Sinful Mates 1-3 novel Chapter 68

　　As soon as I placed my hand in hers, she gasped, gripping my hand tightly, her eyes turned white, she had this faraway look. Like she was seeing through me at something I couldn’t see. I ripped my hand from her grasp, alarmed. Watching as her eyes seemed to come back into focus and the colour came back. Claire smiled softly, but she couldn’t hide the worry in them. The driver's side door opened, and Caroline hopped in the car, looking between us, as Claire just remained calmly staring like she was trying to figure something out.

　　“What happened?” asked Caroline, looking as confused as I felt.

　　“I don’t know?” I answered honestly. Claire remained silent but turned around in her seat, looking out toward the front.

　　“We need to leave, now” she said, looking toward Caroline. Caroline hastily jammed the keys in the ignition before taking off at a fast speed down the dirt driveway. Making dust and dirt spray everywhere. Claire leant forward, grabbing something from between her legs. It was a black leather backpack. Sitting in the middle seat, I watched as she rummaged around in her bag before pulling out a necklace. The necklace seemed familiar it took a few seconds for me to figure out where I had seen the intricate design before. Sitting forward slightly, I pulled the bracelet from my pocket.

　　It had the same design as the necklace Claire held in her hand, the same silver vines and leaves wrapping around the bracelet to the pendant which had a lotus hanging from it, that was caged in by the vines.

　　“What’s that?” I asked her.

　　“It is a witch’s talisman,” she said, her eyes darting to the bracelet I held in my hand to show her.

　　“Turn back around,” Claire spoke when she saw the bracelet hanging from my fingertips.

　　“What, you just said we had to go?” Caroline said, I could hear the panic in her voice as she looked at Claire. Caroline spun the car around anyway, heading back toward the house.

　　“What’s going on?” I asked, suddenly worried. Claire grabbed the bracelet before dropping it and hissing in pain.

　　“That’s why I couldn’t read you, why it looked like you had no future, where did you get that bracelet?” she asked, as I grabbed the bracelet from where she dropped it on the carpet between the seats.

　　“It was my mother’s, I found it in the shed” I told her. Claire shook her head.

　　“The fact that you can hold it proves that is not your mother’s. A witch can’t hold another witch’s talisman.”

　　“What?” Nothing made sense. What she said never made sense, I’m not a witch. Caroline pulled up out the front of the shed and I jumped out when Claire did, followed by Caroline.

　　“Why are we back here?” Caroline asked, looking around nervously.

　　If she has a talisman, I am willing to bet her family’s grimoires will be here as well.”

　　“Grimoires? Like spell books?” I asked. Claire nodded her head, pushing the roller door up and walking inside.

　　“Look, I have been through that shed so many times. If my mother or father were a witch, I would have found something resembling spell books by now” Claire paid me no attention and kept walking towards the office in the back of the shed.

　　When she opened the door, she gasped. “I knew it” She stated. I looked around trying to find what it was she thinks she found. Claire walked over to my grandfather’s table.

　　“Honestly Caroline, I am surprised you didn’t notice this when you were in here” she said running her hand along the top of the table. Caroline looked at the table and I mean really looked at it. Caroline walked over to the table running her fingers over the design carved in the top which was five different circles. One on each side before a bigger one was in the middle. The same vine-like structure joined the four outer circles before vines from each connected the middle circle to the other four.

　　“It’s an earth pentagram” Caroline whispered before knocking on the wood. The wood made a hollow sound, like it had a compartment below the tabletop. I had never paid attention to the table before believing the story my mother told me that my grandfather made it.

　　Claire ran her fingers along the table’s edge before she stopped, obviously finding whatever it was she was looking for. She bent down to look at what her fingers landed on underneath the table.

　　“Imogen, bring your bracelet here” I walked over to her and went to hand it to her. She shook her head.

　　“I am not touching that thing, bloody burned my fingers damn near off. Place the pendant in the lock,” she said. My eyebrows furrowed before I bent down to see this so-called imaginary lock.

　　Only to be surprised when I actually bent down and there was indeed a metal lock below the tabletop. I wasted no time in placing the pendant inside, fitting it perfectly. The lotus shaped pendant was actually a key of sorts. The wood groaned and sounded like it was cracking before we heard something click. I stood up, thinking for sure the table was going to be split down the middle by the sounds the wood made. Only it wasn’t but I could tell the table was different the five circles glowed florescent green.