Chapter 35

35

CAROLINA

T he Dark One. The Shadow Lord. The Devourer of Souls.

A story that parents tell their witchlings to get them to eat their vegetables, practice their spells, and, above all, never use dark magic. Our version of the boogeyman. He was real, and Esme had helped him.

If you believed the lore, he was made up of the pieces of good witches that dark magic stole. He was the ultimate evil, seeking to enslave the Mortal World and release the demons from the Underworld.

Long ago, a coven of witches had banished him to an in-between form, too strong to destroy permanently.

As the nightmare fuel goes, he lies in wait in the plane between life and death for someone to be foolish enough, desperate enough, to summon him. Or if you’re a witchling, if you did enough bad things, you could be the one to summon him accidentally.

Between the realms of flesh and phantom, the threads of fate intertwine, heralding either ruin or redemption. That was what the prophecy said.

Declan had been right. The souls were going to that in-between…to Mal, the Devourer of Souls .

The shadows tighten around my neck, cold as ice and suffocating, cutting off the air in my lungs. They’re nothing like the ones my magic creates. These are empty and deadly.

I claw at the tendrils of darkness, but it’s useless—Mal has me in his grip, and there’s no escape. I can feel the power surging through him, dark and ancient, a force far beyond anything I’ve ever encountered. And for the first time, I realize how close I am to losing everything.

I try to turn my head to look at Declan, but the shadows keep my head locked in place. All I can see is Mal and Esme.

Esme, who seems to shrink by the second as the weight of her actions seems to seep into her truly, still won’t look at me.

“I know we just met, but you’ve already been a thorn in my side for too long, Carolina,” Mal says, his voice smooth and dangerous, like a predator playing with its prey. His shadowy limbs tighten around me, lifting me higher off the ground. “It’s time to end this.”

I can’t breathe. Panic surges through me, but before I can even begin to process what’s happening, Esme’s voice cuts through the chamber, sharp and desperate.

“Mal, wait!” Her voice is shaky, her face devoid of any color. She’s moving toward him, her hands raised in a pleading gesture. “You don’t want to do this. Carolina’s power—her premonitions—they’re valuable to you. You could use her, harness her ability to see the future. She’s worth more to you alive than dead.”

Mal pauses, his eyes narrowing slightly as he turns his gaze toward her. The shadows around my throat loosen just enough for me to suck in a shallow breath. But the fear in Esme’s voice—it catches me off guard.

“Her premonitions?” Mal muses, his voice filled with amusement. “You think I need her little visions of the future to further my goals? I already know how this ends. ”

Esme’s expression falters, her desperation growing. “But?—”

Mal waves a hand, cutting her off as the shadows ripple with his movement. “I tire of your interference, Esme.”

One of the shadows snaps out toward her, lashing through the air, stopping just short of her face. Esme flinches, the fear in her eyes unmistakable, but she doesn’t back down.

“Please,” she whispers, her voice trembling. “You said you wanted power, control over this realm and the next. Carolina can give that to you.”

I can feel the disgust boiling inside me. Esme is trying to save me, not out of any real concern for my life, but because she still thinks she can use me. She still believes she has some control over this situation, over me. But she doesn’t. Not anymore.

Mal turns his attention back to me, his shadowy tendrils still coiled tightly around my body. For a moment, his cold, calculating gaze flickers with interest, as if he’s considering Esme’s offer. He tilts his head slightly, studying me like I’m some kind of puzzle.

But then, that cruel smile spreads across his face again. “No,” he says, his voice soft and mocking. “I don’t need her powers of premonition. She’s not useful to me in that way.”

My heart skips a beat. This is it. This is how it ends. He’s going to take my soul, but at least Declan might be spared. I have to hope Camila’s been working on a way to get out of her cage and will be able to get Declan home.

Mal’s grip tightens once more, and I feel the icy shadows sinking deeper into my skin, wrapping around me like a noose. My vision begins to blur, darkness creeping in at the edges, and I know I don’t have much time.

