Chapter Two ~ Part Five

Tuesday - Evening ~ April 21st

    "Shoot." I frowned as I walked around the stacks of books. There were thousands of them! I didn't know exactly what I was looking for, and even if I did, I wouldn't know where to find it.

    Well, I'd already decided to find out about that Walpurgis Night thing. Saeki and her friends had mentioned it the previous day. It had something to do with the ceremony from twelve years before. That meant it had something to do with the book. So far as starting places were concerned, that seemed as good as any.

    "The spirits of the Night of Walpurgis?" I muttered. Is that what she'd said? It had sounded familiar at the time, but I couldn't place it. I'd heard of Walpurgis before, and recently, but where?

    I looked in a Japanese dictionary, but couldn't find the word listed. I tried a different one, still with no luck. Maybe it's not a real word, I told myself. How was I supposed to find out about something that didn't exist? I furrowed my brow, trying to spell the word in English without the help of paper and pen. If I could try looking it up in English, I thought, I might stand a chance.

    "Oh. Hello," someone whispered. "Minase, right?"

    I turned my head to see the startling vision of Rika Shiraki. She still wore her school uniform and looked as beautiful as ever. I shouldn't have been surprised to find her in the library. The girl got straight A's in school, after all, but seeing her anywhere was like getting kicked in the balls by an angel. It hurt a lot, in the good way.

    "We meet again," she said with a smile.

    "What a coincidence," I managed to reply. "You look really great."

    "I do?" Her smile changed to a look of bewilderment. "In my school uniform?"

    "I mean, you always look great." I frowned. "Sorry."

    "It's okay," Shiraki decided, and her smile returned. "It's nice to be complimented anyway. Thank you."

    "Your welcome," I said, feeling like a complete moron. The girl probably knew exactly how gorgeous she looked, but at least she wasn't stuck up about it. That's one of the reasons everyone liked her so much.

    "Are you here doing research?" she wondered.

    "Yeah," I agreed. "Actually, maybe you could help me with it. Have you ever heard of something called Walpurgis Night?"

    "Yes, I've heard of that," she said, making it sound as if it was no big deal at all.

    I knew Shiraki was smart, but all the same, her quick reply surprised me.

    "They mentioned it the other day at the Music Appreciation concert," she explained. "You were there, weren't you?"

    "The concert? Yeah," I said. "Of course. The whole school was there."

    "Well, that's where I remember it from. One of the movements from the Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique was called Walpurgis Night's Dream."

    "Really?" I blinked at the girl. "You must be really smart if you can remember something like that!"

    "I love music," Shiraki replied, obviously enjoying the fact that someone appreciated her mind, instead of just her awesome body. "I think there's a scene in Faust with the same title."

    "Faust?"

    "By Goethe?" she said. "It's pretty good. You should read it. Oh! Wait a second. I think I still have the program from the concert."

    I waited while she opened her book bag, digging through it and finally retrieving a pamphlet.

    "Found it!" she said, thumbing through it. "See? I was right. The Fifth Movement of Symphonie Fantastique No.14 by Berlioz...Walpurgis Night's Dream."

    She held the pamphlet out for me, but someone else took it from Shiraki's fingers.

    "What are you two looking at?" Saeki wondered. "Walpurgis Night?"

    She made a face at me while Shiraki glanced at her watch. "It's getting late. I'd better get going."

    "So soon?" Saeki asked, but not in a warm way. Evidently, she was one of the few people at our school who didn't like Shiraki.

    "Yeah, I'm afraid so," she said. "You can keep that if you want, Minase. I don't really need it for anything."

    "Thanks, uh...Rika."

    "Bye!" She waved at me, ignoring Saeki completely. I wasn't sure what she might have thought of me using her first name, but I guess it didn't bother her.

    We watched her walk away, or at least I did. Saeki was more interested in staring at me.

    "Rika?" she asked, not masking her curiosity at all.

    "What?" I shrugged. "She's President of the School Council. Everybody knows her."

    "Whatever," she sighed, looking back down at the pamphlet.

