003 NOT A Pretty Look

"Tonight we gather here, for this night is to be the most important night of our time!"

The high priest announced with his low yet vigorous voice on the high stage, and the whole square fell into silence even though it was filled with people.

"Where are you going?! Jacob!" Ann yelled but Jacob already sprang out of the car even before she could fully stop it.

"But first, we have a little sweet announcement," The high priest curved his lips and his long, white beard jumped a little with his smile, "From the boy of the Family Algood, Jacob Alg--"

"High Priest!" Jacob stopped his dashing just by the edge of the stage, staring at the high priest with begging eyes as he shook his head like crazy.

"Ohh..." The high priest got his hint and murmured, "Well, pity... guess we have to move on then."

Confused whispers spread the crowd, and Jacob could swear he heard one or two laughter as well. Damn them!

"What's wrong?"

An old, slow voice rose behind Jacob suddenly and he jumped at it, only to realize that he had been standing in front of the archbishop this whole time...

It looked as if the old man was soundly sleeping because his eyes were closed, and one could barely see his chest moving. But there WAS a voice coming out of him.

"Well, looks like we are missing one scheduled guest." The high priest tries his best to explain without exposing Jacob's embarrassing secret too explicitly.

"Who?"

"The girl we were to turn tonight." As the high priest said those words, Jacob could hear murmurs rose among the crowd.

Great.

By tomorrow morning everyone would know that he messed up! As if their long suspect of his relationship with a human wasn't bad enough!

Goddamn, Lilith! Jacob cursed to himself. Why couldn't you just listen to me?!

The archbishop simply nodded at the high priest's explanation, and Jacob took it as his own pardon and slip back into the crowd.

The high priest rose his voice again, "No time to waste, I present to you, The Shadow!"

It was as if the whole crowd hold their breath altogether, and the square was in perfect silence, under the moon's shadow.

A wand floated up in front of the high priest.

It was a wand that took the form of wood, but with metal grain in dark indigo carved all over its body. The bottom of it shone a bit watery blue light, like the deep dark ocean, while the tip a shred of ice, showing its sharp edge.

"You all know the history, but I have to bore you again." The high priest said with his arms open as if hugging the wand floating in front of him, and one or two light chuckles emerged from the crowd.

"The alpha of the alphas and the most powerful witch of all time created this wand together, with liquid silver, star ore, perpetual ice, eternal fire, and the flower of life."

The crowd stared at the wand, and the eyes are filled with frantic sparkles.

"Their names are forever to be remembered," Said the high priest in a chanting voice, "Erebus, alpha of the alphas, The Silver Lightning, the Lord! And his mate, Kitty the witch of shadow."

"Wait! HE was a werewolf?! How does that--" Jacob gasped under his voice and Ann hissed at him--

"SHHHHH!!"

"They brought us equality, peace, freedom..." The high priest finally opened his eyes, "And this most wonderful and powerful gift, The Shadow."

The magic bubble surrounding the wand was now gone, and The Shadow just lied there on the table, no longer moving.

It was never awake. It was still in its deep, sound sleep, after the parish of its first master Kitty, waiting for the next owner to appear.

"And tonight, the new owner would appear!" The high priest took a step back from the table to clear the way, " She would bring us light and avoid our doom!!!"

The crowd burst into chanting and started moving frantically like bees with the order of the queen. They quickly lined up by the stage and took their turn to go on there to get their ONE touch at the legendary wand.

One by one they went on, some with cautious humble, and others with plain greed in their eyes, and yet one by one, they left with the same disappointment on their face.

Not everyone can be that lucky.

"The good thing is," Ann sneered at Jacob with her arms held up in front of her chest, "No one will remember your little incident tomorrow."

"Sure, whatever." Jacob grunted sullenly, "So why are you still here?"

"And spare them the disappointment? I'll have my time." Ann giggled so hard as if Jacob just told the greatest joke ever, "Look at their faces!"

She was pointing at the people who just got off the stage, and it was NOT a pretty look.

"So how does it work?" Jacob remembered his question as he and Ann moved at the end of the line, "I thought werewolves couldn't use magic. I mean, that's what differential us from them, no?"

"Right. No werewolf has ever possessed both powers, not since Lord Erebus." Ann rolled her eyes impatiently, "And that's why he was a legend, alright?"

"So how could he--"

"Go pick up a history book and stop bothering me!" Ann hissed at Jacob, "I need to prepare myself."

Flinched at her yelling, Jacob sneered in a small voice: "I thought the wand would recognize the worthy one no matter how you trick it."

Ann shot him a cold glance and Jacob shut up.

They were the last two. The whole crowd was now staring at them.

"What if it was me?" Jacob whispered before he walked towards the wand.

A cold sneer rose at the corner of Ann's lips --

She was there when the high priest first saw the vision in his crystal ball, so she knew a secret that no other knows.

Well, no other except the high priest of course.

But she knew, the most powerful that was supposed to waken The Shadow,

was a witch.