They couldn’t reproduce within their own species, and only the Maidens were Astrals while their other wives were humans…Which explained why Amyntas was facing only two options; as a Dragon, he could only take a Phoenix or Chimera. But why not offer him more options within each of the two species? And why not pick another one once Lola had escaped?
I set it aside with a sigh before going for the last, bigger one. It was divided into three parts, one for each of the Astral Species.
“Damn, why not give me these ones from the start?” I muttered as I flipped the page to the second part, where it readPhoenixes.
“Because you probably weren’t ready yet,” a voice said from the side, where the corridor leading to the front door was.
My head snapped in the man’s direction, only for my brows to pull down in annoyance. Electricity started to slither under my skin, down my arms, anticipating his hostility.
“What are you doing here? You don’t have clearance.”
Vladimir only smirked, uncrossing his arms as he started to stroll comfortably toward me, casting curious, reverent glances around.
“I’m glad all these books finally found eyes to read them. Although, I’m a bit disappointed it foundyouworthy. Maybe it doesn’t have the good judgment I thought it had.”
I shut the book close and stood up. “Margaret might be a pain in my ass, but—”
“Margaret?” He scoffed, sliding his fingers along the backrest of one of the armchairs. “You gave it a name?”
“Notme, personally,” I seethed. “The ghost apparently enjoys it.”
Which I never understood. It could write…Why not give her—itsreal name?
Vladimir’s eyes widened before he burst out in laughter, letting himself fall graciously in the cushioned armchair.
“You think it’s aghost?” He laughed again at my perplexed face. “Oh, dear. That’s not a ghost.”
I froze, looking around me for any sign of her—it. If that wasn’t a ghost, what was it?
“It’s an elemental spiritual core, you dumbass.”
I blinked a couple of times. “A what?”
Vladimir sighed, looking at me like I was the stupidest being in existence. “The spirits of many of the first Witches, blessed by Astrals, and acting as one. That particular one must be about two-thousand years old. Powerful.”
My eyes widened in shock. Margaret was a—fucking what? Another thing I’ve never even heard about before? And with the time I spent reading during my life on earth, how did I not stumble uponanyof the information I’d gathered in the last fucking week?
“I guess itissome kind of ghost,” Vladimir mused. “Just—yeah, not your average one. Definitely not one whose name wasMargaret.”
I pushed the information aside, shaking my head in disbelief. “Wait, how do you even know about these books? About how they got here?”
He shrugged. “I placed them there, of course.”
“How?”
“Well, it’s not my first time in your lovely little town,” he drawled. “Kai and I are old friends. I visit a lot. I feed this library with more old books everytime. This spiritual core took it upon itself to protect it, so it’s the perfect spot to store old forgotten knowledge.”
My teeth gritted in the back of my mouth. “Why has it been forgotten in the first place?”
His eyes softened and he leaned forward, his elbows resting on his thighs and his chin in his hands. He looked over the three books, stopping at the small journal.
“I see you got my mother’s journal.”
“Not what I asked you,” I answered, growing impatient. “Why don’t people remember Astrals? Why—”
“Did you happen to getanotherjournal before this one?” he interrupted, his strange orange eyes flecked with gold shining eerily.
I sighed, reaching for the small leather bound journal in my back pocket, dropping it on the desk between us. His eyes lit up, hands reaching for it before he caught himself, closing his hand and retreating it to place his closed fist on his knee, eyes darting away and jaw clenching.
