I knew I was back in Sharra because of the smell of musty old spell books. Travelling was different this time. There were no witch mists. Nothing to distract me or sway me from my goal. It was a relief and yet another reason to be grateful for what Abernathy had done. Happy to be in my office, I used a spell to check the date and time. It was late Friday night. Snow was probably asleep, but I needed to speak with her. Only a little hesitant, I went to the mirror hanging next to the door. "Mirror, mirror - " I paused. It was the first time seeing my reflection since the magic I held when I was the heart left me. My face looked the same, but the white-looking burns of the leaves and vines still covered my face and neck. I checked my arms as well and knew they were all over my body. At the sight of myself, tears formed and fell onto my cheeks. It wasn't vanity. I didn't mind the marks and whether they stayed or not mattered little to me. That they were there reminded me of all
I got ready for sleep the old fashioned way and climbed under the covers, after setting my alarm for six. It was nice to be back in my own bed. As I drifted off, I thought of Abernathy - my father - and hoped he was healing up okay.In my dreams, I saw Abernathy flying through the night sky of Polonias, his black scales blending in until he was in a different sky, this time during the day. He landed on the lawn in front of a castle I recognized. He was in Sharra. Several worker vampires and guards circled him, but after he spoke, they dispersed, going about their day. "Cindy," someone called, knocking loudly on my door. I glanced at the clock and saw it was a little before six. "I'm awake," I said, groggy, not knowing who it was. "It's Abernathy. He asked to speak with you." The voice sounded familiar, but I couldn't put it to a name. "I'll be out in a few." There was no response. Climbing out of bed, I hurriedly pulled on gray camo pants, a gray tank top, and combat boots.
The next week was back to work and I enjoyed every second. Each class filled me with renewed vigor. I also spoke with Sera about seeing our resident therapist, which she agreed to do. We discussed the rumors that she wanted to bring someone back from the dead. She denied any part of it. As Snow said, it was obvious the girl had lied, so I determined to keep a close eye on her by asking if she would help with the setup of the haunted house. After some reluctance, she finally seemed to have a therapeutic breakthrough and for the briefest moment I saw a glimmer of kindness from Sera. The student body officers agreed to change the theme from gory and horrific and instead would recreate several iconic scenes from the movie Hocus Pocus, although they were keeping the haunted house scary and even decided to amp it up. I figured Sera would love that and each time I saw her, she seemed to be enjoying herself. Hopefully that would keep her distracted. The decorating committee created mag
Sera wasn't in the basement, but I found the spell book I thought she would've taken since it contained the spell for raising someone from the dead. That it was still in its place on the bookshelf concerned me. Mizrabel had contacted and used her once before, which meant it was possible the sorceress might do it again. The bigger question was why Mizrabel had chosen Sera in the first place. Sure, the girl was vulnerable and thus easy to manipulate, but it had to be more than that. It seemed too coincidental that Mizrabel had chosen Sera just before I found her. Plus, Mizrabel was my mother. Had she somehow known I would find Sera? Did something tie Sera and me to each other? If I knew how to reach Abernathy, I would have, but he was still recovering from the ordeal of freeing me as the heart of Polonias. I was on my own. The most worrisome question: Who did Sera intend to bring back from the dead? If Mizrabel was involved, I thought I might know, I needed to find Sera and s
I closed my bedroom door and locked it before going to the mirror and asking it to show me Snow. Thankfully, my best friend was still awake and alone in her study. I shared with her my thoughts and theories and told her I was going to Polonias and not to worry if she didn't see me in the morning since I didn't know how long I would be gone. Guilt pierced my heart momentarily after saying goodbye and changing from the dress I wore for school into a pair of jeans, boots, and an oversized indigo sweater with a V neck. Why hadn't I asked Gabe to go with me? He could have come and seen the place of my birth. My bloodline had kept the land of Polonias alive. Aside from that, the land was in my heart and I wanted Gabe to know that part of myself. Confused and irritated with myself, I took hold of the diamond star attached to the black choker around my neck. If my theories were correct, then Sera was in Polonias. I didn't know how it was possible since travelling to my land wasn't as
In the cafeteria the next morning, there was a happy buzz in the air. The dance was that night. Curfew was being extended to midnight and the students were excited. I got myself some scrambled eggs, cottage cheese, and salsa, and coffee to drink as well as some water. I searched for Gabe and spotted him over by Professor Pops. The two of them were having a serious conversation and I didn't want to interrupt. "Miss Croswell," Heather called, waving. I went over and sat across from her. She was by herself, which would give me the chance I needed to tell her what I found out. "Hello, Heather," I said, sipping my coffee. Mixing the eggs, cottage cheese, and salsa together, I took a bite. Then noticed Heather watching me. "What? It's good. You should try it sometime. High in protein and delicious." The girl made a face before dabbing some peanut butter on her banana and taking another bite.Gabe and Pops were done talking and he waved me over. I held up a finger. "So, Heather,
My plan wasn't elaborate. Find Sera. Talk to her. Make her see what a foolish idea it was to bring someone back from the dead. According to Gabe that wasn't a plan at all. Stuffing back several very rude comments revolving around him being the leader of an army of angels, I asked him what he would do. Turned out his plan was basically the same as mine, just more elegant. I thought it over as I put on my Sarah Sanderson costume. Since I was blond, she seemed the easiest Sanderson sister for me to imitate, though she was a bit too bubbly for me. Still, she was twisted enough and dressing as her would be fun. I found the costume online and had my mom purchase it for me in the human realm then I brought it back to Sharra for tonight's party. The bodice was lavender and laced up the back, so it fit tight against my body. The skirt came to mid-calf. At the hips, the material was dark purple and the panel in the center was fuchsia. I wore black lace-up ankle boots with black tig
"Can't you do a locator spell?" Gabe asked. "I can try." Locator spells could sometimes get wonky in Sharra because of all the enchantments surrounding the land and especially the academy. Gabe continued to scan our surroundings. "At this point it's better than nothing." "True. Let's get to the basement." I needed an item from there. Passing more groups of kids in costumes, none of whom were Heather or Sera, we exited the hall and hurried down several flights of stairs and hallways until we reached my classroom. There, I went to a shelf, searching for a map of Sharra. When I pulled it from its spot, I knocked another paper onto the floor. Frustrated, I picked it up and was about to put it back, but there was a word scrawled along one corner in old-timey writing. I knew the word because I'd seen it before in The Eye of Abernathy. The word was resuante and it meant resurrection. "Do we have time for this?" Gabe asked when I handed him the map. "I think we should make time. I'm