Read Online creepy hollow 05.5 - scarlett by rachel morgan - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: rachel morgan
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her hand with the cloth, and said, “That’s it. Leave the shirt up for a few minutes to let the wound heal.” She walked to her desk and sat in the chair, crossing one leg neatly over the other. “The other half of the spell has already been performed inside this book, as you previously requested.” She moved a tattered old journal to the edge of her desk and patted it. “You’ll be able to see and hear everything he sees and hears. Now, let’s settle the payment while the sleeping potion wears off. Scarlett, please watch the boy until he wakes.”
Beth kept her eyes on the boy as Malena and her client spoke in low tones behind her. She peeked over her shoulder at one point, expecting to see an exchange of coins or Madame Lucia writing a check—did checks even exist in this world?—but instead she saw the woman holding a vial against her temple where a faint wispy whiteness flowed straight out of her skull.
Beth turned her head back quickly, hoping neither of the women had seen her looking. The boy began to stir, and Beth, noticing that the eye-shaped wound had now healed, leaned forward and pulled his shirt down so the poor child could at least wake up fully clothed. “Mama?” he said as he sat up, blinking slowly and frowning.
“All done, dear,” Madame Lucia said. She crossed the room and took her son’s hand. “Is there anything else I need to know?” she asked Malena.
“No, but if you have any problems with the spell, don’t hesitate to let me know.”
Madame Lucia nodded as she removed what looked like an emerald encrusted pen from her coat pocket. She walked to the door, but instead of opening it, she lifted the pen and wrote on the wood surface. Beth couldn’t make out the words, but they seemed to glow faintly before disappearing. And then, right before her eyes, a dark void of space began to form at the center of the door. It spread outward like ink bleeding into paper until there was almost no door left. Without another word, Madame Lucia and her son walked into the darkness, which swallowed them up within seconds before quickly pulling back together and vanishing as if it had never been there.
Beth, her mouth hanging open in shock, looked back at Malena for an explanation. “Faerie paths,” Malena said as she stood and returned to her workbench. “We can’t use them.”
“Oh, is that what that was? I’ve never seen one before.”
“Candles are better,” Malena said as she began to wipe the workbench clean.
Beth stood there awkwardly, unsure if she was supposed to leave or stay now. She wouldn’t relax until she was out of Malena’s presence, but she was curious …
Malena looked up with a hint of a smile on her lips. “Do you have a question, Scarlett?”
She did, and Malena knew it. Malena always seemed to know these things. “Why did you tell the woman I was your apprentice?”
“I doubt she would have been happy for you to stay if she’d known you’d never performed a spell with me before.”
“But … why did you want me to stay?”
As though it should be obvious, she said, “I thought it would be good for your education to observe one of our spells.”
Beth nodded slowly. She supposed that made sense. Her eyes fell on an open book beside the stovetop. Malena’s spell book, no doubt. Curiosity getting the better of her, she moved to take a closer look at it. The words were in another language, but Beth could tell from the pictures that the page detailed the spell Malena had just performed. She looked up, a question in her gaze, and Malena said, “Go ahead.”
She paged through the book, moving quickly past any pictures that seemed particularly gruesome. She felt uncomfortable looking at them, but it was probably just that she didn’t understand all this magic yet. Whenever she saw a page with English notes written beside the foreign text, she stopped to take a closer look. “Sprite wings?” she murmured. “Is that a real ingredient?”
“Yes,”
Beth kept her eyes on the boy as Malena and her client spoke in low tones behind her. She peeked over her shoulder at one point, expecting to see an exchange of coins or Madame Lucia writing a check—did checks even exist in this world?—but instead she saw the woman holding a vial against her temple where a faint wispy whiteness flowed straight out of her skull.
Beth turned her head back quickly, hoping neither of the women had seen her looking. The boy began to stir, and Beth, noticing that the eye-shaped wound had now healed, leaned forward and pulled his shirt down so the poor child could at least wake up fully clothed. “Mama?” he said as he sat up, blinking slowly and frowning.
“All done, dear,” Madame Lucia said. She crossed the room and took her son’s hand. “Is there anything else I need to know?” she asked Malena.
“No, but if you have any problems with the spell, don’t hesitate to let me know.”
Madame Lucia nodded as she removed what looked like an emerald encrusted pen from her coat pocket. She walked to the door, but instead of opening it, she lifted the pen and wrote on the wood surface. Beth couldn’t make out the words, but they seemed to glow faintly before disappearing. And then, right before her eyes, a dark void of space began to form at the center of the door. It spread outward like ink bleeding into paper until there was almost no door left. Without another word, Madame Lucia and her son walked into the darkness, which swallowed them up within seconds before quickly pulling back together and vanishing as if it had never been there.
Beth, her mouth hanging open in shock, looked back at Malena for an explanation. “Faerie paths,” Malena said as she stood and returned to her workbench. “We can’t use them.”
“Oh, is that what that was? I’ve never seen one before.”
“Candles are better,” Malena said as she began to wipe the workbench clean.
Beth stood there awkwardly, unsure if she was supposed to leave or stay now. She wouldn’t relax until she was out of Malena’s presence, but she was curious …
Malena looked up with a hint of a smile on her lips. “Do you have a question, Scarlett?”
She did, and Malena knew it. Malena always seemed to know these things. “Why did you tell the woman I was your apprentice?”
“I doubt she would have been happy for you to stay if she’d known you’d never performed a spell with me before.”
“But … why did you want me to stay?”
As though it should be obvious, she said, “I thought it would be good for your education to observe one of our spells.”
Beth nodded slowly. She supposed that made sense. Her eyes fell on an open book beside the stovetop. Malena’s spell book, no doubt. Curiosity getting the better of her, she moved to take a closer look at it. The words were in another language, but Beth could tell from the pictures that the page detailed the spell Malena had just performed. She looked up, a question in her gaze, and Malena said, “Go ahead.”
She paged through the book, moving quickly past any pictures that seemed particularly gruesome. She felt uncomfortable looking at them, but it was probably just that she didn’t understand all this magic yet. Whenever she saw a page with English notes written beside the foreign text, she stopped to take a closer look. “Sprite wings?” she murmured. “Is that a real ingredient?”
“Yes,”
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