15. Thorne

15

THORNE

"There you are, you arse."

The five words that ring out through the forest interrupt my meditation. Opening my eyes, I glare at Caine and Flint, who have decided to crash my party for one. "What do you want?"

"We've been searching everywhere for you," Flint snaps. "This fuckhead won't tell me jack until we found you because, and I quote, I don't like repeating my-fucking-self."

"Who does?" I ask with a shrug and stand up, brushing my black jeans down and adjusting the cuffs on my black shirt.

Flint growls and gives me a death stare. Whatever bee he has in his bonnet is hornet-sized and getting angrier by the second.

"Fine, you found me. What's up? Is our girl okay?"

"She is fine," Caine states. "Slept well. "

"Oh?" I raise an eyebrow. "And you know that because?"

"He spent the day in her room," Flint replies for him, tightly and more than a bit jealously.

My gaze bores into Caine's. "Did you now?"

"Nothing happened," he mutters.

"Good for you. How restrained," I drawl, getting on board with Flint's attitude.

"Fuck off. We have bigger issues to deal with. Come."

The order is exactly that. He waves his cane, and we all land in the middle of his room, immaculately kept as only a Demon with ice running through his veins could keep it.

"What issues?"

"This." Caine indicates two books on the desk in the corner.

Flint goes over to examine them and then shoots Caine a curious stare.

"I was doing some homework on our little vampire last night. Interesting creatures."

"And?" I snap. "Get to the point."

"I have found something that can help her. A severing ritual. It will break her bond with her sire."

That hits me hard in the guts. "So what are we waiting for?"

"We need to speak to Blackthorne about it first. It's risky. Extremely risky."

"Have you told Violet?" Flint asks.

"Yes, that is why I was with her this morning. "

Flint nods with approval. "Good. What did she say?"

"She wants to do it, but none of us are vampires. We haven't got the first clue how to do this or the effects it will have on her as a whole."

"Blackthorne, then."

"Let's go," Flint says, picking up the book and handing it to Caine. "The sooner we can help Violet get over this creep, the better."

"If he dies, does that mean the bond will break?" I ask curiously. "Killing him outright seems a lot easier, and a lot more fun."

Caine and I share a knowing stare, but Flint shakes his head. "We don't know if she will just end up mourning him for eternity. If there is a way to definitively do this, then we have to look at this as Option A."

"Agreed," Caine says. "And then that dick is fair game."

"Oh, I hope he comes here looking for her," I mutter, my shadow magick twirling around my fingers as I think of all the painful ways I can make him suffer before plunging a stake into his heart.

We remain relatively silent as we make our way to find Blackthorne. We find him in his office at his desk when he bids us entry, surrounded by stacks of ancient-looking books. He looks up, his eyebrows rising slightly at the sight of the three of us together.

"Gentlemen," he says, setting aside the book he was reading. "To what do I owe this visit? "

Caine steps forward, placing the book we brought on Blackthorne's desk. "We need your expertise on this."

Blackthorne's eyes narrow as he examines the title. "This would be not what I think, is it?"

"The severing ritual for Violet's bond to her sire," Caine states.

I nod, stepping closer. "We need to know if it's possible, and if so, what are the risks?"

Blackthorne leans back in his chair, his expression grave. "The severing ritual is indeed possible, but it's not without significant danger. The bond between a vampire and their sire is not just emotional or mental—it's a fundamental part of their being."

"But it can be done?" Flint presses.

"Yes," Blackthorne says slowly, "I believe it can be done, although I know of no cases where it has been accomplished. The risks are extreme. Breaking such a profound connection could have severe consequences for Violet—physical, emotional, and psychological."

"What kind of consequences?" I ask, feeling a knot form in my stomach.

Blackthorne sighs heavily. "In the best case scenario, she'll experience intense pain and disorientation for several days, possibly weeks. In the worst case..." He trails off, his expression grim.

"Spit it out," Caine growls.

"In the worst case, it could drive her mad. Or kill her outright. "

A heavy silence falls over the room. I exchange worried glances with Flint and Caine.

"But if we don't do anything, she'll always be at risk of being controlled by her sire," Flint argues. "That's no life either."

Blackthorne nods. "You're not wrong. It's a difficult situation with no easy answers." But he sits forward, and flips open the book that Caine brought with us. He frowns and starts reading silently, seemingly forgetting we are still standing in front of him.

"Hmm," he murmurs, pursing his lips. "Interesting."

"What is it?" I ask.

He looks up and fixes me with a serious stare. "It's a Dark Fae spell."

"Oh?" I ask, taken aback. "Really?" I lean over the desk and turn the book around to read what he did. There is no doubt, the connection to the earth and nature and the darker aspects of this would make it a Dark Fae ritual. "That is wild."

