11. Sienna

11

SIENNA

M y fox grew restless as Maribel’s cottage came into view, adding to my nervousness. We both hoped Maribel could perform the ritual and rip Lucius’s spirit out of Xander, ending this nightmare.

Would that end things, though?

There was no telling what Xander would do in retaliation to us afterward. The guy practically worshipped Lucius, treating him like some kind of twisted deity. Removing his spirit from him wasn’t going to sit well. If anything, it would probably light a fire under him—one that would burn brightly with a need for revenge.

That was the last thing we needed.

Hopefully, Astrid could control him. If not, we might have to find a way to wipe his memory or worse.

Ben parked his truck behind the others and shifted to face me.

“Ready for this?” he asked.

I flashed him a small smile. “Yeah. I hope it works.”

“From what you’ve said, this woman sounds magical. I have no doubt she’ll do what needs to be done.”

The tension coiling through me and my fox eased at his words.

We climbed out of his truck. I watched as Ben moved to grab the cage from the bed. “Is he still out?” I asked.

“Seems to be. Like I said, I’m not sure how long that will last though.”

We headed to where the others stood, waiting for Rachel to head inside and let her aunt know we were here. Before she could, the front door of the cottage swung open and a young woman with silver eyes emerged. Her shoulders sagged with exhaustion, and she looked as though she’d been through hell. Her gaze flicked over her shoulder to Maribel, who stepped onto the stone porch behind her.

“Thank you again,” she said, her voice rough yet filled with heartfelt gratitude.

Maribel nodded. It was a calm gesture but seemed to speak volumes. Without another word, the woman with the silver eyes slinked into the woods and shifter magic bloomed through the night air a second after she vanished.

I stared after her, wondering what she’d sought Maribel out for.

“We have everything you asked for,” Rachel said, pulling my thoughts from the woman and back to the present. “And we’re here with a little time to spare.” There was pride in her tone.

“Follow me,” Maribel said, her voice calm yet commanding, as she gestured for us to follow her into the backyard.

We all followed, not a single one of us speaking. I was pretty sure we all were thinking the same thing—how much we needed this ritual to work.

Maribel led us to a table beside a fire pit. “Someone light a fire,” she instructed, her voice calm but firm, yet still carrying that ethereal tone of hers.

Waylen stepped forward, striking a match and tossing it into the pit. The flames roared to life almost instantly, casting long shadows that danced across everything. The firelight caught Maribel’s sharp eyes as she turned her attention to Ellis.

“Do you have all that I asked for?” she asked.

Ellis stepped forward, holding a backpack.

“I do,” he said, unzipping it and showing her inside. “And Sienna has the feather. Plus, we captured Xander’s raven. Ben sedated him.”

“Good. Close proximity is needed when untangling darkness this deeply rooted,” Maribel insisted. “Set him here.” She pointed to the center of the table.

Ben stepped forward, carrying the cage, and placed it on the table. Ellis set out the items from his backpack—fresh sage from Lyra and her grandmother’s garden, pink Himalayan salt, a jar of water from Crescent Creek, and a jar of soil from Lucius’s grave. I stepped forward and laid the feather on the table beside everything else. Maribel examined each item and then gave a nod of approval. Her lips curved into a faint smile.

“Good work,” she said simply, her attention never wavering from the items in front of her.

The fire crackled, and the air felt heavier, as though even the night knew what sort of magic was about to take place.

Maribel arranged the items in a circle around the cage. Her movements looked fluid and otherworldly. When she spoke, it was in a tone so soft her voice sounded almost melodic. Her words rolled over us all like a wave, powerful and steady, yet impossible to catch. I strained my ears, trying to hear the words she was saying, but the wind seemed to swallow them as soon as they left her lips.

Ben moved closer to me, his hand reaching for mine. He interlaced our fingers and lifted my knuckles to his lips, placing a kiss there. It was a sweet gesture, one that calmed my racing heart.

I was glad he was here—that he was a part of this all.

Of course, dragging him into this mess wasn’t something I’d initially wanted, I was glad things had unfolded the way they had.

Maribel twisted a few of the fresh-cut sage leaves together and then lit the end with a match. Thick smoke billowed from it, more than I thought possible.

I guess that’s what happens when you burn the fresh stuff.

