GREY
Ipushed deeper and deeper into the forest, putting as much distance between me and that fucking place as possible. Sharp branches clawed at my arms and face, one coming dangerously close to impaling my eyeball. Another snagged my T-shirt, tearing the fabric when I refused to slow down.
The blood and pain were the least concerning part of the wraith’s wound. The hallucinations that accompanied it were more concerning, and I wasn’t fast enough to outrun them.
Familiar, haunting blue eyes met mine. Veda’s red hair danced behind her while she twirled next to me. The dark forest was gone, and instead, I stood in a field of wildflowers.
“Keep up,” she shouted over her shoulder.
I picked a handful of daisies, her favorite flower, and took off in a full sprint after her.
I stumbled through the forest, trying to shake the memory, but I was running blind. My foot caught on a log, and I faceplanted into a pile of mud.
I writhed on the ground, rolling in the leaves and filth of the forest floor, desperate to keep the memories at bay.
Fingers laced with mine, and we continued into the meadow, toward the church. Soft lips brushed over mine as weentered. My hands were eager, tangling in the long skirts of her dress. So much damn fabric separated us.
“Grey,” she whispered my name. My restraint snapped as my electricity sparked to life. It skidded against her bare skin, eliciting a cry that I swallowed with my lips.
“Imagine what we could do together. Your power and mine.”
“What did you have in mind?” I kissed the exposed skin of her neck.
“To bring back the girls they’ve unjustly killed. These witch hunts have gone too far. They’ve pitted neighbor against neighbor. These trials are a farce.”
My lips stopped their assault. I pulled back, getting lost in the storm raging in her ocean blue eyes. The navy streaks around the irises were like waves crashing against the shore. The mischief I’d once seen there was gone, replaced by something darker.
“You can’t bring back the dead.” Even hell had rules about that.
“They killed innocent girls. They are killing innocent girls. They were my friends.” She stood, her voice rising, “They deserve justice.”
“And how do you plan on doing that?” She’d need more than just power to bring someone back from the dead. Magic like that required a sacrifice.
“I’m working on a spell.” She dug out a black leather book from her skirt. The gold initials in the bottom corner glinted in the light. “I’ll give them something to fear.”
I woke with a start, my body coated in sweat and mud. I gingerly probed the wound at my side and winced. The gash was swollen and tender but healing. The unbearable burning sensation had faded to a dull throb.
I rubbed my eyes, trying to clear my thoughts. I hadn’t dreamed of Veda in years.
The dark outlines overhead slowly came into focus, revealing a canopy of trees. The leaves rustled, fading from a vibrant green to a sunset orange at their edges, getting ready to shed and fall to the ground in the coming weeks.
I tried to push myself up, but my palm slipped, landing me face first in a puddle of mud. Twigs and leaves crunched under my boot as I tried again to find my footing. Mud caked to the bottom of my boots as I limped down the trail. It took a second, but a familiar house came into view.
I scrubbed a hand across my face as I stumbled forward. I’d finally made ithome.
The hardwood floors were a stark contrast to the concrete slab of Devin’s basement. I stepped inside, and the room shrank. I was trapped again. I blinked, and I was back in my living room. The empty white walls reminded me a little too much of the basement.
I shook the thoughts from my mind, focusing on other pressing issues like what a wraith was doing in Twisted Spires. Rarely did they make their presence known, and it was a bad omen when they did. I needed to get the fuck out of here, but I couldn’t leave without Veda’s spellbook. It was the only way to remove this shackle around my neck, and I wasn’t about to let it slip through my fingers. Not again.
But my problems weren’t going to be solved tonight. What I needed right now was to shower, get myself off, and find the bottom of a bottle.
Fate could be a cruel mistress, but last night, it had shown me mercy. I needed a witch to remove the collar, and one had fallen into my lap.
Now, I just had to find her before the wraith did.
CHAPTER 7
LYRA
