Chapter 14 The Ignith
Lulu
This time I went with khaki trousers, a long-sleeved blue top, white trainers, and a baseball cap low enough to hide part of my face. The sky was bright—far too bright—its sunlight warming my skin even through the fabric.
The air in Sapphire Water carried a faint tang of salt mixed with the sweetness of fruit from nearby orchards. I could already hear the bustle of the market before I stepped through the wooden archway, draped in climbing vines.
The Sapphire Market was a lot busier than the last time I came here. Traders shouted over one another, fighting for attention. The smell of baked bread, smoked fish, and damp wood blended into the usual market chaos. Large carts rolled past with squeaking wheels, pulled by grape farmers probably heading to deliver their harvest to trusted middlemen.
Everything felt ordinary, lively… and strangely comforting. It reminded me of those weekends when Mum used to hold my hand and take me shopping when I was little.
I walked slowly, observing every person who passed. I scanned their auras, their movements, and most importantly—their scent. Sorcereres always carried a certain smell, a subtle blend of something natural. Like morning dew touched by the first sunlight—fresh, warm, and familiar.
Mum had that scent too when she was alive. Warm, sharp, flowing like fire in a hearth during winter.
I passed stalls full of fabrics, jewellery, fruit, herbs, until a woman’s voice cut through my focus.
“On sale! Only for today! Two Lunar Vix to keep you stylish for any special moment!”
The voice belonged to a small scarf stall ahead of me. The stall itself looked simple, built from mismatched wooden planks nailed together in a very questionable way. But the aura around the woman selling the scarves was unmistakable. Energy pulsed around her faintly—sorcerer energy—and that scent… yes, definitely a sorcerer.
I walked closer, slipping in between women sorting through scarves. A lilac chiffon scarf caught my eye. Pretty enough to use as an excuse to talk to her.
“How much is this scarf, Madam?” I asked, lifting it.
“Just two Lunar Vix, dear. It’s a bargain, and the colour suits your skin beautifully.”
“I’ll take it.”
She smiled politely, though her eyes lingered on my face a little too long… as if trying to place me. I paid her and walked away like any normal customer.
But of course, I didn’t actually leave.
I found a small café at the edge of the market and sat by the window. I ordered tiramisu and a cold apple juice while keeping my gaze locked on her stall from afar. The sun slowly dipped, the market thinned out, and eventually just as I expected—the sorcerer packed up for the day. She closed her stall, then lifted a basket filled with the remaining scarves.
As soon as she walked away, I stood.
Time to move. I followed her down a quiet side street—open enough that she wouldn’t think I was attacking her.
“Madam, may I speak with you for a moment?”
She jumped, nearly dropping the fabric rolls in her arms. “D-Dear? What is it?”
“There’s something I want to ask…” I stepped a little closer. “About who you really are.”
Her aura tightened instantly. Her brown eyes narrowed in caution.
“I… I don’t know what you mean.”
I sighed softly. “We both know that’s not true.”
She stepped back. Her left hand moved by instinct—straight to the thick elderwood bead bracelet around her wrist. A tiny movement… but I saw it clearly.
“Elder beads,” I murmured. “Earth element, right?”
She froze. Got you.
Then she frowned. “Who are you?”
I inhaled deeply. A name I rarely spoke sat heavy on my tongue. “I’m Mary Ann’s daughter. From the Ignith clan. A fire sorcerer.”
She went utterly still. For a moment, I thought she’d run. Her eyes widened, no longer suspicious—more shocked than anything.
“Mary Ann… from Ignith?” she whispered. “But I thought—”
“Yeah. Everyone thought so.”
Silence stretched between us. Her expression slowly softened, her fear melting away. She studied my face, probably looking for traces of Mum in me.
“What do you need from me?” she finally asked.
“I’m looking for someone.” I bit my lip. “A sorcerer. I don’t know his name. He appeared a while ago. Tall, around six feet… sea-blue eyes, deep voice.”
She looked away, thinking hard. After a few seconds, she shook her head.
“I’m sorry, I don’t know any sorcerer like that.”
Cold disappointment pricked my chest.
But then she added, “However… you might find your answer tonight.”
I raised a brow. “What do you mean?”
“There’s a gathering of sorcereres from all elements. A Havent Ritual. Eleven tonight. In the underground storage beneath the town hall.” She leaned closer and whispered, “If that sorcerer is still wandering around this city, he’ll most likely be there.”
My heart raced. This… was a huge lead.
“Thank you,” I said sincerely.
She nodded nervously and hurried away, clearly not wanting to be seen with me any longer.
As night approached, I waited at a fast-food place near the town hall, just like she’d suggested. The lights were bright, and the smell of fried oil hung heavy in the air, but at least I blended in with the humans filling the sidewalks and small park outside. I ordered chips and iced tea but barely touched them. My mind replayed the face of that mysterious sorcerer over and over.
When the clock hit ten-fifty, I stood. Time to begin.
The narrow alley beside the town hall was dark, lit only by a dim streetlamp. I hid behind a large barrel and stayed completely still. The night air bit at my skin, but adrenaline kept me warm.
A few minutes later, footsteps approached.
A man in a brown blazer. A curly-haired woman hiding a small wand under her shawl. Two teenagers giggling quietly while carrying blue candles. One by one, they descended the staircase leading to a heavy iron door beneath the building.
I peeked through a gap in the wall. They touched an engraving above the door—a symbol that only glowed for sorcereres.
Then the town hall clock chimed—eleven times.
I moved quickly, slipping across the alley and down the stairs. I stopped at the half-open iron door. Inside, I heard low chants, hushed singing, and the rustle of fabric.
There was a small hole in the stone wall—just big enough to see through.
I leaned in and froze.
Dozens of sorcereres from different elements stood around a wide circle carved with glowing ancient symbols. They lifted their hands, threads of light drifting from their palms. The air was thick with strange scents—wet earth, burning embers, saltwater, and dry wind.
My throat tightened.
Was one of them the sorcerer who appeared on my balcony that night?
I studied their faces one by one. Until a voice spoke not from inside the ritual.
But from behind me. “Oi. You. Behind the wall.”
My entire body stiffened.
Before I could turn, something cold wrapped around my wrist—a strand of invisible energy, thin like silk but strong as metal. My body jerked upright, moving on its own, dragged out of my hiding place.
“Come out.”
That wasn’t an ordinary voice. It was a binding spell.
My legs moved without permission, my breath shallow. I tried to stop my feet, tried to burn through the aura invading my skin with my fire energy—but nothing worked. Every cell in my body followed the sorcerer who’d commanded me.
And when I finally stepped into the doorway of the ritual room, every head turned towards me.
Light from the ritual symbols washed over their faces. Silence swallowed the entire room.
Someone whispered, voice trembling—whether in shock or fear, I couldn’t tell.
“The Ignith girl… the wolf.”