Page 110 of Wedded Witch
I glance at my brothers, and the same realisation dawns on their faces. She’s done it. They’ve done it.
Kel rubs a hand over his face, shaking his head. “It’s real now, isn’t it? The bond...”
“Yeah,” Ri mutters, his voice gruff, but filled with a strange mix of emotions—surprise, relief, maybe even a little uncertainty. “It’s real.”
“Fuck.”
Mavis steps forward, her eyes gleaming with knowing amusement. “Well, well, boys. It seems your little Swyn’s finally taken that leap, hasn’t she?”
Kel’s brows furrow. “Does that mean the curse is broken?”
Ri crosses his arms, his gaze hardening as he considers the question.
“How are we supposed to know? She doesn’t want kids, and that’s what the curse is about, right?”
I shift uncomfortably at the thought. Swyn’s been clear about that—she’s not interested in continuing the curse’s twisted legacy. But if she doesn’t have a baby, how will we know if thecurse is really broken? Are we really going to risk it by just waiting for the deadline to roll around?
“We’ll know soon enough,” Mavis says with a smirk, her voice dripping with a cryptic tone that sends a shiver down my spine. “Just wait and see.”
“Wait and see?” Kel echoes, incredulous. “That’s it? We just sit around waiting for something to happen?”
Mavis shrugs, completely unbothered. “You’ll find out soon enough whether the curse is truly broken. Patience, boy.”
I don’t like it. I hate not knowing, hate the idea that Swyn could still be in danger. But the bond between us is stronger now, more certain, and that brings a sense of calm I wasn’t expecting.
I exchange a glance with Ri, and he nods, his expression softening for just a moment. “We’ll figure it out. We’ve come this far.”
Kel lets out a sigh, running a hand through his hair. “Yeah. We have.”
I stand up straighter, the lingering effects of the bond settling into something more manageable.
“She’s one of us now,” I say quietly. “No matter what happens.”
“Damn right she is,” Ri says, his voice low, but full of conviction.
Mavis chuckles, turning back to the text she’s been poring over. “Well, if you lot are done getting all sentimental, we’ve got work to do. Morfran isn’t going to wait around just because you’ve finally cemented the bond.”
Kel groans. “Yeah, yeah. Back to the grind.”
But as I pick up another text, the weight in my chest feels lighter. Swyn’s with us, bound by something stronger than magic. And no matter what’s coming, we’ll face it together.
I turn my focus back to the scattered tomes, hoping one of them might contain something useful. The dim light flickers above us as I sift through the ancient pages, feeling a tug of urgency in my gut.
I can’t shake the sensation that we’re running out of time.
“Here,” Ri calls out, his voice breaking through the thick silence. He’s standing by a weathered pedestal, a large, leather-bound book lying open in front of him. “I think I found something.”
Kel and I rush over, crowding around the book as Ri scans the delicate script. The pages are old but surprisingly well-preserved, filled with intricate illustrations and elaborate symbols.
My heart quickens as I read a title emblazoned at the top:Aether Magic: The Breath of the Universe.
“What exactly is Aether magic?” I ask, intrigued.
“It’s the raw essence of magic, the building blocks of all things. It’s said to connect the physical realm to the spiritual,” Ri explains, tracing his finger along the text. “Only a master can wield it, but it’s rare. Most of the time, it’s just theoretical.”
“Is that what Elias meant?” I murmur, feeling a rush of excitement. “About Swyn becoming a master once the curse is broken?”
Kel leans closer, his brows knitting together as he reads over Ri’s shoulder.