    At first I thought Saeki might be jealous, but she didn't seem to care at all. That seemed kind of strange, but only because I'd gotten so used to Imari smacking my head or calling me a pervert if I even looked at a girl...Including her, sometimes. It was kind of nice not having to defend myself for a change, except that only meant that Saeki really didn't think of me as a boyfriend. So it sucked too.

    "Why would Shiraki give you this?" she asked, and then decided to be more specific. "I mean, why do you care about Walpurgis Night?"

    "I don't know," I said. "I heard you mention it yesterday, and we were talking about the concert, so..."

    "You want to know the story?" Saeki asked. "It supposedly true."

    "There's a story?"

    "Isn't there always?" she teased me. "A young man, a musician, fell in love with a girl who resisted his affections. After suffering from despair, he has a strange vision in which he kills the woman. He's arrested and taken to the guillotine, where they chop off his head."

    "Ouch!"

    "At his funeral, demons and monsters gather around his grave for a diabolical celebration," Saeki continued. "The woman he loved and killed appears, but she too is a demon. She's delirious with joy and joins the others in a wild orgy lasting throughout the night."

    "I see, um...An orgy, huh? Cool." I nodded. "So what does that have to do with the ceremony twelve years ago?"

    "Are you really curious?" Saeki asked. "Or are you just joking around?"

    She had a suspicious look in her eyes and I didn't blame her. We'd argued several times already about magic, but that had been before I'd found the book. I couldn't tell her everything, of course, but if anyone could help me find the information I needed...

    "I really want to know," I said. "Look, I don't know what to believe. You predicted that Ito would be embarrassed, right? Maybe there's something to all that magic stuff."

    "So now you think magic is real?"

    "I didn't say that!" I protested, not wanting to make her too curious. "But if it is real, this is your chance to prove it. Teach me about magic."

    "Heh!" Saeki laughed, which seemed completely out of place in the silent library. Perhaps I'd laid it on a little too thick for her.

    "What's so funny?"

    "I'm not sure I believe you," she said. "Is that your only reason?"

    "Yeah...No," I sighed. "I want to know you better too. If you're into this stuff, then..."

    "Now that I can believe," she decided, pursing her lips and looking pleased.

    I guess all girls like to be complimented and I'd already figured out that Saeki could be somewhat vain at times. She tried to hide it, I thought, but she had an air of superiority that couldn't be missed. I hadn't lied to her anyway. I really did want to know her a lot better, so if she could help me learn about magic, it would be like killing two birds with one stone.

    "Okay," she said. "Follow me. If you want to learn about magic, there are some books over here."

    "Is that how you learned?" I wondered, watching her ass move beneath her skirt.

    I blinked when I realized her inner thighs were still wet. Thin, milky juices were trying to soak into her stockings and my semen contrasted sharply with the black nylon.

    Saeki turned her head to answer, but caught me staring instead. "See something you like?" she asked. "I took my panties off in the bathroom."

    "You did?" I swallowed hard, and she only giggled. Whatever she thought of me as boyfriend material, Saeki definitely enjoyed her teasing.

    "All of the books here were specially requested by me," she explained, sweeping her hand along a shelf labeled Occult. "Most of them are very expensive, so I have to use the library as much as possible."

    "You don't have any books of your own?" I asked, thinking I'd gotten seriously lucky when I'd found the black book in the basement. The ones on the shelf looked new and hardly used.

    "I do," Saeki said. "I have a good collection, but it grows slowly. So, what exactly are you looking for?"

    "Exactly?" I shrugged. "If I knew that, I'd have to find some other excuse to hang out with you."

    "Right!" She rolled her eyes. "I think I invited you. Remember?"

    "But I'm too nice."

    "You won't be for long if you're serious about magic," Saeki said. "It isn't for weaklings."

    I frowned at that, wondering if she'd just insulted me. Probably not, but it definitely sounded like a warning.

    "There's different kinds of magic though. Right?" I asked. "Like black magic is bad and white magic..."

    "Is good?" She shook her head. "I think it's all just magic. Like any other kind of power, it can be good or bad depending on how you use it."

    "That makes sense," I decided, but I had to wonder where the power was coming from. Didn't that have something to do with it as well?

