Filed to story: Tangled in Moonlight Unshifted Novel by Lenaleia
“Grimoire, Vester’s—“
I heard her, the book says testily. I’m in your head too, you know.
Yeah, yeah. Thumping my knuckles against his cover, I remind him, “You know I’m technically your master, right?”
It’s a tidbit Selene let me know during a particularly sassy lesson; the bond I have with Grimoire is very different than my mating bond and my bond with Selene. He isn’t a part of me, but a spirit pledged to serve me.
In other words, he’s my servant. Or—well, there’s a worse word for it, but I try to avoid that one.
An uneducated master, he mutters.
“I can always order you to—“
But a benevolent and wise master you are, yes.
His false praise has my lips twitching, and Lisa sits across the table, resting her chin in her hand. “I really wish you could see this from my point of view sometimes.”
“What do you mean?” Now that I’m done teasing Grimoire, I slide him into a messenger bag Kellan brought back during their supply run. It’s sturdy and perfectly sized for Grimoire’s hefty weight.
“You just say things out of nowhere, and I’m always having to fill in the gaps on my own.”
“Ah.” I grimace. “Sorry. I was just teasing Grimoire.”
“It’s fine, Ava. I just think it’s kind of funny. You should see some of the story lines I’ve cooked up watching you guys.”
Adjusting the strap of Grimoire’s new home, I squint at Lisa, noticing the watch on her wrist for the first time today. “Is that—?”
“No, it’s just a watch. See?” When she holds it up, I can read the time clearly. “The Grand Sage is pretty close to the first prototype, though. He said your little crystal things helped.”
Grimoire taught me to infuse some of my magic into quartz. It’s a readily available mineral, and the young children have fun looking for stones with quartz in them, keeping them out of their parents’ hair and giving them something to do.
Quartz, especially in the concentrations found in these random rocks, doesn’t hold a lot of my magic, but it’s enough to at least turn into some sort of battery for the tinkering gnome. I have no idea how it works; I just do as I’m told.
Today, though, we have another mission in mind.
Creating my first security wards, and keeping my pack safe.
I lean down to hug Aurum, his warm fur soft against my cheek. He’s sprawled across the couch, dead to the world. “I’ll be back soon,” I whisper, though I doubt he hears me.
Lisa’s voice comes from behind me. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye on him until Selene gets back.”
I straighten up, turning to face her. “Thanks. Selene shouldn’t be gone too long. She’s just out hunting.”
“We’ll be fine here.”
A knot of worry tightens in my chest. “If anything happens—“
“I know, I know. Tell the guards to tell Selene.” Lisa rolls her eyes good-naturedly. “You’ve only said it about a hundred times.”
I sigh, frustration bubbling up. “I hate how roundabout this is. If I could just access the pack bond myself…”
“But you can’t, so we work with what we’ve got.” Lisa’s tone is gentle but firm.
Giving Aurum one last pat, I sink my fingers into his thick fur. He doesn’t stir, his breathing deep and even. Vanessa’s assured us he’s just sleeping, and Selene tells me he’s not in danger, but it still worries me to see him like this.
Still, it’s probably a good sign that he’s sleeping. Sleeping is healing and all that.
“Alright, I’m off,” I say, heading for the door.
Outside, the breeze bites through my sweater, warning me that winter’s around the corner. Slipping my coat on helps with the chill, but not as much as I’d like. It’s fine for a quick walk through camp, but it’s going to be brutal later, especially once the sun goes down.
“Luna.”
I turn to see Vester approaching, his expression serious as always.
“Are you ready?” he asks.
I pat the messenger bag at my side, feeling the reassuring weight of Grimoire inside. “As I’ll ever be.”
Vester nods, his eyes flicking to the bag. “Then let’s get started. Where first? North?”
The branch trembles in my hand as I trace the intricate pattern onto the exposed earth. Sweat beads on my forehead despite the chill in the air. I’ve never done anything like this before, but Grimoire guides me through each step.
First, a rune.
Then, to tie in all four elements.
“Hold it steady, Vester,” I mutter, glancing up at him. He’s holding Grimoire open, carefully following me around the circle without stepping on any of my work.
You’re doing well, Grimoire’s voice echoes in my mind. Remember, precision is key.
I nod, focusing back on the task at hand. The rune is complex, all swirling lines and sharp angles. One mistake could render the whole thing useless. No pressure, right?
I’m not entirely certain how these runes and glyphs work, but Grimoire assures me they’re what we need. Of course, I have questions like who was the first one to discover these glyphs and why do random glyphs have the power to do crazy things, but Grimoire just tells me to try to understand basic magic before diving into advanced history.
Not super helpful.
Finally, the last line connects, and I sit back on my heels, surveying my work. It’s not perfect, but it’s close enough. I hope. A rune that spans across five feet in a rough circle of earth we’ve cleared for this purpose.
“Now what?” Vester asks, his voice low.
“Now, we fill it with twigs,” I explain, reaching for the pile we’ve gathered. “They need to be connected, like a network.”
We work in silence, carefully placing small sticks and brush into the inch-deep grooves I’ve carved. It’s painstaking work, but eventually, we finish.
Taking a deep breath, I close my eyes and reach for my magic. It comes easier now, a warm current flowing through my veins. I direct it towards the flammable debris, willing them to ignite.
A soft whoosh fills the air, and when I open my eyes, the entire rune is ablaze. Fire dances along the lines, consuming the sacrifice of fuel with glee.
“Impressive,” Vester murmurs, and I can’t help but feel a small surge of pride.
As the last of the twigs turn to ash, I call upon my magic again. This time, I summon water, watching as it pools in the grooves, turning the ash into a murky slurry. Slowly, the water seeps into the earth, leaving behind damp, ashen lines.
Earth. Fire. Water. Wind. It’s all here; all four elements.
Now, infuse it with your magic, Grimoire instructs. Visualize your power flowing into the earth, creating a barrier.
I place my hands on the ground, feeling the cool dampness against my palms. Closing my eyes, I imagine my magic as a golden light, seeping from my fingertips into the rune. It’s harder than I expected, like trying to pour honey through a pinhole.
But gradually, I feel something shift. The earth beneath my hands grows warm, and when I open my eyes, the rune is glowing with a soft, golden light. It pulses once, twice, three times before fading away.
And then, to my amazement, the earth begins to move. The grooves fill themselves in, erasing any trace of our work. Within moments, it looks like we’ve done nothing more than clear a patch of ground.
“By the moon,” Vester breathes. He’s not one to stun easily.
Careful, as if worried he’ll ruin my work, he walks over the area, trying to find evidence of the ward. But there’s nothing there—at least not to his eye or touch.
My magic, though, recognizes it. Senses the ward I’ve placed here, like a beacon.
The science of glyphs might be shaky in my head, but I can see that they really work.
My legs feel a bit shaky, and I realize how much energy I’ve expended.
Vester stands as well, brushing dirt from his knees. “So, we’re done?”
I laugh, but it comes out more like a sigh. “Not even close. We need to do this every mile around the entire perimeter.”
His eyebrows shoot up. “That’s going to take all night. Longer, actually.”
Try days, Grimoire chimes in, unhelpfully.
I relay this information to Vester, whose expression grows concerned. “Can you keep up that pace?” he asks, eyeing me critically.