Chapter 7

Demetrius tensed, wary as he could be, as the tall figure of Morgana stepped out of the shadows, her eyes gleaming with an unsettling mix of curiosity and power. Her face was lined by time and age, but it was hard to tell just how old she was.

The air in the cottage felt thick, almost suffocating, as if it were charged with a magic that was as ancient as the earth it was built on.

Holly had to be feeling it too. He could hear her heart pounding, but her exterior looked as cool as could be. For reasons he couldn’t name, that made him proud of her.

Morgana’s presence was striking—her long, deep purple hair flowed down her back like a mystical river, and her pale, wrinkled features seemed to almost glow in the dim candlelight. Her eyes, a shade of blue-violet that Demetrius had never seen before, flicked between him and Holly. Undoubtedly sizing them up.

“I knew you’d come,” Morgana said in a voice that was calm but edged with something dangerous. “I’ve been feeling the disturbance in the Winters family barrier, so I knew you had to be feeling it too.”

Holly clenched her fists at her sides, as if trying to keep her nerves in check. “What do you know about the barrier?”

Morgana smiled faintly, a gesture that didn’t reach her eyes. “Just that the Winters family magic is one of the oldest forms of defense magic. I’ve been studying it and Alice Bishop’s magic, older still, that’s protected this town for years.”

Demetrius took a small step forward, trying to make a point of the fact that Holly was not alone. “And what do you want with it?”

Morgana’s gaze shifted to him, but her expression remained unreadable. “You misunderstand, vampire. I’m not trying to harm or steal the barrier’s magic. Not in any way.”

Holly frowned. “Then what are you doing? Someone’s been tampering with the barrier, trying to break through.”

Morgana’s eyes glinted with a dark amusement. “Not break through. Strengthen.”

Holly blinked as if completely taken aback. “Strengthen? Why would you want to?—”

“Because there’s something coming,” Morgana interrupted, her voice low and steady. “Something powerful. And the current barrier won’t be enough to stop it.”

“How do you know that,” Holly asked.

“I just do,” Morgana insisted.

Holly’s expression said she didn’t believe that for a second, but Demetrius could sense the uncertainty in her. He glanced at her, hoping she could read the silent question in his eyes.

Holly’s glance seemed to confirm she did. She turned back to Morgana. “Okay, so you know the barrier’s not strong enough. But what do you mean something’s coming? And why didn’t you just tell me instead of interfering with the barrier?”

Morgana’s smile faded, and she took a cautious step closer. “Because I wasn’t sure you’d listen. Most witches wouldn’t. They’d assume I was the threat and try to push me away. Didn’t you perceive me as a threat when you saw me?”

Holly narrowed her eyes. “Yes, but with good reason.”

Demetrius chimed in. “You should have tried to talk to Holly regardless. Instead, you decided to do whatever you wanted with the barrier. That’s not exactly a way to win people over.”

Morgana sighed softly, as if disappointed. “I didn’t interfere with your magic. I was trying to reinforce it. The ripple you felt was me testing its strength—and its weakness. I needed to know its limits.”

Holly seemed to be experiencing a surge of frustration, but somehow, she stayed calm. “And why should I believe you?”

Morgana’s blue-violet eyes flashed with an urgent intensity. “Because I know the kind of magic that’s heading your way. You’ll need more than just your family’s barrier to stop it.”

Demetrius spoke up. “What kind of magic?”

Morgana’s gaze moved back to him, and for a moment, something almost like respect passed between them. “Ancient. Dark. The kind of magic that twists and corrupts everything it touches. It’s been building, slowly gathering strength in the woods outside of town.”

Demetrius felt the seriousness of Morgana’s words settle over him like a heavy weight. Dark magic. Ancient magic. Was this something Holly could handle alone? He wasn’t sure. And he certainly wasn’t equipped to help.

Holly glanced at him before looking at Morgana again.

He would have given anything to offer her a modicum of hope, but magic of this kind was outside of his knowledge.

“And how do we stop it?” Holly asked, her voice steady despite the anxiety she had to be feeling.

Morgana lifted her chin, her gaze thoughtful as she answered. “We can’t stop it. But we can contain it.”

