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“Oh,” I said softly, unable to tear myself from it. I traced my fingers delicately over the leather strap and felt the faint hint of magic buzzing beneath. I knew at once that Fenris was correct about the seal, but…
I hope I’m strong enough to open it.
“There’s something else.”
“Hm?” I finally looked up, trying not to sound too distracted.
“Grant and I think this belonged to your birth mother. We can’t be entirely certain, as it won’t open for either of us, but…” He trailed off, nodding toward the grimoire. “We have every reason to believe it was hers.”
“I—I—” My eyes prickled with warm tears. A few weeks ago, I hadn’t even known this woman existed. The only mother I knew was Taylor Soliel, the woman who’d raised me, but this…
Excitement and anxiety swirled in my gut as my mind raced over what I might find inside. Before I could let myself get too worked up, I pulled the book to my chest. “I have a few pins upstairs in my things,” I whispered, not trusting myself to speak any louder.
Fenris nodded, and I paused just long enough to kiss his temple, a “thank you” barely making it past my lips before I was hurrying up the stairs to his master suite.
As soon as I dug out my pins, I sat on the bed, the grimoire sitting in my lap. I pricked my thumb, so excited that I barely noticed the sting. I squeezed the pad of my finger before pressing it to the moonstone.
The gem thrummed low and deep before it gave off a little glow. Something flickered and clicked, and the leather strap fell away, releasing the cover. I took a deep breath and opened the book.
The smell of old pages filled my nose at once, and I inhaled, feeling almost delirious with wonder. But oh, the smell was just the appetizer. Each page was filled with writing inscribed in a beautiful cursive script that swept elegantly across the parchment. There were spells, recipes, even notes.
However, I quickly realized the notes weren’t just one person’s thoughts, but from generations of people. Someone else had printed their notes in short, choppy strokes. A third person’s letters were so squished together, they seemed impossible to read. It was like peering into the minds of my ancestors, and the sense of belonging, of raw emotion, was so strong that I could barely breathe.
As I reached the most recent notes, my pulse quickened.This must be my birth mother…I traced my fingers over the elegant signature on each of her notes.
Enora? It’s nice to meet you, Enora.
Her notes were meticulous, often with several contingencies. It was clear from the way she described her spells and observations that she saw magic as a tool to help others. She didn’t seem drawn to flashy magic but practical spells with clear uses. My smile grew the more I read her notes.I think we would’ve gotten along.I certainly would have liked her.
As I searched through the pages, I came across a poem. “Moonlight North and South – Robert Fuller Murray,” the little note detailed. I blinked and began to read the gently etched lines.
Love, we have heard together
The North Sea sing his tune,
And felt the wind's wild feather
Brush past our cheeks at noon,
And seen the cloudy weather
Made wondrous with the moon.
I stopped breathing. My eyes stung, and I sniffed. There was no way in the world this could have been written forme, but in a way, I felt like my mother had known I’d have this grimoire one day. A knot rose in my throat, and I swallowed hard, wiping at my face as I tried to will away the sadness welling up in my chest.
I wish I could have met you,I thought wistfully. What a bizarre thing to realize I had a birth mother only to realize she was gone, just like the woman who raised me.I wonder if you two would’ve gotten along. I wonder if—
“Celeste?” As I glanced up, I saw Fenris standing in the doorway. “Are you alright?”
I sniffed again, smiling despite my watery eyes. “More than,” I replied, laughing at how silly my voice sounded. “Despite appearances. I’m just—she—you know…” I stopped and shook my head, closing the book’s cover. “Thank you for bringing me this, Fenris. This is more than I ever could’ve dreamed of.”
His expression was warm. “I was going to ask you to come run with me, but…”
I shook my head. “That sounds great. I think I need a moment to collect myself before I dive into this book.” As much as I wanted to dive right in and absorb everything, I knew I was a little emotional, and Fenris had only just gotten back. If he missed me half as much as I’d missed him over the past few days, I knew his patience right now was of a herculean effort.
I set the book down on the quilt. “C’mon, let’s go,” I said, standing up to follow him into the hall and down the stairs.
As soon as we got outside, I took a deep breath. The ocean breeze always felt comforting to me, even if I’d never lived directly on the water. That, I thought, was something I could get used to—as well as the lack of pollution, the clear birdsong, the unobscured night sky. I’d always pictured myself as a city girl, but maybe I just hadn’t gotten to explore the more remote places that spoke to me.
