AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You never know,” Mateo says, crunching down on an apple.
I grit my teeth but push him from my mind, reminding myself I need to focus. I close my eyes again and hone in on the power signature of the books I brought with me. The power is dark and ancient, the tomes bound in leather, and the pages weathered.
The book I really want is theDescent of the Dark.
Splaying my palms wide on my knees, I imagine the feel of the book and the magical signature that radiates from it. The book itself has power, but the spells and knowledge within it are some of the most advanced known to god or demon. I have no idea where Romulus got his hand on a spell like that, but if there’s a book that holds the answers, it’s that one.
I imagine the silver inlaid cover, the dagger, and the snake twining around it. I picture the day I placed it in Olivia’s bag, the image twisting my lips into a grimace and catapulting me from my train of thought.
Aggravated, I slam my fist into the ground again, causing the pile of debris to shift in front of me from the force.
Laughter echoes above me and I turn to glare at Mateo again.
“It would be easier for me to concentrate if I didn’t have a laugh track playing behind me,” I shout.
“Come on, Titus. Today was a shit day. At least let me take a little enjoyment from you suffering,” he pleads, his lips twitching as he tries to hold back his laughter.
“So stop getting in the way and maybe today might not be as shitty as it started,” I grind out.
“Fine, I’ll stay quiet,” he groans. “Do you want one?” he asks as he crunches down on his apple.
“I do not want one,” I answer, and shutter my eyes again, hoping to drown out whatever he says next.
Thankfully he keeps his word, munching away on his fruit rather than bothering me again.
I drag in a deep breath, and let my mind go blank and wander where it needs to go. The image of the book resurfaces and I grasp on to it, letting its energy mold with mine. My power twines around my hands and I focus the combined drive of vengeance on finding this book.
“You actually did it,” Mateo shouts, his thick boots thumping on the ground as he jumps down to join me.
My brows furrow and I peel my eyes open slowly, not expecting to see anything, yet there it is. The silver dagger glimmers in the sunlight, the ruby inlaid into the hilt glowing like blood splatter, as though it’s taunting me, reaffirming all my thoughts from before.
“Do you need more than just this one?” Mateo asks, his boots thumping on the packed dirt, sending small plumes of dust flying into my face as he reaches my side. Perfect.
I cough and glare up at him when his lips twitch in amusement. He’s clearly enjoying this.
“If any of my books hold the answer, it would be this one,” I murmur, holding it out for him to see. I suppress my smirk as he takes a step back.
“You can keep that vampire book far away from me.”
“It already took your blood.” I sigh, frowning at the amount of dirt surrounding us. There’s no way I’m going to let a book that predates our existence get ruined by the elements. “Do you think Kyros will share the library with me?”
“Doubtful,” he huffs in amusement.
“Fine,” I grumble and climb to my feet.
“I’m sure the book will be fine.” Mateo crosses his arms over his chest. “It was just buried in the dirt and rubble of an entire manor. If it didn’t fall apart from that, I’m sure its blood sucking tendencies will protect it.”
I tune him out as I stride to the side of the crater, my golden wings spreading from my back to lift me up without breaking a step. Calling on my powers, I lift a fallen tree from where it collapsed and draw on the jagged edges of the stump. It takes a minute, but by the time a gust of air from Mateo’s wings flutters through my hair, I’ve created a makeshift table and chairs from the wreckage.
“I guess that’s a better idea,” he grumbles in defeat before he takes another bite from his apple. The loud crunch of the fruit’s flesh grates on my nerves, but some of the tension seeps away from my bunched muscles as he tosses the core into the forest.
I stride to the rough table and pull out one of the chairs. “You can have a seat if you keep your mouth shut and let me work,” I offer, hoping that will appease the annoying god of war.
Taking a deep breath, I lay the book on the table, grateful that it seems steady enough. Mateo joins me, pointedly keeping his lips locked together as he mimes throwing away a key.
I silently pray to the fates for an answer as I open the cover and use a blast of magic to clear the dust from the pages. My lips silently twitch as Mateo coughs up the gust of dirt that went his way.Payback.
Focusing back on the book, I flip through the ancient pages, breathing a sigh of relief when I realize nothing was damaged in the wreckage. I skim through the relic spells, grimacing at some of the ones I come across. There are curses and hexes, stuff I don’t even want to touch—but I know someone who would, especially if they were desperate.
