Chapter 10

The following morning, the world outside the cabin was still and silent, blanketed in the pure white of fresh snow that was still falling. Holly stood at the living room window, her breath fogging up the glass as she gazed out at the peaceful scene. She sipped her coffee, made by Demetrius.

It was hard to believe that just hours ago, dark magic had surged through the same forest, threatening to overtake everything in its path, probably intent on killing them and doing who knew what to the town below. Now, the trees stood tall and quiet, as if the supernatural storm had never happened.

But Holly knew better.

Her muscles ached from the magic she had wielded, and lingering questions filled her mind. The dark magic was contained for now, but it wasn’t gone. Whatever had been unleashed was still out there, lurking in the shadows of the forest, waiting for its next chance. She could feel it, a low hum at the back of her consciousness, like the echo of something ancient and dangerous.

The barrier would have to be rebuilt, but not today. Today she needed to rest.

Demetrius, standing beside her, seemed to sense it too. His eyes scanned the horizon for any sign of movement, his body tense as if ready to spring into action at the slightest provocation. Despite the calm outside, neither of them could shake the feeling that something was still brewing.

“You should sit down,” Demetrius said, his voice low and steady, though his concern was clear. “I’m sure you still need rest.”

Holly shook her head, her hands tightening around the mug of coffee she held. “I’m fine. Just … trying to process everything.” Even so, she moved to her armchair and sat, relaxing in the warmth of the fire.

Demetrius’s gaze softened, and for a moment, Holly allowed herself to take in his presence. He had been so constant, so steady throughout all of this—her rock in the middle of a storm. His stoic demeanor never wavered.

The truth was, the quiet strength in the way he stood by her, offering support without asking for anything in return, had caused her to see him in a new light. The kind of light that made her want him around all the time.

Probably too much to expect from a man like him. A wealthy vampire who made the world his home.

“You saved the town last night,” Demetrius said quietly, his gaze meeting hers. He sat in the other armchair.

Holly quickly shook her head. “ We saved the town.”

Demetrius’s faint smile disappeared as quickly as it arrived. “It was you. And Morgana. But it was mostly you.”

“Trust me, you helped more than you realize.”

“If I did, then I’m glad. But that thing isn’t gone, Holly. You know that as well as I do.”

Holly nodded, her chest tightening with the truth of his words. “Yeah, I know. We bought ourselves some time, but it’ll be back. And when it comes, we’ll need to be ready.”

Demetrius’s expression darkened. “I didn’t want to admit it, but Morgana’s right—it’s feeding off something. It wasn’t just trying to escape; it was growing, getting stronger. We have to find out what’s driving it.”

Holly bit her lip, her mind racing. The dark magic had been waiting for something—something powerful enough to trigger it. But what? Nocturne Falls was home to all sorts of supernatural creatures, but ancient dark magic wasn’t part of anyone’s usual holiday festivities. Or any festivities.

That kind of thing was generally frowned upon in Nocturne Falls.

“Morgana’s not telling us everything.” Holly sighed, her own reluctance in admitting that hard to take. “She knows more about this magic than she’s letting on.”

Demetrius nodded in agreement. “She does. I still don’t think I trust her, despite her help last night. I just don’t know.”

Holly sighed, leaning back against the chair. “Trusting Morgana feels like walking on thin ice—one wrong step, and we could come crashing down. But she did help us fight off the dark magic, and for now, that might have to be enough.” Holly just hoped it stayed that way.

“It might have to be,” he said.

Just then, the sound of footsteps coming up the porch steps caught their attention. The doorknob turned and the door swung open, revealing Morgana, her expression as unreadable as ever, though there was a definite stiffness to her posture. Her blue-violet eyes flicked between Holly and Demetrius, assessing them both.

“We need to talk,” Morgana said, her voice clipped. “The dark magic isn’t finished.”

Holly sighed, setting down her mug and giving the older woman a hard look. “So you said. Listen, I get that you’re a pretty powerful witch, but maybe knock instead of using your magic.”

“My apologies.” Morgana pursed her lips. “I thought you wanted to save the town.”

Demetrius sighed loudly. “Saving the town and wanting some common courtesy are not contradictory ideals.”

Holly smirked. “Come in, Morgana. Have you learned anything new about this malevolent force? Like why it’s here? Or what triggered it?”

Morgana stepped inside and closed the door, again using magic. Her gaze lingered on Holly for a moment, then she took a seat on the couch, staying to the end opposite of Moonshadow, who was nesting in the blankets again. “Just what I’ve told you. It’s older than this town. Older than any of us in it. I’ve been tracking it for years, watching it slowly gather strength. That’s how I ended up here. I followed it. Something disturbed it recently, though I still don’t know what. All I know is that it’s connected to the land itself.”

Holly frowned. “Connected to the land how?”

