Strega (Strega Series) by Karen Monahan Fernandes

his hands together and made his way to his chair, though he didn't actually sit. "Specifically, the Etruscans."
    He leaned in toward me as he stared, anxiously anticipating my answer. My mind was officially blown.
    "Not too much. Just bits and pieces really," I said as I adjusted myself in the chair, trying to maintain my composure as I recalled the book in the library. "Why?"
    He picked up the blade, which I'd placed on his desk.
    "I'll answer that question in a minute." He held the blade in his hands and allowed the fabric to fall away from it. "But first, I have to ask you —where did you get this?"
    From his grave tone, I could tell he knew something. It terrified me as much as it brought me relief. If anybody was going to be able to help me, it would be him.
    "I found it," I said, hoping that this would be enough to satisfy him, but he stared at me waiting for more. "In my aunt's basement. Well, technically she's not my aunt, but she's like an aunt to me..."
    I rambled nervously until he interrupted.
    "Your aunt's basement? Who is your aunt?"
    "Actually, you might know her. Ruth Russo. Mr. Baker knows her and her husband Jack. They are both professors at Merriam College. Well, Ruth retired, but she still works at the Maritime..."
    "Wait. Jack Russo?" he said, staring at me with surprise.
    I nodded. "You know him?"
    "Yes," he said emphatically. "I just met him actually. In Italy. What a strange coincidence. Wait, so you found this blade where?"
    "I live with Jack and Ruth. I found it in their basement. But...I don't think it's theirs," I said, flustered, trying not to give away all the bizarre realities that led me to this conclusion. "I've just never seen it in the house before..."
    "Well, for the record, I don't think it belongs to them either. I'll explain why in a minute," he said, letting out a deep exhale as he finally sat down. I was stunned again. I did find it in their house. Why would he so quickly dismiss the possibility that it belonged to them?
    "This is a unique find indeed. I don't think you realize how significant it is." He looked at me over his glasses again. "Before we discuss it further, I have to ask...Do you consider yourself to be a spiritual person?"
    "I don't know," I said, wondering what this had to do with anything.
    "Do you know much about world religion, ancient customs, spiritual practices?"
    "I know some," I said. I always found the subject interesting and read quite a bit on it, but I was no expert.
    "How about paganism?" he asked. "The world's first religion."
    "Worshipped many gods, practiced magic rituals, etcetera?" I added.
    "Yes," he confirmed. "The Etruscans were pagans, and lived in a time when the world's people embraced the mysteries of life in all their rawness. A time when magic, and those who possessed the ability to harness it, were revered.
    "The Etruscans were a very unique people. Among them, there were a chosen few who were said to possess amazing gifts, granted to them by the mother goddess Diana to protect and defend her people from the evils that roamed her lands. They were the practitioners of La Vecchia Religione , the Old Religion. They were the Strega . The world's first witches.
    "The modern words witch and Wicca are actually terms based on the Old English word wicce , meaning wise. Unfortunately, these words have mostly dark and negative associations in western civilization after centuries of smear campaigns that date back to the beginning of Rome's domination. And the end of the Etruscan race.
    "The practice of magic, sorcery, and witchcraft is still very much alive across the globe today. It has ancient roots and common ties. Since the beginning of time, societies have relied upon their witches, sorcerers, sages, and medicine men. These people are thought to be gifted, connected with earth and spirit in a way that transcends the known boundaries of science. It is said that their physical and ethereal senses are sharper than most humans, much like animals in the