“Contain it?” Demetrius couldn’t keep the skepticism from his voice. If what Morgana said was true, containing this ancient dark magic sounded like trying to hold back a tidal wave with a paper umbrella.

“Yes.” Morgana nodded. “We’ll need to combine our magic—yours, mine, and possibly others. The barrier needs to be reinforced, and additional wards need to be put in place around the perimeter of the forest. If we can isolate the source of the magic before it reaches full strength, we have a chance.”

Demetrius shook his head. “I don’t have magic.”

Morgana snorted. “You were born a vampire, which gave you the ability to daywalk, and you don’t think you have magic? Just because you can’t cast a spell doesn’t mean you can’t be useful.”

Even so, Demetrius’s mind was full of questions. There was still so much they didn’t know about this witch, and despite Morgana’s calm demeanor, he couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to the story than she was letting on.

“What’s in it for you?” Holly asked, her voice laced with suspicion, making Demetrius think she was having the same doubts he was. “You show up out of nowhere, you know more about my family’s magic than you should, and now you’re offering to help. Why?”

Morgana’s eyes darkened, her voice turning cold. “Because I’ve seen what this kind of magic can do. It consumes everything in its path. I’ve dealt with it before, and I don’t intend to let it take root here. I hope to make Nocturne Falls my home. To do that, I must protect it.”

Demetrius looked at Holly again. There were questions in her eyes. She was clearly weighing the risk, just as he was. Morgana’s offer sounded genuine, but they both knew how easily things could go wrong when dealing with dark magic.

Holly took a deep breath and locked eyes with Demetrius, brows raising slightly.

He got it. She didn’t fully trust Morgana, but if the witch was telling the truth, then they didn’t have much choice. They couldn’t afford to let ancient dark magic slip through their fingers and into the town.

He gave her a short nod to let her know he agreed with everything she was thinking. This was her decision to make. It was her family’s barrier. Their magic. He’d support whatever she wanted to do.

“All right,” Holly said finally, meeting Morgana’s gaze. “We’ll work together. But if you’re hiding anything, or if this goes sideways, you’ll answer to me. I don’t care how old or how powerful you are.”

Morgana’s mouth curved into a small, humorless smile. “Agreed.”

Demetrius touched Holly’s hand to get her attention. “We’ll need to act quickly. If the magic is growing, we don’t have much time.”

Holly nodded. “No, we don’t. This wasn’t what I thought I’d be doing when I settled in for a quiet holiday, but there’s no turning back.”

“Same here.” Something dark and dangerous was on its way, and they were the only ones standing between it and the town.

Morgana glanced around the room, her eyes settling on the lit candles and the dark shadows that clung to the corners. “I’ll need to gather a few things from my bungalow. I’m sure you’ll want to get supplies of your own. Meet me at the barrier near your cabin in an hour.”

Holly gave a quick nod, as if her thoughts were already working on the next steps. “We’ll be ready.”

Morgana slipped back into the shadows of the bungalow, her presence vanishing as quietly as it had appeared.

Demetrius grabbed Holly’s hand and pulled her outside, making tracks toward the SUV. He did his best to keep his expression calm, but inside, he was anything but.

Back in the vehicle, its doors closed, Holly finally spoke. “Well,” she said with a shaky breath, “that was … unexpected.”

Demetrius started the engine and put his hands on the wheel. “Do you trust her?”

Holly hesitated. “No. Maybe. I don’t know. But if she’s telling the truth, we don’t have much of a choice.”

Demetrius nodded. “I know. All we can do is keep an eye on her. If she’s hiding something, I suppose we’ll know soon enough.” Hopefully before it was too late.

“Thanks again for coming with me,” Holly said. “Having you by my side makes me feel less alone. More like I can do this. But don’t let that go to your head.”

He smiled as he backed the car onto the road. “I’ll try not to.” But it made him feel good. He couldn’t recall Esme ever giving him a compliment like that.

As they made their way back toward the cabin, the SUV’s heat kicking on to take away the chill they’d brought with them from Morgana’s, Demetrius knew that whatever happened next, they would face it side by side. He would do whatever was necessary to protect Holly.

He just hoped they were ready for whatever was coming.