Chapter 24

RI

I keep my hands steady on the steering wheel, even though the tension in the truck is rising by the second. The road ahead is mostly empty, the trees blurring by as we head back toward the motel, but inside, it's a different story.

Kel's never been this agitated. He's practically vibrating with aggression, his fists clenching and unclenching as he stares out the window. Sol, sitting next to him in the back, is no better.

They've both been on edge since we shifted into Cerberus back in the woods, but Kel's anger is something new. It's like he's ready to snap.

"What the hell was that back there?" Kel growls, breaking the uneasy silence. "That shadow… that thing? We're supposed to be protecting her, not getting blindsided by some dark magic freak."

"We did protect her," I say, trying to keep my voice calm, but there's an edge to it. I feel it too—the darkness that brushed against us. It's not something I've experienced before. "We stopped whatever it was from getting to her."

"Barely," Sol mutters. "We don't even know what it wanted. We don't know what it was."

Kel slams his hand against the door. "We should've torn it apart."

Swyn shifts in her seat next to me, clearly uncomfortable with the rising aggression in the truck. I glance over at her, and guilt flickers in her eyes. She probably thinks this is all her fault.

"Enough," I snap, louder than I intended. "You're both acting like idiots."

Kel's head whips around, his eyes blazing. "What did you just say?"

"You heard me," I growl. "Both of you—listen to yourselves. This isn't normal. None of this is normal."

Sol leans forward, his voice low but dangerous. "What are you getting at?"

I take a deep breath, keeping my eyes on the road, but tightening my grip on the wheel. "That thing we fought—it was dark magic. We all felt it. And now, you two are snapping at each other like rabid dogs. You think that's a coincidence?"

For a moment, there's silence in the truck, the weight of my words hanging between us.

"You think it affected us?" Kel asks, his voice lower now, though still tense.

"I think whatever touched us back there is messing with our heads. Especially since we shifted into Cerberus form. It wasn't just a physical fight—there was magic involved. Dark magic. And it doesn't just go away."

Swyn lets out a shaky breath beside me. "I'm sorry," she whispers. "This is all my fault."

I shake my head immediately, risking her safety by removing one hand from the wheel to squeeze her leg reassuringly. "No, Swyn. This isn't on you. We've dealt with dark forces before. It's part of what we do. It's what we were made for."

Kel snorts, but he doesn't argue. Sol leans back, crossing his arms, his usual calm exterior returning. "So what do we do now?"

"We stick together," I say firmly. "And we stay on guard."

Swyn hesitates before speaking. "What do you mean, it's what you were made for?"

I glance at her again, the guilt still written all over her face. She deserves to know, but explaining it now, while everything is still raw, doesn't feel right. But there's no use in putting it off any longer.

"We're tasked with guarding one of the gates to the Underworld," I tell her. "That shadow that attacked us? It wasn't just some random dark magic. It's tied to the curse. To Morfran."

Swyn frowns. "Who's Morfran?"

I keep my eyes on the road, the memories of the stories we were told as kids swirling in my head.

"Your family didn't tell you? Morfran was a powerful sorcerer. Three-hundred and fifty years ago, the town of Spells Hollow was peaceful, a sanctuary for witches and other magical beings. The coven's high priestess, Melisande Nightshade, had lovers from each of the witch families in the coven, including the Galdurs, but she rejected Morfran."

"She rejected him?" Swyn asks, her voice soft, but there's something sharper beneath her curiosity.

I nod. "He was powerful, but he was dangerous. Selfish. He used his magic for personal gain, without any care for the consequences. She didn't love him. But Morfran… he didn't take rejection well."

Kel speaks up from the back, calmer now but with a grim edge. "He cursed her. And not just her—he cursed all the families of her lovers. One by one, he picked them off with his magic, twisting their power, until his final curse killed both Melisande and himself."

"The families scattered," Sol adds quietly. "They thought if they left Spells Hollow, they could escape the curse. But it followed them. Every family was affected differently, but the curse never went away."

Swyn is silent for a moment, absorbing the weight of the story. "So… the shadow back there…"

"It's part of the curse," I finish for her. "Morfran's magic never fully died. And now, something—or someone—is trying to finish what he started."

She swallows hard, and I can see the fear and determination in her eyes.

"And you're supposed to stop it."

"We're not just stopping it," Kel says from behind us. "We're keeping Morfran from coming back."

Swyn's eyes widen. "Coming back?"

I glance over at her. "Morfran was cursed too. And his soul is tied to the gate of the Underworld. If that gate opens, he'll return."

"And you're the gatekeepers," she murmurs.

"Exactly."

Swyn falls silent again, staring ahead as the weight of everything settles on her shoulders. I can't blame her for feeling guilty, but this isn't her fault. We were always meant to be here. Protecting the gate, guarding against Morfran's return—that's been our job long before she arrived.

But with the curse hanging over her family, we're all in this together now.

"So my family's curse…"

"Was caused by Morfran? Yes," I reply flatly.

"That's horrible."

"Every family was cursed in a different way," Sol adds. "All of them are awful."

"I had no idea," she murmurs, stroking her hands over the leather-bound book in her lap. I'm not sure she's even aware she's doing it. Does it bring her comfort? Does she feel closer to her family now that she's found their Book of Shadows? Or is she hoping to find answers within its pages?

I'll admit, we've not cared much about the witches who have come through town, trying to break their curse thus far, but we've not been tied to them like we are with Swyn.

Even if she wasn't fated to be ours, I wouldn't want her to die.

I just don't know how to tell her how I feel.

As we near the motel, the tension in the truck eases slightly, but I know it's far from over. This is just the beginning.

And if Morfran is stirring… we're going to need every bit of strength we have to stop him.