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I crossed my arms, my brow furrowing. I couldn’t deny that this sounded quite alarming. “And what did your Gran think about these visions?”

“She believed they were trying to tell me something. We just didn’t know what.”

“Then why try to block them out with the tonic? If they were that important, wouldn’t she want them to continue so you could decipher their meaning?”

Cerise’s mouth opened and then shut, her expression dumbfounded. “I—well, I had thought it was meant to help me sleep. Gran knew the visions were important, but she believed my health and well-being were the priority.” Her eyes darkened. “But now I’m not so sure.”

“What happens if you don’t take it?” I wondered. Within me, Tavik stirred but said nothing, still healing from the ordeal with the Rogue.

“My hands start to glow gold. I feel hot and burning, and this kind of explosive energy bursts from me. I can’t control it.”

And, of course, Tavik goes wild, I thought. But was that a result of Cerise’s explosion of magic, or just a reaction to her?

If we were indeed Soulbound, was there something about her tonic that suppressed the connection? If so, it would make sense why Tavik reacted so intensely when she didn’t take it. If it had been suppressed for years, the sudden onslaught of power along our bond would be overwhelming.

But if her grandmother had intentionally been trying to suppress the Soulbound link, how had she known about it? Even I hadn’t known.

I needed more answers about this woman. Answers Cerise could not provide.

“We need to find the contact from this letter,” I said, holding up the folded piece of parchment. “Did your grandmother ever mention anyone she often met with? Other witches perhaps? Clients she delivered potions to?”

“Yes, she had a few, but she never told me their names.” Cerise chewed on her lip for a moment before lifting a finger. “Hold on. I think I can find some information about them.”

Before I could respond, she vanished down the hall. I stood there, wondering if I should follow after her.

A moment later, she returned, hefting a massive, dusty tome in her arms. With a grunt, she dropped it onto the floor, and a plume of dust rose up from it.

“This is the grimoire,” she said. “Gran was creating elixirs and spells using this, and she often documented her list of clients.” She crouched low to the floor and flipped through the weathered pages. “I bet she kept her list in this book, instead of out in the open where someone could find it.”

I scanned the contents of the bedroom once more. “Perhaps whoever took your tonic was also looking for that client list.” I pointed to the grimoire. “Where did you find that?”

“In a hidden cupboard in the kitchen.”

My eyebrows lifted. “Was there anything else she hid in there?”

“No, just this.” Cerise’s voice was distracted as she continued flipping pages. She hesitated on one, running her finger along the text. “She was studying this one the day before she died.” Her eyes widened as she looked up at me. “And she had something in her hand! Oh gods… what if it was the amulet?”

I swept away shards of glass and wood before kneeling next to Cerise and scanning the page. It looked like instructions on how to cast a spell. At the top, it read, Unbinding a magical totem.

Something in my chest lurched with recognition. “A magical totem?” I asked, my voice sharpening. “Like a magical amulet perhaps?”

Cerise stared at me. “Are you suggesting that the royal amulet possesses magical properties?”

“I didn’t think it did,” I said. A dark suspicion rose up inside me. “But now I’m wondering if there were secrets about the royal amulets that I never knew about.”

“What did your people use the amulets for?”

I shook my head. “They were only trinkets. Totems that symbolized our power. Like a signet ring.” I pointed to the grimoire page. “If a witch were to bind a magical totem with power, what would they use it for?”

“Lots of things. It could be a place to store their power temporarily. Or an enchanted gift they intended to give to someone who had no magic. Or if they wanted to curse someone with a seemingly innocent object…” She trailed off, her face draining of color as she met my gaze. “You—you don’t think there was a curse placed on the amulet, do you?” Her voice was hushed.

My jaw ticked back and forth. “If there was, why would your grandmother be trying to remove it? If she was looking to kill the Mage King, why not just give him the cursed amulet?” I made a frustrated sound. “None of this makes sense.”

If the old witch had been attempting to unbind the magic contained within the amulet… then what kind of spell had been put on it in the first place?

And who had put it there?

Cerise continued flipping through the grimoire until she shouted in triumph, jolting me from my thoughts. “Here.” She withdrew a loose piece of parchment tucked between the pages and handed it to me.