Chapter 41

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Authors Note:

Hey Peeps,Enlightened is up for the People Choice Awards in the Aim High Awards.Please vote for the gang at Haven High and spread the word. Let's get this book noticed. *HUGS*

PS apparently you have to vote in the comment section below not in the inline comment section and you have to write something like "I vote for Enlightened by DebAMacD."

https://www.wattpad.com/410911221-people%27s-choice-awards-aha2017-vote-here-horror

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Zach had been very excited to learn there was such a thing as a magic market; and when Lauren had told him about it, he had been even more astonished to learn that it was cleverly hidden under Coit Tower in Pioneer Park on Telegraph Hill.

Lauren explained that she wouldn't be able to teleport in, given the number of tourists that frequent the tower, even in early November. In the end, they had to take the bus, the f-line and the Muni 39 to the Tower at the top of Telegraph Hill.

It had been a hellish Sunday morning trip for her, Quinn and Zach, with nearly half a dozen transfers, but thank God the awkwardness of yesterday did not persist today. Zach seemed pretty preoccupied by the adventure before them and was even somewhat back to his old self.

They hopped off the cable car at the stop closest to the parking lot that overlooked San Francisco, and even though they'd promised to meet everyone at the tower they all took a moment to appreciate the view -- Lauren most of all.

It was one of the last trips her mother had ever taken with her. The school had the entire class here in junior year before she was Enlightened which was not surprising -- retrospectively -- given its magical historic significance.

Her mother had come along as a parent volunteer. They had both taken a moment to stare out at the same scene before her today. The view of the city was spectacular from this vantage point.

If she closed her eyes she could still feel her mother's arm around her shoulder. Lauren let out a deep sigh when she came to the realization that it wasn't long after that her mother started drifting away. Now nothing remained of her mother, but the memories.

Quinn judging her mood reached his hand out to her and cupped her cold hand in his giving it a reassuring squeeze.

She gave him a waning smile in response.

Zach cleared his throat and checked his watch, "we'd better get going everyone will be waiting."

Lauren and Quinn followed along behind Zach silently until they had climbed the last few remaining stairs to the front entrance to find everyone already waiting for them.

For most of them that was the last and only time they been here, but for the magic wielders and practitioners like Cameron, Brenna, and herself they were frequent patrons of the market. It would be up to them to show them the entrance.

Lauren led the way and they entered the foyer with all the colorful art deco murals. They past the ancient elevator and continued up the spiral stairwell. All along the stone stairwell painted in bright colors was her favorite mural entitled 'Powell Street' it had been painted by Lucien Labaudt. Lucien had been a third degree apprentice sorcerer and a halfblood just like them. He left the entrance to the magic market in his painting.

Lauren stopped in front of the Powell & Mason Cable car painted into the scene of 'Powell Street' and announced in a tone as serious as a heart attack that the only way to gain entry was to say, "I solemn swear I am up to no good."

Every Noob except for Zach fell for it. While she and the magic wielders yucked it up. The ones that hate the sight of blood and pointy things wished it was that simple.

"Think again Noobs," nothing in the magical world comes without a price," She said flippantly.

"Labaudt being a very clever 3rd degree sorcerer knew that the difference between a magical creature and a human lay in their blood so the only way to ensure that the door wasn't breached was to test every entrant's blood. "Hidden in the stone railing around the stairs you'll find a sharp as a needle like piece of stone. "

"Every patron must prick their finger and place their finger and its droplet of blood in the door of the Powell and Mason coach."

Lauren knew from experience that it was easy enough to hide these actions, and their sudden disappearance from human eyes, given the sharp curve of the stairs. An Un-enlightened would have to be right on top of them to catch the nano seconds that it took to perform the procedure.

Lauren insisted as the oldest patron of the market in the group to go last. She watched each of the gang go through, and surprisingly they had only been interrupted twice -- each time the remainder had feigned a great interest in the brush strokes of that particular part of the painting until the human's passed. Finally it was her turn. It was hard to deny her excitement when her heart sped up and her breath thickened, even after so many visits she will never get over the wonder that is the 'Magic Menagerie'. 

Tune in tomorrow to discover the weird and wonderful Magic Menagerie.

********************THANKS FOR READING***************

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Guys I've set my self a seemingly impossible goal. 

The three month anniversary of the upload of the first chapter of Enlightened is on the 7th of September, just two more days away. My previous goal was 10,000 reads and 2,000 votes. Imagine my surprise when we reached that goal three weeks in advance of the date. All thanks to you my wonderful supporters.

I was thinking wouldn't it be spectacular to make it to 15,000 reads and 5,000 by that date? I know it seems like an impossible feat, but maybe not so much. If all my favorite readers share my book on their wall and suggest it to their followers, I think it can be accomplish.

LET"S GO FOR IT! Let's give it a shot. Why not? Anything is possible when you dream big. 

Huggles to all my favorite Muggles. 

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