Page 105 of First Ritual
Varden glanced back and scanned the three males surrounding me. His lips curved. “Word had reached some coven members about an orgy at the lake. One involving yourself, Mr. Astar, the three men behind you, and—in fact—your cousin. The application response came a few minutes after this news whether related or not. The original coven made no mention of this.”
An orgy? Incest too. Look at me go. People in this coven needed to get their damn heads out of the gutter. “Thank you for your candidness.”
“Thank you for making life interesting. Good evening.”
When he’d gone, Huxley elbowed me again in the same spot. “I can’t believe you asked him outright,” he hissed.
“Best way to get an answer.” I strode down the main tunnel.
“Where are you going?” Corentin asked. The three magus followed me.
“To bed,” I said firmly. No one and no thing would stop me.
Sven sighed. “Fuck. Wild’s parents will be pissed. No wonder they strong-armed the coven.”
I snorted. “How ridiculous. I mean, how did they interpret a divination journey as an orgy?”
Huxley answered, “There was one point where Wild was kind of behind you. I was behind him, trying to pull him away. You were on top of Rooke. Sven was under her. Corey, where were you?”
A hum from Corentin. “Between you all, yanking on Wild’s shoulders.”
Huxley laughed. I joined him.
“In all seriousness,” Corentin said, “this is a big one. How are we going to get him out of this mess? If his parents decide to look further, they could find out about his… friend.”
The magus fell silent. Me too.
The reminder of Wild’s creature only served to make me recollect my own. My heart hammered. Claws. Teeth. Black eyes. Agony.
That was who I became when I made a divination journey. The scratches—Wild hadn’t been able to see any sign of another creature in the area. Because I was the creature who attacked myself.
I sucked in a breath. As exhausted as I was, I knew there wouldn’t be sleep tonight. Once outside my door, I stared at the iron handle.
“Bronte?” Sven asked.
Jerking, I peered up at him, then the others. “Tired.”
Instead of joking, they almost looked concerned. Not Corentin, perhaps, but he wasn’t sneering at me, which could be interpreted as concern maybe.
“That was some serious shit today,” Sven replied before he squeezed my arm. “Then the affinity test too.”
A lump rose in my throat. Now there was just more shit. I’d already been at maximum capacity before the alien discovery. “I don’t suppose you guys know where I ended up after the journey?”
Huxley drew out his notebook. “Wild gave us the coordinates.” He summoned a map that looked one misplaced sneeze away from erupting into dust. Muttering to himself, Huxley trailed his pointer finger over the hovering map. The dread in my stomach mounted as the magus drew closer and closer to the wilderness on the far side of Frankton Gorge.
North.
“Here,” Huxley announced, pushing his glasses up. “You were here. At the base of this mountain range to the north of Deception Valley.”
A loud buzzing filled my ears. The map blurred.
Words left my mouth, maybe. My lips moved. I didn’t know what I’d said. Thank you? Goodnight?
I closed the door to my chamber and leaned against the wood, unaware and uncaring about the three magus I’d left on the other side. The room was acting strangely—the walls pulsing in and out. Tightening like my throat, my chest, and my heart.
The mountain range to the north of Deception Valley.
I’d woken in wilderness last time I’d journeyed back. I hadn’t been able to recall just where, though I’d made it back to Frankton Gorge after a week.