Rise of the Wadjet Witch - By Juliet C. Obodo Page 0,42

the strange purple rock with her. She sighed with relief. “No, no. They didn’t take anything. I mean, there were things in the box, but something told me to take them with me to meet Virgil. I was hoping he would tell me about them.”

“You have the necklace, too?”

“Yes.”

He looked though the papers. “And you have the book, but yours isn’t bound.”

“I don’t understand the writings on them, or what this rock is made of.”

“The papers hold secrets—your family’s history and anything they wished to pass on to you. Do you know anything about witchcraft?”

“A little, from television and movies.” She was a scientist, for Christ’s sake.

“Well, it’s comparable to a witch’s Book of Secrets, but it’s called a Sphinx Text and its knowledge is arcane. It’s a book of knowledge from higher beings who inspired the building of the pyramids and other architectural anomalies. In it is everything you need to know about your family’s history, and your powers. Ours was damaged, so we only have a few pages, but maybe yours will fill in the gaps.”

“Can you read the symbols?”

“No, but the stone can. Let me show you.”

This was so strange. This morning she never would have thought that she and Lawrence—er, Luri—would even grab a cup of coffee; now they were planning to use a magical stone to read a secret language.

“Wait, can we go somewhere safer? What if whoever did this comes back? I think I should call the police. I also have to call my roommate and tell her what happened.”

“You’re right. Let me call my sister; she’s a cop, and she might be able lend a hand.”

While he spoke with his sister, Memphis called the police in her area and then attempted to call Gemma but was directed to her voicemail. She left a message and marked it urgent.

It paid to have family on the force; the police were there in less than twenty minutes. Memphis went to answer the door.

She was surprised when she saw that it was the same woman who had been with Luri at Jill’s party. She recognized her long dark hair and skin. She had startling blue eyes like Luri’s—and now that she thought of it, they resembled her own.

“Hello, I’m detective Gabriella Tiresias , Lawrence’s sister. He said there was a burglary?” she said, breaking the ice.

Memphis was confused. “I thought you were twins.” Gabriella was black, no doubt about it.

“We are.”

Lawrence came into the living room. “Hey, Gab! Thanks for coming. You’ve met Memphis before.”

“I have?”

“Yes, at my boss’s party.”

“Oh, yes. She’s the one, huh?”

“I’m the one what?”

Lawrence quickly changed the subject. “So, we need to file a report about the break-in, and then we need to take her home. She’ll be staying with us.”

“She will?”

“I will?”

“Yup, she will. Hope you don’t mind Queens, ‘cause that’s where we’re going.”

After the other officers arrived and Memphis recounted what happened, they took Gabriella’s police car over the bridge to Queens. On the way there, Memphis received a detailed explanation of why Luri looked white and Gabriella looked black.

“We just do,” they both said in response, expressing their lack patience for a question that they’ve been asked their entire lives

Aside from skin color, she could see their resemblance; they both had blue eyes and upturned noses, and Gabriella’s dimples also enjoyed a good game of peek-a-boo.

They arrived in front of a row of houses. Gabriella parked and they all got out and went into the last house. Upon entering through the side door, they walked down the hall directly into the kitchen. They found an older woman cooking in the kitchen. Whatever she was cooking smelled amazing; Memphis didn’t realize how hungry she was.

“Just in time,” the woman said without turning around. There were already four place settings on the table.

“How did you know we were coming, Aunt C?” Luri asked sitting down.

“Of course she knew, dummy. She knows everything.” Gabriella sat across from him.

Claudia brought over bowls of pasta and sauce to the table. She placed them next to a basket of bread and then looked Memphis directly in the eyes. She smiled in recognition, and Memphis realized she’d seen her before. She was the Gypsy who approached her about Jonathan!

“You tried to take my wallet!” Memphis blurted out. Lawrence and Gabriella exchanged a look of embarrassment.

Claudia simply laughed. She was a round woman with button eyes. She sat down next to Gabriella, leaving the seat next to Lawrence available.

“Well my dear, will you be joining us?” They all