Cursed Mate (Shadow Guild: The Rebel 5)

I popped my head in and spotted her on the couch with Cordelia, each of them holding a glass of wine. I raised a brow. “You’re teaching my raccoon bad habits.”

“Ha,” Mac said. “She’s teaching me.”

It’s true. Cordelia nodded.

“Well, you two stay out of trouble.” I raised the book. “Because Seraphia helped me open it, and I’ve got some reading to do.”

“Excellent!” Mac raised her glass in a toast. “Let me know if you need any help.”

“Will do.” I eyed them both, putting on my serious face. “Remember what I said. You’re both adults. No shenanigans.”

“Absolutely no shenanigans,” Mac said.

Cordelia kept her mouth shut, but there was a gleam in her eye.

I left them to it, continuing up to my flat. I grabbed a bagel out of the kitchen and didn't even bother to toast it, just shoved a bite in my mouth as I went to the couch. I needed to eat but didn’t want to take the time to prepare anything. It was pretty terrible, though.

I flopped on the couch and looked at the book.

A sharp little noise drew my attention to the partially open window.

The raven sat there, staring at me.

The seer had said to find the raven, but the bird was making it easy. “You know, you’re getting a bit creepy.”

The raven flew over and landed on the cushion next to me, staring down at the book with gleaming black eyes.

“You want me to read it to you?” I asked.

The raven didn't so much as twitch.

I took a huge bite of dust-dry bagel and chewed determinedly as I flipped open the book.

What the hell?

Like before, the writing was nearly indecipherable. Scribbles that didn’t look a jot like English. Or any other language I’d ever seen, for that matter.

I held it up to the bird. “Can you read this?”

The bird said nothing. I hadn’t really expected it to, but if this new world had taught me anything, it was that you shouldn’t underestimate the language capacities of the furred, fanged, or winged.

I began to flip through the book, looking for a language I recognized. I was really only fluent in English, but I could recognize a few more and was willing to type the text into an online translator.

Unfortunately, nothing clicked.

I dug into my pocket and pulled out Rasla’s seal. Holding it up, I looking for a clue in the stone. They’d been stored together, so maybe the seal would help me read the book. I studied the emblem on it. The Celtic design looked nothing like the ones in the book, and his name certainly wasn’t helpful. I put the seal back and continued to search the book for anything I recognized.

There was nothing.

Except, that wasn’t true. I couldn’t read the words, but I could feel something in them. It was like my soul was beginning to buzz with energy. A sense of recognition zipped between the book and me, powerful and strange.

Finally, I turned to a page with several twisty, Celtic-looking symbols. I’d never seen anything like them before—not even on Rasla’s seal—but they called to me. Fiercely.

Gently, I pressed my fingertips to the page and felt a jolt of energy travel up my arm.

Magic surged within me, both familiar and foreign. It fizzed through my veins, filling my soul with light. Pressure built, an undeniable need to do something.

The bird squawked, so close I could touch it.