Chapter 32

32

DECLAN

T he air in the magic room is thick with tension, silence settling over me like a suffocating blanket. I’ve sequestered myself in here, needing the space—needing to think, to breathe—but it’s useless. My mind is consumed by one thought: Carolina is in the Underworld.

She’s in the Underworld .

Carolina is alone in the Underworld.

The very idea gnaws at me, ripping through every shred of calm I can muster. I want to be with her. Hell, I need to be with her, but I know I can’t.

The Underworld—it’s not meant for humans. You wouldn’t survive it. Carolina’s voice rings in my head, but it doesn’t stop the gnawing ache, the helplessness clawing at my insides, knowing that while she’s facing God knows what while I’m stuck here, useless.

I glance down at Luna, coiled on the floor beside me, her dark eyes watching me with an intensity that only a familiar can have. Silas is somewhere in the corner, pacing again, muttering something under his breath about how this is all a bad idea. I don’t disagree. But what choice do we have?

Carolina had to go. And me? I had to let her .

My fists clench involuntarily, the frustration boiling up inside of me again. It feels like the walls are closing in, like I’m trapped here when I should be doing something—anything—to help her. My mirror soul. My soulmate. I know that now.

Carolina Castillo, the witch who upended my life, is more than just a woman I care about. She’s it for me. And she’s facing an entire realm of danger while I’m stuck here, helpless.

I pace across the small room; the familiar scent of herbs and incense that normally feels grounding now feels stifling. I don’t even notice the sound of the shop’s door opening until I hear footsteps approaching, too heavy to be anyone who should be here.

I turn in time to see Sebastian step into the room, his face twisted with something dark, something I’ve never seen on him before.

“What the hell are you doing here, Bas?” I ask, my tone sharp.

Sebastian doesn’t respond right away, his gaze scanning the room, then landing on me with an intensity that sends a chill down my spine. Something’s wrong. Very wrong.

I glance down at Luna, who has slithered off to hide somewhere. At least, I hoped. In the corner, Silas has stopped his pacing to stare wide-eyed at my partner.

“I should be asking you the same thing, O’Reilly,” he says, his voice low, almost too calm. "But I already know the answer."

I narrow my eyes, taking a step forward. “What the hell are you talking about?”

He takes a step toward me, something dangerous in his eyes. “You’re siding with them, aren’t you? The Castillo sisters. The witches.”

My heart hammers in my chest, my instincts screaming at me that this isn’t the Sebastian I know. He’s always been cautious, sure, but this? This is different. “What are you talking about?”

He shakes his head, a bitter smile twisting his lips. “You don’t get it, do you? This is all for the good of the town. They’ve poisoned this place, corrupted it. Esme and I…we’ve been working to get rid of them. To cleanse Grove Meadow.”

My blood runs cold, and I feel like I’ve fallen through the floor beneath me. “You’ve been working with Esme?”

“Of course,” he says, his eyes wild. “She knows what needs to be done. The disappearances—they’re not permanent. Esme told me that once the witches are gone, the people will come back. No one gets hurt.”

Rage boils up inside me, my fists clenching. “You’ve been working with her? You’re responsible for this? You’ve been sending people to perform summoning spells?”

Sebastian doesn’t flinch, his expression unwavering. “It’s for the good of the town, Declan. You know what they are. You’ve seen it. They don’t belong here. Once they’re gone, everything will be back to normal. I wouldn’t risk my job if I didn’t think they were truly evil.”

My stomach twists, and I take a step toward him, fury bubbling over. “You’re an idiot if you believe Esme. She lied to you, Bas. She’s using them to summon some kind of dark magic.”

He shakes his head, his jaw tightening. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. Esme’s been trying to protect us. She’s been?—”

“She’s been using you!” I snap, my voice rising with anger. “She’s manipulating you, just like she’s been manipulating the town. She doesn’t care about bringing anyone back, Sebastian. She’s trying to summon a darker power, and she’s using those people as sacrifices.”

Sebastian’s eyes flash with fury, and before I can react, he lunges at me.

I barely have time to move as he swings at me, his fist grazing my jaw as I duck. My heart races as I realize this isn’t just an argument. Sebastian is attacking me.

