One thing I'd learned since resurrecting was that modern mortals had forgotten magic.
The reason why was fairly easy to understand. Technology achieves quick results without much personal effort, where magic required Rituals and the tempering of one's body, mind, and soul. A potent Ritual could take years to prepare for and days to complete.
Only someone with fanatical drive and supreme willpower could hope to conduct a Ritual with enough power to affect the world around him.
Judging by the little library's contents, modern mortals related magic to miracles. Amusingly, they assumed magic could be cast with a wand and a few twisted words in Latin.
While there was potential for some magic to be used in combat, such as a witch's curse, it was easier to just hammer your enemy on the head with a mace.
Quicker, too.
Thus, technology now ruled the world.
While I was impressed with it, technology had obvious limitations. Many things sorcery could accomplish, technology could not. And probably never would. This was because technology was limited by the laws of the physical realm, where magic was not.
What had triggered this line of thought was the small message within the Book of Renfields.
Dearest Master,
I am Seline Montgomery. I am 25-years old, and I am a witch. I have been practicing for almost 15 years now. My dream is to one day learn magic from you so I can help you with your Rituals.
If I die tonight, my Book of Shadows is in my apartment. I will leave it out for you. I know the spells may not be powerful to you, but I created two curses which I was very proud of. I had always wanted to show you what I could do. In my dreams, you always praised me for it.
I can't write more. There's no more room.
Love, Seline. XXX.
P.S. If you could keep my book in your library, it would mean a lot to me!
Her hopes and dreams had reached out to me as though her spirit was stretching from the beyond. I could feel her youthful desperation and her desire to understand the mysteries of the universe.
They were the dreams I, too, had nurtured in my youth.
I stood in Seline's little apartment, her Book of Shadows in my palm. It was a decent size, with a black moleskine cover and crisp white pages. She'd made copious notes next to her spells, adjusting them until she received the results she'd been looking for.
Her magic was paltry. Her curses were weak.
Her writing was atrocious, but there was consistency in her thoughts. It revealed a woman with a meticulous mind and, if she'd had a proper master, she might have become a very skilled sorceress. Especially given how hard she'd worked on the two spells she was most proud of.
She had every right to be proud, I thought.
They could be improved, but the fact she'd managed to get them to work without anyone showing her how was impressive.
Molly stood silently near the window as I strode through Seline's apartment, looking out at the city below.
"I didn't know she was a witch," Molly said, not looking at me. "She was a very private person. But it makes sense. Most of her posts in the forums were in the Vampire Powers section. She really liked talking about the Sanguine and their Blood Magic."
My smile twitched at that. Blood Magic.
Could Clarimonde's little clan actually understand what they were doing? I had my doubts. While it was possible they'd comprehended some of what I did, I couldn't believe they'd delved deep into its potential.
I wondered if they instead pursued the easier route of thaumaturgy and necromancy instead. Was their sinister reputation deserved? Or was it, too, just a shadow?
I would find out one day.
Seline's apartment smelled of cloves.
There was a little incense burner, and I imagined that's where most of the clove smell came from. Like all the other apartments, she only had one small bedroom and a narrow living area with a kitchen and bathroom. It appeared she'd used the bedroom as a sanctum for her magic.
A magical circle was painted on the ground.
Sticks of candles sat in a nearby box collecting dust.
The room showed signs of frequent use.
In the living room, she'd been sleeping on a small mat by the window. I imagined her falling asleep looking out at the city. Her mind filled with the wishes and dreams of one who has tasted brief sparks of power and hopes to one day erupt with it.
Her clothes were strewn over the floor, showing her priority was her magic.
I appreciated that.
I didn't appreciate having to avoid looking at numerous pairs of underwear.
"She had some talent," I said at last.
"Seline was really smart! You should read her posts."
I nodded. "I will."
"Master? Can I ask you a question?"
"That's two already."
Her cheeks flushed. "I meant a specific question."
"Speak freely."
