Jasper and Casper both stood next to the table, looking expectantly at Fawn.
"But we found something in one of your journals that is...interesting." Jasper held up a leather-bound journal.
I forced myself to hide my eye roll. The twins always had to know everything there was about anything that they became obsessed with, and Fawn was no exception. Though, for the first time since I'd known them, I could understand the appeal.
Fawn glanced at me hesitantly, but I shook my head. "You're okay, love. Go ahead. I've got the rest."
"Are you sure?" She glanced between the cauldron and my hands.
"That was the last of it," I assured her. "Now we just have to make sure that I got all of the portions right." I shot her a wry smile.
"If you need me, just come get me." Her gaze hardened in warning as she crossed her arms.
"I promise, love."
"We really are sorry for interrupting, sunshine." Casper's gaze met mine, and he sent me an apologetic frown.
"It really is important," Jasper assured us before they led her over to the couch, where they sat on either side of her and handed her the journal.
Silas was strewn out asleep on the couch next to them, and I felt my lips curve up in an amused smile. Silas had been a lot calmer since he and Fawn had slept together and confessed their feelings for each other. I had never thought that Silas would ever meet anyone that made him think of romance, but I could feel the love that he held for her and that she held for him through our bond. It was crazy to me that they didn't notice the overwhelming emotion swelling through them both, but I was happy that things were finally progressing for them.
I turned back to my cauldron and tried to focus on my potion, but I couldn't help but eavesdrop on them.
The concoction simmered, and the living room became enveloped in a misty haze. A magical dance of swirling colors became visible above the cauldron as the antidote brewed. I watched intently, stirring the potion and ignoring the cramping in my hands as I guided the spoon through the mixture.
"I found something, goddess," Jasper told her in a hesitant voice. "This entry is about when you went mad."
"Which time?" She let out a dry chuckle, but I could hear the pain in her voice and felt the twinge of regret down the bond.
"I know you said that you hadn't actually written much about when you went mad, but this passage here goes into great detail," Casper said. "You wrote about a black tendril that's connected to Hexarium's pool of magic. You explained it being like a leech, sucking the magic from it and weakening the world."
"We want to know what the black tendril is," Jasper told her.
I glanced over to see her furrow her brows and scan through the journal. As she did, the aching in my hands became greater as I continued stirring, but I knew that I needed to continue.
"It's actually really weird." Her fingers slowly traced a page. "I don't even remember writing this."
"I think I know what you're talking about in that passage." Aimon strode into the living room from the kitchen. "When I died, I saw a big blue pool of magic. There were six blue lines connecting to it, but there was one black one."
"The black line has always been there from the start. I haven't known the pool of Hexarium's magic not to have that black line," she murmured, transfixed on the page she'd written long ago. "But I've never really thought twice about it. Certainly not this much."
"Well, sunshine, clearly you thought twice about it during this passage because you wrote in such vivid detail."
"I said that something was drawing me to the line because it wanted to suck the spirit out of me. I seemed like I wanted it to do that. Maybe it's a good thing that I forgot." She shook her head.
I forced myself to turn back to the cauldron as the mist cleared, revealing a dark green potion with a magic sheen that looked nothing like an antidote.
I lowered my head and gripped the edge of the table as my breath caught.
As Fawn spoke about the black tendril in the spirit realm of Hexarium's pool of magic with Aimon and the twins, I realized that I failed at creating the antidote.
I only hoped that Fawn had enough resources for me to try again.
11
FAWN
Floatingin the abyss of death was something I had become familiar with. However, I hadneverascended here in my dreams before.
