Chapter 22

The Necromancer

Thalia doesn't say anything, but the look in her eyes is crystal clear.

Rage. Hate. Murder. But also fear. She's afraid of those emotions. We weren't raised to feel them.

I press my hand against my wound, seeing my blood sleep through my fingers. It's not too deep, and I'll heal soon enough. But it still hurts, and if I were human, this would be a far bigger problem than it is right now.

Thalia is trembling all over as she faces me. She, too, is dressed in the same green dress I am. I wonder if everyone here is color-coded. Earth witches belong in green. Air in silver. Water in blue. Fire in orange.

Thalia takes a determined step forward, ready for another attack. I trap her feet in thick roots and keep her away from me. Archie will more than likely smell my blood soon and come running. If he catches her mid-attack, he'll kill her without flinching.

‘Thalia. What are you doing here?'

Her face is crumpled in pure loathing as she looks at me and gestures to her mouth.

‘Oh right…' I whisper, remembering that the guys cut out her tongue. ‘You can't talk. Look. I know we're not friends-' She scoffs exceptionally loudly. ‘But if you try and kill me again, Archie will kill you. There's no try. He'll just tear your head off, and that will be it for you.'

Her rage intensifies at the mention of his name, and she glances around her as if expecting to see him.

I step closer.

‘You fucked me over hard, Thalia. And you lost your tongue because of it. That was not my choice, but I'm not going to apologise either. Be grateful it wasn't your life. You hurt me beyond measure when you turned on me the way you did. So I know we will never be friends. And that's okay. I don't want your friendship. But I don't want your death on my conscience either. I've had enough of that to last several lifetimes.'

She tries to speak, but not a single sound is coherent in any way. Frustration brings tears to her eyes as she rests a handkerchief on her mouth, catching the saliva.

‘Our coven is dead,' I tell her.

She blinks me into focus and goes rigid.

‘You may not believe me. But it's true. During the Athir celebration.' I shrug and shake my head, loathing the way those words hurt. Fuck. I wish they didn't. But Thalia has a right to know her family died. That everyone died. ‘Neve. The Blood Queen. She slaughtered them all.'

She staggers back, and the tears brimming in her eyes spill forth. I find myself struggling to meet her stare.

‘All?' she asks in a garble.

I nod.

‘Liar!'

I shake my head and look away, giving her some privacy to mop up the spit.

‘Not about this, Thalia. I was there. Neve was performing some kind of spell. It killed every earth witch in the village.'

Her lip trembles as she leans down to write in the dirt.

My Dad?

‘He didn't make it.'

She visibly pales and loses her balance. My roots keep her upright as she begins to furiously shake her head.

‘Cole has sided with Neve. He helped her kill the coven.'

‘Lies. He wouldn't!'

I scoff my anger at her.

‘He left you behind when the guys took you. He didn't even look for you.'

‘He loves me!'

‘He locked me in a room and tried to force me to suck his dick, Thalia. When we were at the palace for his swearing-in, he cornered me and would have ended up raping me if it weren't for the guys. And you were there as his bride-to-be. He did not and will not love anyone but himself.'

She keeps shaking her head.

‘Believe what you want. Your opinion of me is very clear, and my opinion of you is just as ugly and disappointing. I do not want nor need someone in my life who hates me as much as you do. I've got the self-loathing thing covered. Thank you. Especially when all I did was love you as a best friend, and you repaid that by fucking Cole behind my back the entire time. That, maybe, I could forgive. I didn't want to marry the limp dick mother fucker anyway.' She flinches at my vulgar language. Earth witch girls aren't raised to hear such things. But fuck her, silly little cunt. ‘But when you stood there and watched as everyone took their turn to cut me with that moon dagger, and when you implored me to return with you at the king's palace, knowing they wanted to torture me to death, that was when you lost any hope of redemption to me. And now I tell you your fiancé tried to rape me as you were tucked away in your bedroom and that he has just helped Neve kill our entire coven, and you still defend him. Now I am just plain disgusted by you.' I pull back the vines with a sweep of my hand and gesture to the strange little town behind her. ‘You won't kill me. I won't let you. So leave, Thalia. Take your ridiculous sense of loyalty to a rapist and fuck right off.'

