Her expression stills.“You already possess a grimoire.”
Of the Second Blood Trinity,I correct, folding my arms.I want the original grimoire of the First Blood Trinity, the very first grimoire ever written.
For a heartbeat, the air thickens. The shadows around her ripple, whispering secrets in a tongue older than time. They get louder, more intense, but I don’t move, don’t blink. She studies me, as if trying to peer through my soul, one that is shielded flawlessly. Then her smile returns, cunning and slow.
“Very well. When you return to Earth, both the link to your ancestral spirits and the grimoire shall be yours.”Her tone drops to a menacing warning,“But be warned, Aldona, that the First Blood Trinity grimoire is not a thing to be wielded lightly. It was born from the blood of the first witches. One of them, the strongest of the three, was your ancestor - the daughter of the first witch herself.”
She begins to fade, her presence unravelling into mist,but her voice lingers low, haunting.
“Power such as that demands sacrifice, Aldona. Be certain you know what you’re offering before you open that book. You have the Gift of Sight. Use it wisely, for it can make you or break you.”
Shadows swallow her form, and then it’s just me, alone in my mind.
I open my eyes, back in my chambers.
And my eyes fall to the golden coiled whip that sits in the centre of the pentagram.
A Different Way
Heaven
Iblink as I return to the present. Mama looks down at me. “What’s that?” she asks, pointing to the Tongue of Dawn, which I had tried to make as inconspicuous as possible, not wanting to share everything straight away. I think they’re already stressed enough.
The Tongue of Dawn; Helios gave it to me,I write.
A collective expression of surprise is on all the elders’ faces, although some are mixed with worry and concern.
“Yeah, Helios likes her,” Allie adds grimly. “I hate him, but it was given without malice.”
“Are you sure about that?” Mama asks.
I nod.I found it and offered it to him as a token of goodwill, but he told me to keep it,I write, turning the glowing letters so everyone in the room can see what I’m writing.
“Right… about that, how did you get it exactly?” Carter asks.
I asked for Hecate’s help,I write, my face void of all emotion.
Aunty Delsanra and Mama both look at me sharply. “Hecate?” Mama asks, her eyes glimmering with worry. “She can’t be trusted, Heaven. What did she want in return?”
Nothing I can’t handle; however, what happened between Hecate and me is not something I can discuss,I write, giving Mama a small nod.
Aunty Delsanra and Mama exchange looks, and I know they’ll be keeping an eye on me far more intently now.
“Sienna, what happened in the past months? How did he treat you?” Uncle Rayhan asks her.
Sienna looks at her hands. “He didn’t treat me badly, but he did get angry when I told him I would never see him as my husband.”
“You married him?” Katara asks, shocked. I’d forgotten she was here.
Sienna shrugs. “That was the deal I unknowingly agreed to, for Dad to come back…” She looks at Uncle Rayhan, who puts his arm around her, giving her a squeeze. “But most of the days were spent doing nothing. I was left alone mostly, and I liked it that way. I went for walks or sometimes had to attend the games that would be on, or participate in parties, which I would often refuse to go to. Helios has over a thousand women, but hechose me to be his Queen for the wrong reasons. So, I started using that status for my own benefit and demanded access to his library and to the best warriors who could help me train. I focused on controlling my chaos magic, and I began researching in the hopes that one day, maybe there would be a way to send vital information that could be used in the upcoming war. For me, the time there was eleven days short of a year.”
The room is silent, and I look across at her. So, time passed faster for her than it did here. I know that time in the Realm of the Gods constantly changes, but to think it has been that long.
“There are things I learned that I can definitely record,” she adds with a small smile.
“I’m glad you’re safe, ya hayati,” Jaddati says. “And home, that is the most important thing.”
Sienna nods, playing with her fingers. She does that sometimes when she wants to say something or feels worried or stressed. I’m so glad she’s here. It’s surreal, but the happiness I feel trumps everything.
