Page 24 of A Spark of Something (A Librarian’s Guide to Witchery #1)
R ed squinted in disbelief at Ollie, so wishing he could say he was surprised. Damn that man for allowing Oliver to become such a horrible skeptic , he thought with a surge of anger.
“Ollie, the book is quite clear, isn’t it?”
His witch’s gaze flicked from him to the book and back. Shaking his head, Ollie adamantly denied it. “No, no, no, no. NO! Witches are not real!”
Jahla neared the book, frowning as she no doubt tried and failed to read it. “I can’t… You can read this?”
Ollie looked at her. “Yes. I mean, some of the words have impossibly changed, but yes. Why?”
Her brow rose. “Ollie, it’s just…symbols?”
“No, it’s not. It’s—” He pointed at the text. “—it’s English! It says my name, which is impossible. But then again, there are other Olivers…” The man trailed off as he noticed her confused and slightly worried expression. “You can’t read it?”
“She sees what you saw when you first set eyes on it,” Red explained calmly. “It is your grimoire. The only eyes it is meant for are yours. It feeds off your magic, becomes what it needs to be. What you need it to be, in this moment. Which—” He looked down, snorting at the new title on the page. “—is apparently a sarcastic ass.”
Ollie tried his best to crush the rising panic, it wasn’t working. His heart still raced, and he was pretty sure he was close to hyperventilating. Gulping, he slowly looked down at the book. The title had once again changed, and was now clearly mocking him. Chapter One: Oliver Cross, Is He a Clown? Witch? We May Never Know!
“This can’t be real. It can’t be! Witches, magic, ghosts, talking cats, changing books… None of it is real!”
“I’m afraid the arcane—magic—is quite real, Ollie. And will remain so, whether you believe in it or not,” Red mused dryly. “Oliver Wisteria Cross, you have now inherited your birthright. One that goes back to the first of your long line. The power that is manifesting inside you is unimaginable, even to others of your kind. I’m sorry to say, but you do not have the privilege or time to doubt. There are?—”
“Witches aren’t real!” Ollie snapped as he slammed the book shut. He couldn’t hold back his wince after he’d done it. As much as he wanted the thing away from him, there was something inherently wrong about treating a book so roughly.
Red let out a sardonic laugh. “Just as ghosts aren’t real? Or talking cats?”
Jahla sighed. “He has a point, Ollie. Oh, God! I’m talking to a cat. A cat is talking to me! Well, at least I haven’t seen the ghost yet. So, there is that,” she finished with a groan.
“The ghost, or rather ghosts, must be a hallucination of my addled, failing mind.” He turned away from the book and froze. He stared blankly at said ghost, who was standing in the doorway of the room. “Shit.”
“What?” Jahla asked.
Ollie looked at her and found her staring directly at the ghost and… “Oh, you don’t see it, do you?!” he whined.
The ghost’s face pinched. “Calling me an ‘it’ is rather rude.” Her voice had a floaty quality to it, as if part of it was missing, but the words were clear enough, and she had a thick British accent.
“See what?” Jahla asked, clearly confused. “Ollie, you just went really pale.”
“It! I mean, she talked!”
“Who?!”
“The ghost!” Ollie snapped, before crying and pointing in indignation. “WHY CAN’T YOU SEE HER?! I need you to see her because talking hallucinations are NEVER a good thing!”
“I am NOT a hallucination,” the ghost huffed.
Ollie jumped as Jahla let out a high-pitched scream. “What?!” he gasped. Looking at her wide-eyed, he found her staring, her eyes bulging at the doorway.
Jahla slowly pointed, her arm shaking like crazy. “S-she… What…”
“Oh.” The ghost laughed. “She can see me now, too. Hi there.” She did a little wave.
Jahla made a squeaking noise. “I want to unsee! I want to unhear. Ollie, what did you do to me?!”
Red snorted. “He wanted you to see her, so now you do. Congrats, you can hear and see ghosts now.”
“I WANT TO UNSEE, OLIVER!” Jahla roared, before latching onto both of his shoulders and giving him a shake. “Make me unsee, Ollie!”
“I—”
“HELLO!” a happy voice sang from somewhere in the library.
They both flinched at the familiar voice and cursed, “Shit!”
Jahla released him, spinning towards the door. She made an odd noise as she once again spotted the ghost, before spinning back around and looking from him to Red. “You!” she snapped, pointing at his cat. “No more talking. You!” She pointed towards him. “Go shower and get ready to open the library. I’ll go distract Elias. And you...” She looked over at the ghost with a shudder. “Just…go away, shoo, shoo.” She shivered again, waving her away as she scooted around her and out of the door, before quickly walking off out of sight.
“Quite a rude bunch,” the ghost sighed before disappearing.
“Ah,” Ollie groaned. “Ghosts are real.”
“Witches too,” Red added unhelpfully.
“Shut up!” he huffed. “What are you supposed to be anyway?! You obviously are not just a cat.”
“No, not just a cat. Though this form is true enough. You could say I’m a cat, but not.”
That was clear as mud. “Right, again, what are you?”
“Your familiar.”
“Familiar, right. I’m a witch, so I have a familiar.” A hysterical laugh slipped past his lips. “Makes sense!” Ollie yanked on his hair with a groan. “My life is a mess. I am a mess. And my cat talks. My cat, who is also my familiar, and he is…” He trailed off as an eye twitching realization hit him. “He is a lying bastard, who pretended to die, and then let me baby him as he faked being a kitten!” Ollie hissed, glaring down at the cat.
Red’s expression slowly turned sheepish, and he gave no sort of explanation or denial.
He growled and turned to leave, but hesitated. Rushing back, he picked up the book, and found it was still warm to the touch. Shaking his head, Ollie started to leave again, but stopped before turning sharply towards Red, crying, “Wait! This doesn’t add up. Unless… What does Rowden know?”
Red wrinkled his snout, his gaze shifting away. “Too much.”
“UGH! I AM SURROUNDED BY LYING ASSHOLES!” Ollie bellowed as he stormed out, ignoring the cat who followed behind him.