"Can anyone learn magic?"
"No."
"Oh."
"Why? Do you want to learn?"
"I…" She looked down at her feet. "I wanted to. I'm not very good with guns, Master. Hina's great with anything. Honestly, I think she could kill someone with just her chopsticks. I suppose I just wanted to be good at something. But it's all a fantasy, isn't it?"
"Why do you think I say not everyone can learn, Molly?"
"I don't know. Is it something hereditary?"
"As a vampire, I'd be delighted to tell you it was in the blood. But it's not, no." I came over to stand by her near the window. "Magic is not a gift. It's not a talent."
"What is it?"
I handed her Seline's Book of Shadows. "Look inside. Tell me what you think."
She opened the book, turning from page to page, frowning at the scribbled notes. "It's, umm…" She shook her head. "I'm not sure, Master. There's just so much going on, I think. Her thoughts look all over the place. It's nothing like how she wrote in the forums."
"Why do you think that is?"
"Because she didn't know what she was doing?"
"If she didn't know what she was doing, how did she succeed? She clearly had some success."
"That's because she just kept trying everything until it worked. Like, here, she says to use mint, but then she crosses it out and says menthol. Then she switches to peppermint. Then back again." Molly sighed. "It's like she couldn't decide which one she wanted to use."
I took the book off her and turned to a page which looked like someone had regurgitated ink all over it. "What of this?"
"That's an awful lot of symbols…"
"It's a magic circle. Specifically for summoning."
"Oh." She squinted at it. "I can't even make out what they are."
"They're demonic runes. Mostly from Lemegeton."
"I've heard of that one! It's a grimoire for summoning demons, isn't it? Is that what she was trying to do? Raise a demon?"
"More like trying to ensure her circle offered protection. Just in case. The one in her sanctum is very basic. I believe she was trying to refine it so she could practice more powerful Rituals." I tapped one cluster of symbols. "This section here ensures no entity can snatch her soul while she's distracted. And here is to ensure entities can't leave the circle. She clearly worked hard on her choices and the order they are laid out. She'd didn't use it, though."
"Why not?"
"I don't think she'd finished it yet."
"How can you tell?"
"Because she was still alive when you rescued my remains." I prodded the top part of the circle. "This section contradicts the others and would cancel it out. Any entity she had summoned would have crossed over. She would have died, and her soul would be in its clutches as we speak."
"Oh."
"And what does that tell you?"
"Umm, to be careful?"
I rolled my eyes at her. "Tch."
"That she, umm, wasn't impulsive. She…" Molly's eyes widened. "Repetition! You're saying if I work hard and study, I could use magic!"
I patted her on the head.
Molly wasn't stupid. I knew that. But sometimes it felt like leading a bull by her nose ring.
"Seline's gift was her patience. She knew enough not to try something until she was certain it would work. That's what gave her success." I took the Book of Shadows and weighed it in my hand. "A good sorcerer is careful. Cunning. And, above all else, driven to the point of lunacy. If you want to learn, the best place to start is the library. I will give you a list of books to start with. Most of them will be rubbish. But one must separate the wheat from the chaff. That's how we learn…"
I trailed off as something occurred to me. Count Saint Germaine had said something similar, but I hadn't absorbed it.
I frowned, turning my gaze to the forest of towers as ideas began to spiral into my brain like a flood of wisps.
"Chaff," I muttered. "Of course. Thank you, Seline."
"Master?"
"Hmm?" I looked down at her and smiled. "You Renfields are a gift, Molly. Did you know that? I am lucky to have you."
Her cheeks turned even redder than before. "Well…"
Suddenly a loud wailing shriek split the air as an alarm clanged from every speaker in the room. I could hear it echoing through the tower.
"Oh!" Molly's face drained of colour as she recovered from her shock.
"What is it?"
"Intruders," she squeaked. "Someone's in the Tower!"
"Really?" I felt a smile form on my lips. "Excellent timing. I was feeling a little peckish."