Read Online Nightwish (An Echoes of Eternity Novel Book 1) by Sydney Bristow - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sydney Bristow
Ads: Link
demon inside your body?”
“No.”
“Phew. Do you know what it is?”
“I’d rather not say, at least right now.”
That answer, of course, made me even more eager to learn the truth. She’d revealed so much already, why could it hurt to tell me who had entered her body? “Does it know what you know? Does it have your memories?”
“Yes to both questions…to a point, that is. The longer it remains in my body, the more it will sync with it, and yes, it’ll eventually know everything I know.”
“But your Alzheimer’s; won’t it prevent that thing from snatching everything you know?”
“I don’t know.”
“How long can you stay out of your body?”
“If I get back, but the entity syncs with my body, I’ll be trapped in there, paralyzed. I’ll be an observer in my own body. If I don’t, I’ll be locked out for forever.”
“But if you get back in time, how would we get that thing out?”
“I don’t know, but if she gains control, it will take three days before she has access to my powers, as well as the powers that have remained in this realm since she last incarnated.”
Her uncertainty sent a shard of fright through me.
“Astral projection is a rare ability. Only Zephora had that ability. That reminds me: this interloper might seek out the family grimoire, a guide that we call The Book of Souls . It contains various spells and information about other paranormal creatures. When her daughter took ownership of it, she put certain guidelines in place to prevent any one witch from becoming too powerful, supposedly because of Zephora’s thirst for power. Any witch who possesses it will only be able to ask three questions and receive the same amount of answers.”
“If you ask a fourth question, does a hand pop out of the pages and slap your knuckles?”
Grams overlooked my sarcasm by raising her head to the ceiling. “Be serious, Serena.”
“That’s me: Serious Serena. I guess it’s better than Sad Serena.” Sensing another round of condemnation, I raised my hands in defense. “Okay, sorry. I’m just kinda freaking out here. This is all just way too unbelievable. How do I deal with any of this? It’s crazy!”
“Get ahold of yourself. Concentrate!”
I steadied my nerves, prepared myself to focus, although that was a difficult endeavor.
“When it comes to our abilities, Zephora created everything in threes. We call it ‘The Rule of Three.’”
“Why?”
“It’s an ancient superstition: if two bad incidents occur, many people think they’re due for one more. In Catholicism, there is The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In politics, America is governed by the Executive Branch, Legislative Branch, and the Judicial Branch. In astronomy, Earth is the third planet from the sun. In sports, for the Olympics, there are three metals: gold silver, and bronze.”
“In pop culture,” I said, wanting to add my own interpretation, “we’ve got the Three Stooges. And food? Don’t forget: Snap, Crackle, and Pop! Because, really, who could refuse Rice Krispies?”
Grams ignored my sarcasm. “Serena!”
“This is too much,” I said, almost ready to duck my head under the covers. “I joke around because I can’t cope with all this. I don’t understand—”
“Just know that no witch can consult the grimoire after receiving answers for the three questions she asked. Afterwards, The Book of Souls becomes useless to the witch who owns it. Now that someone has connected with my mind and body, it will block me from trying to return. After three days, it will sync with my body, but I don’t have enough strength to hold out that long.”
That reminded me of the secret room. “ The Book of Souls is in the shop, isn’t it? In that secret room?”
“You saw the grimoire?”
“Well, no. But I entered the room. What’s wrong? You look scared.”
She waved off the idea. “Stay focused. Back to the grimoire. Before passing on, the one who possesses The Book of Souls will
“No.”
“Phew. Do you know what it is?”
“I’d rather not say, at least right now.”
That answer, of course, made me even more eager to learn the truth. She’d revealed so much already, why could it hurt to tell me who had entered her body? “Does it know what you know? Does it have your memories?”
“Yes to both questions…to a point, that is. The longer it remains in my body, the more it will sync with it, and yes, it’ll eventually know everything I know.”
“But your Alzheimer’s; won’t it prevent that thing from snatching everything you know?”
“I don’t know.”
“How long can you stay out of your body?”
“If I get back, but the entity syncs with my body, I’ll be trapped in there, paralyzed. I’ll be an observer in my own body. If I don’t, I’ll be locked out for forever.”
“But if you get back in time, how would we get that thing out?”
“I don’t know, but if she gains control, it will take three days before she has access to my powers, as well as the powers that have remained in this realm since she last incarnated.”
Her uncertainty sent a shard of fright through me.
“Astral projection is a rare ability. Only Zephora had that ability. That reminds me: this interloper might seek out the family grimoire, a guide that we call The Book of Souls . It contains various spells and information about other paranormal creatures. When her daughter took ownership of it, she put certain guidelines in place to prevent any one witch from becoming too powerful, supposedly because of Zephora’s thirst for power. Any witch who possesses it will only be able to ask three questions and receive the same amount of answers.”
“If you ask a fourth question, does a hand pop out of the pages and slap your knuckles?”
Grams overlooked my sarcasm by raising her head to the ceiling. “Be serious, Serena.”
“That’s me: Serious Serena. I guess it’s better than Sad Serena.” Sensing another round of condemnation, I raised my hands in defense. “Okay, sorry. I’m just kinda freaking out here. This is all just way too unbelievable. How do I deal with any of this? It’s crazy!”
“Get ahold of yourself. Concentrate!”
I steadied my nerves, prepared myself to focus, although that was a difficult endeavor.
“When it comes to our abilities, Zephora created everything in threes. We call it ‘The Rule of Three.’”
“Why?”
“It’s an ancient superstition: if two bad incidents occur, many people think they’re due for one more. In Catholicism, there is The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In politics, America is governed by the Executive Branch, Legislative Branch, and the Judicial Branch. In astronomy, Earth is the third planet from the sun. In sports, for the Olympics, there are three metals: gold silver, and bronze.”
“In pop culture,” I said, wanting to add my own interpretation, “we’ve got the Three Stooges. And food? Don’t forget: Snap, Crackle, and Pop! Because, really, who could refuse Rice Krispies?”
Grams ignored my sarcasm. “Serena!”
“This is too much,” I said, almost ready to duck my head under the covers. “I joke around because I can’t cope with all this. I don’t understand—”
“Just know that no witch can consult the grimoire after receiving answers for the three questions she asked. Afterwards, The Book of Souls becomes useless to the witch who owns it. Now that someone has connected with my mind and body, it will block me from trying to return. After three days, it will sync with my body, but I don’t have enough strength to hold out that long.”
That reminded me of the secret room. “ The Book of Souls is in the shop, isn’t it? In that secret room?”
“You saw the grimoire?”
“Well, no. But I entered the room. What’s wrong? You look scared.”
She waved off the idea. “Stay focused. Back to the grimoire. Before passing on, the one who possesses The Book of Souls will
Similar Books