“Are you out of your damn mind?” I shout, dodging another swing. “Esme’s using dark magic, Bas. You’re not thinking straight!”

“She told me the truth!” he yells, his eyes wild, his movements frantic. “You’ve been brainwashed by them. By the witches.”

He lunges again, and this time, I don’t hesitate. I block his punch and counter with a hard right hook that sends him stumbling back. But he’s quick to recover, and the two of us collide again, fists flying, each of us landing blows.

I feel the sharp pain of his knuckles connecting with my ribs, but I grit my teeth, pushing through it. My mind is racing, every instinct screaming at me that this is wrong. Sebastian isn’t just some guy off the street. He’s my partner, my friend. Or at least, he was .

But now? Now, he’s an enemy. He’s been corrupted by Esme, twisted by whatever dark magic she’s been using.

I grab him by the collar and slam him into the wall, my breath coming in hard gasps as I pin him there. “You’re wrong, Bas. Esme’s lying to you. She’s not saving anyone. She’s using them for dark magic.”

Sebastian struggles against me, but I hold him firm, my grip tightening. His eyes are wild, unfocused, like he’s lost in some delusion. “You don’t understand,” he hisses, his voice low and dangerous. “You’re protecting the enemy.”

I grit my teeth, my rage barely contained. “No, Bas. You are. ”

With one final push, I slam him into the wall, his body going limp as he slumps to the floor, unconscious.

I stand there, breathing hard, my fists still clenched, the adrenaline still pumping through my veins. The room is quiet again, save for my ragged breathing and the low hum of magic in the air.

I turn to Luna, who had been watching silently from her usual spot beneath the couch, her dark eyes focused on me. “What now?” I ask, my voice rough.

Luna slithers forward, her eyes narrowing. “Something’s wrong.”

I frown, still catching my breath. “What do you mean?”

Luna’s head rises slightly, her gaze flicking toward the far corner of the room. “I can’t feel Carolina’s magic anymore.”

A cold wave of dread washes over me, my heart skipping a beat. “What do you mean you can’t feel her?”

Luna’s eyes meet mine, and for the first time, I see fear in them. “I think something terrible has happened. I can sense our link, but her magic isn’t responding.”

My blood runs cold as her words sink in. Carolina . Something’s happened to her.

I feel my heart pounding in my chest, my thoughts spinning out of control. I can’t lose her. Not now. Not when she’s everything.

My legs twitch, every instinct screaming at me to run and find her. But I can’t just go charging into the Underworld. It’s not like I know how to even get there— hell , I’m not even sure how the whole thing works. I glance down at Sebastian’s unconscious body, my hands still trembling with adrenaline, and then I turn back to the familiars.

Luna’s words are still hanging in the air, sharp and cold: Something terrible has happened. My throat feels dry, my chest tight. I crouch down to Luna’s level, locking eyes with her, needing some kind of direction, some kind of plan. Anything.

“What do we do?” I ask, my voice coming out rough, like gravel in my throat.

Luna coils tighter, her eyes shifting from me to Silas, who looks agitated, his fur bristling, tail flicking back and forth in rapid, angry swipes. I can see the gears turning in his head, the familiar intensity of a plan forming, but he’s not saying anything yet.

“ What do we do? ” I repeat, my patience thinning. Every second feels like a lifetime, and the pressure of helplessness is starting to choke me. I can’t just stand here.

Silas finally speaks, his voice rough but measured. “There’s a way,” he says, stopping mid-pace. “With Luna’s power, we can open a portal that will lead you to Carolina. But…”

“But what?” I snap, my heart racing.

Silas shoots me a look. “It’s dangerous, and there’s no guarantee you’ll be able to find her. You’re not someone with magic, Declan. Down there, it’s not just about knowing where you’re going—it’s about feeling it, being able to connect with her magic, or the Underworld will swallow you whole. You’ll be lost.”

I swallow hard, my gut twisting at his words. He’s right, of course. I don’t have magic. I don’t know the first thing about navigating whatever hellscape the Underworld is. But I can’t sit here. I can’t just let Carolina face that alone, not if there’s even a chance I can help.

“I don’t care,” I say, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside. “I want to try. Just open the damn portal.”

