The Arcana Muriel Novels & Stories

Aria nodded and turned toward the mural again. She stood before the first tile, and pressed it, then the remaining ones in order – honorable, one, who, “Absalom!” He nodded and pressed seeks. The tiles remained illuminated and a soft smile spread across her face. She walked toward the last tile and pressed it with her foot – knowledge. The mural filled from the bottom to the top with the soft glowing blue light. She heard Absalom jump down from his perch somewhere behind her. A crack formed in the middle of the mural and got wider as the walls spread open in front of her. Absalom’s footsteps pounded fast behind her as he sped into a run toward her, but her eyes remained unmoving, watc

Besides, she did not want to take the risk for him to believe a distorted truth. “I did work for the Arcana,” she confessed. “Arcana? What is that?” “I cannot tell you the details for my own safety, but it is an organization of assassins. Before I came here, I cut ties with them so–” “You’re lying.” Emery gazed at him with utter disbelief that she slapped his hand away from holding hers. However, she was unable to stop him from gripping at her neck. She struggled to free herself, only to be forced against the wall whilst receiving the piercing gaze of the emperor.

"Aria, we need to talk. Now." The urgency in her voice cut through the last of Aria's sleepiness. "What's wrong?" "I've been researching the prophecy, trying to find every scrap of information about Moon Blessed births. Last night, I finally gained access to the restricted archives at the Council library." Morgana's hands trembled slightly on the book. "I found something. Something they've been hiding." Aria felt cold dread settle in her stomach. "What?" Morgana opened the book to a marked page. The text was in a language Aria didn't recognize, but there were illustrations, detailed drawings of a woman with two children, variations showing different outcomes, different fates.

she introduced, taking Lowena's hand and helping her. Lowena's eyes widened in shock, and she leaped to her feet as if a strong man had jerked her upright. "Nice to meet you," Lowena smiled, "You're powerful." "I am magic," she replied. "What do you mean?" Lowena questioned. Arcana dropped her head, inhaled sharply, and smiled before presenting a chalice to Lowena. There were two separate pictures of the tarot card that Lowena received on either side of the old chalice. It was heavy in her hands, cold, nearly chilling her to the bone. She glanced down at the clear liquid and took a sip. It was sickeningly sweet, so it made her mouth tighten in response. As she swallowed, it was as if an inci

Two fluffy silver fox ears sprouted atop his head like mischievous antennae of divine gossip. “Oh no no no—!” he gasped, quickly slapping a leaf on his head with practiced panic. The leaf shimmered once, and the ears vanished. He looked around, cheeks puffed in embarrassment. Good. No witnesses. Not even that creepy vending machine ghost. Yin coughed, smoothing down his hair with faux dignity. “Anyway, yes. She’s definitely the one. Nexus’s whole ‘the land shall choose the spirit-bearing flame born in rust’ nonsense? Yeah. Selena literally works in Vermillion Cyberspace. Couldn’t get more prophetic if it slapped us.”

“Aric?!” Aric walked slowly toward the center of the hall, his polished shoes tapping softly against the stone floor, each step echoing with a quiet authority that silenced the whispers. He stopped just short of Leon and cast a glance around the room, his lips curving into a faint, mocking smile. “Did it never occur to anyone,” Aric said, his voice smooth but edged with sarcasm, “to question why Morgana was attacked by her own pet? This entire incident reeks of something… unnatural.”

"Noble effort, but it's futile. If you're not quick enough, the Veil will make your choice for you." Jax stepped forward, his voice firm yet taut with tension. "What if we fight you? Destroy you?" Malrik laughed, but it was a low, chilling sound. “You cannot destroy the Veil. I am but its servant. Strike me down, and its hunger remains.” Morgana's gaze flitted to the orb Alec had touched earlier, still pulsing softly in the distance. The wheels in her head turned as she combined parts of the ancient manuscripts she had studied. "Wait," she said abruptly, drawing everyone's attention. "Maybe it's possible."

"You're going where?" Luna stared at Aria like she'd suggested swimming with sharks. Which, given the circumstances, wasn't far off. "The restricted archives. Morgana's spirit told me there's a book—white leather binding. Something Knox's family has been hiding." "Morgana told you. The dead witch who's living inside your wolf told you to break into a restricted section of the royal archives in the middle of the night." "When you say it like that, it sounds crazy."

he called softly. “I’ve been listening,” she answered, her eyes still closed. “The bloom isn’t speaking right now, but it’s… still awake.” He came closer. “How do you know?” She finally looked up at him. “Because it’s inside me now.” He didn’t know how to respond. So he just sat beside her, and they watched the horizon together a wash of violet clouds chasing the last blush of morning. Elsewhere, the Sky Archives remained sealed. Ari stood before its unlit threshold the single door that Mira Hale had never reopened during her final year. Ari had received the key only once, three days before Mira’s death, wrapped in a thread-sleeve and bearing no message.

Muriel was speechless with shock. "The Heaven Sect spells? You're part of the Heaven Sect, too?" Muriel cried out in surprise and disbelief. Sebastian said coldly, "You're half-right." Muriel's expression darkened. There was a cold, sinister look in her eyes, especially when she saw that Sebastian had taken a few steps forward and was now standing in the trap that she had made. She smiled cruelly and said in a cold voice, "Young man, it doesn't matter whether you know the Heaven Sect Spells or not. Go and die!"