I turn and kneel in the dirt, holding the earth grimoire and wiping away my tears before she can see them.

I would never have turned on her like she turned on me. I wouldn't have even left my enemy to the fate she left me to. And if she had told me someone tried to rape her, I would have believed her in a second. I focus on the symbol. Or try to. Perhaps I just pretend to. As long as I'm not looking at her, I'm happy.

Thalia kneels before me, her hands gently tucked into her lap as she looks at me. Her finger dips into the dirt.

Why didn't you let them kill me? – she writes in the dirt.

I shrug. I've been asking myself that for a while.

She taps on the marking I drew in the dirt, her brow raised as if asking me what it is.

‘The blood queen used this marking to kill the coven.'

Her eyes fixate on the earth grimoire between us. My grip tightens as I hold onto it.

Her fingers twist around each other as she struggles with the urge to reach out and grab it. But I think she knows that if she did do that, I would react. And she would not enjoy the outcome.

Why did she kill all? – she writes.

‘I don't know,' I admit. ‘She waited for the Athir celebration to do it, though.'

She rubs out her words and writes others.

To boost power of spell?

‘We think so.'

I open the grimoire and flick through it. She leans over to peer into the pages.

Her brow furrows, and she looks at me in confusion.

‘What?' I ask.

Looking bewildered, she writes: Empty.

‘Empty? What's empty?'

She nods to the pages.

But the pages aren't empty. There are words, notes, pictures and all manner of scribbles. True, most of it is nonsensical or in a language I have no idea how to read. Or the script is so small I think I'll need a magnifying glass to see it clearly. The pages are full of not only information, but the colour of thrumming veins.

She points to the book and then to her eyes.

‘I can see what's written on the page,' I confirm. ‘You can't?'

She gestures to the symbol, then the book.

‘Nothing matches. The symbol isn't in here. But it's an earth grimoire. These are blood magic marks. I need to look in the blood grimoire.'

She blinks and points at me.

‘I don't have it,' I tell her. ‘Neve does.'

She visibly gulps. A very appropriate reaction.

‘Did you know that the blood goddess Hel is real?' I ask.

She slowly shakes her head, a deep fear taking root.

‘I saw her,' I whisper, the memories of that woman and the beach straining my words as good as a fist furled around my throat. ‘She's terrifying.'

All that blood. All those souls.

‘I saw Athir, too.'

Her eyes widen and light up.

What was he like? She writes.

‘Oddly comforting. Powerful. He seemed kind.'

She smiles warmly at my description.

Thalia's gaze drifts past my shoulder, and she's on her feet in an instant. Looking over my shoulder, I see a very pissed-off shifter storming towards us. His whole attention is on Thalia.

He strides past me as I get to my feet. Thalia starts to run, sprinting towards the trees and squealing in fear.

His hand grips the back of her neck, and he lifts her. Thalia's feet keep moving, but she's not going anywhere. It's borderline comical.

‘Please put her down,' I groan.

‘I smell your blood. She made you bleed.'

‘I'm fine. She stabbed me a little bit. It was just… a misunderstanding.'

‘What kind of misunderstanding leads to a stabbing?'

‘One in which she hates me because we held her prisoner and cut out her tongue,' I remind him.

‘I kept you prisoner. I cut out your tongue. If you want to stab anyone, you should be stabbing me,' he growls, looking at her with pure malice. ‘Wanna see what happens when you stab me, mud witch? I assure you. I will not react as kindly to it as my girl did.'

My girl.

Those words make me feel warm and wanted. I guess I am. No one has cared or defended me like these three lunatics do. Sure, they tend to tear out throats first and ask questions… well, never. But there's something powerful in being protected by extremely powerful men who desire you more than anyone else and who would happily tear apart anyone who even thought about hurting you. Watching him stand up for me… It's fucking hot.

Thalia starts to openly sob, shaking her head so violently that her hair whips across her face.

His teeth sharpen more than the usual fangs, and his eyes morph from human to his yellow wolf eyes. The rest of him stays as he is.

