Page 37 of Unbearable Attraction (Hollow Oak Mates #4)

LEENAH

T he Council Glade felt different with Edmund's corruption spreading through the woods.

Even here, in the most protected space in Hollow Oak, Leenah could sense the wrongness creeping at the edges of the ancient wards.

The air tasted metallic, charged with hostile magic that made her necromantic abilities recoil.

"How bad is it?" Elder Varric asked as she and Luka approached the emergency gathering.

"Worse than we thought," Luka replied grimly. "He's not just claiming the sacred sites. He's actively corrupting them."

"The grove's barrier is tearing holes in the spirit realm," Leenah added, settling onto the moss-covered ground beside Miriam Caldwell. "If this continues much longer, we'll lose more than just our protections. We'll lose the balance that keeps this place habitable."

Elder Bram's expression grew darker. "Legal documents or not, we cannot allow one individual to destroy centuries of careful magical cultivation."

"What are our options?" asked one of the other Council members.

Varric's eyes fixed on Leenah. "That depends on what our necromancer is willing to attempt."

The weight of expectation settled on her shoulders like a familiar burden.

They were looking to her to fix this, to find some magical solution that would send Edmund packing without devastating consequences.

The old Leenah would have already been planning something dramatic and dangerous, some solo working that would prove her capabilities while risking everything she cared about.

But standing here in the glade, feeling Luka's steady presence through their bond and seeing the genuine concern in faces that had become dear to her, she realized that approach would be exactly what Edmund expected.

"He wants me to respond with dark magic," she said slowly, pieces clicking into place. "That's part of his plan. If I use the kind of necromancy my family thinks I'm capable of, it proves his point about dangerous independent practitioners."

"So what do you suggest?" Miriam asked.

"We don't fight him alone. We use what makes Hollow Oak special." Leenah looked around the circle of worried faces. "The connections between us. The community bonds that have protected this place longer than any individual magic."

"Explain," Varric said, leaning forward with interest.

"Edmund's power is impressive, but it's solitary.

Selfish. He's trying to impose his will on a place that's been shaped by collective magic for centuries.

" She gestured toward the ancient trees surrounding them.

"But Hollow Oak isn't just protected by wards or barriers.

It's protected by everyone who calls it home. "

"A combined working," Luka said, understanding dawning in his voice. "Like what we did during the bonding ritual, but larger."

"Exactly. Every business owner who's woven protective intentions into their shop.

Every resident who's added their personal magic to the town's defenses.

Every spirit that's found peace here." Leenah felt her excitement building.

"If we can connect all of that, focus it through the original ward stones, Edmund's corruption won't be able to take hold. "

Elder Bram looked skeptical. "That kind of working would require precise coordination from dozens of participants. One mistake could destabilize everything we're trying to protect."

"Then we don't make mistakes," she replied simply. "We trust each other."

The conversation that followed revealed the complexity of what she was proposing.

Coordinating magical workings across the entire town would require careful timing, shared focus, and the kind of trust that came from genuine community bonds.

Not everyone would be willing to participate, and not everyone who was willing would have the skill to contribute safely.

But as they talked through the logistics, Leenah felt something she'd never experienced before: the absolute certainty that she wasn't facing this crisis alone.

"Twyla will want to coordinate the business district," Miriam said, consulting her notebook. "Her fae blood gives her natural connections to most of the protective enchantments along Main Street."

"Maeve can handle the tavern and the residential areas near the lake," Varric added. "Her pride runs deep with this place."

"What about the sacred sites Edmund hasn't claimed yet?" Luka asked.

"That's where we come in," Leenah said, meeting his eyes. "Our bond gives us access to both the spirit realm and the earth magic anchoring the wards. We can serve as the focal point while everyone else feeds power into the working."

"Dangerous for both of you," Elder Bram observed. "If the coordination fails while you're channeling that much energy..."

"We've done dangerous before," Luka replied. "We can handle it."

Through their bond, Leenah felt his absolute confidence in their partnership. Not just romantic love, but the deeper trust that came from knowing someone would stand beside you no matter what the cost. The same trust she was asking the entire community to place in each other.

"How long do we have?" she asked Varric.

"Edmund's given us until tomorrow evening to 'comply with proper supernatural authority,'" the elder replied with distaste. "After that, he's promised to escalate his claims through official channels."

"Which means more legal documents, more corruption of the sacred sites, and probably more of his people arriving to enforce his demands," Luka added grimly.

"Then we stop him tomorrow," Leenah said with growing determination. "Before he can call in reinforcements or spread his corruption any further."

The meeting dispersed with tasks assigned and contingency plans discussed. But as the others left to begin preparations, Leenah remained in the glade with Luka, absorbing the weight of what they were about to attempt.

"Scared?" he asked quietly.

"Terrified," she admitted. "But not of the magic. I'm scared of letting everyone down. Of proving Edmund right about dangerous necromancers who bite off more than they can chew."

"You won't," Luka said with certainty that warmed her through their bond. "You know why?"

"Because you'll be there to catch me if I fall?"

"Because you're not the same person who used to work alone.

" He gestured toward the paths where their friends and neighbors had disappeared into the woods.

"Look around, Leenah. Look what you've built here.

Not just our bond, but connections with people who trust you enough to risk their own magic on your plan. "

She did look, really look, at what Hollow Oak had become for her.

Not just a place to hide from her family's disappointment or practice her abilities without judgment, but a home filled with people who'd accepted her completely.

Twyla's matchmaking kindness, Miriam's gentle wisdom, even Maeve's gruff protectiveness.

All of it woven together into a community that had space for a prickly necromancer with trust issues and a grieving bear shifter who'd forgotten how to hope.

"I've spent so many years thinking strength meant standing alone," she said softly. "But this feels stronger. Scarier, but stronger."

"Because it is stronger. One person can have power, but a community has something more important."

"What's that?"

Luka's smile transformed his entire face. "Purpose worth fighting for."

As they walked back toward town together, Leenah felt the truth of his words settling into her bones.

Tomorrow, she would face the most complex magical working of her life, channeling the combined will of an entire supernatural community against someone who wanted to destroy everything they'd built.