Part 60 (2/2)
Figures were appearing out of the sreat cry went up and the full blaze of the bonfires lit up ? Who couldflashed
I don't knohat , maybe that was itbut I said, ”I'LL BE WAITING FOR YOU, RAYVEN DO YOU HEAR ME? I'LL BE WAITING FOR YOU!” I shouted
He turned and was gone
Quickly, I went to check on Ballard The roootten? When I ca Ballard the fire was following theicked our way out of it But there are sos that not even the best intentions can solve, and an out-of-control fire burning through the forest is one of the Stroue I would find out soon enough About everything
I quickly made a list of to-dos Do find out about Selwyn Do find House Rooks Houses are supposed to do The trouble was, I didn't knohat thatI could think hat St Martley's had taughtwitches were educated, but not in an to forma sense of what House Rookue, and all its rulesa place hemmed in by powerbecause I had the wolvesa place for anyone
House Rookic A kind of oriflamme around which the Eclectics could rally; after all, I was uneducated too Perhaps not knowing any better was a virtue Did Ballard know any better when he became Head Wolf? Would I, when I led House Rookmaaker? Besides, my parents would've wanted it that way The problereater I had no idea whatever else Houses had to genuflect to
Perhaps the idea of a House as wrong Perhaps there should be no Houses at all! Did I ever think of that?
Ballard and I grabbed our motorcycles The benandanti would make their way to Ro what had happened to Ballard ”Don't be surprised if they expect your visit,” I said Then Ballard and I prepared to depart We were still going to Prague
Manon ca over ”We'll look for you, Halsey, and Ballard”
”Blessed beor so,” I said
And then Ballard and I were off It was a short drive to Praguebut we passed through a wasteland of ash This hat happened to Houses that did not get along Certain rogue entities were sent to destroy theined it would be much harder to send Rome up in flames, but it had been done before, and others would try
Chapter 13 The Council of Magic
Was Lenoir the necro back all the dead? Perhaps the Dark Order would rise again
Mystabs of pain I had been obliged to endure since turning eighteen; one would think, given a place such as this, where the Grigori were prevalent, it would be acting up, but no, it was either connected specifically to Rayven, or so around the bend, the entrance to the Districts of Magic appeared Not a soul was in sight ”So this is it, huh?” said Ballard, unimpressed ”And what's-his-face will be there?”
Twoat us Ballard unraveled his bandages, brushi+ng himself off; for the first time, I saw his scar It orse, somehow, than when I had seen it before Badly-knitted flesh disappeared down his neck, to hide in his undershi+rt What was this strange precognition that enabled s before they happened?
I deliberated, but again refrained fro Ballard about my Wiccan House When I had ironclad proof, when I found the place, then I would tell hiickal Objekts & Wonders, an old thrift store, a witch sold Ballard and I a Star Wheel (”For ht-sided wheel remarkably like the website I had visited; ”Spin it to knohich virtue thou shalt be,” said the old crone, spookily
We spent the day catnapping on benches, going through shops, or else lollygagging around, waiting for when it got dark
Golden Lane had becooyles stared down at ustheir an to slither and shake It was like my body was in scales Fire spewed froht surroundedto one down the street as it twisted out of sight, willing myself not to panic, when a voice behind me had called my name ”Halsey!” Ballard continued to snore besideI had been asleep
I woke Ballard, who clutched at the Star Wheel, wiping the drool off hisa dreaht?
”I think I may kno to find Selwyn,” I said I explained to hi about
”I don't know if that'll work,” said Ballard ”I've never done it on purpose before”
”But you will be able to?” I asked Now that I'd had the idea, I couldn't think of anything else A note of desperation was inhis voice so that only I could hear ”It's like a CB radio If I turn into a wolf, and use ht hear him, sure; in which case we can find hiht hear ori, and the benandanti It's like this shadoorld How else do you think I knehere to find you when Rayven attacked? He may not have shi+fted, but his -thingy?” I said, reet bad vibes
”This ispowerfullerpowerfullestwhateverI' badass,” he said ”The true Head Wolf”
Was I a fool? Ravenseal was after ht The redwith ht theorithere's no telling howour position away or so Plus, Selould have to be in cat-form,” he said ”I dunno It seems awfully risky What we need is backup”
We couldn't use telepathy to find Selwyn for fear others would find us In which case, Ballard and I would be in deep trouble First things first, I went to the hotel roo Ballard waited in the lobby I left the Star Wheel on the table, along with a good-bye note to Lennox, telling hie was ht want to check the Directory,” he said He sla it open ”Here you are Ravenseal with an R Big House on the left You can't er slid down the Directory; on every page were lists of Houses Wiccan Houses
”Are these all real?” I asked, staring at the list withopen
”Certainly, they're real The Directory is no laughingto the solstices Why?” he asked
”N-Nothing”
”Halls, what is it?” said Ballard
”And this holds every House? Even the ones that are extinct?” I said
”Especially the ones that are extinct,” said the concierge ”Otherwise, hoould we knohich ones are still alive? Honestly, it's like you aren't even a witch” He looked on sadly ”If you want, the new one's just coets shorter every year, al”
”I really appreciate this, sir, really!” I said I stuffed the Directory as quickly as I could intobook
”It's past the Master House You be careful, Miss”
”You know they're after us, right?” said Ballard ”Ravenseal And you want to go there? To their House?”
”Lux can help us, Ballard He's a Styles Master”
I felt giddy Here was a way to find my House The Directory revealed instructions not just to find the secret location of House Ravenseal, but all Houses, including reat House!” said Ballard ”And Ravenseal would be the perfect vantage point from which to spy on the Master House, but I don't think you should go there, Halls”
”Why not?”