Averyn POV
Averyn had no intention of being in the library that long.
She was just browsing through some books when the school bell rang, startling her enough for her to nearly drop her bag on the floor.
"This is great," she said quietly as she hurried to put everything away on the shelves.
But then something caught her eye: a sensation.
It was not a physical thing. It was something much more profound. It was like a faint, whispering voice that drew her in. As she reached for the last book on the shelf, she stopped dead in her tracks and looked towards a dark corner at the back of the room.
Her heart began to race.
"You're crazy. Get to class," she told herself.
But her feet had already taken her there.
At first glance, the book did not look out of the ordinary.
It had a simple cover without any title, and the dark leather was smooth and worn from repeated use. The position of the book was also very unusual, in that it was not lined up with the other books.
As soon as Averyn touched it, everything around her stopped.
The mood shifted.
There was a tingling sensation spreading throughout her fingertips.
She retracted her hand, feeling her pulse racing, "Whoa...that's different." she said to herself.
As she slowly picked it up again, she felt a strong feeling of warmth running through her palm. This feeling was almost like being aware of what was happening instead of the weird tension that had built up in her chest.
Abruptly, she swallowed."I guess I am going crazy, " she whispered.
The book was of a size that it could be put into her backpack without any difficulty. While in class, she never opened the book.
It was never revealed to her classmates.
The book stayed on her mind heavily all day long; she found herself drawing bizarre designs in her notes. She hardly even enjoyed lunch.
She said she would keep the news from the other girls. It was heavy on her mind for the remainder of the day.
Throughout the day she was sketching strange symbols during her lectures and hardly tasted her lunch. When Jade noticed that she had been so quiet, she remarked that it was never a good thing.
Without thinking, Averyn blurted out, "I found a book!" Gianna blinked.
"That's it? I thought you were going to tell us you were joining a cult." Carmira, in a soft voice, said it wasn't helpful.
Ruelle tilted her head. "What type of book?" Averyn said, "I don't know, but it feels important".
The girls looked at one another. "A sleepover?" Jade said suggestingly.
Averyn nodded. "Yes. Tonight. "
Lunara was alone in the library. She was standing between the two rows of shelves.
She was sensing it now.
The Codex was alive and it was awakening.
The enemy would also sense it.
Lunara clenched her jaw and changed direction toward the window. She was looking down at the town of Evershade which was still oblivious to the danger.
Please, she prayed, give them a little more time.