Life Of Hera

Part 22 - The Reason Of Prohibition

"Mom?" said Jovie, voice trembling. "What's all this? Did you -"
"It's not what you think," said Leonora with a nervous expression.
But Hera and Jovie were already taking a few steps back. They looked at Teapea who was on the table. Hera looked at Jovie and said, "Let alone a cat?"
Hera and Jovie were already sprinting towards the door. Before they could reach the door knob, something stopped them. They tried moving but they couldn't.
"It's a freezing spell," said Leonora while lowering her wand. "But girls, just listen to what I'm going to say."
Leonora put the wand down and started explaining about the room. The girls were still in a position reaching out for the door.
"You girls might think that I'm the blonde-haired woman who killed Harper and Eden. The one who is also the grandchild of the Malevolent Sisters as what you've learnt in school. But I'm not. I have this lair locked, prohibiting the both of you from entering because the society still believes that magic had vanished years ago. If anyone finds out about this lair, we would be in danger. As you've learnt in school, the grandchild of the Malevolent Sisters or Jemisha has disappeared ever since she killed Harper and Eden."
Jemisha, that name caught Hera's attention. The portrait she saw in the secret chamber in the library, the familiar face she couldn't recognise.
"No one knows where she might be, alive or dead. If she's still alive somewhere out there, she might still have the intention to take over our world. If she finds out about this lair, who knows what she'll do? What she'll do to us, and you, Jovie. Also, my mother adopted me and she was a sorceress. This used to be a sorceress lair or a potion shop. I grew up seeing people buy potions and asking for magical needs here. But many of them started hiding their lairs from the public, they figured it was safer this way. Therefore, I hid mine too. After that, I met your selfish father and got married. I told him about this lair. The next day, he vanished and left me a letter saying he doesn't want to be involved in any trouble. He fled, I tried searching for him but to no avail. Not long after, I found out that I was pregnant with Jovie. I figured it's best that the child did not have the knowledge of this lair. She'll not be involved in any trouble. That's the reason I prohibited you from entering this room. Also, when I saw Hera all alone in the forest, it reminded me of my childhood, born into poverty and abandoned by my parents. Therefore, I decided to adopt you. Hera and Jovie looked at each other from the corner of their eyes, still in midair. Then, Leonora waved her wand and uttered a spell. Hera and Jovie were free to move again. They walked towards Leonora in the lair.
"But what is this book?" asked Hera while pointing at the book opened to a page with Claire's bracelet.
"This bracelet is not just any bracelet. It's a rare bracelet that can show you who the keeper of the crystal ball is. Many sorcerers believed that it has vanished long ago."
"Hera and Jovie looked at each other and said," It's related to the crystal ball?"
"This bracelet will only glow when it is near the keeper."
"That's the reason I was curious when your friend was wearing it. I did not believe my eyes when I first saw it. Therefore, I wanted to take a closer look. Teapea helped me."
Hera recalled back to the first time Claire came to their house and said, "You mean that day when Claire came here for the first time, Teapea was acting really strange because she was trying to get that bracelet?"
"Indeed," replied Leonora while stroking Teapea.
"Curiosity cured then, but what actually happened?" asked Jovie.
"I asked Teapea to get the bracelet. Therefore, she took the bracelet and fled. While you girls were still looking for her in town, she came back here with the bracelet. After that, I inspected the bracelet and found out that it was indeed the bracelet as said in the book. After that, I told Teapea to return the bracelet, that's when you girls found her in the bushes,"explained Leonora.
"How did you know about all of this?" asked Jovie.
"This book was your grandmother's," said Leonora while touching the edges of the opened book. "She gave it to me before she passed away. Also, this book is really rare, passed down from one sorcerer to the next. Therefore, you won't find out about all this in the school's library, these are handwritten by one of the earliest sorcerers',"said Leonora.
"What about the Globe Of Light? Is that the reason I've always seen light coming from this room?" asked Hera.
"Yes. This globe has been glowing ever since I brought you here, and I'm still finding out why."
"Maybe the answers are in the secret chamber in the library."
"How did you find out about that room?" said Leonora, curiously.
"Is that the reason you and Isabel were in the library until such a late hour?" asked Jovie.
"We happened to come across it," said Hera.
She told them her encounter in the chamber with Isabel.
"Yes. They hung those portraits in the hall of fame in school when I was your age. But they took down everything ever since sorcerers started hiding their lairs," said Leonora.
"How about Jemisha? I saw her portrait too and you mentioned that she's the grandchild of the Malevolent Sisters."
"Yes she is. I remember her as my senior in school. No one knew that she was the grandchild of the Malevolent Sisters until that very day. I didn't get to see her face up close back then in school because she seldom talks to anyone and I never saw her after she has graduated," said Leonora.
"Wait a minute. Back to Claire's bracelet, you mentioned that Claire might be the keeper of the crystal ball?"asked Jovie.
"Yes, the bracelet glow so brightly that day," said Leonora.
"But if she's the keeper, why did the bracelet glowed only during the festival and not before?" asked Hera.
"That bracelet's magic can only work in the presence of blue moonlight," replied Leonora.
"That explains the gem," said Jovie.
"Also, she might be the daughter of Harper and Eden," said Hera.
"How so?" asked Leonora.
"Isabel and I came across a book about Harper. It said that they had a child when they were running from Jemisha."
"Oh I see."
"Should we tell Claire about this?" asked Hera.
"NO, " Leonora said sharply. "You shall not tell her anything about this lair nor her bracelet. These are just assumptions, we can't tell her about this yet and it would frighten her.  The most important thing is, there's something about her mother."
"Miss Gianna?" said Hera.
"Indeed. She said that the bracelet is a family heirloom, but I didnt believe it. There's just something not right. Both of you bare in mind, not to tell anyone about what you've encountered today. Is that clear?"
They nodded.
After that, Jovie picked Teapea up and said," I take back what I said, it's possible for cats  to know about this even though we don't."
"Teapea found out about this lair the moment I brought her home." said Leonora. "I'm still finding out why the Globe Of Light is glowing in this way." She looked at Hera.
"You don't have a single clue as to why it might be doing so?" asked Jovie.
"No, but I think there is one place where we might get answers."
"The secret chamber," said Hera.
Leonora nodded.
"But how are we going to do that? You said that it's prohibited," said Jovie
"Then we'll just have to sneak in," said Hera.
"That time you and Isabel were lucky, but if we get caught this time, we might be expelled from school or even be sent to juvenile, as that does not only involve the school but the whole magical world, " said Jovie.
"Jovie's right, Hera. We do not need these information urgently and it's too risky if you do it," said Leonora.
"But that globe has been glowing ever since you brought me here. Won't you want answers?" said Hera.
"Wait a minute. Didn't you say Isabel read the books while searching for the book of a lady and a sphere? Maybe she might have read about it," said Leonora. Suddenly, Hera recalled what Isabel said in the chamber, they are mostly about sorcerers of the past and magical items, like the Globe Of Light.
"Oh she has," replied Hera.