    I wasn't sure and I had enough on my mind anyway with Saeki standing so close to me. She'd pulled a book off the shelf, holding it open as we stood shoulder to shoulder. I could smell her pussy still drooling our intermingled juices. She filled my nose with a rich, sexual odor that kept my cock aching in my trousers. Added to that heady musk, Saeki's skin smelled of sweat, a slightly sour aroma that I found almost unbearably attractive. I wanted to lick her body from head to toe, front and back.

    "I've tried a couple of these spells," she told me. "I couldn't get any of them to work though."

    "That's too bad," I said, and she gave me a sharp look as if I might be teasing her. The weird thing was, I didn't know if I meant it or not, but I tried to look like I did.

    Saeki smiled when she saw I was serious. "Yeah," she agreed. "I was disappointed, but I'm not going to give up that easily."

    "Is there a book about magic symbols?"

    "Um..." She looked over the shelf, replacing the book she held and selecting another. "This one is pretty good. It's sort of an encyclopedia of magic."

    "I didn't know it was such a big subject," I half-joked, taking the thick book out of her hands. "A heavy one too, I guess."

    "That's one of the books I wish I could afford," she sighed. "It's probably the most expensive one."

    "Useful too, I bet."

    "Very useful," she agreed. "But it's a reference book, so it can't be checked out."

    I flipped through the pages and Saeki was right. That book, appropriately titled The Encyclopedia of Witchcraft and Demonology 3rd Edition, had all the information I could have wanted. I looked up Pentagram and found five full pages devoted to the subject, with numerous illustrations and references to other articles. I wondered if Walpurgis Night was in there, and sure enough...

    "Walpurgis Night, occurring between sunset April 30th and sunrise May 1st, traditionally midnight, when witches gather for a feast hosted by Lucifer, or other Principle Demon. Popularized by Goethe's depiction of a witches' banquet in Faust. According to legend, on the last night of April all of the witches and sorcerers from around the world gather at the top of Mt. Brocken in the Harz Mountains of Germany.

    "The legend is derived from an early 11th - 12th century Catholic feast celebrating St. Walpurgis, which was held on the last day of April. In a flamboyant and largely inaccurate history of Mittlemarch, published in 1512, the influential Frenchman Jean Reynard de Rousseau confused the saint with the pagan goddess of fertility, Waltburg. This resulted in the widespread belief that witches and demons were most active on the night in question.

    "Numerous ceremonies have been described over the centuries since Rousseau's history appeared, nearly all of them discredited by reliable sources. The notable exception is a ceremony by which a gate to Hell may be opened at midnight on April 30th allowing mortals and demons to freely pass between the two realms. According to Crowley, this ceremony is detailed in the Bible Black, a 15th century compilation generally credited to Pico Della Mirandola."

    "Bible Black?"

    "What's that?" Saeki narrowed her eyes.

    "Nothing," I said, turning pages quickly. "This is an interesting book."

    "Well, you've only got about a half-hour to enjoy it," she said, glancing at the clock. "I'm going to go over there. I need to look something up."

    "Huh? Oh. Sure," I agreed. "I'm just going to look at this for awhile."

    "Bible Black," I read to myself. "A compilation of spells, ceremonies, and other magical interests attributed to the Italian humanist and philosopher Pico Della Mirandola (1463-1494). The book, most often referred to as Bible Black, is considered a rumor by most authorities of the occult, despite claims of ownership by such personalities as Mezmer and Crowley.

    "Several references to the book's existence are found in the unpublished memoirs of Doctor Polidori, noted occultist and close friend of Lord Byron. In his writings, Polidori declares that a Bible Black was used to summon demons by himself, Byron and his half-sister Augusta, and Percy and Mary Shelley while on a sojourn to Lake Geneva in 1822. It was during such a ceremony, Polidori insists, that Byron impregnated his sister, sacrificing her virginity to Lucifer. The two were secretely married shortly after the birth of their child the following January.