She picked up the feather plucked from Xander’s raven and waved it through the thick smoke. Her words came at a faster speed, but I still couldn’t make them out. I watched as she tipped her head back and closed her eyes, continuing to waft the smoke with the feather. It curled around her in intricate swirls while she circled the cage. Next, she placed the sage in a metal bowl and reached for the salt. She sprinkled it around the table, the cage, and around herself, forming multiple circles.

One circle of protection must not be enough when dealing with a spirit as strong as Lucius’s.

It was a sobering thought that had a chill creeping up my spine.

Next, she poured the creek water into a small, weathered wooden bowl and mixed it with the soil from Lucius’s grave, making a dark paste.

My fox paced nervously, sensitive to the magic building in the air.

Maribel was strong.

As she laid the feather over the bowl with the thick paste of soil and water combined, Maribel chanted and I noticed Xander’s raven stir.

Ben squeezed my hand. I knew it was because he’d noticed the raven awakening as well. Maribel smeared the paste onto the feather while her lips continued to move with words I couldn’t hear. Xander’s raven—or possibly Lucius’s spirit—became fully alert in the next few seconds. His head twitched as a dark mist rose around his body coming from thin air. I watched it, mesmerized by its violent thrashing.

Was that Lucus’s spirit being pulled from Xander’s raven?

The mist continued to swirl with a growing intensity, building at the edges of the salt circle Maribel had drawn around the cage.

It wanted out.

When Maribel stepped out of her circle of salt, I noticed Rachel stiffen. Everyone’s eyes locked on the cage as it rattled atop the table, the dark mist inside thrashing against an invisible barrier. Maribel tossed the feather coated in paste into the fire. The flames roared to life, releasing a plume of inky black smoke that twisted into the night sky before shifting into a radiant, electric blue, illuminating the backyard in an otherworldly glow. It was gone half a heartbeat later, and so was the dark mist rattling the cage. Xander’s raven let out a piercing cry as his wings flapped weakly. The sound cut straight through me, and my fox and I knew right then that something was different about him.

Something was off.

“Lucius’s spirit is gone,” Maribel said, her expression unreadable. “But the cost of the ritual wasn’t small.”

I exchanged a glance with Ben, unease stirring in my chest.

“What was the cost?” Astrid asked, her voice filled with panic.

“Xander is no longer among us as a shifter. What remains is only his raven,” Maribel said.

Astrid blinked, her face paling. “So, my brother,” Astrid said, her voice shaky. “He’s gone?”

Maribel met her stare, her eyes soft. “You lost your brother long ago, and tonight, all that was done was set him free.”

While we all knew there was a chance Xander might not survive the ritual because Lucius’s spirit was so dark and deeply rooted in him, none of us had anticipated this outcome.

Astrid’s lips pressed together as tears slipped down her cheeks. Dean wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close, and placed a kiss to the crown of her head.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered.

“It’s okay. She’s right. I lost Xander a long time ago,” Astrid said softly, her voice breaking while she wiped her tears. “I just—I hoped the cost wouldn’t be so steep.”

The sight of them holding one another so tenderly tugged at something in my chest. I nestled into Ben’s side, once again grateful he was here. Despite the sadness in Astrid’s eyes, she looked lighter. Almost as though a part of the burden she’d carried for so long in regard to her brother and the life he’d lived had finally been lifted.

In a sense, she too was now free.

“Thank you,” Dean said, his voice rough but sincere as he nodded to Maribel.

He wasn’t one for many words, but the gratitude in his tone spoke volumes. We all echoed his words, thanking Maribel for her help, too.

“You each fought hard for this peace, make it worth the fight,” the old woman said, a gentleness entering her stare. “The wind speaks of new beginnings and the fresh start you’ve all been craving.”

Her words struck a chord in me. A fresh start. It was what I’d been desperate for, especially after my first run in with Lucius.

The tension I hadn’t realized was coiled tight in my chest loosened. After everything—Lucius, Xander, the complete chaos and fear of it all—I finally felt like I could breathe again.

The storm was over.

My fox stirred softly, her agreement echoing through me. We could finally build something new for ourselves—with Ben.

I glanced around at the people who had become family—each of them looked tired but relieved. Their shoulders seemed lighter, and their expressions softer. They were filled with the same hope I was, all of it hinged on one notion—we’d won.

The Misfit Shifters had fought against the darkest evil we’d ever known and won.

Deep down, I’d always believed we’d come out on top—because darkness never won. In the end, light always did.