But then, Mal’s voice softens, almost thoughtful. “No,” he continues, as if reconsidering. “Killing her is too simple. Too quick.” He pauses, his smile widening. “I want to break her.”

I freeze, my body trembling in his grip. What?

Mal’s eyes gleam with wicked amusement as he looks down at me, then back at Esme. “You want to see her suffer, don’t you, Esme? To see her brought to her knees, her power broken, her spirit shattered. That’s the dark magic in you. It wants more vengeance for being trapped down here by witches like them. ” His voice is full of dark, sick satisfaction, and I can feel the weight of his words pressing down on me like a physical force.

Esme’s mouth opens, but she doesn’t respond. Her fear has grown to terror, a realization that she won’t be able to gain control of this situation. Mal is playing a game far beyond her understanding.

Mal’s attention shifts back to me, his shadows tightening around my body. “And you want to live, don’t you, Carolina?” he murmurs, his voice dripping with mockery. “I’ll give you a choice then. A choice between your sister…and your mirror soul. You choose which soul I get.”

The breath I’ve barely managed to reclaim escapes me all at once. No. No, no, no.

I can’t speak. The sob that’s been building in my chest finally breaks free, loud and raw, and my hands claw uselessly at the shadows around my neck again. “No. I won’t choose between them,” I rasp, my voice a broken plea.

Mal’s grin widens, dark satisfaction gleaming in his eyes. “Oh, but you will,” he says softly, his shadows snaking tighter. “Or they’re both dead, and your soul is mine.”

My heart feels like it’s tearing in two, my mind spinning with the impossible choice he’s putting before me. The pain is unbearable, not just from the physical grip of the shadows but from the severity of what he’s asking of me .

“Lina.” Camila’s voice comes from the cage where she’s still trapped, weak and trembling. I know she’s been watching this whole time, and the guilt I feel for bringing her into this horror is more than I can bear. Even if I could, I wouldn’t look at her—I know if I did, I’d shatter completely.

“Carolina.” Declan’s voice is softer, weaker than Camila’s, but somehow it cuts through the haze of panic clouding my mind. I choke back another sob, forcing myself to listen.

“Carolina,” he repeats, his voice breaking with the effort. “You have to save Camila. It has to be her.”

I try to shake my head, but the shadows hold me fast, my body frozen in Mal’s grip. “I can’t,” I whisper, my voice barely more than a broken sound. “I can’t lose you again. Not again.”

“This is the price, Carolina.” Declan’s voice is pleading, full of so much pain that it makes my chest ache. “This is the price of the time we had, and we’ll pay it to save them. All of them.”

The shadows loosen for a second, and I gasp for air, trying to process his words. He’s talking about the mortals, the people of Grove Meadow. The ones who have never cared about us, who have only ever feared or hated us. Why should we sacrifice for them?

What have they ever done to deserve our sacrifice?

Declan’s voice pulls me back, his words raw with desperation. “Maybe in the next life, we’ll get more time. You have to believe that, Carolina. There’s a world…a time…where we can be together, but not now.”

My heart breaks. Because he’s right. It’s always like this with us—always a world where we’re torn apart, always a time where we have to lose each other. But what kind of life would it be without him?

I don’t know where I end and where Declan begins. He’s more than just a part of me—he is me. My mirror soul. My twin flame. The magic between us is deeper than anything I’ve ever known.

This isn’t a choice between Declan and Camila. Mal knows that if he kills Declan, he’s signing my death sentence, too. Because every time he dies, a piece of me dies with him. I’d still live, but I’d be empty. A shell of a witch. I might as well be mortal.

“No,” I whisper, shaking my head, my voice raw and full of anguish. “No, I won’t lose you again.”

Mal makes a sound of impatience, his shadows tightening slightly. “As heartwarming as this all is, Carolina, you must pick now. You’re wearing on the last strand of my tolerance, and it is considerably less amusing with every passing second.”

