登陆注册
10789300000007

第7章

I had already begun trying to carefully piece together the exact construction of a Grace life. Maybe if I knew their formula, the combination of elements that made them what they were, I could understand them. Understanding something was one step closer to becoming it. So I noted it all down, all the little snatches of story and character they threw my way, and I asked them questions whenever I thought they might least mind.

I'd found the website early on.

As well as the no cell phones rule, according to Summer they didn't have Internet at their house, so maybe they weren't aware of its existence. It was buried as a link on some strange forum with only a couple of hundred members.

It was kind of a crap, basic site, the images misaligned, with white text on a black background that hurt your eyes after a while. But what it lacked in design, it more than made up for in information.

A biography section gave a brief rundown of each Grace family member, including the parents, Esther and Gwydion. Esther's shop, Nature's Way, was listed there, with a couple of photos of the inside. Gwydion Grace went on business trips a lot. He was an advisor. The site wasn't sure what he advised on, but his clients were important people. The parents were both lovely to look at. Fenrin looked a lot more like his mother than his father. There were uncles and aunts, grandparents, cousins. Everyone seemed to be a lawyer, or a CEO, or in government. An uncle was a record label head. An artist cousin sold his creations for ridiculous amounts of money. It seemed that whatever a Grace did, they'd make a success of it.

The website was adamant that they were witches. There was a rundown of every incident in town for the last nine years that people blamed on August 1. This was in a submission section, so it wasn't just one person speculating—a lot of people had posted their own stories in the comments.

The website said that their family had been in the area forever. That the Grace name was as old as the ancient standing stones that sat on the moors outside town; they were a part of the landscape as much as any cliff edge or knotted tree. Officially, they were a wealthy, well-respected extended family, and a lot of them seemed to hold positions of power.

It made total sense. If you were a witch, you'd use magic to make sure you got ahead in life. It was human nature.

The site said there were four main types of Grace witch:

Water: They were restless, creative, flighty, and persuasive. Like water, they eroded people's wills away. If you knew a water witch, chances were they'd be the ones that everyone tended to agree with. They were deeply charming and could change people's minds. Their symbol was Bilios, the world tree, which sat in a circle representing the universe.

Fire: They protected people. They were strength. Confidence. Power. They could usually fight. They were natural leaders. Their symbol was a thick cross with tapered ends inside a circle.

Air: The seers. They told the future and could see the truth of the present. They were the ones most used as consultants by powerful people, and that was how they made their living and their money. The site speculated that Gwydion was an air witch. They were very susceptible to mental attack and tended to be extremely sensitive individuals. Their symbol was a three-pronged rod inside a circle.

Earth: They were the practical witches, well-versed in herb lore. They took care of the everyday necessities of the witch, such as health products and medicines, home protection, magicked food. They got none of the glory, but they were the most essential of all witches; often the head of the family. They were grounded, patient, loving, and forthright. Their symbol was a five-pointed star, representing the five senses, usually with a gem studded in the middle to symbolize themselves, at the calm center of all things.

I spent some time trying to work out which one each Grace was. Summer I had down as air. She had a thing for birds and enjoyed telling the truth. Fenrin was fire, maybe, a natural leader. But then again he surfed and loved the sea and was the most charming creature I'd ever met. So maybe more water. Thalia was earth, through and through. She looked like a dryad, something born of trees and sunlight. I let myself think about which one I would be if I were a witch, but none of them seemed to fit me exactly right.

There was no clue as to the website's creator. It had to be someone in town, but I couldn't even begin to guess who it was. Was it secretly one of the Graces who had set it up? How else would anyone know any of this stuff? I read everything on there obsessively, but I wondered if the website writer was some kind of crackpot and everything I read was a lie.

I couldn't deny the tingle inside me, though: an insistent rush that said "what if?"

Just because it sounded unbelievable didn't mean it couldn't also be true.

