Page 62 of Wedded Witch

I shake my head, trying to dispel the unease. “You’re just being paranoid, Swyn,” I mutter under my breath, pushing open the door to the second floor and stepping back into the hallway.

The guys are downstairs, their voices muted but distinct, a comforting reminder that I’m not completely alone. They must be going through the rest of the house, making sure everything’s still in one piece.

I need to focus on the task at hand—breaking this curse. There’s no time to let paranoia or fear cloud my judgement.

I descend the final staircase, the smell of old wood and dust filling my lungs as I pass through the parlour. The fire in the hearth catches my attention again—burnt down to ashes, yet still smouldering faintly, as though someone had been here recently.

Someone other than us.

Shaking off the feeling, I move to the kitchen. The conservatory catches my eye again as I walk past. The shelves filled with jars, plants, and herbs remind me of an apothecary,perfectly preserved, like a time capsule of everything my family practised.

Will I find answers in there? I’ll come back to explore it later.

But right now, I need to get out of here.

The front door creaks as I pull it open, the sound of birdsong and wind in the trees, filling my ears as I step outside. The weight of the house’s magic lingers in the air, clinging to my skin like a second layer. I take a deep breath, closing the door behind me with a soft thud.

“Swyn?” Kel’s voice calls out from the side of the house. “Everything alright?”

I nod, even though he can’t see me from where he’s standing. “Yeah, I’m coming,” I reply, glancing down at the book in my arms. I need to focus on what’s in here, on what it can tell me. The sooner I can figure this out, the sooner I can make sure everyone is safe.

Kel, Ri, and Sol are waiting near the front garden, their eyes scanning the woods and the surrounding area. As I approach, Kel raises an eyebrow at the book in my hands.

“Found something?”

“The Book of Shadows,” I say, holding it up. “It’s… well, it’s everything. I think it might have the answers I need. But I’ll need time to go through it.”

Sol glances at Ri, then back at me. “You want to take it with you?”

I nod. “I’ll take it back to the motel, give it a read there. No point dragging you all through this dusty old house while I sit and study.”

Ri frowns, his gaze lingering on the book before shifting back to me. There’s something in his expression—concern, maybe—but he says nothing. Instead, he gestures at the path.

“Let’s get moving, then. We shouldn’t linger too long.”

Kel chuckles softly, but it doesn’t reach his eyes.

“Yeah, no telling what else might be lurking around here.”

I feel a flicker of guilt. They’ve done so much for me already, yet here I am, dragging them through this mess. But I push that thought aside. This curse isn’t just my burden—it could affect all of us if I don’t stop it.

We walk back to the truck, the woods quiet around us, but my senses are still on high alert.

That’s when I sense it. The air shifts, growing cold, unnaturally still. My breath catches in my throat as the familiar weight of dark magic presses against my chest.

I stop, my heart pounding in my ears. A presence—shadowed and menacing—lurks just beyond the treeline, barely visible but undeniably there. My eyes scan the woods, searching, but all I see are shadows dancing in the fading light.

“Wait,” I whisper, barely able to get the word out. “Do you feel that?”

Kel is the first to react. His body tenses beside me, and his gaze snaps towards the darkness. Ri is already moving, positioning himself between me and the woods, his hand raised as if he can somehow sense what’s coming.

Sol’s eyes narrow, lips pulled into a grim line. There’s no need for words. They know.

Without warning, a figure steps out from the shadows. Cloaked in darkness, its form is barely discernible, but the magic it emanates is unmistakable—foul, oppressive, like the very air around it is rotting. I take a step back, my instincts screaming at me to run, but there’s nowhere to go. The figure moves slowly, deliberately, the ground beneath its feet withering as it approaches.

“Get behind us,” Kel growls, his voice low and rough.

I can’t tear my eyes away from the figure. Its presence fills the air with dread, but there’s something almost familiar aboutit. The way the magic twists and coils, like a snake ready to strike.