But the worst part was he was right—that was what they’d agreed. That was what she’d said. That was what she’d chosen, and nothing had changed. So why did having a reminder of it thrown in her face make her so upset?
Maybe she’d made a mistake opening this wound between them again. She should never have started this conversation. Part of her had wanted to be friendly, to maintain some sortof relationship with him, but it was clearly too hard to be just friends, and that realization made her hurt all over again.
Spurring her horse on, she moved ahead without a word, trying desperately to leave Ty behind her.
Chapter Thirty-four
Ena
Thefiveofthemtraveled for several days. It was strange at first, having two new additions, but Ena found that she appreciated the company of other witches. She didn’t realize how much she’d missed the ease and comfort of being with her own kind. And she felt it all the more acutely as they got closer to the Sacred Pool, and to speaking with Greya.
On their fourth day of travel, when they were only a couple miles away, memories began flooding her of the last time she was here. How frantic she’d been to speak to Greya then too, and how scared she’d been traveling alone in the freezing rain with no supplies.
This time was blessedly different in some ways—she had a horse, they had ample supplies, tents, and a witch with the Gift ofcalorto warm them despite the slushy snow that covered the ground. But she still felt just as anxious to speak to Greya—only now she was nervous about the daemons she’d brought with her, and not the ones pursuing her.
Still, the sight of the delicate, bubbling stream—so clear she could see the multicolored pebbles along the bottom—lifted her spirits. The Sacred Pool was a place of great reverence and beauty, and though she was nervous to speak to her sister, she felt empowered just being in its presence.
Just like before, they followed the crystal-clear water to its source—the murky blue pool, framed by low-hanging, moss-covered tree branches. This time of the year, its banks were covered in snow, making the water appear even bluer than last time. The sun had emerged from behind the dense gray clouds about an hour ago, and was now reflecting off the snow and water, giving the pool an ethereal glow. It was utterly breathtaking.
She heard Turner, Mel, and Cris give audible gasps and murmur words of wonder as they approached. None of them had been here before, even though Cris had certainly heard a lot about it from other witches. She could tell its beauty impacted them just as it had her, and that brought a smile to her face.
Together, they took their horses to the rocky overhang where she and Ty had dried out after their last visit. The memory of him crashing into the water after her, pulling her back into his safe, warm body, flooded through her, confusing her with conflicting emotions, but she pushed it aside.
In unspoken agreement, the others got to work starting a fire and setting up their bedrolls, allowing Ena to make her way over to the pool’s edge alone. She would need silence to concentrate on the spell, especially since she’d never done it before.
She wandered over to the water, a cold breeze rippling across the surface. Butterflies swam in her stomach, both at the prospect of attempting an unknown spell, and at seeing her sister. Would this be the reconciliation she hoped for, or just add another stone in the wall between them?
She heard someone approach and turned to see Ty. He stood a few feet behind her, his large frame shading out the sun like an eclipse. All she could see was him. Their eyes met as he reached into the sheath at his side, pulling out his dagger before flipping it in his hand and holding it out to her handle first.
“You’ll need this, won’t you?” he asked.
Did he remember that from last time? Had he watched her try to cut her palm with a jagged stone, only stopping when the shock of his voice caused her to tumble into the pool?
“Thanks,” she said, accepting the knife.
There was a heavy silence between them, as if they both wanted to speak more but neither of them knew what to say.
“You can do this, Ena,” he said, breaking their quiet. But whether he was talking about the spell itself or convincing Greya to help them, she wasn’t sure. “I’ll be over here if you need anything.” He nodded at her reassuringly, then turned and walked away, leaving her alone to face what came next.
Lowering herself down to her knees, she peered over the edge of the pool, staring deep into the water. She allowed her Knowing to come alive, sensing the intention of the pool’s water, bubbling up from underground. Not dissimilar, she realized, from the hot springs she and Ty had swum in in the Underworld.
Her heart ached at that memory, too, but, again, she pushed it aside.
She focused her thoughts on Greya instead. Her sister, her best friend. The person who knew her best in this world, and whom she missed so much. She allowed her heart to feel that yearning, to remember once more what it felt like to be in the presence of someone who was so much a part of her. The warmth in her eyes, and her laugh. The way her hands moved when she cooked, and the way her smile lit up her face. The way she smelled and the exact color of her hair—pale and golden in the sunshine.
She watched the water ebb and flow to the bank, rippling across the reflection of her face. She felt the breeze swaying in the trees around her, and looking down at her palm, she felt her blood moving—pumping—through her veins, the same blood that flowed through Greya’s veins.
Taking Ty’s knife in her hand, she sliced her palm. Not too deep, but just enough for the blood to well up. Holding her hand over the water, she squeezed her palm and watched as the crimson liquid dripped into it, swirling into the murky blue before disappearing. Then, she spoke her spellword.
{Sanguis}
The blood that continued to drip from her hand into the water began to swirl, creating a delicate whirlpool independent of the water’s current, right atop her reflection.
Ena focused her thoughts.Greya. Where was Greya? What was she doing?She kept them regimented, kept them focused on her sister.
Several seconds went by, and Ena began to feel concern creep in. What if it didn’t work? But then—
There.