Morgana’s fingers twitched slightly, as if she were still caught up in the remnants of last night’s magic. “This place—Nocturne Falls—it’s a hub for supernatural energy. You must know that. Because of Alice Bishop, the magic that flows through this town is old, far older than most of the creatures who live here.”

“Then why don’t we get Alice to help?” Holly suggested.

“Because Alice and all the Ellinghams are gone to France for Christmas. They won’t be back until after the New Year,” Morgana answered.

“Oh.” Holly squinted. “Actually, I think I remember hearing that.”

“We have to do something,” Morgana said. “The town’s energy increases every year, and the dark magic is feeding off it.”

Demetrius’s eyes narrowed. “Why now?”

Morgana’s lips pressed into a narrow line. “I’m not sure. It could be something as simple as a disturbance in the magical balance. Or it could be something far more intentional.”

That made Holly think. “Someone triggered this?”

Morgana didn’t answer immediately, her gaze distant, as if she were piecing together a puzzle that had too many missing pieces. “It’s possible. I’ve felt stirrings of magic, whispers in the wind, but nothing concrete. Whoever—or whatever—caused this has been careful.”

Holly’s thoughts tumbled over each other. She’d been expecting a peaceful holiday in her cabin, and now she was tangled in something far more dangerous. Dark magic, ancient forces, and now the possibility that someone was doing all this on purpose?

Maybe she should have gone to her brother’s, but visits there just reminded her that she was not married with kids. Something her parents mostly avoided mentioning, but she knew it was on their minds.

Enough of that. She had troubles of her own to deal with.

“Who would do this?” Holly asked, her voice tight with frustration. “And why now, at Christmastime?”

Morgana’s gaze landed on Holly, her eyes cold and calculating. “Quite possibly because the Ellinghams and Alice are gone. It’s the perfect opportunity. But there are plenty of beings in this world who thrive on chaos. Dark magic is tempting—it promises power even though it comes with a high price. It’s possible someone in this town has been dabbling in something they don’t fully understand.”

Demetrius crossed his arms, his expression dark. “Then we find them and we get to the bottom of this.”

Holly nodded, determination filling her. “I agree. We don’t have a choice. If this magic keeps growing, it’s going to tear through the barrier again—and next time, we might not be able to stop it. Which reminds me, the barrier still needs to be rebuilt.”

Demetrius looked at her. “You need to rest.”

“I’ll be all right.” She couldn’t say the words out loud, but having him around gave her energy. She’d get through this so long as he was by her side.

“There is no time to rest.” Morgana’s gaze remained steady, but Holly couldn’t help the nagging feeling that there was still more the witch wasn’t telling them.

At least for now, they had a plan. Find the source of the disturbance, figure out what had triggered the dark magic, and stop it before it was too late.

Demetrius straightened, his gaze going to the windows again. “We have to start talking to the locals. If anyone’s been messing with magic, someone will have noticed.”

Morgana nodded, though her expression remained guarded. “I’ll search the outskirts of town, see if I can pick up any traces of dark energy. But be careful who you trust. Not everyone in Nocturne Falls is as harmless as they seem.”

“Let me ask Flavia to reach out to the coven, see if they’ve heard anything else.” Holly forced herself to stay calm, but it was hard. They were up against something ancient and powerful, but thankfully, they weren’t powerless. They had magic, and they had each other.

“That would be good,” Morgana said, getting up. “If I find anything, I’ll tell you when I return.” She left, slipping out of the cabin quietly.

Holly reached for her phone and quickly sent Flavia a text with an update about what was going on, asking her to see what she could find out.

With that done, Holly turned to Demetrius, her spirit heavy with the weight of everything they had to do.

“I sent Flavia a text,” Holly said, doing her best to keep her mood up. “What do we do next?”

Demetrius met her gaze, a spark of something in his eyes—something fierce and unwavering. “We find out who’s been playing with magic. And we stop them.”

“Easier said than done.”

Holly took a deep breath. There were plenty of magical beings in Nocturne Falls, any one of whom could be involved in whatever had triggered the dark magic. But where to begin? A thought came to her.

“What about Howler’s? The woman who owns it, Bridget Merrow, is a werewolf and about as well connected as anyone in town. I mean, one of her brothers is the sheriff, and the other one’s the fire chief,” Holly said. “If anyone’s heard rumors about dark magic, it’s her.”

Demetrius nodded. “That’s a great idea. We can talk to her and maybe get some lunch while we’re there. The sooner we get answers, the better.”

“Lunch?” Holly looked at the time. It was later than she’d thought.

They got ready to leave, and as they stepped out into the cold air to get in his SUV, Holly couldn’t help but feel a flash of happiness. Demetrius was beside her, the snow-covered trees shimmered in the soft light of the sun, and for a moment, everything felt calm. Peaceful.

Of course, she knew better than to trust the calm. There was darkness lurking just beneath the surface.

She just hoped they weren’t running out of time to stop it.