Vessel

Lillianna leaned back against an oak desk, the cool varnish sending goosebumps across her arms. Footsteps and voices echoed down the hall, pausing right outside of her door. Two separate voices, muffled by the heavy wood drifted in.

“-old fool. Anyone who keeps that thing in here without a way to contain it is more of a fool then the crone who wrote it,” the first voice said.

“At least the pay is good,” the second said.

Armor clanked as they took up their positions on either side of the door. Lillianna scowled, her hand tightening on the obsidian dirk at her hip. The gem at the end glowed a dull ruby red as energy flared from it. Magic sparked through the room, dampening sound leaving the room. Cotton filled the ears of the two guards, their voices rising to compensate.

Her scowl turned into a grin as she slid under the desk. Her eyes scanned the room, moonlight turning the room a silvery gray. Bookshelves towered against the far way, elegant ink glaring out at her. Her footsteps, barely a tap on the stone floor, carried her towards them. She took in the words, dismissing titles almost as soon as she read them.

You’re looking in the wrong place, something whispered in her mind.

Lilliana tensed, her hand going to her dirk once more. Warmth spread through her body, seeping into her bones. The smell of hot, murky water swirled around her.

I’m not going to hurt you, the voice said.

Then why did you put the effort into breaking into my mind? Lillianna asked.

A soft chuckle. I have no mouth of which to speak, nor hands to gesture.

Lillianna took in a slow breath and closed her eyes. A light tendril of power arched away from her, ending lower in the building. The chill of stone and smell of incense filled her mind when she tugged on it.

You’re in the basement? she asked.

A wordless agreement echoed in her mind.

Who are you?

I am that of which you seek youngling. I am the Tome of Shadows, the Words of Darkness. I go by many names, but you may call me Morgana.

Lilliana opened her eyes, the room lost in a miasma of magic as she settled into herself once more. As it cleared, the same strand she had tugged remained. There was still a small presence in the back of her mind, a watcher through her eyes. She darted towards the door, taking a peek through the keyhole. The clanking of armor had moved, heading down the hallway. She smirked and slid out through the smallest crack in the doorway before taking off down the hallway. Her cloth covered shoes made not a sound as she reached the stairway.

The line of magic drew her to a small door with only a rope for a handle. A broom cupboard? The fool kept it here? Lilliana shook her head, sneering. It was little wonder the thing had reached out to her if this was its home. The door opened easily, without a sound. The cupboard was much like any other she had seen, filled with brooms, mops and a wooden bucket still damp from the nightly cleaning of the maids.

You cannot see me, Morgana said.

Lilliana scanned the room before giving up. She raised her hands, cupping them in front of her and whispering into them. A soft, blue light ignited in her palms before rising to float over her head. The room took on a light glow, one corner brighter than the others.

Beautifully done Lilliana, Morgana said.

Lilliana’s lips curved into a smirk as she moved the drying rags out of the way of the corner. A wooden square covered a hole in the wall. The wood was covered in curling script, the letters glowing in her vision. The old fool wasn’t as stupid as she had hoped. He had protected the thing with magic, old magic by the look of it.

Not nearly as old as I. This is the work of children pretending to be masters, Morgana said.

Power filled Lilliana, seeping into her bones and making her eyes glow with a soft light. She tried to pull away from it but was halted by the sensation of a breeze across her arms.

I’m not going to take complete control. Just enough to let you get to me. All is well little one, Morgana said.

Could you at least ask before you just take control over someone? It’s rude, Lilliana said, narrowing her eyes.

That soft chuckle again. I apologize. May I assist you?

Lilliana nodded, her muscles uncoiling as the power flooded into her again. Heat radiated from the middle of her chest, spreading all the way to her fingers and toes. Magic coiled between her hands as they placed themselves on the wood. Underneath them, power thrummed, fighting against the magic in her own body. Old magic indeed. Teeth seemed to grind down her arm, large welts appearing in their path.

She gritted her teeth, keeping herself from making a sound. That fool would be waking up as soon as the spell was broken, she wouldn’t make it any sooner. With a snap, the wooden plank splintered and then fell away. The power left her, leaving Lilliana trembling and covered in a thin sheen of sweat.

Inside of the hole in the wall was a book, leather cracked and pages yellow. The outside cover was embossed with a cross with added lines to the ends. Lilliana reached out and touched the book, wrapping her fingers around it. It burned, searing her hands. She yelped then and tried to drop it. Laughter filled her mind as the pain clouded her vision. Everything dimmed to darkness.

Morgana laughed, stretching out her new body. She bent down, grabbing the book that had once been her only housing and strolled out. Now it was her turn to lock people away.