Time was slipping through our fingers, and desperation clawed at my thoughts, urging me to act before it was too late. I dropped the cloth into the bucket and squared my shoulders toward Cinder’s father. “You said any witch other than an elemental would be crushed beneath Hecate’s power.”
“That’s what the goddess told Scorsha when she connected with her mind.”
I nodded, my resolve unwavering. “Good thing I am no witch.”
Before he could respond, I stepped beside Cinder and clasped her hand. The instant our skin made contact, I was sucked into the trance. My vision tunneled, turning first to darkness before filling with flickering red and orange light. I could no longer see the cave nor Cinder’s father, but the veil itself came into full focus, a threadbare tapestry wavering all around me.
“Discord, what are you doing here?” Cinder’s voice echoed from everywhere, yet I could not see her form.
“I came to help,” I replied in my mind, hoping she could sense my words.
“A demon can’t channel the goddess,” Scorsha said.
“Perhaps not, but my soulmate can channel me.” I sent a wave of energy through our soul bond, focusing it into Cinder. “It took both demon and witch magic to shred the veil.”
Cinder gasped. “So we need both to hold it together.”
She opened to me, allowing my magic to mix with hers and sending her high vibration into the core of my being. “Mom, I’m going to give you a little of this. Brace yourself.”
Though all I saw was the unraveling veil, I felt my witch’s inhale. She opened to her mother, and Scorsha gasped.
“That’s one helluva burst,” she said.
“And that’s just a little taste,” Cinder replied.
The threads of the veil began to thicken, weaving themselves back together slowly, methodically, at much too gradual of a pace. I pushed another wave of magic into Cinder, but this time, something pushed back. Hecate’s power trickled into me, making my muscles seize. I tried to suck in a breath, but I only managed to wheeze.
“Discord?” Concern laced Cinder’s voice. “Discord, what’s happening?”
“It’s the goddess’s magic.” My body burned like dry ice, and my heart lost its rhythm, thumping and stuttering, pausing and racing. “You must cut it off. I can’t channel it.”
“I’m trying.” I sensed her effort to release my hand, but we had no control over our physical bodies.
I drew my magic inward, attempting to break our connection, but Hecate’s essence penetrated my psyche, scrambling my power and my thoughts. The veil reversed its mending, unraveling at an even faster pace.
“What’s happening?” Scorsha asked, her voice frantic.
“Demons can’t handle Hecate’s energy,” Cinder said. “You have to cut it off.”
“If I do, the veil will completely unravel.”
“If you don’t, you’ll lose us both,” Cinder’s voice echoed in the distance as I plunged into darkness.
10
EMBER
“Let’s get this shitshow on the road.” I opened the door and strode down the hall. Mayhem had changed back to his human form before we got in the van and headed home, but all we’d had clothing-wise was a towel for him to wrap around his waist. Good thing we didn’t get pulled over along the way. That would’ve been fun to explain.
As we moved farther inside, my stomach sank at the eerie silence that greeted us. Slowing my pace, I turned to Mayhem, and he lifted a questioning brow. Ash had been raising Hell in the closet before we left, screaming profanities and banging on the door, demanding we let her out so she could kill us all.
Now…? It was so quiet, you could’ve heard a flea fart.
“What’s wrong?” Mayhem asked.
“Listen.”
“I hear nothing.”
