Page 57 of Unbearable Attraction
Shadows moved wrong, stretching in directions that defied the sun's position. The air shimmered with unstable magical energy, making the familiar streets feel alien and threatening. A flock of ravens circled overhead in patterns that hurt to look at directly, their cries carrying otherworldly echoes.
"The balance is breaking," Leenah whispered, her necromantic abilities responding to the chaos. "Whatever Edmund's doing, it's destabilizing the connection between worlds."
They reached the grove to find it transformed into something from a nightmare. Ancient trees that had stood for centuries now bore strange symbols carved into their bark, still bleeding sap that glowed with unnatural light. The stone circle where they'd bonded was surrounded by a barrier of crackling dark energy that made Luka's bear recoil instinctively.
There stood Edmund Blackthorne, looking perfectly composed despite the magical maelstrom swirling around him.
"Ah, the happy couple returns," Edmund called out, his voice carrying through the supernatural wind. "Just in time to witness the restoration of proper order."
"Get away from those stones," Luka growled, his control slipping as territorial fury overwhelmed rational thought.
"I'm afraid I can't do that. You see, this land rightfully belongs to my family. Has for over two centuries." Edmund gestured to a collection of official-looking documents spread across a makeshift table. "Hereditary deed, signed and sealed by the original Blackthorne patriarch. Perfectly legal under both human and supernatural law."
"Those sites are protected," Leenah said, moving closer despite the magical barrier's obvious danger. "Sacred to the spirits who originally inhabited this land."
"The spirits who made agreements with my ancestor, yes. Agreements that have been woefully neglected by subsequent generations." Edmund's smile held no warmth. "I'm simply reclaiming what was always ours and restoring the proper magical hierarchy."
"Bullshit," Luka snarled. "Your ancestor broke the original pact. We fixed it."
"You performed an unauthorized ritual without proper oversight or legal authority," Edmund corrected smoothly. "Any agreements you think you made are invalid under established supernatural law."
The magical barrier pulsed, sending waves of disruptive energy through the grove. Several of the ancient oaks creaked ominously, their leaves turning black at the edges as Edmund's power corrupted the natural balance.
"You're destroying everything," Leenah said, horror creeping into her voice. "The protections, the wards, the connection to the spirit realm. If you keep this up, you'll tear the Veil apart."
"Perhaps that's for the best," Edmund replied. "Hollow Oak has hidden from the world long enough. It's time for proper authorities to take control of these resources."
Through their bond, Luka felt Leenah's realization hit like ice water. Edmund wasn't just claiming the sacred sites. He was planning to expose Hollow Oak entirely, to strip away the magical protections that had kept their community safe for centuries.
"You son of a bitch," Luka said quietly. "This isn't about property rights. You want to destroy us because we rejected your arrangement."
"I want to restore order to a community that's allowed dangerous magical practices to flourish unchecked." Edmund's mask of civility finally slipped, revealing the cold calculation underneath. "Your little necromancer has proven that independent practitioners pose a threat to established supernatural hierarchies. Time to correct that oversight."
The magical barrier flared brighter, and Luka caught the scent of approaching supernatural reinforcements. More of Edmund's people, moving through the woods with military precision. Whatever he was planning, this was just the beginning.
"We have to get back to town," Leenah said urgently. "Warn the Council, organize some kind of defense."
But as they turned to leave, Edmund's voice followed them through the corrupted grove.
"Run along and tell your little Council that the old ways are ending. By tomorrow, Hollow Oak will operate under proper supervision, or it won't operate at all."
The walk back to town felt like fleeing a battlefield, with Edmund's magical corruption spreading through the woods behind them like a stain. But worse than the immediate threat was the growing certainty that everything they'd built together, everything they'd fought to protect, was about to be torn apart by forces beyond their control.
"We'll stop him," Luka said, as much to himself as to Leenah.
"How? He's got legal documents, magical authority, and enough power to destabilize our protections." Her voice carried a despair he'd never heard before. "What if we can't win this time?"
The question hung between them as Hollow Oak's familiar streets came into view, now shadowed by the knowledge that their sanctuary might not be safe much longer.
37
LEENAH
The Council Glade felt different with Edmund's corruption spreading through the woods. Even here, in the most protected space in Hollow Oak, Leenah could sense the wrongness creeping at the edges of the ancient wards. The air tasted metallic, charged with hostile magic that made her necromantic abilities recoil.
"How bad is it?" Elder Varric asked as she and Luka approached the emergency gathering.
"Worse than we thought," Luka replied grimly. "He's not just claiming the sacred sites. He's actively corrupting them."
