“Don’t you fucking get it?! I won’t seek revenge, because I’ll be torn apart. If you die, I’m not sure I’ll survive the heartbreak, Caria. I don’t think I’ll be able to put myself back together. I’ll never be able to find all the shattered pieces and mend my heart, because there will always be a part missing: YOU.”
“Reiner…” she whispers.
He pulls her into his embrace, their foreheads touching as he lowers his head. Caria presses her body tightly against him.
“I need you, Caria. I can’t imagine… I won’t live this lifetime, or any after, without you. Promise me you’ll let it rest, please,” he says.
Caria hesitates, then nods her head, and they kiss each other briefly.
Emrys catches my eye, letting out a deep sigh.
"This isn't good news,” he says. “It seems the curse has decided, with you out of the equation, to shift its protection to Jodelle, which means your mother might not be shielded either.”
“This is a disaster. We've got to help my mother,” I whisper.
“It’s going to be alright, my love, I promise.”
Emrys emerges from the shadows, and I follow him closely, his shadows lingering around me.
“Witches,” he says, his dark voice demanding their attention, causing their gazes to shift toward him, interrupting their intimate conversation.
I see Caria stifle, panic written all over her face, while the male witch, Reiner, straightens his shoulders and raises his chin. Yet he, too, is not free from fright. He takes a protective stance, with the fog curling on his skin—a defensive mechanism that doesn’t stand a chance against Emrys’s shadows. The death witch follows her partner’s example, and her shadows begin to dance on and around her body as well. Emrys chuckles softly.
“Let’s not, shall we?” he says, waving at them dismissively. “Let's not pretend you two stand a chance against me.”
“But we stand a chance against her,” the male witch says aggressively.
Within seconds, he’s on the ground, writhing and coughing up blood. I cross my arms as I watch the witch in dismay; his threat against me is not taken lightly by my monster.
“Let's not get cocky, shall we?” Emrys snarls. “No one, not even a seasoned First Quarter Witch like yourself, will stand a chance against me—and my mate.Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes, yes, I’m sorry, I got carried away, my apologies, Umbra,” he chokes, blood dripping onto the cobblestones, smearing his face.
Emrys releases the witch, with his arm protectively around my waist, a statement that even a simple threat directed at me will evoke his wrath.
“You only live as I might need both of you.”
The words hang in the air.
Reiner glances at Caria, and his face twists in terror as he sees her embody rage, foam gathering at the corners of her mouth, dark shadows curling around her in all directions.
“No, no, NO! Caria, don’t do it!” Reiner shouts.
I can tell Caria hears Reiner’s voice; her ears perk up as she listens to him scream, the alarm evident, but she can’t seem to help herself. I watch with interest and morbid curiosity as she forces her malevolent shadows off herself. Her legs tremble as she musters all her strength to hold herself up and stand firm. It’s fascinating to watch. Caria studies Emrys, who glowers at her with a smirk, amusement in his darkened eyes, the shade now closer to black. His sharp canines are visible as he smiles at her, silently beckoning her to try.
It seems that hearing and seeing Emrys threaten Reiner awoke something inside her—a primal urge to protect him. She seems to struggle to understand why Reiner didn’t at least try to stand up for himself, whereas Reiner understood he was no match for Emrys. I grin as I take in the young witch launching her shadows at Emrys with all her power, doing her best to direct them, despite their protest. Her shadows are violent and stubborn, with a will of their own, not fully in sync with her and the instructions she tries to give. My love stands before her, eyeing Caria with intrigue. Dust and dirt fly into the air as her shadows finally move in unison, fast and powerful.
Yet the black tendrils halt in front of Emrys’s face with a quick hand gesture—a wave to the side—and her shadows follow, yanking Caria along. Then he moves his hand down, and her face meets the ground. He forces her into position, dirt coating her face as she kneels before him. She trembles, and humiliation is written all over her face while she remains in a forced kneeling position. She clenches her jaw as she glares at him.
“I'll pretend this blunt attack on my being didn't happen because I understand I threatened your loved one, youngling. I’ll even go so far as to say that I can respect your need to protect those you love, but don't mistake this act of kindness for weakness or think I'm on your side. If I wanted to, I could tear your shadows from your body, leaving you vulnerable, like ahuman, stripped of your magic. However, I do not quarrel with the witches, and my threat is a mere warning. Now get up.”
With a movement of his hand, she’s back on her feet, her legs unsteady like a newborn fawn. She doesn’t dare to look at Reiner, avoiding his gaze. Her embarrassment is palpable at how easily the Umbra subdued her. She seems to realize she never stood a chance to begin with; the only thing she foolishly did was endanger herself and Reiner. Caria swallows hard, and I can only imagine the scolding she’ll receive from the male witch once they return to their place.
“Your kind never should have seen the daylight,” she whispers sneeringly.
“Careful, witch, I might not be so forgiving the second time,” Emrys muses.
“Caria, shut your mouth,” Reiner hisses as he snatches her arm, dragging her behind him.
