RAVENNA HURRIED AWAY from the bookshop, clutching the new spell-book to her chest. The sunlight dwindled, its rays slowly swallowed by a cluster of angry storm clouds. Her nose curled as she observed the townsfolk scurrying through the streets in search of shelter. It wasn't long before droplets of rain began to spatter against the earth.
She pulled her hood up and glanced around in search of her own shelter. The tavern was not an option. Even if Vyses had disappeared from town completely, there was still a chance that the ghost girl would reappear. After the last visit, Ravenna didn't believe that the ghost was benign and she had no idea how her powers would fare against death. The bookstore was also off limits, now that the dragon had entered town. The last thing that she needed was to deal with his constant complaints.
A huff escaped her. Most of the vendors that usually lined the street had retreated, their carts emptied and pushed against the walls of the buildings that lined the streets. There were a few larger shops within those buildings, such as the apothecary. Those seemed opened and filled to the brim with people.
Ravenna ventured deeper into the streets, into areas that she rarely walked. Houses made of stones and wood replaced the shops. Wooden fences surrounded the houses, blocking off the farmland that encompassed them. As she neared the edge of town, the forest started to grow thicker, offering slight shelter against the rain. She found a particularly old tree and sat at its roots, her back against the weathered bark. The tree hunched over, stretching toward the small stream that sliced through the ground in front of it. Its leaves provided slight shelter against the rain.
Ravenna made herself comfortable and glanced upward. She took a deep breath and focused. Snow appeared at her feet, quickly solidifying into crystals of ice. The crystals grasped at the bark behind her and crawled upward. Once the ice encased the leaves, it stretched outward, growing together into a solid mass of icy leaves and branches. The rain pitter-pattered against the ice canopy, harder now, as the storm clouds released their anger. Not a single droplet of water leaked through.
She sighed and leaned back, sinking against the ice-covered bark behind her. For a moment, she just watched the world around her. The rain poured downward, violently assaulting the stream. A thousand ripples danced across its surface, making its lily pads bobble up and down. The trees around her seemed to stretch upward, toward the sky, and embrace the torrent of water. Streaks of light bolted across the sky, followed by the rumbling drums of thunder.
It was peaceful.
Her index finger traced the edges of the book. The bookkeeper's words replayed in her mind: Ancient books tend to have a mind of their own. She wondered what it meant.
Ravenna quickly pushed her thoughts away and attempted to open the book again. The cover didn't budge. A frown twisted across her facial features as she pulled harder, trying to force it open. The leather didn't even crack, the pages unruffled.
"What on earth?" she hissed under her breath. The rain pounded harder against her icy shelter, thunder roaring in the distance. Her eyebrows furrowed as she examined the book again. Instantly her eyes were drawn to the edge of the book, where a metal clasp tightly grasped the bounder leather.
Her index finger traced over the new addition. It definitely hadn't been there before.
"Locked out?" a familiar voice asked.
She jumped. The book thumped against the damp earth, cushioned beneath broken strands of grass. Jagged spikes of ice erupted around her feet, surging forward toward the intruder.
The person in front of her simply waved a hand, an eyebrow arched, and the spikes shattered.
Ravenna's vision focused. She exhaled sharply and leaned back against the tree behind her. "You should know better than to startle me," she snapped at the dragon.
He watched her with unamused eyes. "You will kill someone if you aren't careful," he said.
She couldn't bring herself to respond. Instead, she focused on the book. She carefully reached out and plucked it from the ground, wiping blades of grass from its form. Her fingers traced over the metal clasp and her lips pursed.
"Why did you come out here?" she asked the dragon.
"I already answered that question," he said. "I've decided to step in and help you, since you seem inadequate to find the answer for yourself."
Ravenna scowled. "You didn't seem to care if I found the answer before," she accused. "Why now?"
The dragon's gaze lifted and he stared through the slivers of space between the tree branches, in the direction of the town. "I am quite fond of the people in this town," the dragon answered. His words shocked Ravenna, as the sentiment somewhat out of character for the detached dragon. His gaze slowly returned to her and hardened. "I do not wish to see them destroyed."
Her cheeks flushed with anger. "I wouldn't harm a soul in this town," she snapped. "Everybody has been incredibly nice to me ever since I arrived."
The dragon didn't seem to believe her. His narrowed gaze traveled down the length of her body, making her cheeks burn hotter. He nodded toward the book. "Are you going to open it?"
Ravenna's attention snapped to the book in her hands. The clasp had vanished. The book freely fell open within her hands, the smell of aged paper and dried ink kissing the air. "Where did it go?" she asked, incredulous.
"I have no idea," the dragon answered.
"This is what the bookkeeper meant," Ravenna realized. She skimmed through the first few pages, fingers pressed against the yellowed paper. "The book locks itself, doesn't it? Whenever it doesn't want to be viewed?"
The dragon seemed to ponder her words. "Somewhat. You are correct in your last assumption. The book decides when and to whom it will allow itself to be viewed. Though there was more to be headed from the old man's advice. As the bookkeeper said earlier, ancient spell-books have a mind of their own and can be uncontrollable. Some are even self-aware enough to perform magic and spells on their own."
Ravenna's eyes widened. "Should I be concerned that this book might turn me into a frog?"
Amusement shimmered within the dragon's eyes. "I doubt it would turn you into an amphibian. A reptile, possibly. Or a chicken. I think you'd make a great chicken."
"I don't find you funny," Ravenna grouched.
"I would just be hesitant upon reading its contents in large quantities. A book this old is extremely unpredictable. There is no way to tell how it will react to you, or how it might affect you. Even I must exercise caution upon opening it," the dragon warned.
She nodded. "But you think an awareness spell is in here, right?"
The dragon heaved a sigh. "If such a spell were to exist, it would most likely be in that book. Though I will point out, this exercise was not meant to be solved through magic. I attempted to tell you this multiple times though you were too focused on your decision to notice the hints."
Ravenna frowned. "How was it meant to be solved then, if not by magic?"
He shook his head at her. The expression on his face was unreadable. "That is not an easily answered question. Becoming more observant is a laborious task. It requires a mixture of hard work and focus, and some basic meditation. I would have taught you, had you not decided so quickly that magic was the answer."
Ravenna scowled. "That doesn't make sense," she snapped and climbed to her feet. "Why didn't you tell me all this before?" What was the point in letting me believe that magic was the answer?"
"How exactly would you manage to learn anything if I simply gave you all the answers outright?" the dragon retorted.
Her cheeks burned. Ravenna clutched the spell-book to her chest and glowered at the ground. The metallic clasp pressed against the skin on her arms, it's cold presence once again holding the book shut. "Why did you tell me this now?" she asked quietly. "You could have just let me continue blindly searching for a spell that might not exist."
His head quirked to the side. The action seemed almost more animal than human. "Because I don't want you to read that spell-book unless you are sure it is absolutely necessary."
Her brows furrowed. "Then why did you even bring it to me? Why did you even give me the option?"
The dragon's expression darkened. "The book was brought here because it needs to be hidden. Someone is after it. Despite the instability within your powers, I feel that you are emotionally unstable enough to unconsciously protect it, should you be attacked. And you are not one of the stronger, well known magic users in this area. So, if the person who is searching for it comes here, they will not expect it to be in your possession."
Ravenna felt even more confused. "Wouldn't it be easier to hide at the cottage?"
"The cottage has been compromised," the dragon said. His expression turned sour. "It no longer exists. We will now live in my second home, here within the village."
She blinked. "We?"