同类推荐
  • Knight, Heir, Prince (Of Crowns and Glory—Book 3)

    Knight, Heir, Prince (Of Crowns and Glory—Book 3)

    "Morgan Rice has come up with what promises to be another brilliant series, immersing us in a fantasy of valor, honor, courage, magic and faith in your destiny. Morgan has managed again to produce a strong set of characters that make us cheer for them on every page.…Recommended for the permanent library of all readers that love a well-written fantasy."--Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (regarding Rise of the Dragons)KNIGHT, HEIR, PRINCE is book #3 in Morgan Rice's bestselling epic fantasy series OF CROWNS AND GLORY, which begins with SLAVE, WARRIOR, QUEEN (Book #1).
  • The Stirring of Soul in the Workplace

    The Stirring of Soul in the Workplace

    This deeply lyrical book offers perspective for those struggling to hear the quiet voice of the soul over the din of the contemporary workplace... Alan Briskin examines how organizations can better reflect personal and human values in the workplace.
  • Sh*tty Mom
  • The Kennedy Years: From the Pages of The New York

    The Kennedy Years: From the Pages of The New York

    The year 2013 is the 50th anniversary year of the assassination of John F. Kennedy, who still ranks as one of the top five presidents in every major annual survey. To commemorate the man and his time in office, the New York Times has authorized a book, edited by Richard Reeves, based on its unsurpassed coverage of the tumultuous Kennedy era. The Civil Rights Movement, the Bay of Pigs, the Cuban Missile Crisis, Vietnam, the space program, the Berlin Wall—all are covered in articles by the era's top reporters, among them David Halberstam, Russell Baker, and James Reston. Also included are new essays by leading historians such as Robert Dallek and Terry Golway, and by Times journalists, including Sam Tanenhaus, Scott Shane, Alessandra Stanley, and Roger Cohen. With more than 125 color and black-and-white photos, this is the ultimate volume on one of history's most fascinating figures.
  • Backteria and Other Improbable Tales

    Backteria and Other Improbable Tales

    Available only in e-book format, Backteria and Other Improbable Tales is a brand new collection of short tales of terror and the unknown from master storyteller Richard Matheson. In the title story, published here for the first time, a researcher encounters an exotic new strain of virus that causes the infected person to disappear. Curiosity leads the doctor on a path of discovery which takes him deep into his own personal history and suggests the age-old warning: Be careful what you wish for.In "Getting Together", a case of mistaken identity leads to a darkly farcical story of marriage, murder, and a love that knows no bounds. The quietly threatening "Haircut" shows how a routine trim becomes a dark and terrifying experience when a barber is confronted with a sick customer who seems to him otherworldly.
热门推荐
  • 迦域王朝

    迦域王朝

    “如果有一天,我极其不走运,不幸浴血战死,你会不会觉得难过啊?我是说……如果。”女生嘴角勾出几分有趣笑意。气质如神祗般的对方默然,帅挺身形在她面前挡出一片阴影,看上去冰冷无比的线条勾勒出他那张俊美到近乎不真实的面孔。“假设不仅是战死,而且尸骨无存,你会难过吗,”她抬眼对上他那双深邃极美却到看不出丝毫波澜的双眸,话音轻盈,“阿尔克斯·拜真,皇子殿下。”“不会。”“What?好歹我帮过你好吗,喂,你这人未免也太忘恩负义了吧,简直是……”“我不会让你死。”“你不……”“我绝不会。”在打断她话两次的同时,他心脏的位置,莫名其妙狠狠痛了两次。这种说不出的痛感,已经很久没有过了。没错,是很久。——这是一部别具一格的爱情史诗,不到下一刻,你永远不知道,有些爱能多狠,而有些爱又能有多深。一段撕心裂肺的皇室奇恋,一场惊撼天地的尘世纠葛。一个荡气回肠的异域传说,一首永恒不灭的王朝赞歌。以爱之名,以战止杀。
  • 九书司命

    九书司命

    平定的九州,一场异象的出现,上古时期灵气涌现,世界惊现觉醒者,这是利益与阴谋家的狂欢,世界再次归于千百年前混乱。弱肉强食,适者生存。而身为能力者中一员的夏风,却显得与其他人与众不同。小胖:“听说隔壁市郊区出现了怪物诶。”夏风:“我也听说隔壁班转来了一个漂亮妹妹。。”小胖:“你喜欢男的女的?”夏风:“我喜欢做菜。”小胖:“……”且看这被洗牌的世界,夏风怎么纵横天下。
  • 凰医帝临七神

