Page 76 of The Unbound Witch

Raven sighed. “Do you know any spells that your father had? Any markings that would identify him? His name? Anything?”

“Is he dead?” she whispered.

“I think so.”

“His name was Nicholas. I know he had a marking on his hand that had a bottomless triangle, like a mountain.”

Raven moved her fingers through the ends of her black hair, her eyes cast to the floor as she sighed. “Your father moved to the Moon Coven after you left. He took copious amounts of elixir to conceal his age and real identity. Without going into details, he’s dead.”

“Nikos?” she asked quietly, jaw slackened, looking up to Torryn.

“Nikos,” he confirmed.

“I’m so sorry,” she said, moving closer to the captain. “You must know this changes nothing. I had no idea.”

“We know,” Bastian said.

“Well, most of us do,” I corrected.

“That’s why it feels different, though,” she said, looking out the window, though the sun shone through. “He converted to the Moon Coven, and I feel… different here. I thought it was just me trying to get used to my magic again, but I think it’s the moon.”

“Standing beneath the moon as a member of this coven is like soaking in a milk bath,” Raven whispered. “There’s nothing more rejuvenating.”

“Half black, half white hair and eyes, life split between magic and non-magic lands, it’s only fitting I’m also split between two covens,” she rationalized, still looking out the window.

Moments slipped by as we waited for her to say anything else. For Raven to, but the awkward silence grew.

“We going to sit around here or get shit done?” I asked.

In minutes, the men had shifted the shelving along the west wall as Raven and I cleared the terra-cotta pots and bags of soil out of the way, moving everything to the opposite side of the room. The king cast six identical doors, each with a different emblem atop them, but nothing intricate beyond that. Pacing the floor, hands clasped behind his back, I finally realized his resolve was fading. Bastian, used to commanding his own world, was struggling with the upheaval of his life and security. I couldn’t say I felt sorry for him. As much as I respected him and the truth of who he was, this terror and madness, mixed with a little starvation, was daily life for a Moon witch.

“Atlas, you know the drill,” the king said finally.

“I do.”

Sweeping forward, I stopped beside him. “I don’t.”

“Their group won’t need the doors, but we will if we want to be able to travel quickly. So you and I will be able to use these. We can come and go from here as we want, but the back side to each door is hidden in the covens,” the pup said.

“Should we get separated, Raven and Torryn can also use them,” the king added.

“And us?” Crow asked.

“It’s best for us to stay here, hidden and behind my barrier,” Eden said, taking his hand. She then looked to Bastian. “He’s not used to being stuck on land. It’ll pass.”

I moved to the River Coven door. “No time for small talk. Let’s go.”

Atlas glanced up to the emblem, twisted his brows and shrugged, following me. Torryn muttered something about being safe, but we’d already passed through the king’s magic.

“Why here?” the wolf asked, spinning in a circle to take in the mass of water surrounding the riverbank we emerged on. “It smells like fish. Dead fish.”

“I don’t know. I just picked one to get out of that fucking shop. I’m open to suggestions.”

He grinned, wide and proud. “You’re not going to like my suggestion, Ghosty.”

“Don’t be dramatic. What have you got?”

“The wraiths are nosy bitches.”