The Last Harmon [Complete]

Chapter 20

"So, you threw a potion at her?" Curtis says in amazement, almost on the verge of laughter. "I would have loved to have seen that."

"It sure pissed her off," I say. "All her clothes were torn and her face was red. That potion is illegal to make without the Elder's permission, you can probably guess why."

"Yeah, because more than one could blow her to pieces," he says, leading me down a stairwell. "Do you think you could make another?"

"With the right ingredients, sure, but getting it from a shop will be difficult. She's probably already pulled it from the shelves."

"Theresa," he says, as we enter a bright, lit-up underground chamber far beneath the castle. "I can get you anything in the world."

"Oh my god," I say.

My eyes drift around the chamber like I'm on drugs. There's so much, too much, my head can hardly contain the excitement. I run to the table stacked with herbs, witch herbs, and I start smelling them, each of them, naming them out loud as I move on to the next. I move to the table with the artefacts; medallions, statues, pendants, crystals, Bana crystals. I've never seen a Bana crystal in my life, my mother said they went extinct. I pick it up first, feeling its power ignite with mine just by the touch. Bana crystals are the most powerful crystals ever created, they form forcefields, just like the one around this castle, only a thousand times stronger. They aren't replicas, or fakes, these are the real deal.

"How did you- Where did you- How is this-?"

"You could call me a collector of sorts," Curtis says. "I collected them from all over the world. Some were stolen from Elders, some were sold to unsuspecting mortals as pretty mantlepieces."

"Curtis, you have the first Elder's pendant!" I say, admiring it carefully as I pick it up. "I can feel her, I can literally feel her. How is this possible? This is crazy."

"I've never had a witch authenticate them," he chuckles. "It's not as though I had doubts, but it's good to know."

"Yes, they're authentic," I say, rushing over to another table, full of grimoires and journals. I pick up the books in my hands and I stare at him. "This is amazing. Does Sam know about this?"

"No," he says. "And you can't tell him, or anyone. They know that I use this chamber but because of the Bana crystals they protect everything from being seen. Only a witch and myself can see them."

"You tied your power with Bana crystals?" I say. "And they work for you?"

"They've been working so far." He smiles, proud of that.

"My kind thinks that they've been extinct for decades. Even Amara. Do you have any idea the kind of power you've got in this room? You have to tell the others about this, convince them, the covens wouldn't stand a chance against this stuff."

"No," he says. "It's better we don't open that door."

"Curtis there's herbs over there that I've only seen in picture books." I point towards a far table. "They're not sold or grown or produced, the covens have nothing like that. They're centuries old and preserved, I don't even know how that's possible but I'm telling you that in the right hands, they could literally do the unimaginable."

"I know," he says. "Which is why you're the only person I've ever let close to them. I've got Elder pendants dating back a thousand years, I've got grimoires dating back a thousand years. Everything about the beginning of witchcraft is in this room. I'm giving you permission to use it, Theresa. Decode it. Find something useful that we can use. Then we can talk about telling the others."