    "Perhaps the strongest evidence for the existence of the Black Bible appears in the Official History of the Holy Roman Empire in connection with the decision by Pope Clement V to dissolve the Knights Templar in 1312. A book, described as black in color with a silver pentagram and sword inlaid on the cover, was taken as evidence of heresy and witchcraft at the trial of the order's grand master, Jacques de Molay. Under torture, he later confessed to blasphemy and devil worship and was burned as a heretic."

    That was my book! I had the Bible Black in my bag and I looked down to make sure it was still where I'd left it. Whoever had written that encyclopedia didn't know everything! The book wasn't a rumor at all. As I remembered how different the pages were, in size and language, I could see why it might be called a compilation. That Italian guy hadn't put the book together, however, not if some French guy had been using it a hundred years earlier.

    I looked up Mirandola, but there wasn't much of interest there. It did say he had an extensive library and was into witchcraft and magic. It would make sense to suppose that he'd have the interest and ability to put a serious magic book together, if one needed an explanation. Knowing that Bible Black was real, I thought Mirandola had simply gotten his hands on the book and possibly taken credit for something he didn't do. Or history had given him the credit after he was dead. Either way, it didn't really matter to me. The black book was real. It was even in an encyclopedia of the occult!

    "Bible Black," I said aloud, softly just to hear the words. It had a name now, a history, albeit brief and contradictory.

    I glanced around and saw Saeki with the librarian, an older woman who seemed eager to help the girl with whatever she needed. Probably ordering more books she couldn't afford to buy, I thought, and as I looked at the book in my hands, I had an idea. Dropping to one knee, I set the encyclopedia on the floor and opened my book bag. Whether my plan would turn out to be brilliant or the biggest mistake of my life, only time would tell...and luck.

    Three minutes later I crossed the library with the Bible Black under my arm. It was nearing closing time, almost five o'clock, and most of the patrons were busy gathering their things, or checking out last minute selections. Everyone seemed to be busy and my only obstacle was an elderly man who must have volunteered to be the library's unofficial greeter. I couldn't imagine anyone getting paid to share his paternal smile and remind people to remain quiet. He doubtless guarded the umbrella stand as well, I thought, returning his curious gaze with a polite bow.

    "What's that under your arm?" he asked. "Have you forgotten to check that book out?"

    "This old book?" I smiled, and let him get a good look. "I bought it used last week for a hundred yen. It's barely readable."

    "Ah!" He nodded, taking in the wretched cover, frayed and worn away in places.

    His immediate opinion wasn't well hidden at all: The Bible Black was obviously not a book that any self-respecting library would put on its shelves! The old man was so happy to see it off the premises that he pushed the doors open for me. I shifted my heavy book bag over my shoulder and wished him a good evening.

    My pounding heart felt ready to burst as I left the library. I told myself to walk slowly, calmly down the steps. I couldn't believe it had been that easy! Turning the corner and out of the man's sight, I fell against the wall and gasped for air. I couldn't help but smile as the pleasure of my success didn't seem so much different than having sex. Except, they were completely different. It was the adrenaline, probably.

    "There you are!" Saeki said when she found me waiting for her. "I thought you'd left and...What's that?"

    "It's for you," I said with a grin, offering her the Encyclopedia of Witchcraft and Demonology.

    "You stole it?" Her eyes nearly popped out of her skull and this was the moment of truth.

    Getting caught taking the book out of the library would have been bad, but if Saeki loathed me for being a thief, that would have been worse. I'd never stolen anything before in my life, and I promised myself that I never would again. I felt guilty, believe me, but I really needed more time to study that encyclopedia, and I'd wanted to impress Saeki. Perhaps that more than anything else.

    "I know it's not the same as robbing a bank," I joked. "But I did get away with it. Do you want the book or not?"

    She hesitated, just long enough to put me on the verge of a heart attack.

    "Yes!" Saeki took the book out of my hands, looking down at it with the largest, most genuine smile I'd ever seen from her.

    "But, uh..." I cleared my throat. "I was wondering if you'd let me borrow it for a few days."

    "Mmmm..." She laughed and cocked her head. "You know what, Minase?"

    "What?"

    "I think I'm starting to like you again," Saeki said, teasing me with the tip of her pink tongue. It played between her lips, luscious and moist beneath a pale shade of red lipstick that suited her complexion perfectly.

