Page 35 of Framed and Forgotten
“I don’t care,” I deadpanned, dead set on achieving what I had come here for.
“Avril.” She caught my attention as she gently pulled down the book I was skimming. Looking into my eyes, she continued, “Only dark magic can be used to play with the mind.”
“Then we’ll use it,” I replied nonchalantly, slightly annoyed at her.
“No.” She shook her head. “Dark magic is never fair. It always takes something from whoever tries to use it. I won’t mess with it,” she determined.
My brows furrowed as I growled, “I’ll perform it myself then.”
Even if Vereya was against the use of dark magic, she thankfully did keep a dark magic grimoire. What she had it for, I didn’t know. But I was glad to have found it after she unintentionally gave me a clue. I took it without thinking twice, paying no mind to her shouts as I sped outside.
However, I could barely make it to the middle of the town square when Elijah materialized in front of me, his presence a wall I had no choice but to face.
“You never showed up at the cafeteria,” he complained, his voice edged with the same concern he'd worn earlier. Then, his gaze flickered to the book clutched in my hand. “What've you got there?”
I drew in a deep breath, the weight of my decision settling in my chest. “A spellbook.”
Elijah’s expression twisted, confusion tightening his brows. “What do you need that for?”
Holding his gaze, I let the truth slip between my lips, raw and unshaken. “To keep Koen off my mind.”
His eyes widened, horror creeping into his features. "Avril, what-" He shook his head, stepping toward me, urgency laced in his movements. "You shouldn’t-"
“Maybe you’re right, Eli,” I interrupted, my voice carrying a hint of bitterness. “Maybe I’m a coward. Maybe, when it comes to love, my instinct is to tuck tail and run.”
His brows shot up, his bewilderment obvious - until realization settled in. I saw it in his eyes, the way he recalled our conversation from before, the unspoken wounds I had admitted to him.
“But I can’t do this anymore,” I confessed, the words like stones dropping from my chest. “I have too much to fight for already. I can’t add Koen to that list.”
A tense silence stretched between us. I could tell he was looking for the right words to say, an effective way to talk me out of it. Just then, Theo joined us, probably looking for his mate.
His gaze shifted between the both of us. “What’s going on?”
I had no time to explain, no time for their protests or their pity. My mind was made up. Raising my head, I marched past them, my strides long and hurried.
“Avril, wait!” Elijah called after me, urgency sharpening his tone as he followed after me. “Wait!”
I glanced over my shoulder, meeting his desperate gaze one last time. My aura flared as I let my power settle over them like an iron shackle. “Don’t try to stop me,” I ordered - an alpha command neither of them could ignore.
My gamma's eyes widened in a mix of disbelief and despair. It was the last thing I saw before my vision zeroed in on the packhouse. I could hear him urging Theo to do something, but it was useless. Just as I had ordered, they let me go. The moment I reached my room, I locked the door behind me, sealing myself in.
I wouldn’t step out of here until Koen vanished from my thoughts, and I could go back to being the alpha my pack needed.
23
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A V R I L
Performing a spellwas no frivolous task, especially not for a wolf shifter with no experience whatsoever. However, I had a few cards up my sleeve, along with my fervent determination.
All supernatural beings were born of magic, granting each a degree of magical power. Some, like witches or druids, had a stronger affinity for it than others. Regular wolf shifters had only a trace of magic, though it was never entirely absent. The higher the rank, the greater their aptitude, which explained how alphas were capable of using spells to bind or ban individuals from their pack, and even a form of mind control - the alpha command.
Ashen Wolves had an even greater magical affinity than common shifters, as we naturally possessed more power. As the strongest of my kind, I had the highest chance of successfully performing a spell. And since we drew power from the shadows, dark magic practically ran in our blood.
Though I had never attempted to handle magic myself, I had witnessed Vereya use it countless times. The first step was creating a circle of Mountain Ash, a special kind of ash obtained by burning the wood of a rowan tree. It was a potent repellent of magic, yet it also had the ability to concentrate it. Next, I wouldneed candles - not for the fire, but for the shadows the flames would cast. I would draw my energy from them.
As I set everything up, Kea barked non-stop inside my head.“Please, Avril! Don’t do this!”
