Arabella Shore looked at the windows.
She was thinking about the Magical Academy, where she belonged. The faint shadows of the past had been drawn into the past; the darkness of the Dark Wizards of the Realm had almost killed her last time. Yet, she was stronger than they thought; she looked at the Book of the Arcane, which was in the Library. She waited until she went to sleep, then she rested her tired eyes, and went to bed.
*
The Cloaked Man stood by the Fire of Dreams. He focused on the Arches. He looked intently at the Sorceress of Fires. 'She lives, my Lady', he said. She nodded. There was something about Arabella Shore that disturbed her thoughts; there was the Burning flames of Mooreland, where death arrived in a carriage outside the Grey Tower.
'How can she be alive. I cast a spell to attack her mother, and father. I did it because I was betrayed by them. And her daughter is magical. And gifted. That was a mistake I made', the Sorceress sighed with frustration.
'And you want me to get rid of her'.
'Yes, I do', the Sorceress said.
'I shall return, my Lady'.
She nodded, and the Cloaked Man bowed, then he left the Gilded Chambers.
*
The voices whispered to Arabella.
'Come to us; come to us; come to us...'.
She opened her eyes.
'Mom. Dad. Mom. Dad'.
They weren't there.
She shivered, and grabbed her favorite green, blue, and red colored blanket with her hands; she was sure the burned wood had heated up the spacious chamber room; she was sure that the other teenage girls at the Magical Academy who were witches, and Junior Sorceresses.
Arabella saw the darkness, and left her bed.
She gripped the lamp in her small, right hand, and went to the human Restroom. It was in the old part of the Academy; it was what was going to make things worse, not for the better. The weather was cold; the rain fell heavily, flooding the New York streets in the evening of March 6. Tomorrow would be March 7, her sister's birthday. Cora wouldn't know about her sister's magical abilities. She was in San Francisco with her Aunt Hillary, and Uncle Redmond. They weren't going to let her become a witch, or a Sorceress; they weren't believing in magic at all. Then the dreams happened, and the visions of the future caused her to think she was alone. But she wasn't alone, far from it.
Arabella opened the Iron Door, and looked around in the thin hall.
Two guards were asleep in their gold chairs.
And the feelings of fear came over here.
She breathed, as she crept towards the Eagle Door. She whispered a spell. The door opened, and she went through it. She turned on the light, and walked into the abyss; she was careful not to fall, as she went to the bottom. Once she felt safe, she saw the other teenage witches, and warlocks, were in their beds. She frowned, and knew something was terribly wrong; she knew that someone was hunting for her. But she didn't know who it was.
The darkness of the silvery moon's glow in the night sky, illuminated her face. It was 12:30 AM in the cold morning in New York.
*
The early dawn was at six o'clock AM.
Arabella watched the bright sun.
For several hours' time she knew what was going on.
The Darkness was over.
Lightness took her to the top of the stairs.
She focused on the hall.
'And why are you here, Arabella?', Mrs. Price, the spells teacher, asked her.
'Someone's after me. A Cloaked Man', she answered.
'Come into my Office, now'.
Arabella looked at her.
'What's the matter?'.
She walked through the Dragon Doors.
The light flickered on.
'Close the door, Arabella'.
'Okay'.
As she did so, a boy wizard appeared.
'Mom. I...'.
'David. This is Arabella Shore'.
'Oh'.
He smiled at her.
'I won't hurt you, David'.
'Yeah, I...ah...came to get my homework from you, Mom'.
'Yes, please come and get the books'.
He nodded.
'Arabella saw the Cloak Man'.
'The Cloak Man. That's something not to laugh about'.
'No one's laughing, David', Mrs. Price said.
He nodded.
'Let's go to the Library after breakfast. I'll pay'.
'Okay, sure', Arabella smiled.
And she smiled at the teacher, and left the Office with the teacher's son.
*
The entrance to the Library of the Arcane was guarded by Knights of the Realm. They wore silvery helmets that were dented in battles; they wore dented armor, rusty chainmail, and tattered boots on their feet. Their broadswords were at their right of them.
'Halt! State your business!', Oswald Pierson, the Knight Guardsman, yelled.
'David Price. Junior Warlock, and Librarian of the Magicians'.
'I see. And who is the witch?'.
'Arabella Shore. Junior Witch of New York, Second Class'.
'We have heard about you, my Lady. Please, come inside'.
'Thank you, Oswald'.
Then they went into the Library of the Arcane, which was around since 1721, in the 18th Century.
*
The sign read: SILENCE QUIET PLEASE-WITCHES AND WIZARDS ONLY
Arabella smirked.
'Why is it crossed out?', she asked David.
'Problems with the sources of the words, Arabella'.
'How queer?', Arabella asked him.
'Yes, strange and unusual', David answered.
'What are you two doing here? Looking for dark magic books', Professor Lionel Blaxland, the Head of the Library of the Arcane, said.
'No, Professor. This is Arabella Shore, Second Year Junior Sorceress, and she is one of us'.
'How surprising. Not many girls survive their Second Years'.
'Survive. What do you mean?'.
'Come inside the room, dear child', the Professor said.
And she nodded.
*
The room was spacious.
Statues of griffins, bald eagles, Orcs, faeries, trolls, gnomes, and other creatures, were on display; books of all genres were in the Library. The Professor sat on his favorite grey chair, near his seat. He looked worried. 'For a long time, the Cloaked Man was in New York. He was born in Lower Manhattan; he is shadowy in appearance, hence his name. A queer fellow of the Dark Arts. That's why he is eager to kill those who he hates in the Light, mainly you, child'.
'Why me, Professor?'.
'There is a terrible battle in the 18th century, child. Wizards, and witches, perished; other wizards went underground. In the centuries afterwards, all girl witches were considered weak in their eyes'.
'Weak'.
'Yes, easy to kill, child. But you're not easily led to your death by arcane magic. Now, let's eat and drink', the Professor said.
David nodded encouragement, as Arabella Shore thought.
'I won't be led astray by those who wish me harm, Professor'.
She grabbed a book, and started to read.
*
The voices deepened.
'She's hiding'.
'Where'.
'With the Professor'.
'Get her!', Patrick Emerson, the Lord of Books, shouted to his Assistant, Martin Bray.
'Yes, Sir. I will'.
*
To be continued...
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