    Her eyes shone with interest and I felt myself falling into them. We were very nearly the same height and I stepped closer, reaching for her wonderful, round hips. We weren't alone. People passed us in their cars, on bicycles, or just walking along the sidewalk. I barely noticed any of them as I leaned forward. I wasn't sure if I should be happy that Saeki liked me because I'd stolen a book for her, but I knew this was the perfect moment for our first kiss.

    "What are you doing?" she asked, jerking her lips away from mine.

    "Um..." I blinked at her.

    "I have to meet some friends. I'm already late," she said. "You can find your way home by yourself, right?"

    "You have to go? Where?"

    "I'll let you borrow my book," Saeki decided, using the encyclopedia to push me away. "You can give it back to me at school tomorrow."

    "But..." I stood there at a complete loss. I'd felt the irresistible pull of our mutual attraction. Saeki had wanted me to kiss her. I'd seen it in her eyes, in the way she'd held her breath waiting for it, her body growing tense with anticipation. How could she just leave me like that? I'd committed a crime for her!

    "You've had enough excitement for one date," she said with an impish grin. "Don't you think?"

    "A date?" I almost smiled, but I felt too confused. "Is that what this was?"

    "Maybe," Saeki said. "Maybe not. See you tomorrow!"

    "Yeah," I muttered. "Bye."

    She wasn't even wearing panties and my cum stained her thighs. How could Saeki let me make love to her and then refuse me a kiss? Either she was an even bigger wack job than I'd first believed, or the girl was just plain evil. My cock was still hard as I stood there like an idiot, helplessly watching as she joined a bus queue halfway up the block. Where could she possibly be going? What, I wondered, could be more important than our feelings for each other?

    I thought I should follow her. Not like stalk her or anything, but join her in the line waiting for the bus. I'd simply tell her that I wasn't going to take no for an answer! I'd go with her to meet these friends of hers. Maybe that's what Saeki wanted, a guy who wouldn't put up with her psychotic behavior. I'd tell her, "You're my girlfriend now. Get used to it!" and drag her kicking and screaming to the nearest love hotel and rape her if I had to!

    Who knows, that could be exactly what Saeki was waiting for. "No more Mr. Nice Guy!" I told myself, aloud as it turned out. A woman pushing a baby carriage frowned at my outburst and gave me a wide berth as she passed.

    But what if Saeki only laughed at me? She might think I was a real moron if I couldn't take such an obvious hint. Sex and love were two very different things to her, apparently. She might get angry and never talk to me again. I knew how that felt! Until yesterday, she'd been ignoring me since the first day of school. At least now we were friends and I couldn't risk losing whatever ground I'd gained.

    So I stood there still, watching Saeki get on the bus. I'd fucked her, yeah, but it occurred to me that Saeki had treated me much the same as I'd treated Mika Ito earlier that long day. I felt used, even violated by her disregard for my feelings. The only difference between me and Ito was that I'd been awake at the time.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

    "Where have you been?" Yukiko wondered. "I've made us such a wonderful dinner and you're trying to spoil it!"

    "I was at the library," I informed her. "What is that?"

    "Pork chops," she said. "What do you mean, the library? Did you get lost and end up there by mistake or something?"

    "Ha-ha!" I held up the encyclopedia. "See? Are you sure those are pork chops?"

    "Is that the biggest book you could find?" she asked. "You must be compensating for your little mind, because I've seen your penis. You've got nothing to be ashamed of."

    I didn't bother looking for a retort. Yukiko was in another one of her moods, I could tell already. It was bad enough that she had to show off her body like that. My sister wore a pair of pink short-shorts and a ragged half-tee that barely covered the smooth, white undersides of her breasts. No bra, of course, and probably no panties either. The spandex clung to her vulva like a pink shadow, accentuating her female shape, rather than masking it. I could even see her pronounced camel toe, like a baby's thumb trying to break free of its elastic bondage.

    "Where are you going?" Yukiko asked. "Sit down and eat."

    "I'm just going to put this stuff in my room," I told her. "Why don't you put on some real clothes?"