Silas snorts, clearly not impressed with my stubbornness. “You don’t understand, O’Reilly. You’re talking about diving headfirst into a place that will eat you alive. Literally. ”

I stand up, squaring my shoulders. “I don’t care about the risks. If there’s even a chance I can get to her, I’m taking it.”

Luna flicks her tongue, her eyes narrowing slightly as she considers my words. “There’s more than just finding her, Declan,” she says, her voice calm but pointed. “If something has happened to her—something that severed her magic—you might not be able to bring her back. You could lose her. Permanently. And if you get lost…we may not be able to pull you out either.”

Her words hit me hard, and for a second, the room feels too small, like the walls are closing in. I can’t even imagine what that would feel like, losing her for good. But the alternative? Sitting here, waiting, doing nothing? That’s not an option. I can’t just let her disappear into the void of that place without even trying to help.

I look between Luna and Silas, my hands trembling but my voice firm. “You don’t understand. I can’t lose her. Not like this. If there’s even the slightest chance I can get to her, I’m going.”

Silas lets out a frustrated growl, pacing again. “You’re an idiot,” he mutters. “A reckless, stubborn idiot.”

“Tell me something I don’t know,” I say, my voice sharper than I intended. “Are you going to help me or not?”

Luna slithers forward, her dark eyes narrowing in thought. “We can open the portal,” she says slowly, as if weighing every word carefully. “But once you’re down there…you’ll be on your own. We can’t guide you through the Underworld. We’ll use a spell that will find a familiar’s lost witch, but you’ll need to rely on your mirror soul bond with her to be able to sense her connection to me. It will be tricky…bonds connected by bonds aren’t the best way to do this, but…”

“It’s all we’ve got right now.” I nod, already set on my decision. “I’ll find her.”

Silas stops pacing and looks up at me, his green eyes flashing with a mixture of irritation and grudging respect. “You’re going to get yourself killed, you know that?”

“I’ll take my chances,” I respond, my voice steady despite the fear crawling up my spine.

The room is quiet for a moment, the weight of my decision settling over us like a heavy fog. Then, without another word, Silas and Luna move into action.

“Move this rug,” Silas orders, pawing at one of the heavy orange and red Persian rugs behind the couch.

Once I’ve rolled it out of the way, Luna slithers toward the center of where it had been, positioning herself in a drawn-out circle I hadn’t even noticed was etched into the floor.

“Declan, there’s an amethyst candle on the potion table. Light it and bring it to the circle. You’ll stand next to me. We’re going to open a portal using the familiar’s lost witch spell. If I’m strong enough and Carolina is still alive somewhere in the Underworld, it should open a portal like the one she opened. It will only close once you’ve returned with her. You must work as fast as you can down there.”

I nod, lighting the candle and placing it in the circle.

Luna begins an incantation, and the air around us starts to shift. The magic in the room becomes palpable, like the very walls are vibrating with energy.

By the bond we share, pure and true,

I call to you, as you call to me.

Across all realms, no force can break,

This tether of ours that none can shake.

Through flame and water, air and stone,

I seek your path, I am not alone.

Your light guides me, your essence near ,

I follow the pull, I feel you here.

Wherever you are, you’ll come to me,

Wherever you are, you are with me.

I can feel it in my bones, the heft of the magic pressing down on me, thick and heavy. My heart races as I watch her work, my stomach twisting in knots. This is it. There’s no turning back.

The air around us seems to shimmer, like reality itself is starting to bend. It seems to twist in unnatural ways until it tears in two right down the middle. Like the two other portals before, there’s a swirling array of colors that calls to me, begging me to step into it.

My heart is pounding in my chest as the urge to step forward, into the portal, grows. The magic in the air growing thicker, almost oppressive.

I look to Luna, who nods at me slowly. Encouraging. “I’ll bring her back.”

Luna’s eyes look torn between hopeful and sad, like Carolina’s not the only one she’s worried about returning after all this is over.

“We’ll all come back,” I tell her with more confidence than I feel.

I look back at the portal and step inside. My breath catches in my throat as the room starts to shift, the edges blurring, the world around me warping and twisting. My head swims, and for a moment, I feel like I’m falling—like the ground has been ripped out from under me.

And then, suddenly, there’s nothing.

No sound. No light. Just darkness.