Chapter 19

SOL

As Swyn's words settle over me, a sense of dread encroaches. My stomach tightens, and I feel the weight of something far darker than any of us had anticipated.

A curse. Of course, there's a curse. Why else would someone like her come to a place like Spells Hollow? She's tied to this town in more ways than one.

"Tell us everything, clover," I murmur, stepping closer. My voice is soft, but it carries the weight of a command, and I don't miss the way her shoulders tense under the pressure.

Swyn looks between the three of us, her eyes wide and uncertain, like a rabbit caught in a trap. She's hiding something more—I just know it. But now that we know she's fated to us, she can't keep whatever this is from us any longer.

Swyn presses her lips together, weighing whether to trust us with the truth. Finally, she speaks, her voice barely low and shaky.

"It started generations ago. My family, the Galdurs… we were once powerful witches, protectors of the magic in this world. But we're dying out. Our power is fading. I think…I think Spells Hollow might have been the original birth place of our coven."

I exchange a glance with Kel, who's gone pale, his jaw clenched. Ri stands rigid beside him, arms crossed, but I can see the way his eyes are trained on Swyn, how the slightest tremor in her voice makes him uneasy.

None of us are strangers to the complex history of Spells Hollow. We ourselves come from a long line of magic wielding warlocks who can shift, and whose duty it is to protect the gateway to the Underworld.

There have always been evils trying to escape, but lately there's been more activity than usual.

Is Swyn somehow connected to the recent unrest?

I hope not.

She continues, "One of my ancestors was the first to be cursed and now, every Galdur is cursed. Fertility issues, dwindling power... Our bloodline is fading. We can't produce enough heirs, and without them, the magic will die with us. If I don't have a child before my twenty-second birthday, the entire Galdur line will be erased—and worse, something evil will be unleashed. My family's magic is one of the last barriers holding back some unknown force of darkness."

Her voice wavers, her hands clutching the edge of the couch like it's the only thing keeping her grounded.

"I'm the last hope. If I don't break the curse or produce an heir... I'll die, my family will die, and the world will be defenceless against whatever is waiting to be unleashed. That's all I know. Make babies, which I really don't want to do, or find a way to break the curse. I just don't have a clue how."

A thick silence blankets the room. The kind that makes the air feel heavier, like you can't take a full breath. She's not just running from her family—she's racing against time.

"You should've told us sooner," Ri growls, his voice hard, but I can hear the fear beneath it. He's as shaken as I am, though he'd never admit it.

"You think you can just waltz into this town, pull some magic trick, and fix centuries of this curse hanging over your family?"

Swyn's eyes flash, and she clenches her fists as she snaps, "I didn't have a choice!" The words hang in the air, sharp and raw, cutting deeper than she intended. Her chest rises and falls rapidly, like she's just realised what she said, and her lips press together as if she's trying to reel it back in.

My pulse quickens, a sense of something darker behind those words. Kel's brow furrows, his eyes narrowing as he steps forward.

"What do you mean, Swyn? What choice didn't you have?"

She hesitates, glancing down at her hands. "It's… it's not just the curse. My family arranged a marriage for me."

Her voice drops to a whisper, but the weight of those words crashes through the room like a tidal wave. My stomach twists as the meaning sinks in.

"A marriage?" Ri's voice is low, but there's a dangerous edge to it. His arms uncross, and I see the tension ripple through his shoulders, barely restrained. "They arranged for you to marry someone?"

Swyn bites her lip and nods, her voice tight. "Yeah. I think he's—he's supposed to protect me. He's my family's Watcher. It's tradition in the Galdur family—there's always a Watcher, someone to guard us. Only, they decided he should be my husband too."

The fury is rising in me, hot and fast. The idea of someone— anyone outside of my brothers and me —claiming her, trapping her in something so vile, sets my blood boiling.

"You're on the run from him?" I ask, my voice barely controlled.

Swyn shrugs, her face pale. "He seems nice enough but…yeah, I ran. I couldn't stay. I couldn't—" Her voice breaks, and she closes her eyes for a moment, clearly fighting to hold herself together.

Kel's hand tightens on her shoulder, his jaw clenched so hard I can hear his teeth grind. "Is he after you?" There's a dangerous growl in his voice, something primal, protective.

"I don't know," she whispers, her voice small.

"You should have said something."

"I barely know you guys, why would I turn up on your doorstep and dump my trauma on you? I don't want to drag anyone into it. You've all got your own lives, your own problems. I don't want to make it worse."

Ri lets out a sharp laugh, though there's nothing amused about it.

"You think that's the problem? That you're making our lives more complicated? That we give a shit about anything other than the fact that you're on the run from some bastard who thinks he owns you?"

Swyn looks up at him, her eyes wide and filled with guilt. "I didn't want to drag you into it," she repeats, but the weight in her voice tells me she knows how futile that argument is now. "And I don't know if he's chasing me. He might be perfectly nice?—"

I step closer, my hand brushing her cheek, forcing her to meet my gaze.

"Swyn, you're fated to us. Do you understand what that means?" My voice is low but intense. "You're ours . Not his. You don't get to carry this alone anymore. We protect you. We share the burden."

Kel nods, his hand still firm on her shoulder, a silent vow.

"We'll deal with him. He's not touching you."

"And if he tries?" Ri growls, his fists clenching at his sides. "I'll rip him apart."

Swyn's eyes well with tears, but she blinks them back quickly, her lips trembling.

"I never thought I'd… Well, I never thought anyone would fight for me. Not like this. My family has always been so obsessed with the curse, wanting me to have babies. They've never really cared about what I want."

I reach out, pulling her against my chest, cradling her as her breath hitches. "We'll always fight for you, clover, and put your needs first. You're ours, and no one's taking you away."

For a moment, she melts into me, her body trembling against mine, and I feel that protective surge again, fiercer than before. She's been carrying this fear—this danger—alone, and it sickens me. How could anyone think they had the right to control her?

But I know one thing now—whoever this Watcher is, he's about to meet the end of his days if he ever comes near her again.

Swyn pulls back slightly, wiping at her face with a shaky hand.

"I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I just…I was desperate. I needed to break the curse before he caught up to me, dragged me home and…well, you know."

Kel's fingers tighten on her shoulder as he looks at her, his voice soft but firm.

"Swyn, we don't care about the past. All that matters is that you're safe now. You're with us."

Her eyes flick between the three of us, something like relief mingled with uncertainty. "But…I'm married to him."

"We don't care," Kel tells her firmly.

"What about the curse? I don't even know how to break it yet. And if I can't... if I don't..."

I shake my head, holding her gaze with intensity. "We'll figure it out. Together. But right now, you need to focus on staying safe."

Ri steps forward, his eyes blazing with anger and determination. "We'll handle the Watcher. And the curse. You're not alone in this anymore, Swyn."

She nods, swallowing hard, but I can still see the fear flickering in her eyes. "I don't know how to do this. I don't know how to trust anyone with this. I've always had to look out for myself, my whole coven was against me."

I lean in, brushing my lips against her forehead.

"You don't have to figure it all out right now. Just trust us. We've got you."

She closes her eyes, her body relaxing slightly in my arms. "Okay," she whispers. "Okay."

For now, that's enough.

But as we hold her, a dark, seething anger grows in me. This Watcher—whoever he is—will regret the day he thought he could claim what's ours.