Changeling (Sorcery and Society Book 1)(49)

Ivy mopped the last traces of sweat from her brow. “So they used the dead as their personal assassins? That’s awful.”

Alicia shrugged. “There’s a certain amount of sense to it. As soon as the enemy was disposed of, the Grimstelle ended the spell, and the corpse dropped to the ground like a puppet without strings. The authorities couldn’t take a dead man to jail for murder. And there was no way to tell whose spell animated the corpse. It was the perfect crime.”

Ivy tilted her head as we stared at Alicia. “You’re just a little bit scary, aren’t you?”

She grinned. “Well, that may be true. However, the Grimstelles were scarier. The rumor was that before the Guild stepped in, the House was tinkering with spellwork powerful enough to raise an army of the dead.”

I didn’t change expressions. “I would ask why, but I’m sure there is some disturbing reason that will keep me awake at night.”

“Well, just imagine it, an unstoppable, mindless fighting force that doesn’t fear being injured or killed? They could overthrow our entire civilization in a matter of days.”

I shuddered. “I knew I shouldn’t have asked. And where are the Grimstelles now?”

Alicia gave a shrug of her thin shoulders. “Who knows? The Guild put strict sanctions on them, severely limiting the magic they were allowed to do. They weren’t allowed to communicate with the Other World at all. They were fined heavily, wiping out the wealth they’d built up. They were out of practice with the other branches of magic and left without a way to support themselves. Some of the Grimstelles became no better than Snipes, an embarrassment to Guardian culture. Mentioning their name in polite society became taboo. The daughters were quietly married off to other Houses and a good number of the sons changed their names or claimed to be related to other Houses. They became a cautionary tale to young Guardian children. Don’t abuse your magic, or you could end up like the Grimstelles. Over the course of five or six hundred years, they simply faded away.”

Ivy huffed, “Well, I will think of you both over the weekend, when I’m home, alone, staring up at the canopy, unable to sleep.”

Alicia giggled.

“Thank you, for the gift, Alicia. I’ll take it to Raven’s Rest with me and lock it up safe with the Mother Book until I have more time to explore it.”

I pulled the key from my pocket, the special key Headmistress Lockwood had enchanted so that only I could use it. I twisted the padlock and felt the warm hum of the lock accepting my magic. With the weekend coming, I was allowed to take the Mother Book home with me, but only because Mrs. Winter contacted the school’s governing board – including the unpleasant Mr. Crenshaw – and demanded it. And then she wrote me a letter to demand it. She wanted it known that Mother Book was sheltered at Raven’s Rest, even if it was just a few days.

The cabinet was empty.

The Mother Book was gone.

My stomach dropped so fast I felt dizzy. I thought back to that last little triumphant smirk Callista had thrown my way as she walked out of my room. She’d taken it. She’d taken my book. Somehow, she’d managed to outwit a magical lock and steal something that had been entrusted to me. I was sick of this. I was sick of this stupid, spoiled girl causing havoc, never suffering any of the consequences. The dragonfly buzzed angrily on my palms, heating up and sending that burning pain up my arms.

To my right, the long, gauzy green curtains burst into flames.

“Oh, dear,” Ivy said.

“We’re assuming that Callista took it, yes?” Alicia suggested, pursing her lips while I seethed in the direction of the empty cabinet.

“Who else?” I demanded. “Ivy said she steals things from people she dislikes. She was lurking in my room. She’s trying to pay me back for not helping her ‘acquire’ your friendship.”

“So what are you going to do?” Alicia asked.

“I’m going to find the most powerful spell I can to drag that book through time and space, no matter where it is, and plant it right back in my hands.”

“Asking Callista to return the book wouldn’t be considered a reasonable first step?” Ivy asked.

“If I ask Callista for the book, she’ll just pretend that she doesn’t know what I’m talking about and she doesn’t know where it is,” I said, shaking my head. “And I can’t help but think this whole situation was designed to put me in the position of begging Callista to pretty-please give my book back. She wants me to look weak, because it suits her twisted social agenda. Well, I’ve had enough of that. I’m going to do what Mrs. – Auntie Aneira would do. I’m going hit her where it hurts.”

“Mrs. Winter wouldn’t hit her,” Ivy insisted. “Hitting would leave marks.”

“I mean, socially. I’m going to go get my book back in a very public fashion, so every girl at this school knows that I’m not Callista’s little lap dog.”

“I think this is a good plan,” Alicia said. “I think we should go to the library to look for a spell right now.”

“Good.” I nodded, stalking toward the door.

Ivy cleared her throat. “Also, the curtains are on fire.”

“Right.”



After the curtains were extinguished, I marched into the library with Alicia and Ivy on my heels. I’d spent too much time “trying” to do magic. It was time for me to simply do magic.