Chapter 189

Chapter 50 – Chelsea POV While Gabriel had gone to retrieve whatever was left for me, I tried to picture what it was, and why it was so important that Nonno had been given the information centuries back. There wasn’t much that I had imagined, especially when counting the fact that the note said she was too tired to bring it any further that she had. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I wrote it off to a piece of stone or rock of some kind, while Aria and Avena poked fun at me. Still when Gabriel dropped the sack, I still wasn’t bothered with it as much as I was bothered that I hadn’t been able to reach him over our link. Now, Violet placing the attention back onto it, I released Gabriel, and went to the sack, alarmed by its weight myself, pulling it, ignoring the urge to run and get my vacuum to tidy up the mess. At the sofa I untie the knot, and I pulled out a two ancient bound books, almost 5 inches thick. The edges aged, bound by a husky material. When I tried to lift the cover of one book, it appeared as though the pages were fused together somehow, “Won’t open-” I stopped when I placed my four fingers on the cover and they seemed to be stuck there now as well. With effort I pushed my hand flat against the cover and felt tiny sparks, milder than the ones I get from touching Gabriel. When my entire hand was on the book, my engagement ring began to glow, that coupled with the sting I felt, I ripped my hand away. The second that I pulled away the book began to glow, a soft lavender color, Violet began to hum a tune I had heard before, from the X-file shows. “Violet. Not the time,” Lukas admonished her for the first time since I had met them, while Casey just laughed, Gabriel sat next to me. “Yeah defend her from the big bad book,” Casey muttered, getting an elbow to the gut. I tried to lift the cover once again, this time, succeeding. Between the thick cover and first page lay a piece of paper, much like the one Nonno had given me, except this one had choppy lettering. Yet, that wasn’t what struck me as odd; what really saddened me was that the letter was written in blood, mixed with dirt and had a faint scent of salt, with tear drop marks on the bottom. “Fuck,” Jack swore something; he never did, not since I’d known him. “I cannot write much but I am to deliver to you some knowledge, you will need to find the Elemental Rings and the three Violins. Goddess, these are meant for you, use a binding spell and secure them to your home,” I read the note aloud. “See nothing to do with you, you aren’t God-” Violet stopped talking when I lifted my head, my eyes meeting hers. Gabriel’s head turning to watch Jack, then myself. “What, what are you guys hiding?” Jack asked Gabriel and myself, earning a growl for his tone of disrespect. “I am the Goddess.” I said bold and unafraid, startled when Violet threw her head back laughing. I growled, angered that she laughed at me, Aria and Avena not liking it much either, until Lukas pulled her to his side, with a serious expression “You’re – the – you can’t – seriously?” Violet stammered when she stopped laughing. “I’m not, I had a dream when Francesca knocked me out, but it wasn’t a dream. I got to see dad again… and the Mother was there…” I said off handedly, my voice sounding different but I couldn’t place my finger on how, instead ignoring their looks, I flipped the pages, searching for what the note called a binding spell. “Tá an leabhar seo faoi cheangal leis an teach, Tá an leabhar faoi cheangal go dtí an teach, Ní dhéanfar aon tairseach eile é a thrasnú,” I said to myself reading the instructions. Taking the pocket knife of Violets’ still on the center table, I do as the spell says, cutting my palm letting three drops fall onto the book, three drops onto my hardwood floor, repeating the words. “Tá an leabhar seo faoi cheangal leis an teach Tá an leabhar faoi cheangal go dtí an teach Ní dhéanfar aon tairseach eile é a thrasnú,” I said again. “Chelsea… what… how?” Mikael shook his head, making me look up at everyone, noting they all wore similar looks of mystification. Waiting for something to come about, nothing happening until it did. The book flew from my lap slamming down to where I dropped my blood. I froze with wide eyes, watching the book more or less burn around my floor, almost etching around it, glowing red and still slightly Lavender. “Holy – life is different with you Chelsea,” Violet said bewildered and somewhere in the