CHAPTER SEVEN : THE MARK

"I'd put that back if l was you" came a voice from behind. Startled, l turned around at the speed of lightning, the frame fell from my hands into a million pieces on the tiled floor. A gasp made its way out of my mouth and l could have sworn the temperature in the room changed.

"I thought l told you to never enter the library without permission" the words coming out forceful as Master spoke. I felt a shiver that was anything but pleasurable run down my spine as my vision got blury and darkness engulfed me.

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I woke up in my room, stripped of my clothing with a fan on the right side of the bed. As soon as l gained consciousness, Rose quickly rushed to my side with a glass of water in her hands. She placed a straw on my lips encouraging me to drink the water.

"You gave me quite a scare lovebug . How are you feeling?" Rose asked, her eyes looked swollen and her cheeks flushed. I'd swear she was crying, but what type of ahole could have upset poor old Rose.

"I feel fine, what happened?"

"You fainted. I thought something was really wrong, please don't scare me like that again." she said, her last statement sounded like a plea. I guess l am the ahole.

"Don't worry, l will try not to die on your hands ." I said cracking a joke to lighten the mood. Rose did not take my statement lightly and made a move to slap me upside down my head. I frowned at her actions and she merely stuck her tongue at me. Real mature.

" I was told that you were snooping around the private section of the library from a very pissed off Master" Rose said with a vibrant smile coating her lips. She seemed more than pleased by my actions.

"I was not snooping around, l was rather acquiring knowledge of this place when the 'private section' you are talking about revealed itself to me" I replied, boredom lacing my tone.

"I should warn you to never enter the library unaccompanied by me or with no access granted by Master. The library is his sacred haven" Rose warned. I simply nodded my head acknowledging her words.

" Moving on to more pressing issues, when l was stripping you of your clothing, l noticed a burn mark on your inner thigh. What is it?" she asked with an undertone of worry.

" Funny that you ask but l dont know, l have always thought of it as a birthmark, l might be wrong" I said with a shrug. I had never questioned the square mark that had a line going through the middle covered by a semi-circle that resided in my inner thigh.

"I don't think it's a birthmark lovebug, but what l am about to tell you can't be taken lightly" she said with all seriousness

"Out with it, you are scaring me Rose"

"it's a spell mark, that can only be cast on by a relative who can practice sorcery" she said looking rather scared by the knowledge she had just passed onto me.

"hahahaahahahha, spell Haa hahahaha, sorcery hahahaha. Good one Rose. " l said laughing my lungs out. What did she think l was, a fool to believe such nonsense.

She looked at me like l had grown two heads and dragged me out of my room to the library. She made a beeline to the history section and pulled out an ancient looking, scrappy, worn out book. She opened to a page and willed me to read out what was written on it.

"the CARSERON STONE symbolises a soul catching spell cast upon one by a blood relative to conceal and hold captive the identity of another. The higher the power of the witch, the more the effect of the spell. In some cases it leads to death..." l couldn't understand the words in front of me. None of it made any sense to me.

" So it isn't snooping if l an with you" l said to ease her tension. She wasn't my biggest fan at the moment. So l decided to shut my mouth and read the words in front of me again

"I can't understand anything Rose and even if l did, it still doesn't prove anything. How did you know all this." l said trying to make sense of the situation.

" please try to understand that l am trying to help you, stop being so ignorant. I know this might not be easy to digest but please try. Don't freak out by what l am about to tell you....l am a witch. " I felt like the air got knocked out of my chest and my breathing quickened. My skin started turning a bright red.

" breath, deep breaths. In and out " Rose said trying to help calm me before pressing her thumbs on the back of my head and l immediately calmed down.

"I asked you not to freak out and what do you do, the exact same thing l asked you not to do. Are you ready to talk now."

"You have to understand that everything you said came as a shock to me. You, a witch. What was l supposed to do, jump up and down in excitement" I felt bad for the way l raised my voice at Rose because none of what is happening is her fault.

"I'm only trying to help you here" the short woman bit back and l couldn't help but laugh. She looked at me like l had gone crazy and l couldn't agree with her more. I must have knocked my head down hard when l fainted cause l was starting to lose it.

"Rose, l think l am going crazy. I thought l heard you say you are a witch" as soon as the words were emitted from my mouth the books started levitating and the blinds opened and closed and only then did l understand the severity of the situation.

"Now do you believe me" the woman asked smugly, her lips pulled into a smirk.

"If you are a witch then why was Queen Manila hated for being the exact same thing that you are" l asked but she simply gave me a look that spoke a thousand words. This topic was clearly forbidden territory.

"okay, you win." l said raising my hands in the air. "Now help me understand woman" she simply smiled at me.

"basically what l have been trying to say to you is that someone cast a spell on you to hide your identity and possibly kill you" l froze from the intensity of the words that flew out of her mouth. No way in hell could that be true. Who could possibly want to have me killed, the possibility of it being true seemed absurd.

"Now we just have to find a way to reverse the spell"