But the way she kissed and held me said more than words ever could.
I arched into her, my heart soaring. The contradiction of it all—loving someone who might have killed me, betraying a friend who would risk her life for me—should have torn me apart. Instead, it felt like the pieces of me were coming together.
Tomorrow morning, we’ll go to Lighthouse Park with the net. We’ll catch a chimera and start building a world where magic is available to anyone brave enough to claim it.
Including me.
I just hope that someday, Katie will understand why I chose this. That I never wanted to hurt her. This isn’t just about Oaklyn—it’s about fighting for something bigger than ourselves. It’s about changing the world.
As Oaklyn’s lips trailed down my body, I closed my eyes and focused on the sensation, on the love I felt for her, on the future we’re fighting for. But as hard as I tried to stay in the moment with her, Katie’s face kept appearing behind my eyelids—hurt, betrayed, and broken.
I made my choice. Now I have to live with it.
Chapter 22
Never a Witch
Ihissasmyteaburns my tongue, setting it down with a grimace. Steam rises from the mug, fogging the air between Natalie and me. Even surrounded by greenery, warm lights, and a crackling fireplace, the lounge feels like a funeral home. Most of the Shadows are either in the infirmary or recovering in their rooms. Only a few remain in the booths, refueling with midnight snacks. No laughter, no chatter, just silence and exhaustion.
Neil’s body has been recovered. His family will be notified.
The thought sits like a stone in my stomach. Another witch, killed. Is it my fault? I couldn’t balance the two halves of my life—Hazel and Natalie, friendship and love, loyalty and responsibility. I tried to be everything to everyone and somehow managed to fail everyone at once.
What if I’d talked to Hazel like she asked before sharing Sophia’s location? What if I hadn’t gotten caught up trying to prove myself to a coven that I obviously don’t belong in?
My eyes sting, and I blink fast. I feel like the willow tree in the corner, broken and barely standing, held up with wooden splints and twine since the Madsen attack in February. Its leaves dangle like they’ve given up.
I’m still trying to understand where I went wrong with Hazel. The memory of her face before they drove away keeps replaying in my mind. Not only did she choose the Madsens over me, but she stole the enchanted net for them.
What if they manage to catch a chimera with it? If Sophia gains access to bio magic, we’re all completely screwed.
“We need to talk about what happened,” Natalie says quietly.
I meet her dark eyes, finding defeat reflected back at me. Her cuts are still bleeding, and her tangled hair is full of dust and debris. She’s clutching her mug tightly, straining the raw scrapes on her knuckles.
“Which part?” I ask. “The part where my best friend betrayed us, or the part where you didn’t tell me we were on our way to murder a bunch of chimeras?”
“And you didn’t tell me Millie and Sebastian were there,” she says coldly. “I’m not the only one who withheld information.”
Her icy tone stings, and I glower in response.
She exhales, dragging her fingers through her tangled hair. “And we weren’t on our way tomurderanything, Katie. Chimeras are magic, which means they can be neutralized like a curse, and that’s what we were planning to do.”
“If they’re not sentient, then how do you explain how I spoke to Lucy?” My words come out sharp. I’m sick of arguing with her about this. “She showed me memories—”
“That’s bio magic manipulating you,” she cuts in, just as sharp and impatient. “It can influence minds, and that’s exactly why it’s so dangerous.”
I bang my fist on the table, my self-control fracturing. The tea sloshes, spilling over the rim of the mug. “I’m not the first person who can talk to chimeras. My ability means something. I need to—” I hesitate, her constant doubts seizing hold of me. But I push on, determined to be heard. “I need to protect them like the people before me did.”
Natalie blinks, her expression going blank with surprise. “Who else can speak to them?”
Her icy tone is gone. Was that a slight tremor in her voice?
I shift in my seat. “I read about it in the library here. Ancient Guardians once communicated with them.”
Natalie searches my face, a crease between her eyebrows. I can’t tell if that’s a look of curiosity, like I might have a hope of getting through to her, or if she thinks I’ve totally lost it and is too tired to keep arguing.
Footsteps approach, and we both turn. Fiona sweeps up to our table, her red cloak torn and dusty but her spine as straight as ever. Sky trails behind her, looking as battered as I feel. There’s a bruise blooming across her cheekbone, and she’s limping heavily.
