Page 38

CHAPTER 38

Innes couldn’t run.

Not when it meant putting Remi and the entire godsdamn queendom of Vettona in harm’s way.

Not when she still didn’t have an answer for the blight and she hadn’t succeeded in her Passage.

Surely there was a way to spin this?

Surely there was something, some trick up her sleeve she could play?

She threw her pack on the ground, flinging open the top to rifle through the contents to see if by some miracle she had a Nayt stone with her, but that was a fruitless wish.

Boots stopped before her, and she looked up to see Kella, her face grim.

‘I need to bind you.’

They stared at each other.

Run.

I can’t be there for Briony if I’m dead.

She pushed the thought down, her mind whirring.

If she ran, the queen would be punished, Remi would be punished.

Yet if she didn’t.

.

.

‘Do it,’ she finally said, thrusting her wrists out.

She didn’t let her panic win when Kella looped the rope around, or let her fear take over when the captain led her into the cave a minute later.

She could do this.

She had to.

‘Perfect timing, Captain,’ Queen Una said, her voice unnaturally tight.

Remi’s eyes widened behind the queen, their bond growing hot with worry.

Innes shook her head, praying to the Ever, to the Ellarch and the Old Ways, that something would spring to mind.

Innes, led by Kella, stopped before the priest, Advisor Gudren’s face overlaying the man in a smoky apparition.

She’d heard of the Voice of the Seacht; the being who liaised between humans and the gods.

Yet she’d never thought she’d meet him, and as she stared at his milky shimmer, at the white-streaked hair, which rose from the priest’s head like a demonic halo, emotions thudded through her.

Here was the Voice of the Seacht.

A demigod who had ordered the deaths of her kin without hesitation.

A tingling sensation spread along her back, and the crash of the ocean increased in volume, increased until there was a tidal wave of voices smashing through the temple.

She gasped and staggered backwards, Kella’s grip the only thing stopping her from sinking to the floor as centuries’ worth of anguish swept through her.

Her foremothers’ cries echoed in her mind, and the temple reverberated in response to their presence; it remembered the witches’ history and welcomed the spirits of her ancestors.

The inkings on her back flared, a deep burning as her kin’s memories flowed through her, the witches of yore, awoken from their slumber.

Her breath quickened as she inhaled a wave of power that washed across her markings.

Here was the Voice of the Seacht, and she, an Ever Blessed witch from Telorne.

When she spoke, the words emanating from her mouth were not wholly her own, they held the echo of her ancestors.

Just as the priest was a vessel for Advisor Gudren, she too was a vessel for the witches.

‘Where the fuck is Aurelia?’

Advisor Gudren laughed.

‘I am so thrilled my intelligence was correct, Queen Una. The Seacht will be thrilled at your obedience. She seems rather untamed, don’t you think?

’

‘Tell the gods that scapegoating witches won’t stop the Ever from fading,’ Innes spat.

Advisor Gudren sneered.

‘You know not of what you speak.’

‘Don’t I?

Why don’t you explain to the queen why the blight is actually here, Gudren?

I heard your platitudes.

Falsities don’t become true with repetition.

’

Advisor Gudren’s expression wavered and the man underneath twitched in response.

Her ancestors surged at the opening, and Innes pressed further, her fear fading as she embodied the power of the Old Ways.

‘Why haven’t you Everted here, Gudren?

Why are you still using the priest as your mouthpiece?

’

Advisor Gudren took a step forwards.

‘How dare you speak to the Voice of the Seacht like that, witch .’

Her ancestors’ memories flowed through her, but every time she grasped at them, they bobbed away on the current of power.

.

.

Until only one remained.

‘The Seacht have always underestimated the Ellarch. If you want to end us, come and get me. Or have the gods used all the Ever available in Vettona? Is that why you’re using this sycophant as a vessel?

’

‘The Ever bends to the will of the Seacht. Anyone with Caius’ favour is capable of destroying you.

’

‘Caius’ favour?

You mean a kiss on the forehead and bedtime stories?

