4. Morgan

The cobblestone streets of Zermatt,Switzerland glisten under the soft glow of the street lamps as I make my way through the quaint, charming town nestled in the Alps.

As I walk, my thoughts drift to the secret I kept from Amber.

I told her the potion will make her a beacon for shadow souls. But that isn’t the whole truth.

Because the potion will gradually erode her sun magic.

And if a star touched is lost, the upcoming war against Ambrogio, the shadow souls, and the Blood Coven will be lost, too.

The Blood Coven. My sisters, Zara and Willow, who are so obsessed with becoming immortal that they’re losing themselves in the process.

My heart aches at the memory of leaving them and the others behind in that creepy, abandoned cathedral.

But I can’t think about them right now. I can’t let my emotions distract me from my mission.

And so, I push them from my mind and focus on the path ahead. It winds upward, leading me away from the lantern-lit streets of Zermatt to a quiet, secluded overlook.

Here, the town sprawls below me, a patchwork of lights in the shadow of the towering Matterhorn. The mountain stands as a sentinel over the town, and the waning moon hangs bright against the sky next to it, casting a mystical silver glow over everything below.

But I didn’t come here to sightsee.

It’s time to focus.

I observe the area around me, checking for anything—well, more like anyone—who could be lurking nearby.

Nothing. It’s dead silent.

Which means there’s no time like the present to do what needs to be done.

Kneeling beside a flat, gray rock, I draw the point of my dagger across my palm, letting my blood drip onto the rock’s smooth surface. It stings, but I don’t so much as grimace.

This is something I’m used to by now. I’ve been doing it my entire life.

After enough blood is spilled, I focus on my determination, and the essence of my quest. The memories of Amber drinking the potion, and the need to get it out of her before it’s too late.

How do I help her?I think to the universe.

It already led me to Zermatt. Now, I need to know where in Zermatt it needs me to go.

The blood darkens the stone, the night air thickening around me. Birds in the nearby trees chirp louder. Magic sparks inside me, tugging at my veins, flowing through me, ready to get to work.

I close my eyes, willing the visions that dance behind my lids to come into focus.

Then, I re-open them and study my blood.

Disappointment presses down on my chest at what I see. Well, more at what I don’t see. Because the images are murky. It’s like they’re hidden at the bottom of a muddy pool, and they won’t come to the surface, no matter how much I try to coax them forward.

Come on. I stare into the blood, begging it to bend to my will. Show me more.

I hold my breath, waiting.

Please work.

I can’t have come all the way out here just to get stuck before I can truly begin. The universe can be cruel sometimes, but it wouldn’t toy with me like that.

At least, I don’t think it would.

Finally, the top layer of blood lightens. Not by much, but enough for me to see a book floating beneath the dark surface.

It’s old, the cover worn, but the power radiating from it is unmistakable.

Before it can sharpen, the image fades, replaced by a pair of fiery eyes that burn with an otherworldly, captivating intensity. They take my breath away, and I reach for them, drawn to them in a way that feels both familiar and dangerous at the same time.

Those eyes, I think. Whose face belongs to those eyes?

The vision dissolves before I can find out.

I lean back and huff, pushing the rock aside and watching the slit in my palm knit itself back together.

I don’t know where in Zermatt to find the book. I don’t even know where to start. And those eyes could belong to anyone.

I need more.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like I’m going to get it. At least, not right now. The universe is stubborn about what it chooses to share, and I’ve been doing this for long enough to know it’s not about to show me more.

I’m still staring angrily at the rock when the back of my neck prickles.

I’m being watched.

Every muscle in my body goes on high alert, and I jump to my feet, holding up my dagger and scanning the darkness.

The clearing is empty.

There’s no sound of footsteps. Just the whispering wind and the animals scurrying in the trees.

Still, I call on my fire magic, grounding myself.

If someone’s out there, then they’re messing with the wrong witch.

“Come out.” I rotate around, knees bent, heart pounding. “I know you’re there.”

The shadows remain still, holding their secrets close. But I know what I felt. I wasn’t imagining it.

I need to get out of here. Down to the town. Somewhere safe.

So, I tuck my dagger away and start down the path, toward the heart of Zermatt, staying extra alert along the way.

When I finally reach the main square, the sense of being followed is replaced by other, more pressing concerns. Because I need to find that book, and the owner of those fiery eyes, as soon as possible.

They’re here. Somewhere.

Maybe I can do another spell tomorrow for clarification. I doubt it’ll work, since my magic rarely shows me more than it initially wanted me to see, but it never hurts to try.

That’s what I’ll do. And if it doesn’t work, I’ll go to every store in this town, praying to stumble upon something that will light my way. I’ll knock on the doors of the people who live here if need be.

My thoughts are interrupted by the laughter and chatter of a group emerging from a restaurant. They look so happy. Their carefree lives are so different from the loneliness and secrecy of mine, and my chest hollows at the reminder of what I’m missing.

I have no allies here. No sisters. No coven. No one who loves me and has my back.

All I have are shadows, questions, and a pair of burning eyes that might be able to give me the answers I need.

I’m alone, and I hate it.

And so, with a heavy heart, I turn away from the square and head toward the hostel where I’m staying.

Tonight, I need rest.

Tomorrow, the quest for the book and the owner of those fiery eyes will continue. Because I’m going to find answers, no matter what.

The fate of the supernatural world—and the world as a whole—depends on it.