I was lost. I finally accepted it after running in circles for the fifth ti, arriving at the sa spot.
I had marked the long tree—because that seed to be the best adjective for the tallest tree I’ve seen in my life—after the second attempt had landed right at its feet.
What am I getting wrong?
I looked around the dark forest--which once would have drowned in fear, but now seed mysterious to --and I wondered where I had gone wrong.
I had followed the area Rachel and her brother had led us through hours ago. I had stopped at the landmarks I saw then, so why wasn’t I seeing a wall? Why weren’t I seeing the caves? Was I missing sothing?
Was it because I ca from a party? Was there so code to this thing?
’El, you gotta help . What do I do?’
’You want to locate the secret library?’
I rolled my eyes. ’Of course. Can you do that?’
Please, know how to do that. For soone or sothing capable of much magic, surely locating a simple library was no task.
I checked my watch. Thirty minutes had already gone. I was grateful that ti was working correctly here. I wouldn’t know how bad I’d feel if it was fast like it had been that morning. I couldn’t imagine wasting so much ti circling an old tree.
’El...’
Why the silence? It’s just a simple location.
’If it’s that simple, why haven’t you found it?’
I rolled my eyes again, hands on my waist. Just get on it, woman!
I could actually feel her roll her eyes at in... I don’t know, impatience?
"Well, if you must know, it’s an illusion. A strong one that you are in. Would take a lot of magic to break. Courtesy of the Queen," she said.
The Queen? She must have been here then. When? Maybe imdiately we left hours ago.
She had let her children bring outsiders to the library for a peace pact, but she didn’t trust the outsiders enough and had created a barrier to stop trespassers. Maybe she had in mind. I believed that, noting El’s emphasis on the strong illusion.
"Does that an we can’t break through?"
"We can, but in your current state, that’s risky. I don’t think your body can handle it—it hasn’t grown to that level yet. And even if it does, there wouldn’t be enough strength in you to read the books and gather knowledge, which is your main goal here."
A long pause.
"It’s a bad situation, as you can see."
"You’re implying I shouldn’t be here. Is there a reason for that?"
"Not at all," she said. A lie.
I breathed out, trying to center myself. I was going to that library today. By hook or crook.
Before I could convince El to go ahead and break the illusion, I felt a touch on my shoulder, and instantly chills descended from my head to my toes. Whatever was behind couldn’t be good.
The Queen? But that wasn’t her scent.
"You are not going to turn?"
That voice. Familiar. Where had I heard it?
I bit my lips, thinking hard, stopping when El gave the answer.
’The witch with the warning.’
And it clicked instantly.
But if anything, my fear doubled. A witch unknown to the community, not known by the Queen’s children, only to the forest.
What now?
I steeled myself and turned slowly, holding a frightful gasp when I saw her in all her naked glory. Painted glory. Frightening glory.
What the hell! Is this so night fetish? Have I walked into a ritual? Is this part of the illusion?
"What are you doing here at this ti of night? It’s not safe for you here. What are you looking for? Did you miss your way?"
I wetted my lips, looked away to the left, and cleared my throat.
"Yes," I said, my voice unsteady. But my mind was steady enough. Could she point the way? She had the bearing of a strong witch. Could she break the illusion, or would she be happy to lead ho?
I was hoping for the forr.
Suspiciously, El was silent, as if studying the witch. I could feel her silent prowling in my mind. I didn’t know what to make of that.
"And what were you looking for?"
I returned my gaze to her, watching her watch with those intelligent yet scary eyes—eyes that seed to see into my entire being, as if she knew where I’d been planning to go. As if her questions were just for asking, or as if she could tell a lie.
"I’m here to see the secret library. Open only to the royalty of this community," I said.
"And aren’t you part of the royalty?" She tsked, looking ahead of .
It took a second for my mind to process that—not the royalty stance, but the finality behind it, the certainty.
"Royalty of this community?"
But this ti, she wasn’t forthcoming with the answer. She moved around , toward the tree.
I watched as she stared at the tree for a re three seconds before kicking it with her foot, which I could see was wider than normal.
But what is normal? There was no guaranteed asurent for a foot.
But that foot was wide—wider than a male’s. I shuddered.
Was there a chill in the air? I rubbed my arms.
I should have listened to my parents. I should have stayed ho. I shouldn’t have co out here alone—especially at night.
In hindsight, I seed foolish, headstrong, diving into trouble. I must have a death wish.
"You can go now. The illusion has been broken. Though I’d be quick if I were you—you’re not the only one in these woods."
Her last sentence sent another wave of chills all around my body.
Maybe I should get out now.
Seeing as she was benevolent and unshaken by whatever magic she had used to break the illusion, she was a strong witch and could get ho in record ti.
What ca out of my mouth, however, was: "Why are you naked?"
I almost cut my tongue off, but I knew I would need it if the woman questioned .
El chuckled at my exaggeration.
Wait, now she showed herself?
’Where have you been?!’
’Here with you, as always. Just checking out the competition.’
Competition?
’What competition?’
No answer.
I sighed and focused on the woman who stood, studying again. I could feel her scrutiny.
"You are really a curious one, aren’t you? A good trait that can prove disastrous sotis. You should work on taming that habit. It won’t do you much good in the long run."
I had no idea what she was talking about, truly, but I nodded anyway.
"Are you heading into the library, or do I have to call up the illusion again?"
Seems I wouldn’t get my answers tonight.
"Thank you," I muttered, inclining my head in a bow, then moved past her as quickly as I could manage in the situation.
"And Maya, be careful. Rember my warning. It wasn’t a joke or a dream. Don’t swim in regrets later."
And then she disappeared right before I could ask her what her na was. She vanished as if she hadn’t been there at all.
What’s with these magic-high people and disappearing? I wondered, walking toward the cave I could now see.
Illusion indeed. A strong one—if I should judge the Queen.
Sadly, not enough to keep the strange witch away.
Were there others like her? Did the Queen know of her existence?
At the entrance of the cave, I placed my palm on the wall—warm to the touch—and enacted the codes.
It opened without much hassle. Good!
’You know the reason why it opened isn’t because you knew the codes, but because it recognized the touch of royal blood,’ El’s voice echoed.
That word again, that finality.
’So. I am royal. You always seed to avoid the topic.’
El scoffed. ’The white hair was already a telling sign.’
"Yet you won’t tell which family I co from."
’And that’s because I don’t know! Don’t you rember our earlier days? I told you I don’t have so of my mories... I seed to have been knocked out or sothing...’
Right, I rembered now, and with it ca the realization that why El had been hesitant to talk about my heritage was because it made her uncomfortable—the fact that she couldn’t rember, that she couldn’t help , that she was useless in that area, made her restless.
’I am sorry,’ I muttered, stepping into the cocoon of books.
This was going to be a long night.
"Just the books and nothing more, right? Be conscious of the ti too."
Nothing more? Does that an there’s sothing more?
Well, I would just get to this now. No one said I couldn’t co here again.
I just had to be better prepared to break the illusion next ti, in case the strange witch was no longer around.
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