“Exactly.” She flashes that knowing smirk again. “I find its best not to overthink such things. Too much knowledge dulls the mystery.”
“Okay, but some knowledge might be good.” I run my fingers over the book’s spine. “I mean, you say this is meant for me, but I can’t even read it. It’s like a foreign language.”
“Youcouldn’tread it,” she says. “But I suspect you’ll find that’s no longer the case.”
At her prompting, I flip through the pages, shocked to see the passages coming to life at my touch. Words scroll across the page in bright, golden fire, then settle into the parchment in black, as clear as any textbook or novel I’ve read.
It’s magickal gibberish, but at least it’s in English. The individual words make sense, which means eventually, I’ve got a shot at cracking the code.
“I feel like I’ve just leveled up,” I say.
“This book, once you’ve learned to decipher its mysteries, will teach you how to access the Hall of Mist and Spirit through your own dreams. I won’t always be here when you visit, but there’s a good chance we’ll cross paths again.”
I clutch the book to my chest, its magick radiating right through me. “I can’t believe I have so much power. It scares me, Mom. It really does.”
Her brows knit, and she considers me for a long moment before speaking again. When she finally does, her voice is hushed and reverent. “Yes, you have power, Stevie. More than any of us ever thought possible—even the Dark Magician himself. But you also have a decision to make—one that will set the course of your entire existence as the Star Arcana.”
I close my eyes, sensing what comes next.
“Will you remain here as I have done, dedicating your existence to exploring the mysteries of life and magick? Or will you return to your realm and your Arcana brothers, dedicating yourselves to protecting this sacred magick and setting the world to rights again?”
I close my eyes, the choices weighing heavy on my heart. I feel like I just got my mother back, and staying here with her would be an honor and a dream come true.
But I can’t imagine life without my Arcana mages. The love I feel for them… no. Leaving them is not an option. And beyond that, Iwantto make the world a better place. To shine that light. To help others find their own lights.
I remember Anna Trello’s words from the night she told me about my magickal origins.
You can unite the Arcana objects and reclaim magick for the witches and mages who seek to honor it. You have the power to unite the Light Arcana in the battle against the coming darkness. And when the rest of the world wants to give up, to lay down their arms and walk away from this fight, you have the power to inspire hope. To give us all a reason to keep living. To keep loving. To keep fighting, no matter what the cost.
She was right. And even though we defeated the Dark Arcana and their undead army, the world still isn’t safe for us. Not with groups like the Soldiers of Light running rampant and the human authorities looking for any excuse to lock us up—or worse.
Goddess, there is still so much work to be done.
I open my eyes and look at my kind, compassionate, beautiful mother, knowing what has to come next.
Mom knows it too.
“I have a good life, Mom,” I assure her, sensing she needs to hear it. “You made sure of that.”
My mother’s eyes fill with tears, but a calm acceptance settles over her, smoothing the lines around her mouth, lifting the invisible weight from her shoulders.
For so many years, her soul was restless, chasing after prophecies even in death, trying to outrun the future she set in motion when she made the deal with the Dark Magician to give me life.
Now, the World can finally close this chapter. She can finally find her peace.
“So I guess that leaves only one question,” I say, my stomach filling with butterflies at the thought of seeing my mages again. Goddess, it feels like an eternity since I last held them in my arms, and suddenly I can’t wait to get home. “How the hell do I get out of here?”
* * *
Clasping my mother’s hands above the silver candle at her kitchen table, I let out a grateful sigh. “I’ve been dreaming about this day since the moment I first learned you were a witch.”
“What day?” she teases. “Meeting my ghost in an otherworldly realm after killing the Dark Magician bent on the complete destruction of witch-kind?”
“Um… no.” I roll my eyes. “Casting a spell with you, Mom.”
“Me too, love. Me too.” With one last deep, cleansing breath, she squeezes my hands and says, “Let’s get to it, then.”
She closes her eyes, and I follow suit, sending her my magick, my love, my light.