’

His snarl reverberated around the temple and Innes felt a wave of stagnant power trying to reach her, but it fell short.

For the first time, she smiled; a true grin which made Advisor Gudren flinch.

Her Ever swelled, filling her to the point of pain.

She was made of magic and wrath.

Ever bubbled under her skin, an intoxicating elixir forged by her ancestors, hellbent on vengeance.

She guzzled the ambrosia as if it was nectar.

‘The Seacht will restore the balance and wipe the impure traitors from the face of the Known World,’ Advisor Gudren said as he took another shuddering step towards her, finger raised in accusation.

‘It is with the blessing of our one true leader that we will defeat you. The three wells of Ever will sing once more in honour of his glory, it’s only a matter of time until the magic stops responding to your witchcraft.

Caius has found a way to bend the magic to his will, enhance it beyond your wildest dreams.

Anyone lacking will be stripped of the right to wield.

Don’t believe me?

Look around you, witch.

If the God of Beginnings can’t even control her magic without Caius’ consent, what power do you think a mutt like you can wield?

Just like the filthy danann, your kind will be cleansed from this world.

’

Blood thrummed in her ears, a centuries-old war cry.

She took a step forwards, shaking off Kella’s grip with a small zap of Ever.

The magic flowed easily, the temple giving freely to one of its own.

‘You can’t Evert in a temple of the Ellarch,’ Innes said, the realisation slamming through her body, ‘without a being from each faction of the treaty present.’ Her lips curled, the expression wild and vicious.

‘Which means’ – she snapped her arms apart and the binding rope burst into flames – ‘that you can only watch as I tell you this.’ She threw her head back, overcome with bone-deep knowledge that flowed from the walls of the temple, from the memories of her ancestors.

‘Balance is out of kilt, yet we have woken its salvation. A god’s blessing means nothing in the face of true unity.

Tell Caius the witches of Telorne do not fear him.

Tell him to sleep with one eye open.

His blood will drench the shores of his beloved isle before the year is out.

’ She tapped three fingers over her heart, her voice booming as she spoke a promise laced with foresight: ‘Tassos will rise once more. The Ellarch will return and banish the stain your kind has left. In the name of Mabel and the witches of Telorne, you are marked for Ending.’

She threw the wreaths dangling from her wrists at the priest’s body and released her Ever, letting the magic surge through her in a torrent of unrelenting power.

Flame licked at the priest’s body where the wreath landed.

Advisor Gudren shrieked, his features melting off the priest’s face, who writhed in pain and anger.

The six other priests standing behind her crumpled a second later, hands clutching their hooded faces as the magic severed the summoning, powered by the fury of her family.

She watched as the men burned, the thick smoke whisked away by a breeze that raced through the temple.

Only when the rush of magic ended did she sag in exhaustion.

The inkings across her skin burned and she felt woozy.

She blinked, and suddenly the ground was right in front of her.

She hit the stone, the palms of her hands stinging in pain.

Innes stared at her left hand.

The first joint of her pinkie finger now black, stark against her pale skin.

The Passage had finally claimed her.

She shook her head, the noise of her ancestors slowly receding until one voice remained.

It was light and lilting, a voice which used to sing her lullabies.

‘The Ellarch will rise, Innes. Tassos’ return is nearly complete.

Find him.

Reunite us once more.

’

‘Mama?’

‘My darling girl.’

‘How are you here?’

‘You called, and we answered. It is the blessing of the Passage, and the anthem of the warriors, to which you were already bonded.’

A gasp escaped her lips and she closed her eyes, a fragile image of her mother crystallising in her mind.

She looked the same as she remembered: locks of wild, curly hair with a smile that could part cloudy skies.

‘Why didn’t anyone tell me this would happen?

I would have voluntarily undertaken the Passage if I’d known I would see you again.

’

Her mother’s voice laughed, soft and gentle.

‘The Passage differs for every witch, Innes. It is the luck of fate and fortune that we have been offered this fleeting moment, so listen closely, we don’t have much time.

