Alpha Asher by Jane

Read Alpha Asher by Jane Doe Chapter 194

Rowena answered the door when we knocked, and immediately took Asher into the den to scan him for any charms, spells, or curses. She pointed me upstairs where Cordelia was, and as I climbed the stairs, I searched for the words to say. It had been an accident, stealing the book, but once I had it I’d knowingly cast a spell from its pages.

“Come in, Lola.” Cordelia called out, her back turned to me as she rummaged through the old trunk in her bedroom. There were stacks of magical textbooks, the entire culmination of Cordelia’s collection throughout the years. Most of which she’d gotten from her family, but there were a handful she procured from powerful friends and distant cousins. She’d told me previously that she had charmed the box to vanish should anyone try to break into it.

When I entered her bedroom, which was a cocoon of tapestries and billowing fabrics, she had just snapped the lid shut. The bangles around her wrists were clinking as they hit into one another, playing the same song as the numerous amulets around her neck. Her greying hair was braided, trailing down her shoulder until it stopped around her waistline

She met my gaze and frowned, the lines around her mouth becoming more prominent.

“What’s wrong?” Cordelia asked, placing a hand against the amulets she wore. ” You look positively torn.

“There’s nothing wrong. Well, not exactly.” I said, s********g my nerves as I struggled to get to the point. Instead of speaking, I rummaged through the old tote bag I wore and pulled out her spell book. I could pinpoint the exact second that realization flooded her eyes, bringing on a light of distrust that made my stomach curdle and sour. “I-I casted a protection spell on Asher, but I swear I never meant to steal the book.”

Her eyebrows, which were naturally soft, fell into a sharp grimace. With the wave of her hand, the bedroom door clicked shut. She looked down at the book, then thumbed through its pages, leaving me to drown in the uncomfortable silence.

“So, you accidentally stole my book then proceeded to cast a risky spell on your mate, one that could’ve had horrible consequences if you had messed up a single detail in the slightest, am I correct?” She said, pinning me in place with a look that could’ve easily belonged to my mom or grandma.

Ruefully, I nodded.

Cordelia made a sound of understanding, then began tapping her nails along the hard cover. “Thank you for telling me the truth. I was wondering when my book would turn back up. I was beginning to think the gnomes had taken it.” She spoke.

“…the gnomes?”

She stared blankly at my confused expression before snorting and shaking her head. “It’s a joke, Lola. Though, I would like to know how you stole my book, even if it was by accident.”

With the book in her hands, and the jeweled rings on her fingers sparkling merrily, she turned to slide the book into her trunk.

Feeling a blush creep along my cheeks, I swallowed and asked, “Does the term Conjuration mean anything to you?”

as she murmured, “That’s a word

stood and turned to face me. Her eyes were calculating, though not in a sinister sort of way, more like she was

Cordelia wasn’t asking. No, this was a statement, a fact she knew to be

harder I looked at her, the more certain I was that she couldn’t possibly be the spy the Blood Witch had sent. There was no trace of greed on her face.

the bed and placed a hand

they won’t get the chance. I’m going to master this. It’s not going to control me, just like they aren’t going

going to be a pawn.

“Good, because that’s your only option. It’s going to get worse for you now. It always does once the witch knows what her magical type is,

about Conjuration, Cordelia?

a very old family, from a long line of witches. Word travels through the generations, and I’m more

and Tessa, to what they had said in the warehouse. “Two of the Blood Witches assassins mentioned they needed to get to me before I realized the true extent of my magic. I’d bet anything that they know about Conjuration too. In the book I have, it says nothing about how to master it. There’s a handful of pages missing, and I can’t help but wonder what information they had on them. You

“I think anything having to do with Conjuration is important, Lola. Wherever those pages are, lets hope they aren’t in the wrong hands. I suppose we’ll have to up your training now. What I want you to do is to practice Conjuration every chance you get but do so very carefully. Mind your thoughts, don’t put too much feeling

of me, nestled deep within bones, the same one I’d pulled from all those other times

slapping a hand against her chest as she shouted

between her and the trunk. A yawn tickled the back of my throat, but I kept it at bay. “I barely had to think about that, but I

well…” She stammered, clearly surprised. “It’ll take time for you to build up a tolerance, which is why you need to practice. However, I do not recommend stealing any more

hands up in surrender. “I promise you

She nodded, pleased, and seemingly convinced. “Now, tell me about this

down to the smallest of details like where we’d placed the candles in correspondence to one another,

head. I swore there was a hint of pride in her eyes that she fought to cover

he would’ve

detect if the protection spell is still on Asher, but typically it fades with time. The fact that it lasted that long with you being a beginner speaks volumes about your power. What’s done is done, but I still believe you should know the risks involved with what

“The risks?”

spells. In essence, a protection spell links the life-force of one with the life-force of another. Asher was very much protected but should you have died. Well, so would he.” She explained, and only now did I fully realize the dangers of the spell I had done. She patted my shoulder gently, just like grandma did. “Don’t worry, dear. Let’s

middle of. Seconds went by before they cleared. He blinked rapidly and stood, coming to