    "It's hot in here," she said. "I've been slaving in the kitchen for the last hour. You should appreciate your big sister!"

    "I know," I said, waving over my shoulder.

    "I'm not your maid!"

    "Yeah, yeah." I shook my head and dropped my bag and the encyclopedia on my bed.

    I didn't feel like eating, not after Saeki had basically dumped me. I wanted to dig into the black book and start translating it as quickly as possible. Using my sister's access to the university, I thought I could probably do it without her. It would take longer, however, and I'd almost certainly make mistakes. I knew she'd help me, but I just didn't want to share the book with anyone, not even her.

    Talking about the book would only give her more ammunition to ridicule me with. Plus, there was no telling what might happen if Yukiko found out that the spells really worked. I knew her too well and my sister would want to use the magic for herself. She wasn't the most unethical person I'd ever met when it came to getting what she wanted. She'd always been a schemer too, ever since we were little kids, and I could easily imagine her trying to take over the world!

    Yeah, I wouldn't have put it past her. I could almost hear Yukiko's laughter echoing across a ravaged world. "Hahahaha...The poor little lambs are wailing in grief!"

    "No! Arghh! Help us!" her victims cry, but as she lops off their heads, the entire planet trembles before my Satan-like sister. There's no one who can stop her anymore. Civilization falls into chaos. Blood rains from the sky and everyone blames me, Yukiko's pathetic little brother that she keeps chained to her bed. 

    I'll have to lick her pussy every night until she cums and at the stroke of midnight, she'll straddle my swollen cock and rape me until I fill her hungry womb with incestuous sperm. Our baby will be the Anti-Christ and...

    I pushed those ridiculous visions out of my head and joined her at the dinner table.

    "...and there's this professor, he teaches biology, who just stares at me all the time," Yukiko said, waving her chopsticks around like she had an entire orchestra at her command.

    "Lucky you," I observed around a mouthful of pork. It wasn't half-bad, but my sister really wasn't much of a cook.

    "He's okay looking," she continued, "but he wears these glasses that make his eyes look huge. He reminds me of a toad or something."

    "Does he have warts?"

    "I think he's into BDSM too." Yukiko refused to be derailed by my sarcasm. "I saw him sitting outside at lunch reading a book about knots."

    "So?"

    "So?" She grinned at me. "A whole book about how to tie knots? He's a college professor, not a sailor. I bet he's very industrious in the bedroom."

    I couldn't think of anything to say, so I shrugged.

    "Not only that, but I noticed a leather dog collar in his desk," she said, arching an eyebrow at the significance of her discovery. "Why would he bring a dog collar to school? There's only one reason I can think of."

    "Why were you snooping in his desk?"

    "I can only imagine what it must feel like," Yukiko said. "Wearing a collar like that, being led about on a chain. It would be very degrading, don't you think? I wonder if that's why he stares at me all the time."

    "You've been reading too much manga," I told her, and not for the first time. I didn't even want to imagine my sister being forced to act like a dog!

    "It makes me excited to imagine such things," she confessed, as if I didn't already know. "Maybe I'll buy a collar tomorrow. They're very fashionable these days."

    "Victoria's Secret sells dog collars now?"

    "You're no fun!" she pouted, and promptly changed the subject. "Did your spell work?"

    "Huh?"

    "Did your new girlfriend dance naked for you today?" my sister asked, teasing me with her eyes. They were light brown, almost honey colored, and like the rest of her, quite attractive.

    "No. I didn't even try to cast a spell," I lied. "I'm just translating for Saeki."

    "Well, hurry up and eat," she said. "We'll get started right away. It's so much fun helping you."

    "Oh, that's alright," I protested. "I think I can do it by myself now."

    "You?" She gave me a look of utter disbelief. "Just because you went to the library doesn't mean you know anything."

    "Yeah, but you've got your own homework," I pointed out. "Translating an old book isn't that important."

    "You're just trying to get out of paying me," Yukiko decided. "Forget it, little brother! We made a deal. I'll translate the book and you give me a massage, remember?"

    "How could I forget?" I wondered, trying to ignore her large, jiggling breasts.

