Chapter eight

Leading Maddie into the kitchen, I pour myself a cup of coffee as she settles into a chair beside the others. I walk over and glance at the papers spread over the table. The writing looks ancient, symbols and letters of a foreign language I don't recognize.

I gesture toward the papers. "Explain."

"Well," Chloe says, pulling a few papers from the scattered stack and tucking a strand of brown hair behind her ear, "this is the original lost souls spell."

"And it works how?" Taking a sip from my mug, I study the spell. A mixture of lines that look like a child drew them—crooked, wavy—and letters that have extra curves or marks.

"It draws souls that need a home to me," Maddie explains, running her fingers over the paper nearest her, a faint smile on her lips.

"So, we figured we could reverse it." Chloe pushes a few different papers toward me. "By changing them to this, we can use a lost soul as a beacon."

"Perfect," I say. "Jules or Wren should work fine. That'll lead us straight to the castle."

Ruya looks up from the table, the blind oracle's misty blue eyes finding the spot between my eyes to stare at. "That isn't how this works."

Clenching my jaw, I take a deep breath before asking, "Isn't that the exact question I've been asking?"

She scoffs. "You assumed you could pick any soul, but the spell is for lost souls."

"And Jules and Wren aren't lost?" I ask, incredulous. "Because they're the ones we're literally searching for.

"No," Mila whispers, and I glance toward her. "They're not lost because they're together. They're mates."

I stare at her for a minute, watching as she picks at her fingernails and avoids eye contact. Jules and Wren are… mates? Does that mean Jules has Mila's wolf DNA too? "And you know they're mates how?"

"Because they were the first ones we tried to use," Ruya says, impatience dripping from her tone.

"When they weren't working, we thought…" Chloe hesitates. "Well, we thought—"

"We thought they were dead." Ruya splays her hands on the table before her, guilt written over her face.

"But they aren't, right? I know Wren looked…" Sighing, I rub a hand over my face. "In your vision, she was bleeding and—"

The oracle nods. "I haven't been able to see her in any other visions, but I have seen Jules, and I could sense it between them. I don't understand it, but there was a…" Her mouth twists, brows furrowing as she struggles to find the words. "There was some sort of string connecting their chests."

Instinctively, my fist comes up to rub the spot over my sternum, where the mate bond tugs. Ruya mimics the movement, her gaze still boring a hole into the table. Irritation swirls within me about the semantics of the witches' magic. Always so complicated. Rules so convoluted no one can decipher how to work them properly. As much as I've grown to like the few gathered around the table, I know we wouldn't be in this mess in the first place if it weren't for witches and their magic.

"Aramin is lost," Mila says, flinching when I turn my glare on her at the mere mention of the name.

"Aramin." I glance around the table when I repeat the name, tone flat. Not one look of surprise greets me. This has been the idea the whole time. "No," I growl, grip tightening on the mug in my hand.

"Gideon," Maddie starts, rising from the chair to touch my arm. "She is lost, and she's helping them. She's been kicked from the pack and—"

"She'll have the strongest chance with the lost souls spell because you have pack ties with her," Chloe adds, fidgeting in her seat.

"And who's to say she's even there?" I slam my mug onto the table. "She's a wild card, not guaranteed. It's dangerous and risky. Pick again."

"She's there," Ruya says, her chin rising a fraction of an inch. "I saw it."

"You can see her and you can't find Wren? Convenient." I glare down at her, my palms flat against the table. "Your visions can change, oracle, so the answer is no. Find another soul."

"And if tracking her is sure to get us to the castle?" Ruya asks, her voice even. "If this is the only way to save Adara's sister, you'll just throw it all away because it isn't what you deem perfect? Do you want to tell your mate yourself?" She waves one hand in the direction of the stairs. "Do you think she'll stay behind while you waste more time in finding a guaranteed path when her sister is with a monster?"

My teeth ache as I clench my jaw, fighting the pull of my wolf. I want to rip the oracle to pieces, shred my clothes, and take off into the woods with Adara at my side. Leave all of this behind us. Run until we're safe. Run until we're away from these witches and their gods damn magic that only causes pain and suffering and loss.

She'll never go with you if she has to leave them all behind,my wolf argues, crushing every daydream I could've had, but I already know he's right. She loves them—all of them. The pack, her sister, even Wren despite just having met her. It's one of the most beautiful traits about her, how loving she is, how big her heart is. It's also one of the most infuriating… because she loves them more than she cares about her own safety.

Growling, I shove off from the table and point a finger at the oracle. "Weren't you the one preaching about me being more patient?" I snap. "More tenacious? Take some extra time to practice that yourself and find another damn soul to track."

Storming from the kitchen, I stalk past Jaz lying on the couch, her usual smirk missing from her face, and make my way outside. Of the group, only Frank and Darrold hadn't yet worked with Adara, but both have visited their wolves' worlds at least once already. The two of them stand beside the fire pit, flames licking at the night sky and silhouetting them. Frank's booming laugh echoes over the yard as he claps Darrold on the shoulder.

