Unfamiliar (Unfamiliar Series #1)

Chapter 42

I can hear hushed voices speaking in the gymnasium when I enter later in the evening, the door slamming as it shuts behind me. Violetta had said that the Coven could help me figure out my special affinity if I had one, and I know now that it could possibly benefit me.

The voices cut off as I walk to the basketball court and squint into the darkness, as not a single light is on.

"Kara?" someone calls out from the blackness and I recognize Eleanora's voice.

"Yeah, it's me," I confirm for her as I walk across the gymnasium toward the voice.

"We were just about to head down to the founder's alchemy lab," she says and I can hear her voice drawing closer as I catch the briefest flicker of movement in the dark.

"That sounds cool," I murmur, though I can't help but feel disappointed at the prospect of not finding out my affinity.

"It is, it's also where we could figure out your affinity, if you'd like," she suggests like she's read my mind.

"That would be nice," I try to say not too eagerly as relief flushes through me.

"Come on then, we can head downstairs now, everyone else is...," Eleanora trails off suddenly and I can't tell why since I can't see her. "Everyone else is here," she finishes at last and it's then that I remember Sophia.

Everyone else is here except for those who can't come anymore.

I push the thought far from my mind, I'm here on a mission, I remind myself as I follow Eleanora across the gymnasium to the center of the basketball court which is where she summons a ball of light in her palm, the blue light casting the backboards of the basketball goals in a shimmering shade of azure. Eleanora withdraws her wand from her pocket and makes a flicking motion, like she's going fishing with her wand as she aims the tip toward the center of the floor.

A pattern flickers on the floor, one that reveals a sigil that looks much like an embellished mandala pattern. I can read a few of the whorls and curves, noting that there is heavy silencing and obscuring magic at work.

This place isn't meant to be found by anyone unless they know what they're looking for, I realize as the wood boards on the floor begin to reassemble themselves and drop away. It's like a medieval staircase has appeared out of nowhere as it reveals itself, stone steps and all as they coil tightly down into the ground.

I can't help but glance warily at the others as I recognize Violetta among them, who looks complacent and blank, her eyes shining dully in the blue light.

Eleanora starts walking down the stairs without another word and I'm instantly aware of how close and cold the stone walls of the stairwell are as I follow at the end of the line. The heavy scent of mildewed rock and musty air makes me feel like I'm walking into a grave rather than a secret hiding place for a coven made up of teenagers.

Eleanora leads the way though, her footsteps unfaltering as she comes upon a thick, metal door at the base of the staircase. She draws another sigil on the door, one that I can't read as it fades away quickly and she opens the door.

Candles light up with a whooshing noise as the room on the other side is bathed in a cheery, warm glow that makes me shiver.

"Welcome to the alchemy lab of our founder," Eleanora says in a low voice, her welcome being directed to me since I can assume that I'm the newest member.

I stop just within the doorway, feeling much like I've stumbled into somebody's house as I look around the lab. There are shelves lining the walls, many of them scattered with crystals and various jars of herbs and organic items. A table sits in the corner, a few chairs clustered at it as a crystal ball sits on a claw-footed pedestal in the center.

The ceiling and floor are made up of cobblestones, making the entire room feel dense and heavy. I watch, curious as some of the other members take a seat at the table while some begin to cluster around a cauldron that is sat in the center of the lab. I start to walk the perimeter, interested as to what else is stored in the lab as I notice the shelves that are laden with books.

I reach out a cautious finger to touch a grimoire that has a smooth, snakeskin looking spine as the urge to touch it becomes impossible to resist.

My fingertip has just skimmed across it when a freezing cold seizes me as the room around me blacks out into nothing.

                                                                 ****

"They're going to be here soon, I don't have much time to explain," a woman's voice says.

I open my eyes to see that I'm still standing in the alchemy lab, though the other members of the coven are gone and instead there are two women standing in the center. They're both dressed in clothing that is similar to Cecilia's, so I know then that it isn't present day and that I've somehow entered a vision of sorts.

The cauldron is billowing smoke as purple flames crackle within it and, as I watch, the woman who had spoken tosses a thick, leather-bound book into the fire, which the flames greedily consume as sparks fly.

"The ledger-!" the other woman gasps, but the first woman cuts her off with a wave of her hand.

"Was a dangerous and stupid idea, I should have known better," the woman says as she begins to braid back her long, dark hair before she twists it into a messy bun and pins it on the back of her head. "I should have seen that it was a trap."

The woman's eyes look like twin pools of mercury as they sweep the room and I fear that maybe she'll see me as I force myself to go completely still. The other woman has yet to move as she stares at the first, her eyes wide and her mouth agape. The first woman looks right past me as there's a sudden rumbling noise above us and dust falls into the room in a heavy layer.

"Lilith-," the other woman whispers in warning as a note of fear taints her voice.

"You have to run, use the tunnel and get out of here, get very far away, protect yourself," the woman, Lilith, warns.

"What do you mean?"

"They're after the Unfamiliars, we can't let them know who they are," Lilith snaps.

The other woman blinks at her harsh tone as she takes a step back, "Sister-."

There's another rumble above us, like an explosion has gone off as a dull boom fills my chest. Lilith grabs her sister and pulls her close to give her a tight hug before she shoves her away.

"Now go, take the tunnel and get out of here," Lilith says as she points toward the corner of the room.

Her sister turns away and wipes at the tears that are streaming down her face as her lip quivers. The woman sniffles and stifles a sob as she walks away from her sister and my heart twists.

Lilith's face softens as her sister turns her back, "One day, Unfamiliars will be safe, sister, my wand will guide the way for all."

Her sister nods without looking at her, "One day, sister."

A hole opens up in the side of the alchemy lab and the sister steps through before Lilith makes a motion with her hands, sealing the wall behind her sister as she disappears. Lilith stares at the wall where her sister has disappeared for a long moment before she turns her attention on the cauldron.

"I cast a spell on thee, for your secrets shall not be revealed, but instead, they shall burn," Lilith says to the cauldron as she splays her fingers, "burn, and let no one see what you once held."

The cauldron flashes blue right as the door to the alchemy lab slams open.