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“Yeah.” Abi sighed, settling down a little. “I do.”
“You can do it.” I paused. “Hey, there’s something I need to tell you. About my aunt.”
“Oh!” She perked right up. “Is that why you came in here? Fenris found her?”
I shook my head. “I wish. But no, I was looking in a grimoire Fenris gave me.”
“He gave you a grimoire? That’s so cool,” Abi said, interrupting me as she leaned forward. “Can I see it?”
“It’s back in my room, but I’ll show you in a little bit.” I paused, wondering if I should share its origin, but quickly dismissed my concerns. This was Abi, my best friend. I could tell her anything. “It’s from my birth mother. From all the Handmaiden witches, and since I’m the last one…”
“Oh, wow,” Abi said softly, some of the wild excitement fading from her grin. “Where did he find it?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “I think someone else found it for him, but I’m not sure where it was hidden.” It would be nice to know which witches had been caring for it or if it had been simply hidden away. I wanted to see where it had been found. Perhaps my birth mother had hidden something else for me there.
“That’s amazing,” Abi said, bringing me back to the present. “So, it’s really old? Did your mom—sorry, your birth mom, that’s still hard for me to get my head around—leave you any notes or anything?”
I couldn’t help my small smile. “Not just her. It’s not just like…it’s not like a cookbook with a bunch of recipes, and it’s not exactly a journal, either, but a combination of both those things. There are directions for performing spells or brewing potions, sure, but there’s also a lot of notes. Some of them are just trains of thought, but others are more practical observations. Then, other witches leave their own thoughts on the matter. It’s amazing, really.”
Abi smiled. “I’m so glad Fenris was able to find that for you,” she said, looking genuinely pleased for my good fortune. “And you think it’s going to help you find your aunt? Is there a spell for finding people?”
That’d be helpful.I hadn’t cataloged all the spells yet, but I remembered seeing one about finding someone’s fated mate. I’d have to take a closer look at it.
“Not quite, though it’s a pretty full tome. I found someone’s list of the birthmarks associated with families and lines, like the Handmaidens’. Like mine.” I leaned forward and tapped my neck in case my friend had forgotten about it. “The list was illustrated, and I recognized one of them. Do you remember how my aunt had this old scar? She said she’d gotten a tattoo lasered off? That’s what she told everyone, anyway.”
Abi’s eyes went comically wide. “Oh my god, Celeste! Was it in the book? Was it a birthmark?”
I nodded, and somehow, Abi’s eyes got even wider, her expression even more animated as she kept talking. “Oh my god! She was a witch this whole time?! What the fuck, Celeste?!”
“I know!” Just saying it made my anger spike all over again. “I know. I just…I can hardly believe it, but it makes sense, doesn’t it? And why her ‘stories’ made so much sense—because they weren’t stories! Because sheliedto me!”
“But why?”
“I wish I knew.” I shook my head and forced myself to take a breath.
“Are you going to do some magic shit to track her down?”
It was my turn to snort. “I’m going to do my best.”
I needed answers. No, Ideservedthem.
Chapter21
Fenris
Fenris’s Private Villa
Isla Lobo, Panama
I didn’t finish making calls and following up on messages until the moon was high in the sky. My shoulders complained, and I stood up, stretching my arms over my head as I walked back down the hall. I knew without reaching out to sense her that my mate would be near the shore or in the clearing, practicing. Her dedication was admirable.
When I arrived, she appeared to be in the middle of something. Celeste’s focus was evident, even if I couldn’t see her handiwork. I sat on one of the logs surrounding the clearing, content to wait while she wove her magic.
“This isn’t anything I’ve seen you do before,” I noted when her state of concentration broke and she looked at me. “Did Val teach you this?”
“No.” The corners of her mouth lifted. “The grimoire you gave me is a treasure trove. I wanted to try one of the more straightforward spells while they were still on my mind.”
I couldn’t help but smile back. “I’m glad it’s already proven useful.” I paused. “You look tired. How long have you been working on this?”
