Page 49 of Our Dark Winter Wish

‘The ships are reporting back to Lilith and her armies as we speak. They have a days advantage on us.’

Dorian crushes the pendant, letting it fall to the floor as dust.

‘We have to leave.’ Dorian takes a shuddering breath. ‘We have to leave right now.’

‘Agreed,’ Shaw says sadly. ‘It was nice whilst it lasted, but we were foolish to think they would stop looking for her.’

‘I’m sorry,’ I say. ‘But who the fuck is Lilith?’

They all stare at Dorian.

‘I’m not leaving our home without a damn good reason why.’

Dorian clears his throat and faces me. ‘Lilith is a shadow master. Like me, but more powerful. Unbound by any curses, she relishes the stealing of souls. She masterfully commands them. A way in which I never could. I was always fighting the darkness of the shadows. They often controlled me. Lilith does not have that problem. She controls them, and they worship her. They are souls sacrificed to her willingly, so they hold no hatred for her. Only love and blind obedience.’

Another shadow master? I knew they existed long ago but assumed he was the last.

‘And why would she want me?’

‘You’re a powerful earth goddess, Poppet. Half the world wants you.’

‘Do you think she wants to trap me like they did Athir?’ I ask. ‘And steal my magic?’

It’s something I have thought about often. I have no idea how they trapped the witch gods. But they did. They could do it again. Especially now they know I exist.

‘We would never let that happen,’ Dorian promises me. ‘We need to pack and get going.’

He leaves the room, charging upstairs to do precisely that.

I look at Archie and Shaw.

‘Now tell me who she really is,’ I say. ‘To him. And why would you question his loyalty?’

Shaw walks towards me. His palm rests on my cheek.

‘Pixie. She’s his wife.’

All the air leaves my lungs.

‘Like… forced to marry kinda wife?’ I ask.

‘No. Like loved and adored. Married. And then watched as she was killed, kinda wife. Except now she’s not dead. She’s very much alive. It’s possible she returned after Hel’s death.’

Great. I save the world and bring my lover’s wife back from the dead.

‘She wants me?’

He nods, brushing the hair from my face.

‘We can’t be sure what she wants with you, but I know it won’t be good. I’m sorry. But we have to go.’

‘This is our home. I won’t run.’

‘Home isn’t a place, Pixie,’ he says. ‘You should know that by now. It’s this.’ He places his hand over my heart and my hand over his. ‘It’s us. You. Me. Dorian and Archie. This place is just shelter. It’s not home.Weare home. And if we stay here, Lilith will come and take you. Take Dorian. And we will no longer be home. Do you understand me?’

I swallow the urge to cry, and I nod.

‘We leave. Now.’

---