I swallow hard, my mind racing. Camila could bring him back.

Couldn’t she?

Camila’s strong, stronger than anyone gives her credit for. But could she pull him back if I chose her? Could she undo this? My heart is pounding, and the shadows feel like they’re sinking deeper into my skin, drawing out every ounce of strength I have left.

And then Mal says it, cold and final. “Choose. Now. Your sister or your mirror soul. One lives, and one dies.”

The words cut through me, and I feel them pressing down, crushing me. My sister. My mirror soul. The two people I love most in this world, and Mal is making me choose which one I have to lose. Forever.

I don’t want to do this. I can’t. The sob I’ve been holding back breaks free, ripping from my chest like a physical wound. This isn’t fair. This is cruelty beyond anything I’ve ever known.

“Carolina,” Declan’s voice is gentle now, soft and pleading. “Choose her. Save her. She’ll need you to stop him. You can’t let her die. ”

“No…” I whimper, my voice is raw and broken. “No…”

My heart is in my throat, every breath like a knife. I close my eyes for a moment, trying to gather myself, but nothing makes sense.

The memories rush through me, fast and furious. Declan, holding me through every lifetime, his eyes filled with love. Camila, my sister, everything we’ve lived through together. How can I choose between them?

My fingers curl into the shadows again, my body shaking with sobs. I know what I have to do, but it doesn’t make it any easier. It doesn’t make the pain any less unbearable.

I’m trembling, caught between the two people I love most in this world, torn apart by the impossible choice Mal is forcing me to make. Camila or Declan. My sister or my mirror soul.

But then, through the haze of pain and heartbreak, one clear thought pierces through.

If I lose Declan, I’ll lose myself. But if I lose Camila, I’ll lose everything.

A joined power will rule the worlds of might and magic. What if it’s about the two of us?

I lift my head, tears streaming down my face, and look Mal in the eyes. “I choose Camila,” I whisper, my voice barely audible.

After everything I’ve done to avoid it, I was the one sentencing him to death in this lifetime. The Fates were cruel.

Mal’s smile stretches wider, his eyes gleaming with cruel satisfaction. “Very well.”

And then, in an instant, the world shifts. Mal’s shadows release me, and my knees hit the ground. Before I can even register what’s happening, they wrap around Declan, lifting him into the air within the iron cage.

“No!” I scream, rushing forward, but it’s too late.

Before I can reach him, Mal’s shadows coil around my throat again, dragging me back, tightening until I can’t breathe.

“You made your choice, Carolina,” Mal says, his voice soft and mocking. “Now you get to watch him die.”

The shadows around my throat pulse, tightening with Mal’s command, squeezing the air from my lungs as my heart pounds in my chest.

I can feel myself breaking, unraveling at the seams, my body fighting against the force of Mal’s grip and the devastating reality of this decision.

“Stop!” Esme’s voice is louder than I’ve ever heard it, cracking through the tension in the air. She raises her hands, her eyes wild with determination.

Mal’s eyes narrow, a flicker of surprise crossing his face as Esme starts chanting. The words are sharp, foreign, and filled with a power I’ve never heard her use before. She’s an inactive witch—this shouldn’t be possible, but Mal had given her powers to help him.

“What are you doing?” Mal snarls, the shadows around me pulsing as if they’re reacting to his anger.

But Esme doesn’t stop. Her hands glow faintly as she continues to speak the incantation in the foreign tongue, the words spilling from her lips faster and faster. I feel the air around us shift, like something is being pulled—drawn toward her.

Mal growls, his shadows flickering, but he’s too late to stop her.

“No!” he bellows, but Esme’s spell is already in motion.

The chamber trembles, and the shadows that had once been Mal’s weapons begin to recoil, writhing as if they’re being pulled back into the darkness. I feel the grip around my neck loosen, then fall away completely. I collapse to the ground, gasping for air, my chest heaving .

“Esme…” I whisper, but my voice is lost in the chaos. I watch as the shadows swirl around her, consuming her. They’re dragging Mal with them, pulling him into the abyss, but they’re taking her, too.

