Page 18 of Faeheart (Widdershins Supernatural Academy #2)
“Come on,” Caden said, always the peacemaker. “Let’s explore a bit before we collapse. I want to see what Lydia left for us.”
As we moved deeper into the mansion, I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were being watched.
Not malevolently, but with a kind of gentle curiosity, as if the house itself was taking our measure.
The walls seemed to pulse softly with each step we took, and I swore I could hear whispers just at the edge of perception.
“Do you feel that?” Atlas asked quietly, his werewolf senses obviously picking up on the same strange awareness I was detecting.
“The house is definitely... aware,” Elias confirmed, one hand trailing along the wall as we walked. “There’s consciousness woven into the very foundation. It’s remarkable.”
We found ourselves in what appeared to be a library, though the world library seemed an inadequate word for the vast space that opened before us.
Books floated freely between towering shelves that stretched impossibly high, organizing and reorganizing themselves according to some arcane system I could only guess at.
“This is incredible,” Elias breathed, his eyes wide with wonder as he reached for a book that drifted lazily past his shoulder.
The moment his fingers touched the leather binding, several other volumes flew from different shelves to hover around him in a perfect orbit. “It’s responding to my thoughts!”
“Of course it is,” I muttered, watching as the books circled Elias like eager pets. “Your grandma’s house would naturally favor you. Nepotism at its finest.”
Atlas moved cautiously through the space, his werewolf instincts clearly on high alert. “Something smells... old here. Powerful.” He sniffed the air again. “But not threatening.”
“It feels like her,” Elias said softly, his expression distant as he absently stroked the spine of a particularly ancient-looking tome. “I was a baby when my grandmother died, but somehow... I recognize her energy.”
Through our bond, I could feel the emotional weight of his words, a bittersweet longing for connection with a woman he’d never known but whose legacy now defined his life. It made something twist uncomfortably in my chest.
“Look at this,” Caden called from across the room. He stood before an ornate writing desk where a single piece of parchment lay, glowing faintly in the ambient light. “I think it’s for us.”
We gathered around as Elias carefully lifted the parchment. The moment his fingers touched it, the glow intensified, and elegant script began to appear on the previously blank surface.
Welcome, children of the tetrad. Sorrel and I have long foreseen your arrival. Begin with my personal journals. They will help you understand what you’ve become and what you must learn. Time is precious. The bond must be stabilized before you can harness its true power.
“Well, that’s not ominous at all,” I quipped, though my voice lacked its usual confidence. “Nothing like a cryptic message from beyond the grave to really set the mood.”
“It’s not from beyond the grave,” Elias said, his academic curiosity visibly overriding his exhaustion. “It’s an echo spell, designed to activate when specific magical signatures entered this space.”
“So, where are these journals?” Atlas asked, practical as always.
As if in response, a section of bookshelf slid aside, revealing a small alcove where five leather-bound journals were stacked neatly on a pedestal. Each was a different color: midnight blue, forest green, amber gold, and deep crimson, with a fifth volume in pure white at the top.
“Yeah,” I said, glancing at the others. “That sounds cool and all, but I’m fucking exhausted. And hungry.”
“Me too,” Caden nodded.
Elias pulled his hand back, already reaching for the journals. “You’re right. We should rest and start with fresh minds in the morning.”
“Let’s go find our rooms then,” Atlas said, leading us out of the library. He reached over, wrapping his arm around Caden’s waist. “There’s some… things we’ve been neglecting.”
“Atlas…” Caden said, a surge of desperate arousal spiking through our bond. “You don’t have to be so obvious about it.”
“Everyone can feel how horny we are,” Atlas replied, clearly not ashamed.
“And I can feel how hard up they are, too. We need to take care of that.” He looked over at Elias and myself.
“The foursome is still on the table if you want to join.” He swept Caden off his feet and tossed him over his shoulder like a ragdoll. “Don’t wait on us for dinner.”
With that, the two of them disappeared up the grand staircase and down a long hallway.
Elias and I were left standing at the bottom, our brains buzzing with all the things Atlas intended to do to Caden.
I glanced to my left, seeing the flush of red across Elias’s cheeks.
Through our bond, I could feel how much he wanted to join them, that burning curiosity threatening to overthrow his hesitations.
“Come on,” I said, grabbing him by the hand and pulling him toward the stairs as I tried to hide how tight my jeans were getting. “Let’s go find our rooms.”