In the root of my stomach, I feel it. Ryder left…
And he won’t be coming back.
It’swith an empty tone that I recount everything to Mom. Alaric’s increasing illness, which she meets with pity; his death, which draws her sorrow; the black magick I took on, which leads to yelling before she calms enough for me to continue; and both Alaric and Ryder urging me to return, which she strongly agrees with.
I skip the ending and simply leave it at Ryder walking me back.
She regards me where I sit at the table, hands wrapped around a mug of hot tea. Aside from the hot spring in the caves, this is probably the warmest my hands have been in quite some time.
“This is a huge mess, isn’t it? At least, you’re home. I’m sorry about Alaric, but they were right. Twilight Grove coming after you has always been our issue, and now they’ll be safe.”
“They won’t be. I have to go back.”
Not for Ryder. Not because I’ll chase a man who doesn’t want me. But because, as I recounted everything, it reminded me what I told Ryder earlier: Twilight Grove will still seek the pack for me. They’d be taking on an entire coven of Dark witches trying to defend themselves. Black magick mixed with whatever elemental magick lies between them won’t have a happy ending.
“They won’t stand a chance when Twilight Grove arrives.” Which could be anytime between now and morning.
Her lips pinch, disapproval evident. Deep down, she doesn’t care for them, but I do.
“There are kids, Mom. Babies. Elders who won’t be able to defend themselves.” Faces flit through my head. All the people I’ve come to be friendly with.
Claire, a child herself, and her friends.
Leah, who can’t shift, which means Xander will die defending her.
Marissa and Amos, weak with age. I’m uncertain of their capabilities.
Even the warriors won’t stand a chance. Conan, Holly, Elias, Graham…Ryder.
And so many more.
“I’ll cast a protection spell around their camp, same one as the town. They won’t be able to get through.”
Frustration drives my fingers into the tabletop. “It won’t be enough. “Ours is reaffirmed with your magick and overlaid with centuries of High Priestesses before you. If you only do theirs, it won’t hold up against Sloane and her coven.”
“What would you have me do then?” Mom snaps. “It’s better than nothing. You’re not going back. I didn’t like it the firsttime on Treaty Day, I didn’t like it after you learned why Ryder requested you, and I don’t like it now. It isdangerous.”
“Because we have no choice!” Tea spills from my cup as I jump to my feet, knocking the table with my hip. “You think Iwantto go with them? It’s a sacrifice for a reason! They might not have stake in it anymore, but we do. We can’t let them die because ofmybloodline.”
Mom follows me up, her face devoid of emotion. Exactly the leader I’ve come to know, but the one I don’t want to be. Not if it means sacrificing others.
“Bring them here.” I bare my teeth at her, something I learned from Ryder, to make my point very fucking apparent. “We have a decent patch of forest within the town’s lines—ourterritory. Move the pack there and keep them safe while we figure this out.”
Mom rears back, blinking. “You want to move a group of shifters intoourterritory? Have you lost your mind or forgotten that, before this year, our kinds despised one another? How do you think the rest of the coven will take this? And that’s if the pack takes us up on the offer.”
Ryder would if it meant saving everyone.
A scraping comes from nearby, followed by a new voice. “So, I take it neither of you heard me knocking?”
“Jasper,” I breathe, using my cousin’s arrival to break the volatile atmosphere. I run towards him for a hug, using the hallway to fill my lungs with something that isn’t a battle brewing.
“Heard you were home. Happy to see you, but what’s going on?” He releases me to his side, looking between Mom and me.
“Tell your cousin she’s an idiot with a death wish.”
Jasper chuckles, clearly not sensing the turbulent situation. “That’s nothing new, but what is it this time?” He directs thequestion at me, immediately followed by another as he blinks. “Wait, whyareyou home?”
With an aggravated sigh, I recount the same story, this time against the background composition of Mom’s foot tapping against the floor.
