Wanted: Matchmaker for the Alpha

Chapter 19: Discreet

Cloud's POV

It was exactly 3 weeks since our Priestess was kidn*pped by the filthy and ruthless Alpha of the Black Dew Pack. It's been a tough time for me and Epiphany but we didn't have much of a choice but to take care of the temple ourselves.

We're still on apprenticeship for running Shaman Temples across the globe which is why we are still not qualified to run the temple on our own. But because of Priestess Gwyneth's absence, we are forced to take care of everything. For now, we have managed to explain to our loyal customers that our Priestess is currently in a month-long seminar to better her services as the infamous matchmaker in New Orleans.

For now, we can only accommodate fortune-telling services. Other than that, I am no longer confident to offer any more services such as matchmaking and exorcism.

For weeks, I've been trying my best to fill in, but it's hard knowing that our priestess is out there frightened for her life. Epiphany, most of the time, cries when we talk about the priestess. She's the most emotional one and I couldn't bear to see her like that so I spent my time praying inside the temple altar.

The other day, I forged my way back to the Black Dew Pack to see if I could get through, but there were a lot of guards around the perimeter. Then, I suddenly noticed something. I could feel a tingling notion coming from around the pack. That's when I realized that it was protected by some magic spell.

The spell was unrecognizable and difficult to identify. I suspected that it was from Western Witches. There were several known spells from these witches but some of them are difficult to identify since we're different from each other.

And that was the problem. Unknown magic is very dangerous. It may be the reason why I wasn't able to communicate with the priestess for some time now. It was this spell that seemed to act as a barrier to stop exterior magic from passing through the pack's walls.

After hearing from the priestess, I hurriedly prepared the things she told me. I took out the old book from my lap desk drawer. It was a book of spells I studied.

"Cloud, how do we make the priestess free?" Epiphany asked.

"Something that can c***k the barrier spell. Do you have any idea how to do that?"

"Hmm... how about the one you were practicing months ago? What was that spell again?"

"You mean the bubble Warp Spell?" I cringed at the memory. "That's so lame! That won't even work, I swear."

"Come on, Cloud! You may try it. We can use the bubble to create cracks that aren't obvious to the naked eye. You know that Bubble Warp Spell is only visible to the shaman invoking the spell, right?"

I thought for a moment and then nodded. Epiphany's suggestion can do. I just need one more thing before I can go there. "Okay. Let's do that. Ephy, wrap all the ingredients I need for this spell. And also, open the main temple..."

She arched her brow in confusion. "Open it? Why?"

I suddenly grabbed both of her shoulders and looked her in the eye. "Ephy, listen to me... It's important that we deliver everything to the priestess. Tomorrow at 3 A.M., she will plan her escape. But we must be discreet. But..." I trailed off my sentence.

"But? What is it?"

"I'm not sure why the priestess wants me to get the Shaman bells with us. It seems like she's planning on something..."

We both fell into silence as our minds deep-dived into the reason. Suddenly, Epiphany gasped and pointed at me.

"Oh my goddess! Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Cloud?"

"What is it?" I furrowed my eyebrows at her.

"Our priestess... she's planning to get you your first exorcism!"

I widened my eyes in bewilderment. I even dropped the book I was holding. My whole body shivered.

I've never done an exorcism before. I'm still not qualified. If I made a mistake, it would take a lot of my spirit and even lead to my death. Why would the priestess ask me to do it?

"Are you certain about this, Ephy? What if you're just mistaken?"

"I'm not so sure, Cloud. But what else would you do with those ancient Shaman Bells? It's a very powerful instrument and they're only used when the main shaman of the temple performs exorcisms. I've never seen it used in anything other than that. Our priestess also doesn't use the Shaman bells to do her fortune-telling services," she explained in a long statement.

After that conversation, I headed to the main altar. I faced a huge altar of a golden statue of the Moon Goddess. I bowed in front of her. I saw another platform holding the ancient Shaman Bells inside a fiberglass box.

I breathed in and out before I opened it and carefully placed it on the silk shaman bell holder.

It's now or never. After all, I needed to save the priestess at all costs. It's because of Priestess Gwyneth that I'm still at the Shaman Temple. She's the reason why I'm still alive and assisting her with all my life.

Since the day I got here, I promised to dedicate my life to full servitude to the priestess. She's the reason that I've become her apprentice for life.

No one knew about my story because I wasn't vocal about my past. But only the Moon Goddess knows how Gwyneth Hathaway changed my life. The truth is, she's my savior.

Back when I was a pup, my whole family was massacred. Fire beamed and burned down everything that I once knew. That was when she suddenly appeared.

Back then, she was just a simple 15-year-old girl. She was very silent but deadly. Her eyes sparked power and I could feel it within my bones. What she did back then to those people who killed my family became my motivation to carry on in life.

That girl used to save me. She killed all those rogues who killed my parents. She was in a rampant killing spree. I could taste the sinister inside of her.

That was when I saw a large shadow behind her. The power that saved me was that up until this day, the priestess couldn't remember a thing about her past.

Is this the time to summon that shadow?