Page 78 of Scars Like Wings
“How is that possible? Do we know what they stole?”
“They were only a few books from the lower levels, so nothing too serious. We just need to revamp the runes and spells there. That is formyexploration, however. I’m sure that’s not what brought you here with your friends, no doubt,” She smiled, looking over behind me.
“Oh, right. I’m so sorry!” I said, remembering my besties behind me. “Izzy, these are my best friends, Simone and Maisie. Girls, this is Isidora. But she prefers Izzy.”
“So lovely to meet the both of you. Such beauties and fantastic friends. I have heard so much about you both. Byrdie has only said good things about each of you. What brings you to my floor?”
I explained everything to Izzy, detailing the book, the rune, Maisie’s reaction trying to decipher it, our research, the magic pulse, and Rhois’s initial insights. All the while, Izzy kept her face even and neutral. She listened intently, hanging onto every word and nodding along.
When I finished, Izzy immediately pulled me into a hug and kissed my forehead. Izzy was usually always warm, but, today, she felt so hot I could feel tingling under my skin. It was as if I had been out naked in a ski resort all day long and then dove into a steaming hot tub. But I cherished the heat. Honestly, I was starving for it.
I was sad when Izzy pulled away, flinching and worried, but her hands remained on my arms, still warm enough that I could feel it through my thick sweater. I wished I could bundle up in her warmth like a blanket burrito. “You are freezing cold, Byrd. Are you feeling alright?”
I nodded. “It’s just this weather, I think. No worries! What about everything I said?”
The glint of concern in her eyes remained, but she continued. “Firstly, I’m so sure this has been surreal for you, finding a piece of your mother like this?—”
A knot in my throat halted me from speaking as the world became watery. Izzy always did know how to put a voice to what I felt even when I couldn’t find the exact words.
Isidora looked over at Maisie. “And for you as well. I’m sure this has been difficult. I see a lot of rage locked within you. This can’t have helped with that.”
“How do you know that?” Maisie swallowed hard.
“I told Byrd this many years ago but often people are the easiest puzzles when you have lived as long as me. However, I will not leave you in suspense for nearly as long as I did to her.” I rolled my eyes at her teasing chuckle. “I’m a sphinx-shifter.”
“Wait,” Simone said. “Like the Great Sphinx? The one with the missing nose in Egypt?Thatsphinx? For real?!”
“Indeed. That monument was modeled after my uncle. I wasn’t too fond of the old bastard, and he definitely wasn’t too interested in my—well, we’ll call themproclivities. So. I used my magic to get rid of his stupid nose. I didn’t have a good grasp on it, so I accidentally cursed the nose to never be able to be put back on. The whole thing is beyond hilarious to me even still, especially when anyone brings it up. To respond to your most obvious question, however, I’m well over fifteen-hundred years old. Journee often jokes that I must be part cougar instead of lion.”
Isidora rolled her eyes, but we all chuckled. “I wanted to express all those things before we went any further. I have a feeling this is not going to get easier, so it’s important to acknowledge your feelings. Now, may I see this book of your mother’s, Byrdie?”
“Of course!” I handed the book over to Isidora. She examined it, looking at the cover, the spine, and the back. She skimmed the pages before turning to the rune in the back. Shifting the book to one hand, Isidora’s eyes brightened. The golden caramel flakes in her eyes took over the dark chocolate brown there, but it didn’t stop there. Her gaze heated, glowing more vibrant until they became ochre. Just like with Maisie’s magic when she usedit, the golden yellow sparkled and overflowed from her eyes like stardust.
Unlike Maisie’s magic, Isidora’s pupils narrowed into black slits among the almost-orange color. Her nails lengthened becoming something closer to talons instead, and she traced the air above the ink of the rune with their sharp tips. Isidora’s magic was linked to her shifterness. When she used her magic, she had to tap into her shifter side, even if it was a simple amount. Summoning one meant bringing out the other, too. They went hand-in-hand and enhanced one another like a feedback loop. It made Isidora ridiculously powerful in turn.
I watched as Isidora glanced over the intricate linework and symbols of the rune for a while. Finally, she blinked. Her eyes and nails returned to normal, and I released a breath I didn’t even know I was holding.
Isidora closed the book softly and returned it to me. “Puppy is correct. Roughly so, but right, nonetheless.”
“Puppy?” Simone asked.
“Her nickname for Rhois because of her ability to shift into a wolf. Journee’s is Jenny. One because it’s a play on the word genie and also?—”
“Donottell me it’s also because of the showI Dream of Jeannie,” Maisie teased.
“Rhois and I loved watching that and begged Jenny to do the nose thing when they made wishes. They refused to,” Isidora shrugged, smiling.
“What was Rhois right about?” I asked, recentering us.
“The rune located in the back of the book is an Archaic. Very old magic indeed. I would say this Archaic dates back to the 1800s maybe, but there have been adjustments to it as recently as about fifteen years ago, give or take.”
“1800s?” I exclaimed. “How can that be if this was my mom’s, and it isthatold?”
“While your mother was the last possessor of this book, she was not the only owner of it. That book has history to it, lotus, a magic that has been passed down through generations, changing hands related to each other. Its magic feels to me more like a grimoire than a regular book, to be quite honest.”
Maisie stiffened next to me. I didn’t fail to notice it and the shift in the air.
“But I thought grimoires were only a witch thing? Does this mean that Byrd is actually a witch?” Simone asked.