Chapter 21

The Necromancer

My fingers drag in the dirt, drawing that symbol again and again.

I focus on that and nothing else. Not a damned thing. Not the fact that I witnessed my entire coven be destroyed by my mother. Not the fact that I'm separated from Shaw and Dorian. Not even the fact that I'm underwater with a load of misfit witches and humans who all live happily together or that I'm Archie's Mate.

No. I think of this symbol.

The coven leader, Avalyn, was good to her word. I've been given a clean dress and a plate of food I have no need of. And Archie is wearing some ill-fitting trousers and a billowing shirt.

I'm wearing a long dark green dress made of thick cotton.

My coven colours.

Wearing it feels like rubbing salt into the gaping wound.

‘Pix?'

Archie's hand rests on my shoulder, and he sits cross-legged beside me.

‘You doing okay?'

‘This symbol,' I tell him, still dragging my finger through the dirt. ‘I've seen it before.'

He leans over.

‘Are you drawing that symbol Neve has been using?!' He starts rubbing it out. ‘Are you crazy? You have no idea what those markings mean.'

‘It has something to do with the goddess Hel. This marking was on her manacles and-'

‘Blood magic markings written by a powerful blood witch, and written in the earth by a powerful earth witch!' he hisses, kneeling over the patch I was just using. ‘Pix. You can't mess about with blood magic like it's nothing. Fuck knows what you might conjure up.'

‘True. I might bring back the blood queen and her sisters. Oh, no, wait. You already did that.'

‘Yeah, yeah. I know.' He groans loudly but takes my face in his hands. ‘Promise me you won't copy those down anymore.'

‘Fine.'

‘I love you, you massive pain in the arse.'

‘I love you too, fleabag.' He kisses me on my forehead and smiles.

‘Now go to sleep. Tell Shaw where we are, and let's get the hell out of here.'

‘I'm not going to sleep when they're all watching me like that.' I peer over at the coven leader and her friends.

He pouts out his lower lip. ‘Oh, my love. I wasn't asking.' He breaks into a great big smile. ‘Say hi to Shaw for me.'

Thud.

His forehead connects with mine, and everything goes black.

Gone is the hidden coven. Archie is lost to the waking world as the realm of dreams claims me for its own.

I stand on the black sands, watching the blood lap at the shore. The deafening cries of those thrashing in the water hurt my ears, and when the ground rumbles, I feel ready to scream.

Shaw takes my hand and pulls me close.

‘Change it,' I plead.

But he doesn't. He watches as the water moves and her eyes emerge from the blood.

‘Shaw!' I yell. ‘PLEASE!'

A blink, and I'm in his endless fields, standing in the long grass.

‘Sorry,' he says, taking my face in his hands and resting his forehead on mine. ‘She's gone. She's long gone.'

I sink into his chest and hold him close. His dreams are always so real. So firm. So safe. Unfortunately, my nightmares are just as vivid.

‘Are you both safe?' he asks before kissing the top of my head. ‘You and Archie, are you okay?'

I nod.

‘I think so. My familiar tells me I am.'

‘Dorian told me about Hel,' he says. ‘He's filled me in on everything since we got separated.'

‘Did any of the coven survive?' I ask. But I know the answer.

He looks away for a second before swallowing and shaking his head. His gaze fixes back on me. ‘Where are you, Pixie? We will come to you.'

I take his hands in mine and pull him down to sit in the grass with me.

With a shuddering breath, I feel the hot prick of tears sting at my eyes, and I wait for him to scorn me. To remind me that they wanted me dead. That they abandoned me long before they tied me to that tree and started cutting. That I should not mourn a single one of them.

But he doesn't. He remains silent and lets my tears fall with nothing but his breath on my skin and his patience oozing into my aura.

I shouldn't care that they are gone. But my gods, I do. My coven. All those witches.

Just gone.

Their ways were wrong. Their views all fucked up, and their brutality was a stain on the nature of what earth magic truly is.

But they did not deserve to die like that. To be fuel for some spell my mother cast.

Their blood resides in hell. Do their spirits, too? Was it only blood witches that swam in those waters?

‘What did she do to them?' I ask, my voice barely a whisper. ‘What was that spell?'

‘I will tell you everything when I see you.' He tilts up my chin. ‘Directions, Pixie. Where are you and Archie?'

I tell him of the goblins. Of the strange pool, this unusual coven and that Leo is here. He listens to every word, not rushing me or getting frustrated when I struggle to hold in the sobs ripping through my chest.

‘We'll be with you soon. Until then, I need you to do something for me.' He wipes my tears away with his thumb.

‘What?' I ask.

‘Stay awake until I get to you. You must not dream. You must do all you can to keep the image of the goddess Hel from your mind. Do you understand me?'

Unease swirls in my stomach. He's worried. Frightened, even. That makes this all so much worse.

‘Dreams can't hurt me.'

