Alpha Asher and Lola novel Chapter 194

Read Alpha Asher by Jane Doe Chapter 194

Rowena answered the door when we knocked, and immediately took Asher into the den to scan him for any charms, spells, or curses. She pointed me upstairs where Cordelia was, and as I climbed the stairs, I searched for the words to say. It had been an accident, stealing the book, but once I had it I’d knowingly cast a spell from its pages.

“Come in, Lola.” Cordelia called out, her back turned to me as she rummaged through the old trunk in her bedroom. There were stacks of magical textbooks, the entire culmination of Cordelia’s collection throughout the years. Most of which she’d gotten from her family, but there were a handful she procured from powerful friends and distant cousins. She’d told me previously that she had charmed the box to vanish should anyone try to break into it.

When I entered her bedroom, which was a cocoon of tapestries and billowing fabrics, she had just snapped the lid shut. The bangles around her wrists were clinking as they hit into one another, playing the same song as the numerous amulets around her neck. Her greying hair was braided, trailing down her shoulder until it stopped around her waistline

She met my gaze and frowned, the lines around her mouth becoming more prominent.

“What’s wrong?” Cordelia asked, placing a hand against the amulets she wore. ” You look positively torn.

“There’s nothing wrong. Well, not exactly.” I said, s********g my nerves as I struggled to get to the point. Instead of speaking, I rummaged through the old tote bag I wore and pulled out her spell book. I could pinpoint the exact second that realization flooded her eyes, bringing on a light of distrust that made my stomach curdle and sour. “I-I casted a protection spell on Asher, but I swear I never meant to steal the book.”

Her eyebrows, which were naturally soft, fell into a sharp grimace. With the wave of her hand, the bedroom door clicked shut. She looked down at the book, then thumbed through its pages, leaving me to drown in the uncomfortable silence.

“So, you accidentally stole my book then proceeded to cast a risky spell on your mate, one that could’ve had horrible consequences if you had messed up a single detail in the slightest, am I correct?” She said, pinning me in place with a look that could’ve easily belonged to my mom or grandma.

Ruefully, I nodded.

Cordelia made a sound of understanding, then began tapping her nails along the hard cover. “Thank you for telling me the truth. I was wondering when my book would turn back up. I was beginning to think the gnomes had taken it.” She spoke.

“…the gnomes?”

She stared blankly at my confused expression before snorting and shaking her head. “It’s a joke, Lola. Though, I would like to know how you stole my book, even if it was by accident.”

With the book in her hands, and the jeweled rings on her fingers sparkling merrily, she turned to slide the book into her trunk.

Feeling a blush creep along my cheeks, I swallowed and asked, “Does the term Conjuration mean anything to you?”

She froze, her back still turned to me as she murmured, “That’s a word I haven’t heard in a very long time.”

Clicking the lock on her trunk shut a second time, Cordelia stood and turned to face me. Her eyes were calculating, though not in a sinister sort of way, more like she was seeing me clearly for the first time.

“That’s what your magic is. It’s how you stole my book, through Conjuration.” Cordelia wasn’t asking. No, this was a statement, a fact she knew to be true.

The harder I looked at her, the more certain I was that she couldn’t possibly be the spy the Blood Witch had sent. There was no trace of greed on her face. If anything, there was sympathy.

“You poor child.” She said quietly, nearly fracturing my heart with fear. She sank slowly onto the bed and placed a hand on the post for support. “That’s why they want you so badly. Oh, the damage they could do.”

“No, they won’t get the chance. I’m going to master this. It’s not going to control me, just like they aren’t going to control me.”

I was not going to be a pawn. Not now, not ever.

Cordelia lifted her chin, a hint of pride flashing in her eyes. “Good, because that’s your only option. It’s going to get worse for you now. It always does once the witch knows what her magical type is, and for a witch of Conjuration, it makes things incredibly dangerous.”

“How do you know about Conjuration, Cordelia? I thought it wasn’t well known.”

“It’s not, but I come from a very old family, from a long line of witches. Word travels through the generations, and I’m more than certain I’m not the only witch that knows.” She replied.

I thought back to Ember and Tessa, to what they had said in the warehouse. “Two of the Blood Witches assassins mentioned they needed to get to me before I realized the true extent of my magic. I’d bet anything that they know about Conjuration too. In the book I have, it says nothing about how to master it. There’s a handful of pages missing, and I can’t help but wonder what information they had on them. You don’t think it was important, do you?”

Cordelia frowned, “I think anything having to do with Conjuration is important, Lola. Wherever those pages are, lets hope they aren’t in the wrong hands. I suppose we’ll have to up your training now. What I want you to do is to practice Conjuration every chance you get but do so very carefully. Mind your thoughts, don’t put too much feeling and energy into them, especially the ones born from anger. Try your magic out on harmless things.”

The minute the words left her mouth I found myself focusing on that trunk of hers. I dug into the pit of need hiding inside of me, nestled deep within bones, the same one I’d pulled from all those other times when I thought I was just invoking my magic. It wasn’t a particularly strong thought, yet the lid to the trunk flung itself open not a second later.