“Okay. And what kind of leg bones?”
“Are you volunteering?” Ena smirked at him.
“No,” he said, unamused. “I mean, will the leg bones of an animal suffice?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, fine. Done. We can get you those things,” he said dismissively.
“And the herbs?”
“If you tell me what you need, I have a plan for that too.”
“Bay leaves, belladonna, sage, and wormwood.”
“Okay.”
“And the details about the object?” Ena asked innocently.
This was dangerous ground. They clearly did not want to share more about it, but she wasn’t lying when she said she’dneed more details to complete the spell. She’d only completed a locator spell a few other times before, but they could be very finicky. The more they could share with her, the better chance she’d have of getting it right.
Ty took a deep breath then sighed, rubbing his hand through his beard in uncertainty. She had him right where she wanted him.
“It’s an amulet,” he said, clearly having come to a decision. “A powerful one.”
Ena was surprised. An amulet? She’d heard of them, but they were extremely rare. Used by witches to amplify powers or spells, they were kept as closely guarded secrets among the three Covens. Ena didn’t even know if her own Coven had one, but clearly the daemons thought they had if they were searching Heran’s house for one.
“What does it look like?” Ena asked, her curiosity piquing.
Ty paused again, as if sharing this information was physically painful for him. “Our sources say it is a large, uncut, deep-purple amethyst in a circular silver setting, decorated with Wiccan symbols. It is hung on a chain of intricately braided silver strands.”
Ena paused, waiting for him to continue. When he didn’t provide any more details, she prompted him. “Anything else? Anything about the Wiccan symbols on it?”
He shook his head. “That’s all we know.”
“Why did you thinkmyCoven had it?”
“You don’t need to know that.”
Ena had expected that answer, but it still exasperated her. “Okay, then why do you want it?” she asked, trying to seem casual.
Ty grinned at her menacingly. “Careful there, little viper.”
Ena grit her teeth at the nickname. She’d known he wouldn’t tell her why they wanted it, but it didn’t hurt to try.
“Fine,” she replied. “That should be enough information to complete the spell, I guess.”
“Good. We’ll get your supplies in the morning, after we’ve rested,” Ty said with an air of finality. Then he stood up and left the fire, seemingly to tend to his horse.
Having been essentially dismissed, and having absolutely no desire to make small talk with Steig and Turner, who remained by the fire debating amicably about the proper way to sharpen their knives, Ena lay down and curled up on her side in the dirt. Her back was to the fire, keeping her nice and warm for now, but she reached out at the plants around her to create a crude nest of leaves and ferns to insulate her even more.
She began to get sleepy, staring deep into the darkness of the forest, her body exhausted beyond anything she could ever remember feeling before. As her eyes drifted closed, she saw Ty emerge from the woods just at the periphery of her vision. He was leaning against a tree, staring into the fire. His face was lit up by the glow as it highlighted the harsh, masculine planes of his face. His eyes were contemplative and…troubled. A line had formed between his brows and he looked deep in thought. Ena allowed herself this one unabashed moment to take him in as he now was. To note how he’d changed, and how he was the same. Her eyes traced the lines of his beautiful face, his arms, his legs. This person who’d meant so much to her, who she’d dreamt about foryears.
And in the cold night, as she drifted off to sleep, she was glad that she’d already lost that small, hopelessly romantic part of herself that she’d once held on to for so long. It wasn’t real; what she’d had with him wasn’t real. It was the daydream of a naïve, young girl. She’d suspected that already, but now, seeing him again, she knew it to be true.
But it was okay, because she wasn’t that girl anymore. She’d said goodbye to her long ago. She’d said goodbye in the long,lonely nights, and every summer day that had passed since they’d met. And so, reminding herself of who she was now, she vowed to emerge from this betrayal stronger and wiser. She would make this man regret ever knowing and forgetting her.
Chapter Nine
