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“Did these two Wolven Mages kill my grandmother?” Cerise asked, her tone sharp.

“Be quiet!” Reid bellowed.

But, to our surprise, Lunaria replied: “No.” I wasn’t sure she would reply to a non-Mage. Then again, this was the first time I had actually brought a non-Mage into the Oracle.

Cerise sucked in a sharp breath, then coughed loudly, covering her mouth with one arm. Even Reid had tugged the collar of his tunic over his mouth. The fog thickened, making my eyes water.

I needed more time. I wanted to ask if Cerise was Soulbound to me, but I was terrified the answer would be yes.

And if it was, I couldn’t give her that information. It was too powerful.

I couldn’t risk it.

“Alaric,” Reid said, his voice strained.

One more question… Between coughs, I asked, “Was Cerise’s grandmother working with a Mage to kill King Nolan?”

A tense moment passed. I held my breath, begging the goddess to say no.

Please.

Please.

At long last, Lunaria replied, “Yes.”

Fourteen

THE WITCH

We rode back to the castle in stony silence. Alaric was rigid at my back, the muscles of his forearms taut as he held the reins. Reid kept shooting him looks of concern, but no one spoke.

I was still rattled from the strange, potent magic of the Oracle. I had heard a woman’s voice traveling through me as if she were a part of my very soul. It had been invasive and horrifying and⁠—

With a shudder, I pushed the thoughts from my mind. There were more important matters at hand. Assuming the Oracle spoke the truth—and I wasn’t entirely convinced of this—then Reid and Alaric had not killed Gran.

And Gran had been working with another Mage to assassinate the Mage King.

It didn’t make any sense. Gran would have never worked with the Mages. All my life she had instilled a fear in me of the dreaded Wolven Mages and their unholy magic. They were vile, corrupt, and dangerous.

And to bring down the Mage King? Why? How did this benefit her? The Isle of Kenibore was isolated and inaccessible to us witches. Why would she have cared if the king lived or died?

I blinked as the horses arrived at the castle stables. I had been so consumed by my thoughts that I hadn’t realized we’d returned.

Alaric immediately dismounted, then eased me off. His brows were drawn together, and his jaw was tight. Without looking at me, he said gruffly, “I’ll escort you back to the fae lands.”

My mouth fell open. “What?”

Reid dismounted and touched Alaric’s shoulder. “We still need her.”

For some reason, Alaric flinched. It was a small, subtle gesture, but my eyes narrowed at the reaction. He swallowed, his throat bobbing. “She was not complicit.” He still refused to look my way. “She is innocent. As promised, I plan to release her.”

“With her grandmother dead, she is the only link to this conspiracy,” Reid hissed.

“But she doesn’t know anything,” Alaric bit out, nostrils flaring. He seemed positively enraged for some reason. As if he was angry that I was still here.

“I need to know what happened, too,” I protested, lifting my chin, though it did little good. The two Mages still dwarfed me by nearly a foot. “Perhaps we can help each other.”

“No,” Alaric snarled, finally meeting my gaze. And I wished he hadn’t. His irises were like liquid gold, churning with a fiery intensity that made my stomach quiver. The fury brimming in those eyes was hot enough to melt my bones. “I have better things to do than chaperone a bothersome witch. We are finished.”