Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 88025 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88025 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
“I’d like an answer,” Clay demanded. “What did you mean by ‘keeper’?”
“Show them the pendant, Harrison,” Willie whispered.
Harrison reached into the collar of his shirt and pulled out the pendant he’d been wearing over his heart since he was a child. It was a beautiful, deep-green stone surrounded by a silver filigree frame on a heavy silver chain. He held it in the palm of his hand, and several of the men took steps closer to get a good look.
Jo pointed at it. “It’s called The Heart of the Earth, and you need it for the final spell to close the rift. It’s an ancient, very powerful gem that’s been passed through generations of Keepers. Harrison is this generation’s Keeper.”
A shorter blond stepped forward, his eyes on the Heart. “Do you know the final spell, then? Because I’ve been unable to find it.”
Flo turned toward him. “The journal holding the spell isn’t here, Wiley. You must go get it. All of you. Now that you’re all together, it’s time to make the journey to the rift. We knew the pestilents were going to attack once Hale got his powers, and they’re going to make this trip difficult. You’ll have to stay extra vigilant.”
Wiley scowled and pushed up his black-framed glasses. “Could have told me the spell wasn’t in any of our books.”
Flo snorted. “Then you wouldn’t have learned as much, would you? You’ve pored over those books and absorbed so much knowledge—things you need to know. You put another protection spell around the house, even.”
“Yeah, but I’m worried it won’t hold.”
Flo ran a hand over her smoothed back, gray hair. “It only needs to hold a little longer while you all get ready to make your trip. It’s a long one.”
“Where is the rift?” Lucien asked.
Jo piped up. “Sedona, Arizona. And the last spell book is in Oklahoma, right on the route you need to take to reach Sedona. Harrison knows where the book is because his society runs the library holding the book.”
Clay frowned. “What society?”
Harrison spoke up. “Guardians of the Heart. We call ourselves The Guardians. We’ve been gathered since the very first time the Weavers fought the first pestilents. We’ve followed all the battles, the reincarnations, and more. From a distance, of course.”
“So, there are more than just you?” Clay shoved his gun into a holster on his waist and crossed his arms, biceps bulging under his T-shirt.
Harrison nodded. “Oh yes, but none could come because we had no way of knowing if the pestilents would use their magic and turn us against you.”
“You do know of John, then,” the Soul Weaver grumbled.
“Not the name, necessarily. Just of a pestilent warlock who can use mind-control spells. Is that it?”
A young Asian man stepped up next to Lucien and wrapped his arms around his waist. He’d been quietly observing everything but piped up, “I’m surprised you braved the battle.”
“The goddesses told me to come, so I did.”
He’d always done what they asked of him, although they hadn’t requested much over the years. Mostly just checked in on him to make sure he was prepared for the final battle.
That was all he’d spent his life doing. Well, since he’d lost his father to the previous “final” battle. Each generation hoped to close the rift permanently and though they’d closed it, all had died and the pestilents had been able to rip it back open.
This time, much as his father had, Harrison hoped it was indeed the final battle.
“You did your job,” Clay said, holding out his hand. “Give me the pendant. Return home. This shit isn’t safe for outsiders.”
Jo shook her head sadly. “It’s not that easy. It has to stay with the Keeper until the spell is cast. Besides, you’re going to need him. He’s knowledgeable and has trained his entire life for this.”
“Trained in what?” Wiley asked, his eyes going wide. “Spells?”
Harrison shook his head. “I’ve studied weapons and different forms of close-quarters combat. I’ve studied spells, but I can’t actually perform any magic. I’ve also thoroughly studied all the information the Guardians have gathered on each generation of Weavers.”
Wiley took a step closer to him. “You’ve seen the final spell? You know what’s needed to cast it?”
Harrison might have wilted just a little under Wiley’s intense gaze. He’d thought he’d done an impressive job of preparing for this moment, but it seemed he was still coming up short. “That I don’t know. I’ve never seen the book. It’s safer to keep the Heart and the spell book separate for as long as possible. Though I do know where the book is being held. It’s safeguarded, and the goddesses placed protective spells on it to keep it safe. ”
Clay scowled. “I don’t like this. He can’t do magic. Things are just going to get more dangerous from here on out, and he’s a potential liability. I don’t see why you can’t just give us the information we need now. And the pendant.”