Page 114 of The Unbound Witch

“What happened?” I asked.

“Something woke him up. Another spell.”

Kirsi moved away from Atlas, sweeping back and forth. “Pain.”

Torryn’s body arched, his shoulders pressing into the counter as the rest of his body contorted to an unnatural angle.

Atlas circled, moving to Tor’s head. He stroked his fingers in Torryn’s twists of hair as he whispered words we could not hear. He never stopped. Hardly took a breath as he spoke. And all anyone else could do was stand and watch and wait. I prayed the goddess would see this through. Would acknowledge the suffering on his weakened body and grant him the life he fought for. But only time would tell.

When the room fell silent, we held our breath.

“Is it over?” Bastian dared to ask.

I lifted a shoulder, shaking my head, afraid to make any promises. Because even if the magic had been drained, he’d still have to fight for his life. We waited. And waited. And waited. Atlas lay his head on Tor’s chest, eyes closed with tears dropping as he listened for a heartbeat. But when his face twisted and he sobbed, Bastian rushed forward, pushing him away so he could listen. Atlas turned away, finding comfort in Kirsi’s arms.

“He’s not dead,” she promised. “He’s not gone yet. I would have felt it. I would have known.”

“He’s barely there,” he answered. “How can he fight? How can he come back after all of that?”

Bastian turned, grabbing Atlas by the collar and hauling him forward until they were nose to nose. “You do not mourn him. Do you hear me, Atty? He is not dead and you do not mourn him. You send that energy out into this world and it will harness it and see it through. Don’t make me kick you out of here. One mind, one goal.”

Atlas nodded with hardened eyes. “One mind. One goal.”

45

RAVEN

After hours of sitting with the guys, Kirsi and I moved away to give them space. I would have loved nothing more than to sage the shop. But we’d taken all of it out back so Kirsi didn’t suffer during our time here.

We moved like we were numb. Like the world had not betrayed us once again. Torryn’s breaths became steadier, no longer shallow and ragged. We ate together, Bastian, Atty and I. We sat a little closer together on the floor than we needed to. Letting the somberness in the air settle over our hearts and into our minds, though we probably shouldn’t have.

“Kir,” Bastian said, breaking the endless silence.

She jumped at the sound of her name. “What, King?”

“Did the wraith have answers?”

My heart sank at his question. His mind was wrapped in death. He would live through this hell again if the Harrowing returned for me. And though he could do nothing for Torryn now, he’d need a distraction. Two books remained out in the wild. Three if you counted the one the Storm Coven silent witches were holding. But for now, the three books were separated by territories.

“Each of the witches that were part of casting the Harrowing curse has to die.”

“Done,” he said with finality. “Every damn one of them.”

I left, digging the Moss Grimoire out of the back room and setting it on my lap as I settled back in beside the Dark King, his mind in murderous places. We’d kept this book away from the castle, knowing that if Endora would come for any of them, it would be this one first. Opening the fragile pages of the book, I studied the lists of ancient witches, reading through the notes of nonsense and speculations down the side. Suspected affairs and murders. Unrecorded spells and traitors. Not much of note, but history all the same. A distraction. An ambiance of whispers from a sentient book that only I could hear but could not understand.

It’d become abundantly clear that I was connected to these books in a way no one else was. And though I didn’t know why, thumbing through the book, I thought maybe I’d finally figured out why I was so sick. Why the human lands were killing me. Coming back to the land with power hadn't saved me. Because I was still dying. Just as the Moss Coven book was dying. It’d been left disconnected from magic for too long. When I touched the other books, they practically hummed with power, their whispers strong. This book though, I could hardly feel anything at all.

Atlas stood from the floor, placing his hands in his pockets. “Who do we have left? I’m over this shit.”

I answered quietly. “It was cast by the coven leaders, I believe; one from each coven.”

Bastian shook his head. “That can’t be the case. The Harrowing began under my rule and I sure as hell didn’t take part.”

“Then the only witches left are Endora and Xena. Tasa died first, thanks to Nikos. Willow wasn’t a coven leader then. We’ve taken everyone else out just trying to get the books,” Kir said.

“There’s a piece missing, I know it. It had to have been all seven covens,” I said, peeking down at the notes in the margins again. “I can’t find it in here, but it has to be.”

Kirsi moved toward the door leading to the cabin in the mountains. “Guess we’d better call them back. Check with the only person who might know.”