    "Hmmm? Oh, don't worry," she said with a giggle. "You can massage my front too. I know how badly you want to touch my boobs!"

    "Great," I sighed, wishing the book had a spell for turning nymphomaniacs into normal, sexually repressed girls. I'd cast that one on her in an instant.

    I couldn't even have dinner without an erection and I had to wait until she started clearing the table before I stood up. If Yukiko saw a bulge in my trousers, it would just mean more teasing for me. The best I could do was try to hide my natural desires, which were purely physical in any event. I loved my cousin exactly as I would a real sister, and didn't have the slightest interest in her sexually. But for some reason, my cock had never gotten the memo.

    "Okay, let's see...Ohhhh! A love spell!" Yukiko exclaimed half an hour later. "That's exactly what you need! Are you ready to write this down?"

    "Really?" I asked, looking at the open book she held in her lap.

    Never mind that it was written in Latin and upside down, a love spell I could definitely use! Maybe. If I cast it on Saeki and it worked, that would be amazing, but if she found out, I'd be dead. Unless she really loved me, then it would be okay. Except I sorta wished I wouldn't have to use a spell at all, and....

    "Huh?" I blinked as I realized Yukiko had already started translating. "Slow down!"

    I was trying to write and compare the text and symbols in the Bible Black to the encyclopedia beside me at the same time. I wasn't just taking dictation, I was learning as well. It wouldn't be enough to merely recite the words or draw the pictures, I realized. If I really wanted to use the magic - to control it - I needed to understand what I was doing. There was so much information though, that I started getting a headache. Never before in my life had I studied so diligently and Yukiko never slowed down! Once she got started, she was all business.

    "Just skip the footnotes," I finally told her. "We'll just do the important stuff first, okay?"

    "You mean the spells?" she asked, and then shrugged. "Some of them are pretty complicated. How about, um...A protection spell?"

    "What's that?" I wondered, both of us looking at the book. There was a drawing of a hand with a pentagram drawn on the palm.

    "I guess it's supposed to protect you," she replied. "There's different kinds. Protection against water, fire, air, and earth. It looks like the symbol in the middle of the pentagram determines which is which."

    "Okay. Start at the beginning," I sighed, holding my pen at the ready. I wasn't sure why I'd ever need protection from the earth, unless it worked against earthquakes. That might be handy.

    Even the simple spells were tedious and slow. The Love Spell had taken almost an hour for Yukiko to translate, not including her dire and predictable threats against using it on her. Once we'd finished, it didn't even fill an entire page of my notebook. Why did they always have to make magic so complicated? The encyclopedia couldn't answer that question!

    I wondered how those girls from twelve years ago were able to translate the book. I mean, I had a university linguist helping me and it was still taking forever. How had they ever managed to figure out the Walpurgis Night spell? We hadn't found that one yet, but it had to be in the book. Probably right in the middle and sure to be a lot more complicated than making Ito play with herself.

    Anyway, if they'd been able to figure out the spell, then I could do it too. But then I had a disturbing thought: What if those girls hadn't translated it right and that's why they'd all died? It seemed a reasonable explanation, if anything about magic could be called reasonable. And a frightening one! Something had obviously gone wrong and with that thought in mind, I started nagging Yukiko about double checking every word. That only slowed us down even more, and she was annoyed with me, but I figured it was better to be safe than sorry. Right?

    "Ohhhh..." I yawned and stretched in my chair, and almost fell out of it as I jerked awake. I'd fallen asleep? I must have and I looked at my bed to see my sister curled up on her side, hugging the still open book to her barely covered breasts.

    I pried the book away from her, getting only a weak murmur as she shifted in her sleep. My eyes hurt, I was so tired. The clock on my desk read just past two o'clock in the morning. I took off my clothes, stripping down to my boxers, and turned out the lights before climbing onto the bed. I pulled a blanket over us and Yukiko sighed, putting her arm over my chest. It wasn't the first time we'd ever shared a bed together and I didn't have the energy to try and wake her up. The idea of going to her room never even occurred to me.

    All I wanted to do was sleep and dream of Saeki.