16. Ethan

Chapter 16

Ethan

I rage in my locked room. Florence paces beside me.

They thread their fingers through their long hair. “She kidnapped me after finals yesterday. She wants to move the wedding to this afternoon,” they say. “I keep telling her no. That we have to have the right full moon for the stupid ritual to work and bond us, but she saw right through that lie. What the fuck are we going to do?”

My phone vibrates.

Wick: True love’s kiss breaks the spell.

“Kiss me.”

“What?! Why would we?”

I show them the text. “True love’s kiss. Doesn’t necessarily need to be romantic love. You and I love each other, right? That’s true love, too.”

“It is.”

“Then kiss me. We’ll break out of here. Find Wick. I’ll bond to him and you’ll be free. Then I’ll find his fucking crossroads and free him.”

“There’s a hitch in that plan I think,” Florence hesitates.

“Which is?”

“Wick is already bound to his crossroads. You need to destroy them first, then bind him.”

“I don’t have time before—” I collapse onto my bed. “All this for power. I just want to live my life. I want you to live your life. Everyone to be happy. Is that too much to ask?”

“Apparently,” Florence grins and settles down next to me and squeezes my hand. “You know, I could give up my magic. I don’t need it for hedge witchery. I don’t want to teach.” They snort. “Fuck. That’s my answer. I need to give up my magic, then no one will want to marry me.”

The heat drains from my face. “Are you sure you want to do that?”

“I am now.” They rub my back. “You love teaching, so I’d hate for you to give up your magic.”

“I can always teach and just not?—”

Florence shakes their head. “You know they’d never allow it.”

I scrub at my face. “I know you’re right.”

“Ethan.”

I lift my head to look at Florence. “Yeah?”

“I love you for trying to fix this problem. You’ve tried for years, but I think this is it. This is the solution.” They laugh. “I feel like I can breathe. We have a plan.”

“I mean… we don’t. We’re still stuck here, but?—”

There’s the telltale sound of a critter outside my window and Rosco scratches at the glass to be let in. I open the window and he scurries over with Vi and Squid in tow.

All of them chat at once. Images of all sorts of things flash through my head. Cordia and Trever fighting. Cordia releasing Rosco from his familiar duties. A weak spot in the barrier.

“There’s a weak spot in the barrier?” Florence and I ask at the same time.

Ethan: I’m sending Rosco out to you. Follow him and we’ll meet you there.

Wick: Will do!

“Rosco, show Wick where the spot is and we’ll be there shortly.”

The raccoon nods and scurries back out the window.

“Okay, how are we going to get out?” Florence asks.

My room is on the second floor and since I never tried to sneak out through the window my grandmother never thought to seal them, only the doors.

“Never fear,” I say as I dig in the bottom drawer of my dresser and pull out paracord.

“Why do you have this?” Florence asks. “Nevermind, I don’t wanna know.”

“It’s good to have in emergencies,” I say the truth of it. I knew someday I might need it and today is that day. I tie it off on one leg of my bed, then throw the rest out the window. “We’ll have to repel down.” I look over the ledge. “Good thing neither of us are scared of heights.”

“No, but I have no idea how to repel down a building, Ethan. Do you?”

“I know the theory of it.” We pull up a video from the internet and watch it a few times. “Seems easy enough. I’ll go first and I’ll catch you if you fall.”

“I’ll haunt you for eternity, Ethan Speller, if we die.” Florence flashes me a grin.

“You love the trouble we get ourselves into. Don’t act like you don’t,” I sass back. I wrap myself like the video and slowly slide down the side of the mansion, wishing I had gloves or something.

Vi zips around my head once I make it on solid ground. “Okay, ready to catch you,” I whisper, yell to Florence.

They straddle the window frame before doing their own slide down the side of the house. Vi, Squid, and I all watch with bated breath, but we didn’t need to worry.

The moment Florence touches down, they grab my collar and press their lips to mine. Just a brief kiss, but that’s all it takes. Something in my mind shatters.

Memories rush in and I fall to my knees.

I thought the break would just mean I can touch Wick, but everything’s back.

“Come on, we have to run,” Florence grabs my hand and yanks me to my feet. We follow Squid and Vi as we race around the mansion to the back.

There’s a scream from the house.

“She’s pissed,” I say as we push on harder.

“How fucking big is this house?” Florence says, but we stop dead in our tracks when a row of witches blocks our path.

Ethan: Gonna be a bit later than anticipated.

Wick: I’ll be waiting.