Hidden Dragon (The Treasure of Paragon Book 7) by Genevieve Jack (best book club books .txt) 📕

“Likely the source of the prophecy of the three witches that would destroy Paragon,” Colin added.

“According to the scroll, although Medea was magically bound to her mate, Tavyss, he was killed first and so, without the benefit of his tooth’s magic, she succumbed to her wounds soon after. However, her two powerful sisters raised her from the dead.” Leena paused as a murmur rumbled through the group.

Sylas watched Raven and her sisters. Were they powerful enough to raise the dead, he wondered? The tension in the room ratcheted up a notch.

“What happened after they raised Medea from the dead?” Sylas asked.

Leena ran her finger down the scroll. “The witches locked the book away—it does not specify where—and then split the key into five parts and concealed them in each of the kingdoms. Only those destined to bring peace to Ouros and avenge the death of Tavyss will be able to find and access the orbs, reconstruct the key, and—”

“Wield the golden grimoire,” Raven finished.

Sylas turned to her. “Raven, how exactly do you know about the golden grimoire?”

Raven kissed Charlie on the forehead before speaking. “The night Charlie was born, I had a… dream that Circe visited me. Her words were strange, mysterious. But she seemed to be telling me that there would never be peace in Ouros or Paragon until Eleanor was defeated and the golden grimoire was returned to Hera.”

“Returned to Hera?” Sylas shook his head. “If this grimoire is as powerful as legend says it is, why would we return it to a vengeful goddess?”

Raven licked her lips. “I think Hera is helping Eleanor somehow. I think she’s encouraged her to do what she’s done. And I think Eleanor has been searching for this book on Hera’s behalf for a very long time. Returning the book is the only way to cut off Hera’s patronage of Eleanor.”

Sylas scratched his jaw as he ruminated on the hypothesis. He had enough to worry about with his mother. Adding a goddess to the equation made his head spin. “Does that scroll say anything about where to find the rest of these orbs? I mean something more specific than the five kingdoms?”

“No.” Leena tipped her head. “Unless… I believe this scroll is a palimpsest.”

“A what?” Sylas leaned over the scroll.

“New writing over old. If you look carefully, you can see the remains of the original text behind what we can read.”

“Is it common for scribes to do that?” Sylas asked.

“Never.” Leena leveled an intense stare on him. “I have no explanation for this. Nor can I explain how the old writing continuously moves and scrambles. Look here.” She pointed at a symbol like an S behind the message. In the blink of an eye, it moved to the top corner of the scroll. “It’s enchanted. There’s another message under this one. Only, I cannot read it.”

“We think whatever is hidden within this scroll is the answer to finding the other orbs and obtaining the pieces inside.” Colin rolled the orb back and forth on the table. “I’ve tried everything to open this one and get at the key. It’s impervious. It spent hundreds of years soaking in a sacred pool. It can’t be melted, broken, or crushed.”

“Maybe they only open when they are all together,” Sylas proposed.

“Maybe they only open using magic.” Clarissa left Nathaniel’s side to move closer and inspect the orb.

Raven cleared her throat. “Give me permission to touch the orb and the scroll. I might be able to discern the nature of its magic.”

Leena speared Colin with a nervous glance.

“I read magic,” Raven said. “I can absorb a spell off a page and wield it perfectly the first time. I can also sometimes touch something and understand the magic within it. If we’re lucky, I might be able to use the orb’s own magic to open it or crack the scroll’s magical encryption.”

“I’m concerned you’ll inadvertently damage the scroll,” Leena said.

Raven shook her head. “That’s not how my power works. I don’t change the magic, just come to understand it.”

“You don’t know that.” Leena’s lips flattened into a tight line. “All scrolls are written by elves. Elfin magic is nothing like the magic of witches. It’s possible your touch will trigger something none of us are expecting. But—” Her fingers toyed with the edge of her robe. “I know no other way to translate the hidden text. None among my kind are capable of reading it. The hidden message is lost to us like this.”

“Leena?” Sylas said, feeling an obligation as their leader to press the issue. “Does Raven have your permission?”

A deep sigh escaped Leena’s lips, and she gave a quick nod. “Try it.”

Raven handed Charlie to Gabriel and placed her hands on the orb. She closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she reached for the scroll, her mouth twisting into a grimace as her head began to shake. “Strange. I get nothing from the orb. I can feel its power, but the actual magic must be on the inside. I can’t get a signature from the surface.”

“And the scroll?” Sylas asked.

“Very powerful. I can see the enchantment, but it’s the most complicated protective spell I’ve ever encountered. The magic is strange. Some of it I recognize. Some is foreign to me—I assume it’s both witch and elven magic. I can’t break it, although we might be able to peek behind it. Avery?”

“No matter what type of magic it is, I should be able to neutralize it.” Avery reached for the unreadable scroll.

Colin blocked her from touching it. “Careful. Nobody touches the scroll without Leena’s permission. That was our agreement.”

Avery turned toward the elf. “Leena? I won’t damage it. Usually when I neutralize a spell, it’s temporary. It shouldn’t change anything.”

Leena met her eyes and gave a reluctant nod. “Yes.”

She touched the corner of the scroll. “Hmmm. It’s strong. Oh, something is happening.”

“It’s working!” Raven said.

Sylas watched in amazement as the new writing faded and the old came to