That night, the girls and I had stayed up late and waited until after midnight to sneak out to the school library.

I looked around. The moon lit up the room and it was surprisingly quiet. The librarian wasn't even here.

"Is it weird that the library is creepy at night?" Charlotte asked nervously. I couldn't help but silently agree with her.

The silence in the library was a little... unsettling. But I was rather thankful for the silence, aside from my being with my friends.

We looked around.

"Okay," Gloria said, "split up and try to find some books on whatever you can find."

We all nodded and split up to different parts of the library. I picked up a book and flipped through the pages. I didn't see anything in particular.

Then something caught my eye. It was a demon but it looked familiar. I widened my eyes.

It was Camille.

I quickly closed the book and glanced around before I opened it up again. I stared at the picture and my finger traced over it.

'Maybe no one will mind if I take it,' I thought before I carefully tore the page from the book, folded it up and put it in my pocket. I closed the book and put it back on the shelf.

"Anyone find anything yet?" Harriet asked. "No." "Nope." "Nada."

"Damn," Gloria muttered as she slammed a book closed. I walked over to her.

"What are the Matriarchs like?" I asked. She looked at me.

"Well... there's eight of them," she started, "the lead Matriarch is Edelweiss Winterbourne. She's the founder of magic and everything. She's the reason why there's this big school and everything. Heck, she can give witches their magic and she can also take it away. She possesses unparalleled knowledge and mastery of spells, rituals, and enchantments. As the lead Matriarch of magic and everything, she guides and mentors young witches, ensuring the preservation and advancement of magical traditions."

I blinked in surprise. I didn't know that.

"The second is Matriarch Primrose Blackthorn," Gloria continued, "as the Matriarch of potions and herbalism, has a deep connection with nature. She is known for her expertise in creating powerful potions and developing remedies using magical herbs and plants. Her potions are sought after for their ability to heal, transform, or enhance magical abilities."

I nearly jumped when Natalia popped up beside us.

"The third Matriarch is Iris' namesake. Iris Everblood. She's the matriarch of divination and prophecy," she explained excitedly, her eyes filled with excitement, "She possesses the rare gift of foresight and is sought out for her ability to read and interpret signs, dreams, and visions. Her wisdom and insight help guide the coven, revealing glimpses of the future and uncovering hidden truths. Camellia Moonbrook is Matriarch of spellcasting and incantations. With a voice like silk and a touch of her wand, she weaves intricate spells with precision and elegance. She is known for her mastery of ancient and powerful spells that can manipulate time, control elements, or call upon ethereal beings."

"Azalea Ashcroft is the Matriarch of dark magic and shadows. She embraces the duality of magic, exploring the depths of forbidden knowledge and harnessing the power of the night. Azalea is skilled in necromancy, curses, and hexes, understanding the balance between light and dark and the consequences that come with wielding such magic," Gloria chuckled, crossing her arms, "Lily Nightshade is the matriarch of enchantments and illusions. She possesses a mesmerizing aura and unmatched creativity. She can craft illusions that deceive the senses and enchantments that captivate the hearts of others. Lily's magic is often used to protect secrets, create illusions, or weave powerful glamours."

Iris walked over to us. "Begonia Angelsin is the Matriarch of celestial magic and cosmic powers. She holds a deep connection with the stars, moon, and planets, channeling cosmic energy into her spells and rituals. Begonia's magic is focused on astral projection, celestial alignments, and harnessing the boundless energy of the universe," she said with a smile.

"Heather Stormwind is the Matriarch of elemental magic, commanding the forces of nature and the elements themselves. With control over wind, fire, water, and earth, she can shape the environment, summon storms, or manipulate the natural world around her. Heather's magic is wild and untamed, reflecting her fierce and independent spirit," Natalia chuckled, "my mom admires her a lot."

"They sound nice," I said with a smile. "They are," Iris said, linking her arm with mine, "they're firm but fair."

I chuckled. I had been so caught up in listening and finding out about the Matriarchs that I almost forgot about what we were doing.

"Found something!" Joanna called out as she, Diana, Charlotte, Marley, Kaitlin, Tasha and Serenity walked over.

Joanna was holding a small dark red book.

"Well crack open that book and let's see what's going on," Natalia said with a determined grin, "hopefully this will tell us what's going on."

"And it can help us find Elizabeth," I said, raising an eyebrow. Joanna nodded and she opened it.

I noticed that the first page had sigils on it. I frowned as I recognized them.

"This is a diary. It belonged to Elizabeth," Natalia frowned. I hummed softly and Diana looked confused.

"How exactly is this gonna help?" She frowned. "It's better than nothing," Gloria said firmly. Then the girls heard footsteps.

"Shit. Hide!" Tasha whispered and the twelve girls quickly scattered around the library to hide just as the door opened.

Miss Hunt walked into the room, being followed by a cloaked girl. Hiding under a table, I narrowed my eyes before I widened them in realization. It was the girl I had seen at the ceremony.

It was Delilah Withers.

"I can't believe my reputation will be ruined by some girl who decided to run off," Miss Hunt mumbled angrily. Delilah lowered her hood from her head and frowned at Miss Hunt.

"Well maybe if you were more diligent about your duties then maybe I wouldn't have had to take care of it myself," she hissed. I frowned as I kept quiet and listened to the conversation.

Miss Hunt glared at Delilah, "where did you even take her anyway?"

"That is a question saved for another day, Opaline," Delilah chuckled, "so... tell me about the Youngblood girl. How powerful is she?"

"She was able to complete the ritual," Miss Hunt huffed, "just like her mother."

"Of course," Delilah chuckled, "keep an eye on her for me, will you? I feel like she could be quite the adversary in my plan."

The two walked out of the library and I let out a breath I realized I wasn't holding.

The other girls slowly came out of their hiding spots and looked at me. I was nervous.

"We'll figure this out," Gloria said firmly, placing a hand on my shoulder, "and we'll find Elizabeth."