Page 74 of When Storms Ruin

“That was in your jacket pocket?” Puck asked.

I nodded. “It obviously hadn’t been there the whole time…”

How had it just…appeared there?

“Phineas had said the spell simply disappeared. Maybe it hid itself, sensing his intentions or that he wasn’t a Kotova. If it was still on his person, because he didn’t know it, it might have sensed you, too. The grimoire chose you after all, and that is a part of the grimoire,” Nik pointed out.

“You think it was invisible until another Kotova came along to claim it?” I asked.

“It’s not the most outlandish thing to consider.” Puck shrugged. “The Kotova grimoire does have a mind of its own,right? As your magic does. There is a lot we don’t know about your bloodline or your magic. I think the spell chose you, the same way the grimoire did.”

“I think the most outlandish thing about this whole situation is that Phineas wore the same vest for over a decade…” Tess replied with a grimace.

I couldn’t help but laugh. A swell of relief filled my chest—until I remembered the last thing Phineas had said.

“The spell may have hidden itself away in my jacket, but that doesn’t change the fact that we needa bloodlineto bind my storm magic. A bloodline we don’t have.”

“Maybe there’s a loophole?” Tess offered.

“Maybe,” I replied, biting my lip.

I studied the words on the page and quickly realized a translation would be in order for this spell. The key needed to be physically removed from the paper, as I had seen in the vision the grimoire had sent me.

I folded the paper carefully and tucked it back into my pocket, shaking my head. The grimoire certainly wasmagical. To think that Phineas had the spell in his possession for the last decade and didn’t know it brought another smile to my lips. Maybe Tess was right, maybe there was a loophole.

“I’ll have to return this to its rightful place later, we need to update Isaac and the council on what’s happened.”

“Agreed.” Nik nodded, motioning towards the road that would take us to the safe house.

I prayed no one had followed us up and out of The Shadow, and that we weren’t tracked as we made our way to the safe house. I hadn’t seen Kenna since our spat with Phineas, anda string of unease unfurled in my gut. I had half expected her to meet us once we had come back up the stone steps, but she was nowhere to be seen.

We took a roundabout way to get there—to be sure we weren’t being followed. It took twice as long as it normally would, but there was a sense of relief that had settled between us that we had at leastfoundthe spell Alastir sent us to search for. Alastir hadn’t steered us wrong. That was the first step, the rest we could figure out later.

The closer we got to the safe house, the more a sensation of uneasiness settled in my chest. The sky overhead still hadn’t cleared, but it also hadn’t stormed yet. It had been teetering on a precipice all day, not moving one way or the other.

I thought I might have heard a scream in the distance, but searched the faces of the others and shrugged it off when it appeared they hadn’t heard anything themselves.

As we drew closer, I felt a swell of magic. As we turned the corner to see the safe house a few blocks away, my blood ran cold.

Witches filled the streets, magic swirling angrily in the air. The sound of screams and clashing metal and iron filled my ears, sending a chill down to my bones.

I exchanged an alarmed glance with Tess, but Nik and Puck were already off running. We were close on their heels, pumping my fists harder and harder as I pushed myself to keep up.

The first thing I saw was Isaac, blood smeared across his face, his sword clashing fiercely with a Nightshade guardfrom Donika’s army, her seal proudly displayed on his breast plate.

The rest of the resistance was out here, too.

Fighting.

They were fighting for their lives.

Dusk had ascended over Prins and smoke filled the streets, making it hard to see who was fighting who. The only relief I allowed myself was that I didn’t see any Noctani among the chaotic fray.

I pulled Stormslayer free and dove after Nik into the melee, my dagger tight in my grip. He shot me a glance that told me he knew there was no way to keep me out of the fighting, and that Ibetterkeep myself safe.

I nodded at him before he disappeared into the smog after Puck. I scanned the entrance to the safe house which had now turned into a raging battlefield, blood and bodies strewn about. Bile rose in my throat, but I quickly swallowed it down.

There was no time for second guessing. No time to be afraid.

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