Ever should not be controlled, yet Caius has found a way to bind it to his will.

He is twisting the life force of the world, perverting it with unnatural amplification.

He must be stopped.

’

‘How?’

A faint pressure touched her brow, an echo of her mother kissing her to sleep.

‘Beginnings will End, Innes, until the True Beginning is once more. You have cleared your Passage, trust the Ever will guide you through the rest.’

‘What about Briony? And the blight? I can’t – I can’t lose her, too.

’

‘Caius has shackled Aurelia’s blessing.

She must be freed if you want a chance at stopping the blight.

’

‘But she’s a god!

They all deserve to End for what they’ve done to us – for what they did to you!

’

‘Not everything is black and white, Innes. Salvation lies sleeping.’

The pressure faded and Innes tried to grab onto the spirit of her mother, her mental fingers fading through wisps of smoke.

‘Please, don’t leave me, I can’t do this alone.

’

‘You are not alone, Innes. Stay the path, do what is right. Keep those you love safe.’

The warmth of the spirit vanished and she sagged against the floor once more.

The aftershocks of Ever rippled through her body, the memory of her mother’s voice ringing in her ears, interrupting every rational thought that tried to form.

‘What the hell was that, Innes?’ Remi shouted, running over to where she lay.

She blinked, Remi’s face a blur as she tried to push herself upright.

‘Gudren needed to think I was your enemy.’ Even she could tell her voice was distant, but she couldn’t fathom sounding normal at this moment.

Remi threw her hands up in frustration.

‘We could have gone about that any other way.’

Through the bond she could feel Remi’s anger, and she winced, the emotion too strong against how raw she felt.

‘I’m sorry.

’

It was only then Innes realised they had onlookers; the queen and every warrior were staring at them.

She forced herself to concentrate on what was in front of her, what was real, rather than the phantom kiss she could still feel on her brow.

Innes faced Queen Una and tapped three fingers to her chest.

‘Thank you. The witches of Telorne owe you a debt of gratitude.’

The Queen stared at her.

‘I will make sure to claim it in the coming war.’

Silence greeted her words, and the temple again seemed to hum in response.

Innes slowly got to her feet, taking Remi’s outstretched hand.

She let herself bask in the contact her twinsoul offered, knowing it would be short-lived as the warriors moved around her, collecting the bodies of the dead priests, making plans that were relayed in sharp orders.

‘Do you need anything from me to make sure Gudren won’t retaliate?

’ she asked.

The queen’s mouth rose, but the expression was far from a smile.

‘We have contingencies in place. Salvation lies sleeping.’

Innes froze, a chill sweeping through her.

‘How do you know that?’

Queen Una’s brows rose.

‘Know what? Safe travels, Innes. Stay the path foresight has carved.’

‘Wait.’ Remi’s eyes were wide, her face flushed with unspoken emotion.

‘You can’t just leave.

Not yet, we still have so much to figure out.

’

Innes swallowed and tore her gaze from Una.

‘I have to. If Gudren comes back and finds me...’ She didn’t need to finish the sentence.

Remi’s throat bobbed and Innes glanced away, unable to stand the grief that washed through their bond.

‘We can hide you.’

Innes shook her head.

‘You can’t, Remi.

It’s too dangerous.

’

‘Don’t fucking lecture me on danger.

’ Her voice was raw, and Innes flinched at the honesty, unable to think of an alternative when her mother’s words resounded in her head.

Keep those you love safe.

‘I’m so sorry.

’ She pulled away from her twinsoul.

Devastation split Remi’s expression, drenching their bond with anguish.

She wouldn’t ask Remi to leave, not when she knew how hard she had fought to create a family with the warriors.

Innes was the one who needed to relinquish the faint hope her stupid, foolish heart clung to.

She wouldn’t risk Remi too, not when her family’s lives were already on the line.

The queen and the warriors watched her as she wiped the tears from her eyes and staggered from the cave.

She hoped Remi would forgive her one day.

She hoped she would still be alive when that happened.