In spite of my mood, I couldn’t help but laugh. “They then perform a spell on those bones. It ensures that they retain some of the witch’s power.”
“So there’s a little bit of Caroline in that bone?”
“Not anything that made her who she is. Her… soul, or whatever, has gone wherever souls go, and I have a pretty good feeling I know where hers ended up.”
Kyla nodded sagely. “I’ve got that same feeling.”
“But the bones retain the witch’s power—larger amounts for the larger bones. They’re then used in spells to make the coven stronger. It’s seen as a way to balance the betrayal—the death of the traitor, and the addition of her magic to bolster the coven as a whole.”
“Makes sense, I guess. It’s gross, but it makes sense.”
I shrugged. “Now, unless there’s something else the seelie kingforgotto tell me, we should be good to go.”
Did you hear that, Samael? I’ve got everything I need, and we’re going to save you. Tonight.
I glanced at Kyla. “Let’s head back to the cabin and make sure everyone else knows every step of the plan.”
Her lips twitched. “And by that, you mean micromanage the hell out of everyone. I can get behind that.”
As soon as we parked outside Nathaniel’s, the Alpha stepped outside, as if he’d been waiting for us.
There was an expression I couldn’t quite place on his face, and I mentally prepared for more bad news.
He stepped to the side, and there was my sister.
I shot out of the car, grinning at Evie. Her curly blonde hair looked longer, which was likely impossible. Huge blue-green eyes gleamed with tears as she flew down the path and threw herself into my arms.
“I’m sorry,” she said, sobs wracking her body.
She was okay. A weight I hadn’t realized I’d been holding was suddenly lifted off my shoulders. I eased back from her, gaping at her wet face. Evie wasn’t a crier. Especially in public.
“What’s going on?”
“I never should’ve left. I’m so sorry I wasn’t here to help.”
“Hey,” Kyla remarked as she walked past. “You got here just in time for the best part.”
Evie let out a tight laugh, and I shot Kyla a grateful look. She winked at me and wandered into Nathaniel’s house, likely planning to find some coffee.
“Come with me,” I told Evie.
I led her down the path to the cabin. We both stopped dead at the scene in the clearing. Bael and Vas were playing catch, Virtus between them. He leapt several feet into the air as we watched, snatching the ball out of the air. Then he jerked his head and threw the ball back at Vas.
Evie rubbed at her eyes. “Is that what I think it is?”
“It sure is. Long story. I want to hear all about you first.”
She stepped into the cabin, striding straight to the bedroom. I frowned and then it hit me. She knew this cabin because she’d spent time here with Liam before the coven was murdered. That felt like years ago.
I forced myself to follow her, carefully keeping my gaze away from the bed. Was I dealing with this situation in a healthy way? No. Did I have time to examine my emotions? Also no.
Evie took a deep breath as she stared at Samael.
“I didn’t manage to find the dark fae guy. I had an address for him, but he recently moved. I did find a woman named Ainfean, who was his lover during that time period. She said his name is Eachann. His brother, Lorcan, disappeared one day with no warning. Apparently, he was skilled, powerful, and old enough that he had exceptional instincts. Most of his friends thought he’d met a woman and gotten a little distracted—the fae have different ideas about time than we do.”
I nodded. When you were that long-lived, a few months probably felt like a few days. “I’m guessing that’s not what happened.”
Evie opened her mouth. Then she turned and walked out of the room. I gave her a few minutes, and then found her sitting on the sofa with her head in her hands.
