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Bile rose in Avenay’s throat as the memory of the beast Enid and Onora dragged back from the forest flashed through her mind. It had been a human. He’d said it was their dead. But only those sacrificed died here.

“The beasts…” she said, unable to complete the words.

Edond nodded. “That is another price. The beings sacrificed on the cleft of the pit warp and twist like the void itself.”

There had been so many, though. So, so many. The ones who chased them in the woods had been well into the hundreds.

“Are they all human?” she asked.

“Mostly. They are the best conduits. We ran out of humans a year ago. So, you can understand how excited we were to see Onora with all of you. And a demon on top of that? You’ve all brought so much joy to us.”

“What does a demon have to do with this?” Avenay’s head swam from all the information.

“What we told you before was true. A demon, that meddling Lemia, came here and saw the sacrifices. She said that it wasn’t voluntary if you felt coerced into giving up your life, and that what we did was unnatural and we should accept what life has given us,” Edond scoffed. “She was a fool, and she died one. Lemia used every ounce of her power to seal the gateway with her shroud and sword. Ensuring we would never be able to access that power again.” Anger lined Edond’s features, twisting his face in a spiteful scowl. “A funny thing about your lovely story of Lemia: those were written as a coded grimoire by one of our witches who escaped. She understood what was happening and ran before she could be locked in. She wrote the stories as a code to be passed down to her descendants. Her first children told us this. But it’s been ages since any of her or others have made it back.”

Lemia was real. So much of this was real. The revelation and all that meant was swallowed up immediately in fear and anguish for Enid. This confirmed that Enid and Onora were going to be sacrificed, and possibly the others too, if that was truly a requirement for bringing Evoleen back.

“You say you want volunteers, that people will do it once they understand. Yet you never gave any of us a choice in that,” she spat.

“We couldn’t take the chance. Your sister is sick, is she not?”

Avenay swallowed, refusing to respond to his cruel bait. He knew what he was doing, dangling the promise of a cure in front of her.

“Once all is done, your sister will become well again. As will anyone else who is sick. Two lives are so little in comparison to the hundreds—even thousands that will be saved.”

He said it so casually, as if he were talking of the weather,or crops. Not Enid and a woman who had done nothing but try to help. Perhaps she could see the appeal of saving as many as possible, of an eternal youth. But at the expense of even one was too much for Avenay.

She closed her eyes, searching for that thread between her and Enid. It tugged and lit up, and she breathed a small exhale of relief. Enid wasn’t dead yet. And if there were any gods who would listen and could help, Avenay prayed they saved her.

Chapter 33: Enid

The shackles cut into Enid’s wrist with each jerk her captors gave, the magic inhibiting poison on them burning, sending pain and panic down her spine. Weakness infected every muscle in her body without her magic humming inside her like it normally did. Onora had a snarl on her face, eyes set and calculating as she took in her surroundings.

As much as Enid hated to admit it, if she were to be in this situation with anyone, a calculating conduit was probably the best. The magic inhibition wouldn’t work as well on her since she wasn’t asource. Even if she didn’t know how to use her powers yet. If only she could talk to her quietly without the others hearing.

The path wound up through the woods, along the same path they had taken before, and Enid’s mind raced, searching for a way out. Roots lined the pathway, making her stumble, and a soldier caught her by the arm, giving an apologetic look.

Odd.

“Did you know this was going to happen?” she asked him, hoping to coax some clues from him.

“That what was going to happen?” he asked, guilt coating every word.

“You know.” Because she sure as the darkest pit didn’t know. She needed him to tell her.

He swallowed and yanked her along the path, refusing eye contact. The temple appeared before them, a small building of dark stones, reaching up to a steeple that disappeared with the treetops. Something like despair darkened her heart.

“No… I think we all guessed one of you might be asked to be sacrificed,” the soldier finally said, as if shame had forced the words from his mouth. “But we didn’t know the details until now… You have to understand that it’s for the best, though.”

His words hit her like a hammer.

Sacrificed.

Oh shit. That’s what Avenay and Vasu uncovered, wasn’t it?

“Help us escape,” she pleaded.

The others could hear her and they wouldn’t let him—she knew all of this. But she couldn’t see another way. They were too outnumbered, and Enid was too weak with the poison to try anything.