Page 96 of Wedded Witch
“This was buried beneath the debris in Spells Hollow. It’s from a grimoire, but not just any grimoire. It’s tied to the magic of the storm. I think it’s from Morfran’s Book of Shadows.”
A chill runs down my spine. “What does it say?”
“Only fragments. It’s sustained too much damage but there are details of a ritual—a dark ritual that can summon storms, chaos…and something worse.” Mavis’s eyes lock onto mine, a grave warning. “And it’s clear someone is trying to harness that power.”
“Why would someone do that?” Kel asks, his voice tense. “And who?”
“Power, revenge, control,” Ri answers, his gaze still fixed on me. “But it’s targeting something, or someone, specific.”
Mavis nods. “You, Swyn. The darkness wants you.”
My heart races. “But why? I don’t even know what kind of power I have! I come from a long line of fading witches, we’re basically human at this point.”
“We’ll figure it out,” Sol says, determination in his voice. “But we need to be ready. We can’t let whatever this is catch us off guard.”
I look around, their faces set with resolve, and I feel a flicker of hope.
“Okay. We need to protect each other. We have to stick together. I…I know it doesn’t make any sense and it’s way too soon to talk about feelings and forever and things, but I—I can’t lose you.”
The words spill out of me before I can stop them, and the silence that follows feels heavy, charged with an emotion that hangs in the air.
Sol steps closer, his warm eyes never leaving mine, while Kel’s hand rests gently on my shoulder, grounding me, steadying me. Ri, though, stands just a few feet away, his expressionunreadable, his arms crossed tightly over his chest as if he’s holding something back.
“We’re not going anywhere,” Sol says softly, his voice full of quiet reassurance. “You’re not losing us.”
His words wrap around me like a safety net, but I can still feel the tension in the air, especially with Mavis’s warning lingering like a shadow over everything.
The storm wasn’t just a freak accident. It was deliberate—targeted. And the idea that it’s all aimed at me...I don’t even know what to do with that. I don’t feel special. I don’t feel powerful. But somehow, I’ve become the centre of whatever chaos is coming.
Should I phone my mum back and ask for help? That would mean truly coming clean though. And can they even help? Would they have advice that can’t be found in my family’s Book of Shadows? Could they even get here in time?
“I don’t understand,” I say, shaking my head. “Why me? What makes me so important?”
Mavis gives me a look that’s a mix of sympathy and something else—something darker.
“It’s not about who you are now. It’s about who youcouldbecome. Your bloodline might be fading, but there’s still magic in you, child. Old magic. And someone out there wants to use it.”
I swallow hard, the weight of her words pressing down on my chest. Old magic.Mymagic. I feel like I’ve spent my whole life trying to distance myself from it, trying to live as normally as I could.
Now, everything’s shifting, crumbling in front of me, and there’s no running away from it.
If gramps is right, thesomeonewho wants to use it is Morfran himself. Should I tell them that?
Ri’s voice cuts through the tension, low and serious. “We don’t have time to waste. Whoever’s behind this, they’re notgoing to stop just because we’re figuring things out. We need to be ready to fight.”
“Agreed,” Kel says, his eyes flashing with determination. “But first, we need to know what we’re up against. Mavis, is there any more information you can get from that grimoire fragment?”
Mavis shakes her head, her expression grim. “Not without the rest of the book. Whoever took it knows exactly what they’re doing. They’ve only left just enough behind to rattle us, not enough to stop them.”
“So what do we do?” I ask, my voice sounding small, even to me.
Ri steps forward, finally breaking the distance between us. His gaze is intense, locking onto mine.
“We protect you. We find out who’s behind this and we stop them before they can get to you. No matter what it takes.”
For a moment, all I can do is stare at him. There’s something fierce in his eyes, something protective and unyielding. It’s the same pull I always have when he’s near, the same magnetic force that’s been growing ever since the night we met. But now it’s layered with something more—something urgent, dangerous.
Sol shifts beside me, his hand brushing against mine, a silent offer of comfort. “We’ll figure it out together,” he says, his voice gentle but firm. “You’re not alone in this.”