    凰医帝临七神

    (原名《焚尽七神:狂傲女帝》)前世,她贵为巅峰女帝,一夕之间局势逆转,沦为废材之质。魂灵双修,医毒无双,血脉觉醒,一御万兽。天现异象,凰命之女,自此归来,天下乱之。这一次,所有欺她辱她之人必杀之!他自上界而来,怀有目的,却因她动摇内心深处坚定的道义。“你曾说,你向仰我,你想像我一样,步入光明,是我对不起你,又让你重新回到黑暗。”“你都不在了,你让我一个人,怎么像向仰你?!”爱与不爱,从来都是我们自己的事,与他人无关。带走了所有的光明与信仰。
  • 进化之途

    进化之途

    在核战后的千年,人类被迫生活在封闭的天幕内,整个社会文明结构倒退,在号称七贤者的巨型生化电脑的控制下,被作为生物母本保存。而在破碎的大陆之外,是由曾经被制造出用于战争的类人统治。一只寄生体,一个人类的少年,一段成长的经历,这其中又隐藏了什么秘密?这就是进化的历程。
  • 月季花谱

    月季花谱

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 苏小宁的空间田园

    苏小宁的空间田园

    苏小宁投简历屡次被拒后,一家零食手工铺的老板聘用了她。在她第一天上班做事的时候不小心割伤了手指,然后与手上的戒指居然吸了她的血…………
  • 食足良缘

    食足良缘

    公司小粉领许宁酒后魂穿,一觉醒来,成了某朝尚书家的小姐潘书玉,父母被贬至岭南,小姐么,只得流落乡间。无所谓,潘书玉不是林黛玉,前世是天下第一吃货,如今种田挖山下河,能吃的自然要想法弄来吃,不能吃的,也要创造条件变现换吃。除了自己吃,造福一方也很有必要,独乐乐不如众乐乐,那就开个饭馆如何?精明俏丽老板娘,帅哥美男竞争相,拿号排队,遵守次序。咦,这个脸熟,难道是他?天生吃货,还挺会做。学贯东西,食遍大地来者先烤,再上蜂蜜,上下左右,前前后后待到焦熟,椒盐伺候,趁热上桌,刀削成串。小姐且慢,此物能言。什么?!你是我相公?哦,No!!
  • 亲爱的我找到你了

    亲爱的我找到你了

    【甜文,宠文】他掌管着富可敌国的集团,想做任何事,只要一句话即可。然而,让严小姐说出“我爱你”,却比登天还难。“严桐伊,我喜欢你。”“喜欢是什么?就是书上说的想和那个人待在一起?可我们每天都待在一起啊。你为什么还要说喜欢我?”从小被与世隔绝的严桐伊不懂情为何物。而在别人眼中冷酷无情的周辰梧,用一辈子的温柔,慢慢融化她冰冷的心。“我爱你。”“我想和你在一起一辈子。”梧与桐,同生同长,同生同死。
  • 追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    青涩蜕变,如今她是能独当一面的女boss,爱了冷泽聿七年,也同样花了七年时间去忘记他。以为是陌路,他突然向他表白,扬言要娶她,她只当他是脑子抽风,他的殷勤她也全都无视。他帮她查她父母的死因,赶走身边情敌,解释当初拒绝她的告别,和故意对她冷漠都是无奈之举。突然爆出她父母的死居然和冷家有丝毫联系,还莫名跳出个公爵未婚夫,扬言要与她履行婚约。峰回路转,破镜还能重圆吗? PS:我又开新文了,每逢假期必书荒,新文《有你的世界遇到爱》,喜欢我的文的朋友可以来看看,这是重生类现言,对这个题材感兴趣的一定要收藏起来。
  • 快穿之男神我宠你呀

    快穿之男神我宠你呀

    【1vs1,甜宠】“我乖,别不要我”#“我改,别离开我”#“我听话,带我回家好不好”......初凝一脸懵逼“仙帝大人,说好的高不可攀,清冷无双,生人勿近呢?怎么可以这么软萌......有点吃不消呀!”“嘿嘿,既然如此,以后乖乖躺平,我一定......好好宠你!”#“牛鬼蛇神们,这么可爱的人你们都舍得欺负?既然如此,呵!”