Jayden's POV
"Good day, Mr Gibson", I said to the ancient storekeeper.
"Jayden, you return", he said with a smile, showing a rotten set of incomplete teeth. "An…d with one of our… own", he stammered, staring at Jovita with widened eyes.
What did he mean by that statement? Jovita was a werewolf, and Mr Gibson was surely not, though I couldn't place what he was yet.
"She has our mark, though she seems to be a half-breed, and from what I see, she bears a very special and powerful mark", Mr Gibson said in awe.
Jovita looked startled and perplexed.
"What's he saying?" She mumbled.
"I know my kind when I see them", Mr Gibson insisted, edging towards Jovita.
She cringed, and I quickly placed myself between them.
"I would not hurt my kind", Mr Gibson said. But he turned and went back to his stand. "What brings you here today?" He asked, business-like again.
"We're looking for books on cold ones with powers", I said.
"That way", Mr Gibson said, pointing to a hallway lined with dangerous-looking books. Carefully not to break anything, I know how werewolf mates can be sometimes… you know, the intimacy and all", he said, chuckling.
I gave him a weird stare, and headed down the hallway with Jovita, stopping when I caught sight of a book titled "The Gifted Cold Ones".
Jovita stared at me curiously as I scanned through the book. The book was filled with images and tales of cold ones.
According to the book, there were only very few gifted cold ones in a generation. As little as one in a generation, in rare cases two.
The one who was born with that gift had the power to rule but first, he must pass through a test before he was seen as worthy enough; to kill the greatest of their arch-enemies.
He was destined to kill the greatest white of the werewolves, the leader of their kind.
If he failed, he would never be acknowledged as a ruler, and he would be cast out of the clan to wander the Earth in loneliness, while the one who wins would lead until a new gifted cold one is born.
Because of this, everyone born with such gifts was prepared for this fight from birth. The cold ones referred to it as "Parturitio novi imperatoris", the birth of a new ruler.
The chosen one was expected to stay silent all his life until it was time. He would then lure the great white to the battle.
It had only one rule though, it must be a fair and equal match, except in cases where the great white tries to flee or avoid the fight.
I sighed, closing the book. It all made sense now. Uriel could have easily killed me during our last battle but he didn't, because I wasn't ready yet.
I was stunned, a thing like this had existed yet the werewolves kind had never known.
We only heard tales of our ancestors who fought and killed or were killed by powerful cold ones. The latter is more common.
The legend said an equal fight, but it was no equal match. The cold ones prepared for the battle their whole lives, while the werewolves were informed about the fight when the cold ones were ready.
If Eric had challenged me to this fight, then I was indeed the greatest white of our kind and the next ruler. And it also meant I had a great battle waiting for me.
And from the look of things, it was closer than I wanted, and I was greatly disadvantaged.
I turned to stare at Jovita. She was going through a book with keen interest.
"Solum is qui notam gerit potest aperire", only the one who bears the mark can unlock'', she mumbled.
Suddenly, her body shone brightly like it had in the meadow when she strangled that vampire. Her eyes glowed like precious stones, and the white part of her hair shone brightly.
A gust of wind strong started to blow around us, sending several books to the ground.
I gasped watching her, not knowing what to do. She seemed like she was in a trance.
"Jovita, daughter of Roshen, son of Ra, the one who bears the sacred mark, it is an honour to meet you", a strange, echoing, loud female voice said, startling me.
Maybe Gibson wasn't talking gibberish, Jovita was more than just a werewolf.
I turned to see Gibson running into the hallway.
"We have to stop her, she's not ready yet", Gibson screamed over the thundering voice.
"How do we stop her?" I asked, lost, my heart beating wildly. I couldn't remember the last time I was scared, but right now, losing the woman I loved without being able to save her, scared me the most.
"We have to find my book of spells, I might be able to stop her", Mr Gibson said, checking around several books on the floor.
I joined him in his search, not sure of what we were looking for.
"It's a black, large, ancient book, it has my name crafted on it". We're running out of time" Gibson said, throwing a worried glance at a weak-looking Jovita.
"I have found it", I said, tossing him the book, praying silently that whatever he was doing was going to work.
"Mater strigarum, nondum parata est, obsecramus te ut eam dimittere permittas. Obsecramus te ut team parce, non dum parata est", Mr Gibson muttered, his eyes shining bright green.
Slowly, Jovita's body returned to normal, and she collapsed on the floor with a low thud.
I rushed to her, my heart palpitating wildly.