Page 35 of Twisted Souls (Twisted Souls #1)

Xavier

We returned to the castle hours later, exhausted from our adventures. The sun had already set, and it was once again raining, the storm brewing overhead like an omen. Gunnar waited for us in his study, and the others left to clean up from the day.

It was time. I was ready—ready to be whole again, to finally feel like myself once more.

Gunnar led Jaxon and me to the highest of the castle towers. The wind howled, and the rain battered against the stone as we stepped out into the storm. Candles flickered in a large circle, their flames untouched by the pounding rain, casting dancing shadows across the dark, rain-soaked stone. Crimson marks littered the inside of the circle, forming strange, intricate patterns that seemed to pulse.

“You will need to both lie in the circle. Make sure your hearts are lined up next to each other,” Gunnar said over the storm, gesturing us forward.

The rain pelted us in the face, soaking our clothes once more. Jaxon and I glanced at each other, and he gave a sharp nod before stepping into the circle of candles. I watched as he lay down on the etched stone, his features tightening as he squinted against the downpour. With a sigh, I followed, doing as Gunnar had instructed.

The stone beneath me was ice-cold, seeping through my clothes. Pushing my wet hair out of my eyes, I saw Gunnar stepping into the circle. The pocket watch was in his hand—the one Jaxon had used to steal my magic. He placed it carefully between us, aligning it with our hearts, then retreated from the circle.

Lightning streaked across the sky in jagged lines, briefly lighting up the swirling storm clouds above. Each flash sent the air trembling, the thunder rumbling like a warning deep in my bones. I could feel the weight of the moment pressing down on us as I turned toward Jaxon, his face drawn tight beneath the rain, but his head turned and his eyes locked with mine.

“I'm sorry, Xavier,” Jaxon said, his voice straining to carry over the storm. “For all of it. I- I was wrong. I should have—” His words fumbled, breaking under his guilt.

Before he could finish, I reached out and gripped his shoulder. “It's done,” I said, my voice firmer than I felt. The rain streamed down his face as his hand reached up, fingers wrapping over mine, but it did nothing to wash away the sadness still lingering in his eyes.

For a moment, I hesitated, then let the words slip out. “I forgive you.”

Jaxon’s nod was barely noticeable, but his eyes remained heavy.

“I love you, brother,” I said, and his hand tightened over mine briefly, his grip warm despite the rain’s cold bite. I pulled away, returning my hand to my side, and took a deep breath.

“Are you ready?” Gunnar’s voice called out, and I nodded, staring again at the stormy night sky.

A moment later, a sudden and painful piercing ring drilled into my ears, and my gaze snapped to Gunnar. He was now muttering an incantation, his eyes shining as he looked upon us in the circle. His hand was raised toward us, fingers splayed and twitching as if pulling invisible strings.

Memories of that dreadful night surged forward, the night I woke to find Jaxon looming over me in the dark. He had woken me from my sleep, his golden eyes cold and ruthless. I shook the image away, and my heart pounded wildly. The pain increased, and I shut my eyes, bracing for the agony I knew was seconds away.

The sky shattered with a deafening roar of thunder, and a burning pain shot through my chest. It was so intense it stole my breath. I forced my eyes open, but only a suffocating darkness met my gaze. Icy, hot liquid crept through my veins like acid, and it spread throughout my body like wildfire, the pain becoming unbearable.

A raw, primal scream tore from my throat, and I could hear Jaxon let out one of his own. Our shouts echoed in the night, mingling with the thunder. The pain made me arch my back, my muscles straining. Blindly, I reached out, my fingers finding the cool, smooth surface of the pocket watch as if drawn to it. Its presence was both grounding and alien, as if it were a lifeline and a tether to the pain.

The world around me seemed to warp and twist, the lines between reality and darkness blurring. Magic swirled around us, pressing down, squeezing the air from my lungs. A flash of icy blue eyes burned into my vision, and I screamed again as invisible hands started to tear me apart. It felt like I was being pulled in every direction at once, and I fell into unconsciousness.