He offers a sympathetic smile. ‘Haven't you learnt anything in your time with me? Dreams can do worse than kill you, Pixie. They can destroy you.' He raises his brow. ‘Do not sleep. Am I understood? And no blood magic. And if possible, no earth magic either.'

‘No earth magic?' I pull back. ‘Why? It's what I am!'

‘And that is what worries me. Please, Pixie? Promise me.'

I nod as he wipes yet more tears. One day. I can do what he wants for one day.

‘We're coming for you. Stay with Arch and trust no one but him.'

‘Okay.'

He goes to sit back. I pull him in, and my lips meet his. He sinks into our kiss. It's slow and deep. Not fiery and full of passion, but comfort. He's comforting me. His tongue caresses mine, and not one piece of movement is rushed. It's slow and tender. The sound of our lips meeting is mixed with the soft sobs I can't help but let out.

‘I'll be with you soon.'

‘Hurry.'

I want him here with me. I want all three of them with me. Surrounding me. To climb into a tight space with me so I can fall asleep feeling safe and wanted.

‘We won't stop until we reach you,' he says. ‘I promise.'

He kisses me once more.

I sit with a gasp. A faint image of him returning to those black shores lingers in my mind like a whisp of smoke that quickly fades.

My eyes scan for Archie, and I find him straight away, sitting on the opposite side of a fire pit. He's watching me and our surroundings, entirely on guard. He sees me awake and smiles.

His smile soon fades when he sees the tears brimming in my eyes. He's by my side in a second, my face in his hands as he searches my face for a reason behind the pain.

‘Pix? Are they okay? What's happened?'

I fall into his chest and cry, grabbing his clothes. Pawing at them in desperation as I wail.

‘What the fuck has happened?' He tries to lift my head, but I need him to surround me. To block the world out.

He scoops me up in his arms and starts walking. I hear him kick open a door, and we enter a house.

‘Now see here!' a man crows. ‘You can't just walk into my home uninvited!'

Apparently, Archie can. He carries me until I hear him kick another door shut. Then, He puts me on the floor and slides me across it.

‘Open your eyes, Pix. Come on.'

I'm beneath a bed, and he's lying beside me, stroking my face.

Has he seriously just invaded someone's home so he can shove me under their bed?

Beyond the door, others are muttering their indignation. But I find myself struggling to give a single fuck. It all becomes too much.

The sobs I expel are undignified and uncontrolled. Loud and ugly tears just explode from me, ripping through my body so violently my muscles feel as though they're tearing.

Archie shuffles closer. His legs entwine with mine as he holds me to his chest.

And I just cry. Cry for the loss of everything, I guess. For the family I wished I had. For the friends I thought I had. For the loss of my coven. I cry for myself and hope that when I run out of tears, this pain will be gone, too.

Archie sleeps beside me as I stare at the underside of this old bed. It's cramped and dirty, but dark and safe.

I've kept my promise. I have stayed awake.

Poppy rests against my cheek, the lower half of her body at the back of my neck. Her presence is truly comforting, as is Archie's.

My sadness has died down. Perhaps I have cried it all out.

Now… I'm angry. I'm determined. I start the difficult challenge of shuffling out from under this bed and untangling Archie from my limbs.

He must be exhausted because he barely moves and continues to sleep as I pull away from him. The residents of the house are gone, and the house is silent.

Outside, I walk past the fire I slept beside and walked with Shaw. The fire has died, and the area is pretty quiet. I get the sense that it is very early morning. That's how it feels. Like the world is slowly waking up and preparing for a day full of life.

Images of my home village stab behind my eyes. Are there any bodies? Will they just be abandoned to rot in the open air? I imagine the sound of the flies and the writhing of the maggots as they just lie there.

The ground beneath my feet cracks in reaction to my growing anger.

Deep breaths. Take deep breaths.

I promised no magic.

Once clear from view, I find a secluded spot and pull out my earth grimoire. Perhaps there is something in here that will help. That will point me in the right direction or tell me what that symbol means.

I draw it in the dirt again.

Poppy bristles around me.

‘I'm just remembering,' I insist, as if she is scolding me. I rest my hand over it. ‘It's darkness is palatable. It's powerful and strong. Seductive. More seductive than any whisper spoken from a lover.'

Her head snaps up.

I quickly rub out the markings. Archie will not want me to do this, and I am not in the mood for an argument.

But when I lift my head, it's not Archie who steps nervously through the trees. I squint. Surely, I'm dreaming.

I look at her hand. She's holding a dagger.

The crazed witch screams and charges, the dagger held high.

I barely get to my feet before she's on top of me, and the dagger gets buried into my shoulder. She looks at the weapon and then at me, utter surprise on her face.

I shove her off easily, annoyed she's got blood on a fresh dress. She always was weaker than me. Now, with my strength, she's nothing but an annoyance. Poppy goes to bite her.

‘Don't!' I yell. ‘Don't kill her.' Poppy stills, and I get to my feet. ‘Hey, Thalia.' I pull out the dagger and drop it to the floor. ‘I wondered where you'd gotten to.'