Book of Wishes - House of Blood

Chapter Twenty-Seven

The power in the book radiated off the pages like heat from a furnace. It scorched her skin at first touch before becoming a tingling sensation of prickles. It rested on a pedestal table at the center of a small bedroom where Miriam slept. Her bag and cane still remained near the writing desk. Lorelei's eyes fixed on the words scribbled at the bottom of the last page; Fac tua voluntas ad me vel concedo mihi libertatem a mea maledictione.

She wondered how many others had actually found the book and what they would have wished for. Before Miriam's death, she had told them that that book held the Djinn, a powerful Orisha forced to grant the wishes of those with the book.

Stone walked into the room, wearing a casual pair of jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. His wings were withdrawn. When she had asked about Aether wings, he told her that most choose to keep them hidden until necessary. Wings were an Aether's greatest weapon and most prized feature. They weren't sure if she would eventually develop them late or not at all due to her half-human lineage.

He stood before and looked down at the book, his silver strands falling over his eyes.

Lorelei loved seeing Stone with his guard down. It drummed up a feeling of warmth and satisfaction in her. She leaned over and gave him a kiss that threatened to turn into something more before pulling away, sensing discontent.

"What's wrong?" Lorelei asked.

"I'm just still not comfortable with all this."

She shrugged, understanding his feelings. The group had decided that Lorelei would be the one to call on the Djinn, releasing it from the book. Then, they would do what needed to be done. The problem was they weren't exactly sure what needed to be done. They could wish for the Djinn to destroy Elsivier once and for all, but that wouldn't eliminate the threat entirely. Someone was bound to try and take his place. They could destroy the book so that no one would have the chance to use the magic for evil, but they didn't know how powerful the Djinn was.

Lorelei ran her fingers over the crisp pages.

"It can't be that dangerous, can it? According to Miriam, the book says that I will be its master once the Djinn is called, so that means it can't harm me, right?" she asked.

"I guess," he started, not seeming convinced. "But you're the High Queen of the Light Court, and once it knows that, I wonder if that will change things."

"Why would it?" She frowned.

"Ancient magic tends to hold grudges. They have long memories. And we don't know what your mother and Elsivier did when they had the book."

"I think you're being paranoid. Come on, we have to find the others and think about how to get rid of this thing once and for all."

Outside in the backyard, everyone was in the middle of training. The girls were being led by Hasard, and Knoyll led the boys. She stifled a laugh, watching Marthie trip and almost fall while doing the balancing exercises. When she caught her eye, Marthie stuck her tongue out but tried the drill again.

Cairbre had left early that morning to head to Lara, another training ground, to ensure the Marqii prepared for a future battle. Greer, his courtiers, and Duna and Nash went with him to get supplies they needed for potions and ointments. They had agreed that it was better to be prepared than now. If someone managed to set Elsivier free, they needed to be as ready as possible. The problem with battle, though, was that there were sure to be a lot of casualties, and Lorelei had insisted that pledged or not, the Marqii should protect all the innocent people in both worlds.

They also decided to bring Gilliam. There would be professional healers there who could help better than they could. Lorelei didn't like the idea of sending away but knew there was nothing else that could be done. If Gilliam didn't get help, she would die. Cairbre would bring her and ensure her safety.