Page 10 of The Unbound Witch

He knelt until he could look me in the eye. “What happened?”

I let my feet slide from under me, landing on the gravel. I’d made it all the way to the road without realizing it. Pulling my knees to my chest, I looked away. “I… I don’t know. It’s been a long day.”

Another breath. One and two. Control. Focus. “Remember when you said I wasn’t broken? I think you were wrong.”

He huffed a laugh. “It’s been known to happen from time to time.”

The gravel crunched below Grey as he, too, sat upon the road beside me. Brushing his palm over the rocks, he gripped a handful and let the sharp pebbles fall one by one as crickets sang a cacophony of chirps, a breeze poured over the hills behind the home, and the moon slowly trekked across the sky. He remained steadfast and patient. Calm.

“You ever wonder what life would be like if we were born into different roles?”

I opened my mouth to say something. What, exactly, I didn’t know, but Grey went on.

“I mean, Bastian and I never had it easy. There were no comforts living in the castle beyond simple pleasures. It was hard knowing every day we were always going to be someone’s adversary. I think we grew up faster than we were supposed to, and maybe because of that, we grew up differently. Broken, like you said.”

I sat silently, listening to his thoughts, if only to escape my own.

“I never thought I’d be good at it, you know? Working in the castle. But it was in my blood, and my father never once doubted me.”

“Where are your parents now?” I held my knees closer to me, rubbing warmth into them as he spoke.

“They died when I was young. The Fire Coven has never been a safe place to be.”

“I’m sorry.”

Green eyes glanced at mine before looking away. “Everyone can become an enemy when you lose something you love. Do you miss him?” he finally asked, a quiet vulnerability to his tone, as if afraid I’d give him the wrong answer.

“I miss planning the future we might have had. I miss the daydream. I’m not sure I have the right to miss the man. Not when I …” my voice trailed off.

“You didn’t. Not really. The weapon is not to blame for the action of the wielder. I don’t think he would have blamed you. But if you let those thoughts fester, every memory you had with him will turn sour. You’ll never trust yourself.”

“I think we both know Bastian would have never trusted me again.”

He smirked, that single dimple showing through. “He always was a suspicious bastard.”

No one but Grey could have said that and gotten away with it. Even now, I thought it was only to grasp for that relationship they’d had. Where Bastian might have answered something ruthless back to him.

“What do you think he would do if he was stuck here?”

He shrugged, swiping at the gravel again. “Probably the same thing we’re doing.”

“No.” I smiled. “He’d have already been four steps ahead of the plan and would likely be halfway home.”

“I think you give him way too much credit. He’d probably still be on that fucking beach, contemplating a swim back.”He chucked a rock he’d been holding before looking up at the dark sky.

I was certain a thousand memories of his cousin swarmed his mind as we sat there. Bastian’s firm command, his easy smile when he thought no one was watching, his fierce loyalty.

“Raven, I need to tell—”

“Did you hear that?” I jumped to my feet, whipping around to look down the road.

We were close enough to the town to see the silhouette of the people between the gathering of lanterns, angry voices growing from distant murmurs to rumbles of strong disgust.

“Time to go,” Grey said, leaping from the ground and grabbing my hand as we dashed for the house.

5

RAVEN