Zoe

---

I couldn't believe what had almost happened. It had been so close, our lips almost touching. I had panicked and known that I needed to get away before anything irreversible happened. In the panic, only one place and one thing had seemed like the place to go and do.

The Library, to see if I could manage to ask the right question.

I had teleported to Salem, straight to the passageway that existed there and gone through it. Only a few seconds had passed since I was in Hartford, but now I stared at the Library.

Still, without giving myself any time to think or calm down, I walked in. It was when I looked into the eyes of the Librarian that I finally stopped.

Green. His eyes were so beautifully green. Exactly the same shade of green as Felix's.

I looked at the boy more closely and it wasn't just the eyes. Although the Librarian was about five years old and had features to match, it was unmistakably Felix.

"My dear Zoe, what brings you back so soon?" the Librarian asked, waking me up from my shock.

"You... This is what Felix looked like as a kid? Why do I see Felix when I look at you? And why as a kid?" the questions flowed out of me as I slowly walked closer.

"I do not believe this is what brought you here."

I sighed. I should, of course, have known better than to ask those questions. He would never tell. Honestly, he never told anything, so I really didn't know why I had even come. Especially now, looking into the eyes of the child-version of Felix. I wanted to be back with him, or at least, I wanted to go back to explain properly why I had to leave for a bit. I knew he had to be worried considering how I left.

But it was better to not dwell on that. It was better to find the information I needed quickly so I could return to him, hopefully with the ability to touch him and a way to get around that I was sent out to kill his father.

"I'm here about my curse," I said, getting straight to the point.

"You aren't cursed."

By reflex, I opened my mouth to argue against him. But slowly I closed it again. It was likely the rarity of the clearness in his words, how out of character they were, that made me stop and think. Was that the issue? I had always blindly looked at it as a curse. I had never considered that it might not be. That it was something else. But what then? A gift like Father had always claimed?

"What magical creatures can kill with a touch?" I asked instead.

He snapped his fingers and indicated for me to go through the door behind the desk. I hesitated for a moment. With the possibility of answers so close, I got scared. I had been chasing it for so long. Would I finally know the answer?

I opened the door, went in and started looking through the books on the bookshelf on the other side. There was only one shelf with thirty or so books, and a table to sit by next to it. 

After closing the last book, I laughed. Of course, there wouldn't be any answers. Half of the creatures mentioned in the books didn't even have that ability. The only magical being mentioned that did, in fact, have the ability were the Death Shadows, which a Necromancer could command.

Others that were mentioned were, for instance, dragons since their claws held a certain amount of poison so one scratch could potentially kill. Giants were mentioned since they literary could crush you as easy as a fly. Most ridiculous was a book about nymphs that I was sure must have somehow gotten there by mistake since they only healed.

Then there were also several books about specific people that created artifacts that possessed the ability, and almost all of those artifacts I knew had been destroyed or confiscated by the gods and goddesses.

It had been nothing but a waste of time.

I got up and stormed out. Slammed the door shut and turned on the Librarian.

"What was that! There was nothing useful there at all!" I yelled.

"It contains the answer to the question you asked," the Librarian answered, unphased by my outburst.

"You have to be the least helpful being in existence!"

"I can only grant answers, not wisdom."

"And what is that supposed to mean?" I spat out.

"Knowledge does not necessarily lead to wisdom."

"Could you be just a little clearer?" I laughed in anger and frustration and turned around to leave when he spoke again. And the answer made me laugh more than before.

"Knowledge is to know that tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is to know to not put tomato in a fruit salad."

I laughed. It was just such an absurd thing coming out of his mouth. He with all his cryptic words. But when I had stopped laughing, I slowly let the words settle in.

I knew what he meant. He could only give me the knowledge, the pure information. It was up to me to interpret and make it into wisdom.

I sat down on the floor where I stood and started thinking about all the things I had read. I had no idea for how long I thought until an idea started to form in my head.

The Death Shadows were the only actual creatures that could kill by touch. Though with them, it was more complicated than that since truly what they did was guard all souls that had yet to pass on and as such had the ability to bring a soul back if asked by someone that could communicate with them, by a Necromancer. They always asked for a life in return, however, and when being granted the life could take it in a heartbeat. The Death Shadows also required blood to bring someone back to life. And all of the different known artifacts that could kill by touch had needed someone to be sacrificed and blood to be spilled to be made.

The Librarian had said that I wasn't cursed. But could it be that my mother had been?

I knew essentially nothing about her. She could have been cursed with something regarding life and death, and since blood was a part of similar spells, could it have been carried over to me through her blood? Or had she maybe already been pregnant and since we had been sharing blood, some morphed version of it had gotten to me?

That, however, brought me nowhere near closer to figuring out exactly what it was or how to break it. For that, I would have to know more about my mother, but that was another hurdle on its own.

I had in the past asked for records of who my mother was and been denied. The Librarian had given an answer about privacy and protection that only sounded like a stupid excuse. Same when I had asked to see my father's mating record.

But a thought occurred to me. I had found names before, but not by asking for a person's parents or mate.

"Can I see the records of mates to all the witches that belong to the Forest Path coven?"

The Librarian nodded and snapped his fingers at the door again.

I went in, but only five minutes later I came out again, fuming mad.

"Why is my father not included!" I yelled at the Librarian.

"It is the record of all witches belonging to the Forest Path coven."

"And he does!"

"I apologize for not giving you the answer that you seek."

I had had enough. My head ached, I was tired, and I had not gotten any of the answers I needed.

"There might be other information that can be useful for you, though. You only need to ask the right question," the Librarian said as I stormed out.

"To hell with the right question!" I yelled without stopping or looking back.