Page 112 of Wedded Witch
I pull back slightly, searching her eyes. There’s no hesitation. She means it. “For what?”
Swyn’s gaze flicks between me, Kel, and Ri. She takes a breath, gathering her thoughts.
“Elias said something when I spoke to him. He told me I would master Aether magic once the curse was broken.” Her voice is steady, but I can see the way her hands tremble slightly. “I think that time has come.”
Aether magic. My thoughts race. That kind of magic isn’t just powerful—it’s ancient. It’s not bound by the same rules as the elemental forces we know.
It’s everything and nothing, a force that bends reality itself. If Swyn can master it, she can reshape the world around her.
Kel steps forward, his arms crossing over his chest, brows knitted together. “You think this is what Elias meant? That breaking the curse would unlock this power in you?”
Swyn nods, her lips pressing into a thin line. “I’m certain of it. It’s been building ever since…ever since I bonded with Oland. The power is there, but I don’t know how to control it yet. And if I don’t figure it out soon, we won’t stand a chance against Morfran.”
My hands curl into fists at my sides. The thought of her wielding that kind of power excites and terrifies me. If anyone can handle it, it’s Swyn, but still…it’s not something to be taken lightly.
Ri’s voice breaks the silence, low and even.
“We found a book. It might help. It mentioned something about Aether magic, but it’s vague. It says the magic requires balance—of mind, heart, and spirit. If you can find that balance, you can wield it. We just don’t know what balance looks like yet.”
Mavis steps into the room then, her face set in that cryptic, knowing expression she always wears when she’s holding back something important.
“You’ll learn, child. Don’t worry about it. But that’s not all the book said, is it?”
Ri shakes his head, his eyes lowering to the floor. “No. There’s more. It said that once Aether magic is fully unleashed, the balance must be maintained…or everything will fall apart. If you were to lose control…”
“We won’t let that happen,” I cut in, my voice sharper than I intend, as I glare at my brother. “We’ll figure it out together.”
Now isnotthe time to be freaking her out.
Swyn’s eyes meet mine, and I can see the storm of emotions swirling behind them.
“There’s no time, Sol. Morfran’s getting stronger. He’s coming, and soon.”
As if on cue, the temperature in the room drops sharply, a biting cold seeping into my bones. I stiffen, my senses going on high alert. The fire in the hearth flickers, the flames dancing erratically as the shadows in the room deepen.
Something is wrong.
“Did you feel that?” Kel mutters, stepping toward the window.
“Yeah,” I reply, my voice low, eyes narrowing. The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, a familiar tingle of danger crawling over my skin.
Ri is already moving toward the door, his movements slow and deliberate.
“Something’s here.”
Mavis tilts her head, a faint crease pulling at her brow. “It seems Morfran is closer than we thought.”
A loud thud echoes through the house, followed by another. The ground beneath us trembles, just slightly, like the pulse of something dark and alive pressing against the very walls.
I rush to the window and peer outside. The night is darker than it should be, the moon barely visible behind thick clouds. Shadows shift along the edge of the woods, too fluid to be trees swaying in the wind. My stomach knots.
“We need to get ready.”
Swyn stands in the centre of the room, her hands clenching and unclenching at her sides. The firelight casts a faint glow on her pale face, her eyes wide with the weight of everything that’s about to happen.
Another thud, louder this time. It sounds like something hitting the door, testing the wards that protect the house. The wards are strong, but for how long?
“Guys,” Swyn whispers, her voice tight with fear and determination. “He’s here.”