“Then when?” Vivienne said more softly this time. “Rory, ever since you came here I’ve known that you’re not telling me everything. I’m your friend, and I want to help, but if you don’t tell me anything, how can I do that?”
I looked down at my feet. What could I say? I wanted to tell her who I really was, but what if she told her parents? “You’re right. I haven’t been completely honest with you, but there are reasons. And I will tell you. Just give me a little more time. I need to find out what is in that pouch. Please help me, and I promise I will tell you everything.”
Vivienne got up and hugged me. “I’ll help you, but we’ll talk about it in the morning. I’m exhausted,” said Vivienne, climbing back into her bed.
I lay down on my bed and covered myself with my blanket. “Thank you, Viv. Good night.”
“Good night.”
“Vivienne,” I said tentatively.
“Yes, Rory.”
“I hope you won’t say anything about this, about the Black Wolf, I mean. I don’t want Damien finding out how I got back.”
“Your secret is safe with me,” she said, closing her eyes and snuffing out the candle.
I lay in my bed, looking at the dark ceiling. It would be dawn soon, and I hoped I could get a few hours of sleep before I had to wake up for class. But I couldn’t get Rafe’s face out of my head, and I kept going over everything he said in my mind until dawn broke.
The Book of Abraxas
The next day, I walked to the library with Vivienne. Classes were just beginning, and countless students milled about, trying to navigate their way through the library as quietly as they could. Library monitors constantly shushed those who were being too loud.
“Isn’t that Damien talking to Zorek?” Vivienne whispered.
I looked over to where Damien stood at the far end of the library, near the older books. He was talking to his brother, but they didn’t see us.
“Come on,” I said softly, pulling Vivienne along with me. I wanted to hear what they were saying.
We wound our way through the shelves and stopped on the other side of the bookshelf from where Damien and Zorek stood. I moved closer, and I could see them clearly if I peered through the space between the books.
I saw Zorek pass the mysterious pouch to Damien. “Keep it safe. Lily goes through my things sometimes. I don’t want her to accidentally find it.”
“Lily Brentstaff is a such a social climber,” said Damien with a trace of disgust in his voice. “You know she’s only with you because of who you are.”
Zorek shrugged. “I don’t care why she’s with me, as long as I get what I want.” He grinned.
Damien shook his head, opened the pouch, and took out a small, triangular piece of bronze. I couldn’t see it clearly from where I hid, but it looked like it had some strange symbols etched into the metal. He inspected it, turning it around in his fingers.
“Fine.” Damien put it back into the leather pouch. “I’ll keep this safe until we can deliver it to Father.” He patted his pocket. “Did he tell you what it is?”
“Yes,” Zorek lowered his voice, “but I don’t know much. All he said was that it’s the key to some book.”
“A book?”
Zorek nodded and came closer to Damien. “I overheard Mother and Father talking, and I heard him mention the ‘Book of Abraxas.’”
“What’s that?” asked Damien.
The Book of Abraxas. I had never heard of it. I glanced at Vivienne, who shook her head.
“No idea.” Zorek shrugged.
“It must be very valuable if Father is being so secretive and paying a king’s ransom for it.”
“It is, but I would not get involved if I were you.” Zorek gave his brother a dark look. “I suspect our uncle has some hand in this.”
I had heard enough. I moved away from the bookshelves and gestured for Vivienne to follow me. The triangular piece in the pouch was a key, a key to a book. I had to find out what exactly the Book of Abraxas was and what it could do before one of the Blackwaters figured out how to use it or, worse still, gave it to Lucian and Morgana.
Vivienne and I hurried to our classes; we were so late. We didn’t get a chance to talk about it until later in our room.
“I really don’t think we should get involved in this, Rory,” said Vivienne. “This sounds like something to do with the dark arts. It is forbidden.”
I removed my cloak and hung it up in the closet. “We’re not learning dark magic. We’re just finding out what the book is and why it needs a key for it to open. If it has something to do with Lucian, then it’s entirely possible that Morgana is behind all this. I have to find out what she’s up to.”
“Why?” Vivienne sat down on her bed and glared at me with her arms crossed. “I’m not going to help you do anything if you don’t tell me what is really going on here. Why are you so interested in what Queen Morgana is doing?”
I sat down on the bed next to Vivienne. I could tell she was upset, and I wasn’t sure what I should say. She was the closest thing I had to a best friend, and she had helped me so far without telling anyone.
“I’ll tell you everything,” I said finally, “but you have to promise to have an open mind.”
Vivienne nodded, but she didn’t smile. I took a deep breath and proceeded to recount my story. She listened without interrupting me, but only until I gave her my real name.
“Aurora Firedrake, the lost princess of Illiador,” said Vivienne, her eyes wide like saucers. “Are you serious?”
I nodded. This was it; I had told her. Now I just hoped that