‘Archie. Put her down,' Leo says, stepping into the clearing. ‘This is a place of no violence.'

‘Tell that to this bitch. She stabbed Pix.'

‘You know she will be healed quickly enough if you give her your blood. Please, mate. Put her down. She's no threat to you.'

Archie leans into her face. ‘If you run, I will catch you. Am I understood?' he warns.

She nods, and he drops her in a heap. She scrambles to her feet and hides behind Leo, who stands tall, protecting her.

‘So that's how she got out.' Archie looks between the two of them. ‘Should have known better than to think you could keep it in your pants.'

‘Yeah. You probably should have.'

Archie walks towards him. And they hug.

‘I'm glad you're okay. But I meant what I said. Keep her away from Pix.'

‘Heard and understood,' Leo replies. He takes Thalia's hand in his. ‘She won't be a bother to you again.'

When Archie looks back at me, he catches sight of the markings in the dirt between us.

‘Are you fucking kidding me?!' He slams his foot down, smudging them out. ‘I told you. You are not to draw that symbol again.' His claim mark burns. ‘Do I need to make the request more formal?'

‘No,' I reply calmly, knowing he's just frightened of what they could mean. The burning fades.

‘I told you not to write those damned markings. You did. I told you not to jump into that pond. You did. You are always doing things you shouldn't be doing and expect no consequences. Well. I'm your fucking consequence. I will be your lifelong consequence if you continue disobeying!'

‘You already are my life long consequence, My Lord.' I smile, stepping closer and rising on tiptoes so our faces are almost level. ‘And unfortunately for you, I'm yours. So un-twist your knickers, Archie. A nagging boyfriend is extremely unattractive.'

His brow knits together as he processes the words I just spoke. As he unravels the meaning of them. I hold my smile, and the corner of his mouth hitches up into an adorable half-grin.

Aaaand he's got it.

‘Lifelong. I do enjoy the sound of that. But the term boyfriend seems a little light for what I am to you.'

‘What would you rather?' I ask.

He clamps his hands down on my waist and removes any space between us. ‘Call me… your Mate.'

I run my fingers down his cheek. His smile makes me want to smile. It makes me want to fucking sing.

Someone clears their throat.

Looking over, we see the old witch standing to the side with her two younger witch friends.

‘You are to be given your duties,' she says. ‘If you stay here, you must earn your place.'

‘We're not staying long,' Archie replies.

‘You seek shelter. Yes?'

‘What do you need?' I ask before they get into an unwinnable and pointless argument. When Archie goes to argue, I cut him off. ‘We could help, or we could sit and stew, waiting for the others. And you will need to watch me all the time because, apparently, I can't stop thinking about that mark. Your call.'

‘We could do with some help collecting a harvest of wheat,' she says. ‘Or walking the orchard for ripened apples.'

‘You have an orchard down here?' I ask.

She nods.

‘We'll pick some apples,' he sighs, taking my hand in his and facing her. ‘I'm not letting this one near any long curved blades. She has a temper.'

It's amusing to watch the three witches look at our joined hands. They know who he is, and they know I'm a witch. And the fact he's worried about me hurting him is almost laughable. They have seen the arches of the villages. All those bones he helped put there.

The pregnant witch to the left of her staggers, clutching her heart as she becomes suddenly ghostly white. She falls before being caught by the young witch beside her.

‘What's she doing?' Archie demands, stepping between us.

‘There's a surge in water magic,' the pregnant water witch says to her coven leader. ‘I'm… I'm being drained.'

‘Drained? What does that mean?' I ask.

Archie holds his hand out across my stomach, blocking my way as I go to help her. As if I may get hurt simply by getting too close.

‘Are you a member of a coven? A water coven?' he demands.

‘What business is that of yours?' the coven leader snaps.

‘Did you perform your blood rite and speak your words of devotion to your coven?' he asks angrily.

She nods. Arch turns to me.

‘Her coven is performing a spell. One of great power that requires a huge dose of magic. They are drawing on the collective power of the entire coven. On any who have added their blood to the fire under the blood moon.' He steps back as if she could explode at any moment, guiding me away from her. ‘Spells like that are forbidden.'