“No!” I scream, forcing myself to my feet, but I’m too weak, too broken to stop it.

Esme turns to me, her face strained. “This…is the cost,” she says, her voice trembling but resolute. “To send him back to the in-between…I have to go, too.”

Her words hang in the air, and before I can respond, the shadows surge, enveloping both Mal and Esme in a swirling mass of darkness. I reach out, but there’s nothing I can do.

And then, with a deafening roar, the shadows collapse inward, disappearing into the ground.

They’re gone.

The cavern is suddenly still—too still. The only sound is the echo of my own ragged breathing and the soft clink of Camila’s cage as it swings slightly. I rush to her, my hands trembling as I pull the iron bars open, the magic that once held them in place gone.

“Camila…” I whisper, helping her out of the cage. She’s weak, barely able to stand, her body trembling against mine. But she’s alive.

“I’m okay,” she murmurs, her voice shaky but determined. “Carolina…Declan…”

My heart seizes in my chest as I turn to where Declan had been trapped. The cage door is open now, the magic gone, and I rush to him. But when I reach him, I realize something’s wrong.

He’s collapsed on the ground, his face pale and his breathing shallow. His body looks frail, like the life is being drained out of him.

“Declan!” I scream, falling to my knees beside him, my hands gripping his shoulders, shaking him. “No, no, no. Declan, stay with me.”

But he doesn’t respond.

Camila stumbles over, collapsing beside me. Her eyes are filled with panic as she presses her hands against Declan’s chest, trying to summon her magic. But I can see it—she’s too weak. The time we’ve spent in the Underworld has taken too much from her. Her magic is flickering, faint and unsteady, and Declan…he’s slipping away.

“Carolina, I can’t,” Camila says, her voice trembling with exhaustion. “I don’t have enough…”

Panic grips me, squeezing my chest. Declan’s skin is cold under my hands, his breathing shallow, barely there. I can feel him slipping further and further away with every passing second.

“No,” I whisper, tears streaming down my face. “We’re not losing him. I won’t lose him. Not after everything.”

Camila looks at me, desperation in her eyes. “What do we do?”

I close my eyes, forcing myself to focus. There’s only one answer. Camila doesn’t have enough power to heal him on her own—but together, maybe we can. Our magic is linked—two sides of the same coin.

A joined power .

We’ve never tried anything like this before, but we don’t have a choice.

“Try it with me,” I say, my voice shaking with fear and determination. “We have to try to combine our magic. It’s the only way.”

Camila hesitates for a second, her exhaustion clear in her eyes, but she nods. “Okay,” she whispers.

We kneel on either side of Declan, our hands hovering over his chest. I can feel the faint spark of his soul slipping further and further away, but it’s still there. He’s still there.

“Ready?” I ask, my voice barely a whisper.

Camila nods, and together, we begin.

I reach deep inside myself, summoning every ounce of magic I have left. I feel Camila doing the same beside me, her energy flickering and joining mine. The air around us hums with power, our magic intertwining and growing stronger.

We’ve never combined our power like this, but it feels right. Like we were always meant to do this together.

I focus on Declan, on the bond between us, the magic that’s connected us across lifetimes. My mirror soul. I can feel him slipping further, and I push harder, pouring everything I have into him.

“Come back,” I whisper, tears streaming down my face. “Please, Declan, come back.”

The magic swells, filling the room with light, and I feel a surge of power flow through me—through us—into Declan.

For a moment, nothing happens.

And then, slowly, his chest rises. His breathing deepens. Color returns to his face.

“Declan…” I whisper, my hands shaking as I lean over him.

His eyes flutter open, and for a second, I can’t breathe. He looks up at me, confused but alive.

“Carolina…” His voice is weak, but it’s there. He’s there.

I collapse against him, sobbing with relief, my hands gripping his shirt as I press my forehead to his chest.

He’s alive.

We saved him.