I glower at him, my nails lengthening into claws as I shove his shoulder, grabbing a fistful of his shirt. He quirks one brow, looking from his chest to me. "Did you know," I snarl.

"Know what, boss?"

"About any of it! Tracking Aramin. Juliana not being Adara's blood. Did you know?" My chest heaves with every breath as I roar, frustration at every part of this entire situation boiling in my veins.

Frank raises a hand and grabs my forearm, his shirt tearing slightly from my claws. "No, I didn't know." He grimaces as my grip loosens. "I knew about her being unable to have children, but I didn't know about Jules. Honestly, I'm not sure I understand it even now that I do know." His gaze flicks to the kitchen window, a frown tugging at his lips.

Sighing, I let go of him and rub a hand over my face. "I don't know how to help her, and it's driving me insane." I close my eyes, leaning my head back to breathe in the cool night air. "I want to kill that witch."

"You mentioned tracking Aramin?" Darrold asks, cautious, gazing down into his beer.

"I did," I say slowly, turning my head slightly to look at him.

"I didn't know who they'd be able to track with it all, but…" He shrugs, nodding as he looks at me. "She makes the most sense."

"They're finding someone else," I say, hating even the suggestion of using her to help us after all her betrayal.

"Someone like who?" Frank asks, scratching his beard. "I heard a bit about the spell. Seems pretty specific. Strong ties to someone in the pack, and since you're the alpha, you'd be the best option of having the spell be successful. Unless we use Adara—"

"No," I snap, and he nods.

"That's what I thought." Frank tries to hide his smirk. "So, it has to be someone with strong ties to you, if not emotionally, then pack ties or physical ties. Also has to be someone adrift in life, you know, lost souls and all that. How long will it take them to find a replacement that fits all that criteria?"

"I don't care. Anyone else will work." I glower between the two men beside me. "We can't use her when she's a risk. Look at everything she's done to this pack." Counting on my fingers, I raise my brows. "Trying to get Adara killed, manipulating Kilch into challenging me, going to the council and sharing private pack information. What more do you want her to do to make you understand that she's not reliable?"

Frank hums, sipping his drink. "Right, right. Wouldn't want to risk anyone getting hurt, even if Aramin could be unaware that the spell was cast using her."

Following his gaze to the second story window, I shake my head. "Adara is safe with me, and Juliana has survived this long."

"And if Adara finds out you had a way to get to Jules before she can't survive any longer?" Frank asks. "How long until she's not with you?"

Adara's face flashes in my mind. Violet eyes open wide, lips parted, cheeks pink. Her black curls framing her face as hurt fills her eyes. My wolf wants to howl, clawing at my chest to go to her and apologize for our betrayal. But how could it be a betrayal when it's the best way to keep her safe?

Because you promised to find her sister and to have a plan by the time she woke up. Just track the bitch,my wolf says. Track her and hunt her like the vermin she is.

"Gods damn it all," I mutter, scowling at the kitchen window as I make my way inside. The women at the table all glance up when I stalk into the room. "Aramin won't know she's the beacon?"

Chloe shakes her head, eyes wide. "N-no, she won't have any idea."

Scowling, I scan their faces. "Fine. Get it done quickly."

"We'll need you to sit here," Ruya says, nudging the chair across from her.

I force myself to walk toward the table and take the offered seat, my knee bouncing.

"Um, so, we grabbed some of these amaryllis flowers and crushed the petals up," Chloe says, rambling as she moves various glasses around before her. "Normally, Madrona would use lilies, but since it's a reversed spell, these should work as a substitute." She selects one jar, the light above us shining on the pale rosy pink powder. She holds out a hand, and Mila quickly places a cup of water in her grasp. Everyone leans forward when she pours the water in, the mixture swirling around and sparkling like a fairy creature. "Here you go." She holds it out to me, shaking slightly.

"Here I go? What exactly am I supposed to do with that?" I ask, skeptically studying the contents.

"You drink it," Ruya says, rolling her eyes.

I glare at her. "You expect me to drink this?"

"That's how the spell works, wolf," she says slowly.

"You have to dip your finger in it first, though," Chloe adds, making the motion of dipping a finger into her glass. "Swirl it around once, then touch it to your chest."

"You'll be fine, Gideon," Maddie says, reaching over to pat my hand. "It's just a flower, dear. If it doesn't work, no harm done."

"And if it kills me?" I grumble.

Don't be such a baby, my wolf says. Drink up.

Lifting the glass to my lips, I pull it back, dipping my finger into it with a grimace and swirling it around once before touching the dripping wet tip to my chest. I quickly tip the rest of the contents into my mouth, my tongue fizzing as the taste of cotton candy explodes in my mouth before turning sour. I make a face, the liquid souring in my stomach, and Chloe stands up, shoving something small and green into my hand.

"Eat this," she shoves my hand toward my mouth, "quickly!"

I do as she says, chewing on the small plant and taking a deep breath as the nausea eases.

"Sorry," she scrunches her face up, "I forgot spells don't take well to wolf stomachs. You should be alright now."

Slouching back in the chair, I lay my head on the cool table and close my eyes. This godsforsaken spell better work.