“I don’t understand why you didn’t just take him,” I admit, mirroring the casual way she was walking around the room minutes ago. “He’s been here for a century.”
If I stop moving, everyone would see how badly I’m shaking. Holding back the fear in the face of danger is something I mastered a very long time ago, but I’m still lightheaded from contacting Barrett.
Calista snarls, looking around the room. That’s when I realize Nestor left. He’s hiding, leaving us to deal with his messes.
He truly is a coward.
Gods, I’ve gone through so many emotions regarding Nestor over the last two months, but resentment is beginning to take hold, clawing its way into my soul.
“The entire coven bound their souls to the inn,” she says impatiently. “My powers have limits, unfortunately, and I can’t undo the spell. So, I did the next best thing. I put the other half of his soul—the part that would have passed on—into the soil on the property as a way to keep him safe and grounded, making this his own personal hell.”
My mouth drops open. It’s… It’s brilliant. Something a scorned witch would do.
“The soil…” Clover mutters behind me. “It’s rotting.”
Calista slowly looks at her, agitation starting to show. “Not exactly. It was an unexpected ramification.”
Even a demon is limited by the natural balances of the world.
Letting out a dry laugh, I pull her attention away from Clover and cross my arms. “Archer and I make sense then. Doppelgängers who come back together, bringing the coven back, just for him to watch it all fall again,” I say and squish my fingers together in a brattyblah, blah, blahgesture.I hope it comes off much braver than I feel.
Calista looks downright amused by my arrogance. I’m not sure if that’s a good sign or not.
“What about Gemma? Cordelia? Why cast this curse on them too?”
“He got to watch his only child—the daughter heabandoned—fall into madness. He was present for her isolation and despair. Having to blame himself for that, as he should.” She shrugs and crosses her arms, looking quite pleased with herself. “Why stop with her? Why not let him watch the entire Blackthorn line crumble?” She cackles. “Then the stories that the town started to spin. It all worked out so much better than I could have ever hoped.”
“I don’t want to say I’m impressed,” Esme says, “but I am.”
I ignore Esme, but I am too.
Calista smiles in appreciation, and even that looks deadly.
“So, killing Archer won’t fix anything?” I ask, my brain already fitting new pieces together.
“No, dear girl,” Calista says,almostsympathetically.
Looking back at Archer’s body, I bite back a sob.
I’ll see you soon, I silently promise him.Inthislifetime.
The lightbulb goes off, and my eyes flash to Calista.
“You will give me Archer’s soulandstop this curse,” I say with certainty. Calista raises her eyebrows and holds her hand up, remindingus who decides that. “No, you will. You told Archer he owed you a favor—one he hasn’t returned yet.”
Calista’s expression drops, morphing into anger with a hint of embarrassment.
Her exact quote was,You’ll be back, Archer Vexley. And you owe me a favor.
“If he’s dead, how will that happen? Like you said, your powers are as limited as our magic. You can hold his spirit captive, but you can’tdoanything with it,” I taunt. “So how about this: we trade Nestor’s soul for the end of this wretched curse on my family’s line? And I do usboththe favor of resurrecting Archer?”
Calista looks lethal in response to me gaining the upperhand. There’s a hint of intrigue underneath it all. “You’re ready to tap into that level of your magic? Really?”
Honestly? No.
For Archer, I’ll do it. I’d do anything to save him. To have a life with him.
A new rush of adrenaline runs through me. “Yes. Unbinding Nestor will be easy. I have practice with those types of spells.”
