something my gaze was drawn to as it rolled in from the east. The fog looked as misplaced as I felt. But at least it was out there in the breeze. I was just on standby, protected by these overbearing walls. Stuck. It wasn’t peaceful—in fact, I felt…restless, like I was waiting for something. Anything. It was impossible to pinpoint exactly what though. Maybe I was still waiting for Angelica’s information, or maybe even Morax. Hell, I could have still been waiting for Elijah to return too. With so much on my mind, I honestly didn’t know which one it was anymore. Maybe it was all three, taking turns inside my anxiety ridden chest. All I knew was that standing here alone just didn’t feel like home. Not anymore. My jaw clenched, just as a black
"What in the world," I started, barely able to finish my sentence as flocks of ravens burst from the trees. It was a tower of ebony, swirling in the night sky as they descended roughly on their talons. I had never witnessed so many birds in one place, and the way they stared at us was unnerving. Beady little eyes reflected back at me from the dense fog. They seemed to be watching my every move. There was something humane about their gaze too, weary. I felt frozen to the spot as they surrounded us. "What's going on?" I asked, expecting Angelica to fill me in any moment now. But there was silence. The witch beside me had that smug smile on her face, but her eyes screamed annoyance. I found it odd that I was beginning to actually understand her expressions. "Angelica?" I was trying to get her attention, but she wasn't in a hurry to answer. With a huff, I focused my gaze back on the weird scenario before me. The small birds were almost completely covered by the fog now, hopping for
"Are you ready to see this? I can only conjure it once for you, if you back out, there's no going back." Angelica's warning rattled in my ears, and I swallowed back my trepidation. Everything I was sacrificing, lying for, and hiding from built up to this moment. I stared at the milky white palms of Angelica's hands, enraptured in the strange pink energy that seemed to pool straight up into the air from her pores. If I wanted out, this would be my only chance. I knew that. But as I stared at the gravity-defying magic, I couldn't look away. "I'm ready," I affirmed. There was no way I could walk away, not now. I needed to know about my mother, what Elijah never told me--what my father had been hiding. I had never questioned, never even wavered in his teachings. So I knew I could never be my own person until I knew the truth. These were my goals. My aspirations. Not Elijah's, not Morax's. I needed this. "Then, let's explore the past. Shall we?" Her hands lifted, and before I knew