Witches of the Elements - Book 12: Red Ruby, Part 1

Episode 58: Star Ring

ZAC MOANED FROM being tossed out like a football and managed to roll himself onto his back as a high pitch ringing sound pierced his eardrum. It prevented him from hearing normally for some time and by the time he regained the strength in his legs, he went ahead and picked up Syd off of the ground. While their ears recovered, he looked over at Syd who stared back at him as he handed her Colten's book and suggested that she check it out. From touch alone she had already felt a bond with the book she had never felt before while she still held onto Lori's book as well.

"Aakahahka" taunted the Banshees as one peered through the shrubbery. Two more came from behind her, twitching and swaying about. Their haggard presence cast dread around them in stench. Syd felt her hands shaking and at first she thought it was from the sight of them, but when she had looked down and saw that it was coming from the books themselves. Like magnets they were trying to come together and when they joined, it caused Syd to interlock her hands. The joining between the two books generated such a bright light that escaped through the cracks of her fingers, the intensity of it was enough for the Banshees to hollar in fear from such purity and leaped back into the darkness of the woods.

Even Zac had to shield his eyes to the best he could from the light protruding through Syd's hands that eventually employed into a platinum ring that rested in the palm of her left hand. She held up the plain band and saw an inscription around it that was made up of geometric symbols that soon changed into readable text just like how the symbols in Lori's book became readable.

"Star Ring..." she spoke slowly.

"What the hell was that?" Zac asked as he witnessed Syd's disbelief. She was debating on whether to either put the ring down or on her finger. She felt no looming threat from it, but only curiosity. It was this curiosity that convinced her to slip the ring onto her right middle finger as unknown power flowed throughout her entire body. Power in a sense of past memories, untainted locations, aged old enchantments, and above all, knowledge.

"Hey," Zac said and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"I think...I dunno, I feel strange, but connected to both the Sun and Sky all at the same time. But this ring...also showed me that there was a third belonging to the Covenant of Stars. Zac, I think I was indoctrinated into that covenant just now. The information I obtained from the ring suggested it would be best if we go that way," Syd pointed to the opposite side of the mausoleum by which the ring itself started to glow a rich deep blue color. Deep blue footprints appeared on the ground that led deeper into the cemetery. Zac was hesitant at first, but then thought about how the ring warded off the Banshees and Syd seemed to believe that the ring wanted to show them something.

With nothing else to go on, they followed the footprints into a dimly lit corner and came across a more thicker wooded patch that most would have passed by sticking to the cemetery's pathways. Zac poundered the course of Mason's actions as Emais had in his possession three souls that bore magic. This Mason guy on the other hand, had to be the key to having direct contact with Emais via the mirror Zac had witnessed before under the catacombs. Mason had to have been housing souls and needed at least four souls with magical signatures whose dreams have been untainted. This would all mean that Emais would continue to pursue him and Syd for the fourth soul up until the mystical forces of Halloween pass. Zac figured that in order to face Emais, he had to reach Mason and return back to that chamber in the catacombs. Even if Halloween night were to pass and they managed to survive, what would stop Emais from doing something like this all over again, but using someone else?