backs of my mind, I hate that she isn’t respecting me, and calling me Luna. Still the dazed excitement in her eyes, as she watches the book burn my floor, see’s that she meant it as a compliment. She flashes her eyes to mine, “Don’t look at me like that, a book is burning your floor!” she exclaimed, at whatever expression I regarded her with. “She can see Love,” Lukas pats her shoulder indulgently. . . . Not sure what to say we all remain quiet, each watching as the book, and the two inches surrounding it got brighter and brighter, dark red and vibrant lavender. What they were all thinking I had no idea, my mind was trying to focus between the engagement ring that shined on my finger, and the book shining the exact same color as well. Something was bothering me though, no one was looking at my finger… and when I went inside Gabriels’ mind, the others after, seeing this from their perspective, none of them saw the glowing in the ring that I did. Is the ring bound to the book? I needed to speak with Wolf as soon as possible. . . When the book, and the ring, appeared to be back to normal I bent down to pick it and with great trepidation. Was it hot? Would it burn me? What would happen now that I bound it to the house when someone else tried to pick it up or so much as touch it? Didn’t have to wait long to find out though, Jack who sat on the Ottoman before, reached for it first and swiftly pulled his hand back, “motherfuc-” he swore, as the smell of burnt flesh tickled my nose. Huh, it burns others. Gabriel too? “Gabriel, try to pick it up,” I ordered. He glanced at Jacks burnt hand then back at me in disbelief, as Casey sniggered. “I just have a hunch is all…” slowly nodding, he reached and was able to pick the book up and place it on his lap, even open the book. Flipping to a random page, he shot me a look of confusion, “You can read this?” he asked confused. “Chelsea where did you read what you said?”  He finished. “Yes…” I said looking between the book and him, “it is written in Irish.” “It’s just random characters Chelsea, not even letters?” he questioned more confused than before, flipping thru it. Unsure what he meant I went to the binding spell that I used, translating for them “bind this book to this house, no other threshold shall it cross.” Lifting my face to look at him, pointing to the part with the instructions. “Right here says, three drops of blood on this book, then three drops on the floor.” His head cocked to the side, “I see random characters. Jack? Mikael?” they each come closer as he tilts the book in their direction, getting an upside down view. “I see random characters, as well. Gibberish. I’ve never even – this isn’t - I can’t read it Chelsea,” Mikael said, his face mirroring Gabriel, placing one finger on the book, pulling away as Jack had. “So, no one but you and Gabriel can touch the book, but only you can read it?” Jack summarized. “Looks like it,” I replied taking the book, flipping pages. Mikael clapped standing, “Well, it’s nearly 3am, I’m off to bed.” Lukas following asked, "Yeah, are we done?” Turning to Gabriel, I shrugged, “Yes, goodnight guys.” Placing my hand on Gabriel I show him how the ring glowed like the book, agreeing with me that I really had to speak to Wolf, and soon, Rian's father, the Maddens', wanted that ring, and now the spell I just spoke was in Irish. . . . When everyone leaves, Jack stayed behind; I could tell he had something to say. Thankfully he doesn’t pussyfoot around it, “This book changes a lot… your father gave me a key to a safe, inside a bank safe. He told us if anything happened to him when the time came, we should get the contents to you. While training you, he would casually remind us about the keys and their importance. He however never once told us what the contents were, just that you would need the items,” he bowed his head looking down, probably expecting me to chastise him. I could, wouldn’t be a hypocrite; I had been keeping things from him. “How many keys?” I moved on, noting that we should all sit down and have a no secret keeping policy. Yeah, right after you tell everyone what you’ve hidden, Aria said. “I have two of them, he gave Casey two as well and I believe that Mikael has three keys so seven total,” he counted off. “And you have no idea what they hold?” “None.” Aria, Avena? What do you guys think? I thought. You need answers Jack, Mikael and Casey should get the items, they thought together, and I agreed. No more hiding.