‘They were when the human king was in charge. The prince is in charge now,' I remind him. I look at the struggling witch. ‘Does today mark any kind of festival or celebration for your coven?' I ask.

I wish I paid more attention when the elders spoke about such things.

‘N-no,' she says. ‘The celebration of Lir is in three months.'

‘Neve?' Archie asks, looking down at me.

‘Without a doubt. But if there's no event to boost whatever she is doing, then why attack a water coven? What other celebration is there?'

A hand grips my shoulder. Archie grabs Thalia's wrist, threatening to break it. She doesn't even look at him but watches me and tries to speak.

‘Aeeettiiiiiioooo!'

‘What?'

She grimaces in sheer frustration and repeats the word. But I still don't understand it. She yanks her hand free and writes in the dirt.

Athir!

‘His celebration was two nights ago,' Archie replies. Didn't you hear? Your coven was slaughtered.' He scoffs as if happy to spit those words at her. But side-glances me as his words deliver a punch to my gut, too. ‘Sorry, Pix. Old habit. Making witches miserable and all that.'

‘You're a prick.'

‘I'm aware. But the fact is that Athir's celebration was two nights ago, Pix.' He scratches his head. ‘There's no other coven celebration for a couple of months.'

Thalia gets my attention and writes.

Summer ends the first night of the celebration.

She points upwards again, this time at the constellation to the right of it.

Two days later. Winter begins.

‘Shit…' I hiss. How could I be so stupid? ‘It's a two day celebration. The first night is the end of summer. Tonight is the start of the winter solstice. The night the coven all… you know.'

‘Fuck like rabbits?' Archie offers.

‘Precisely. It's another boost of power.'

‘Where is the other earth coven?' I ask. He doesn't reply, so I look at the others. ‘How far is the earth coven from here?'

‘A few miles north. Why? What is happening?' the coven leader asks.

‘We have to go and help them!' I look at Archie.

He faces me. ‘No. They're on their own, Pix.'

‘How can someone so strong and powerful be such a fucking coward?' I hiss.

‘And how can someone who was almost slaughtered by their coven be so willing and desperate to risk their life to save them? And then repeat the process with a coven she doesn't even know?' He throws an accusatory finger at Thalia. ‘Or sit and have a nice little chat with her after everything she did?'

‘Get your finger out of her face, Arch,' Leo warns.

He ignores him and continues to try and argue with me. I cut him off.

‘Another slaughtered coven will only make Neve stronger. Whatever she is doing has a purpose.'

‘Yeah. One that seems to revolve around you! She needs you. So you're not going anywhere near her.'

The ceiling of water above us groans and ripples.

‘That's a hell of a lot of water to fall on us if the enchantments around us fail.'

‘Stating the obvious, Pix.'

‘Then let's do something about it!'

The water witch cries hard and doubles over as her magic is drained and redirected. The curse of being a member of a coven. Of being owned by so many.

A fate I avoided.

I never made my pledge.

‘If we do nothing, Neve grows more powerful, and another coven will fall!' I argue.

‘Let them fall. I have no love for filthy fucking witches!' he yells hatefully. His words echo around me, repeating over and over. Each time he hears it, his face falls.

‘I'm a witch, Archie.'

‘I didn't mean you.'

His hateful words shouldn't come as a surprise. They shouldn't hurt.

Yet they do.

I turn to the coven leader.

‘You have to send someone to help them,' I tell her. ‘Please.'

She stands firm. A fierce and stone-cold expression on her weathered face.

‘Your companion is right. The covens out there are on their own. My only concern is the safety and protection of this coven. We stay hidden. That is how we survived imprisonment or death by the likes of your lover.'

‘You cowards. You are all fucking cowards!'

The water witch falls unconscious.

I spin to Archie.

‘We're going.'

‘No.' He leans right in my face with more determination than I have ever seen. ‘We are not.'

‘Wanna fucking bet?'

‘Want me to slap your arse so hard you can't sit for a week?'

‘Try it. See what this filthy fucking witch is truly capable of.'