"So, you concur?"

"Yeah. No doubt."

"Why?" Flint asks in confusion. "Why would a Dark Fae have wanted to sever a vampire bond?"

"Any number of reasons," Blackthorne says.

"Perhaps a Dark Fae fell in love with a vampire and wanted the sire bond cut. Dark Fae aren't known for their magnanimous gestures. This was self-serving and possibly even vindictive. "

"I agree," Blackthorne murmurs. "Which makes it even more dangerous."

"Intent is everything."

We exchange a knowing look.

"But that puts you right at the forefront of this," Flint states. "If you perform the ritual, chances are higher it will go right. Yes?"

"Possibly. I mean, the ritual itself is fairly rudimentary in its components," I say, scanning over the spell again. "But the power behind it, the intent, that's where the real magick lies."

Blackthorne nods gravely. "And even then, the risks to Violet would be substantial. This isn't a decision to be made lightly."

"We need to talk to her," Flint says firmly. "She needs to know all the risks before deciding anything."

"Agreed," Caine says. "But I think we all know what she'll choose. She's desperate to be free of that bastard."

I tap the pages as I scan the surrounding text looking for loopholes, or anything subversive that could make this go sideways faster than a drunk pixie on a broomstick. "I need time to really read over this and see what the catch is."

"Catch?" Flint asks.

I nod. "As I said, Dark Fae don't do things for the good of others. There is a catch in here somewhere, I just have to find it."

"So, we're really considering this? Putting Violet through a potentially fatal ritual?" he murmurs .

"If it's what she wants, yes," Caine says. "I have already spoken to her about this. She is eager to get it done."

"And if she dies?" I challenge.

"Then at least she died free," he snaps back.

Flint steps between us, hands raised. "Whoa, hang the fuck on a minute, apologies Professor for the language. Let's not get ahead of ourselves. This isn't about you. This is about Violet. We talk to her first, lay out all the facts. Then we let her decide our next move."

Blackthorne straightens up. "I would advise extreme caution. But if you do decide to proceed, I will assist in any way I can to ensure the highest chance of success."

We all nod solemnly. "Thanks," I say, closing the book and picking it up. "I need time. This isn't going to be quick research."

"Take all the time you need to get it right," Blackthorne says. "In the meantime, Professor Eldon is working on some potions and some runic enchantments that will ward off the worst of her withdrawals."

"I hate to be the one to say this," I start and then pause, knowing the backlash I'm about to get. "But I think we also need to allow her to drink human blood."

Blackthorne's eyes narrow, and he sighs lightly. "In ordinary circumstances, I would agree, but we cannot allow human blood on campus. It will be a very severe mistake. The vampires will be able to sense it a mile away, and all hell will break loose."

Caine shuffles next to me, probably debating telling our esteemed Headmaster that all the students know that the Blood Bar on the edge of the grounds serves human blood whenever it can get past the rigorous random sweeps.

"So, we take her off campus," Flint says, oblivious to the underlying tension. "Out into the forest where no one else is around for miles."

"I don't believe taking her into the Whispering Woods is the best place for her," Blackthorne argues. "If Nathaniel is lurking, you would be playing right into his hands."

"Then we find another way," Caine says firmly, but we share another knowing look. We will be at the Blood Bar every fucking hour of every fucking day until we can get her what she needs.

"We can't let her suffer," Flint snaps, his frustration evident.

"No," Blackthorne says calmly. "We continue with Professor Eldon's potions and work on strengthening Violet's mental defences, and we proceed carefully with researching this severing ritual."

"Fine," Caine says eventually. "But if her condition worsens, we may need to reconsider our options."

Blackthorne nods gravely. "Agreed. For now, keep a close eye on her. Any signs of distress or unusual behaviour, report to me immediately. "

As we file out of Blackthorne's office, I can't shake the feeling that we're running out of time. Nathaniel is out there somewhere, and I doubt he'll give up his claim on Violet easily. We need to act fast, but we also need to be smart about this.

"I'm going to start researching this ritual immediately," I tell Caine and Flint as we walk down the hallway. "The sooner we understand all the implications, the better."

Caine nods. "Flint and I will take turns keeping an eye on Violet."

As we part ways, the sense of urgency is strong but also the thrill. The excitement of delving into something so intricate and complex is everything my dark heart needs to stay sane on this plane of existence. The stakes are high, and Violet's life hangs in the balance, but we need to find a way to free her from Nathaniel's influence before it's too late.

I head to the library and make my way to the Dark Fae section at the back, knowing it will be my best shot. I sit down and start reading the book from page one. I know my kind. They don't make anything easy. If there are consequences in this book about this ritual, it won't be where you expect it to be. It never is.