Was.
“Um, I’m so—sorry,” I stutter with a twitchy shake of my head. “Does that mean Edmond is… That he…?”
There’s no judgement in her features—only confusion. “Yes, about a week ago. Poppy has been very territorial. She’s only left once since his funeral—she got back not long before you showed up. No clue where Cordelia’s familiar, Jezebel, has run off to.”
Hardly listening, I watch the bird with new appreciation and sympathy. Poppy must have been the one who delivered the letter yesterday, finishing something important to Edmond. Familiars are gifted with strong senses and enhanced abilities. She flies faster than the average raven, but that’s almost three hundred miles in a single day. Not including the trip there.
Now, I can see the exhaustion weighing on her. Her head is tipped down, resting against her chest. It’s hard to see her beady black eyes from here, but even when she rouses, it’s slower and less aggressive than a normal raven.
And she had to come back to an empty house—without her bonded witch.
“Did you know Edmond?” the woman asks.
“Yes; well, no. It’s complicated.” Tilting my head, I ask, “Can you tell me what happened to him?”
“He died of a broken heart. Can’t say I was surprised since his Chosen, Cordelia, passed a couple weeks before him.” She lets out a sad sigh. “They’re reunited now.”
My entire body feels like it’s vibrating, each nerve a livewire in response to all of this new information. I keep getting stuck on one fact…
“HisChosen?” I ask in disbelief. “As in, he and Cordelia made the Soul Tie Bond?”
The Soul Tie Bond is one of our oldest rituals. It’s ancient—and rarely performed anymore. It’s the closest bond we have to a werewolf’s fated mate. The main difference is that we choose who we want to tie our spirits to for the rest of eternity.
Not even death can break the bond.
At some point, witches started to take after the fickle human tradition of marriage, and only the most committed couples would perform the ritual. I’ve always thought the concept was romantic—tragic, sure, but heartbreakingly romantic.
“They did. Both were very proud of it, though Cordelia was more reserved than Edmond. Less dramatic.” She huffs out a laugh. “That man wanted to make it everyone’s problem.”
Something swells in my chest and my eyes begin to burn. It feels like hope of a future filled with love and companionship—something my mother mentally and physically beat out of me a long time ago. The curse made sure that my hope never reignited.
A lover not only willingly, butproudly, bonded his soul to Cordelia, a Blackthorn witch with spirit magic who carried the weight of a century old curse.
This information would probably give my mother a heart attack if I told her.
“That’s not a very common practice anymore,” I say with a tight voice.
“‘She was a very rare witch,’ as Edmond would say,” the woman offers with a friendly smile.
Swallowing down the knot of emotion, I turn to her with Hexate now wrapped around my shoulders and neck. “You knew them? Both of them?”
She eyes me. “I did. Edmond grew up in Briarhollow. We went to school together and lived across from each other most of our lives. Cordelia moved here about forty years ago. She caught his eye very quickly and became a local, as far as we were all concerned. She loved Edmond and this town—she even loved that old, abandoned inn.”
She rolls her eyes, but it doesn’t come out harsh. Mostly playful.
“Thank you for sharing all of this with me,” I say. “I should get going soon.”
A look of surprise crosses her features at my sudden dismissal. She hides it just as quickly. “Are you staying in town for a while?”
I nod. “I’m not sure how long exactly but I’ll be here for at least a few days.”
“My name’s Eden, dear. I own the apothecary off Main Street,” she says and points in the general direction of where I came from. “TheHealing Cauldron. Let me know if you need anything while you’re here…”
She trails off, giving me an expectant look.
Clearing my throat, I reluctantly offer my first name. “Renata. And thank you.”
There’s an expectant gleam in her eyes. I don’t offer more information. Instead, I awkwardly nod once and turn back to my car. Once Hexate and I are settled, I read off the Dreaming Willow Inn’s address and anxiously wait to see what was left to me.
