Page 53 of Witch Undecided
I winced at Conah. “Rune apologizes for trying to kill you.”
Conah looked down at Rune. “Apology accepted. I’d have done the same in your position.” He grinned. “Only difference is, I’d probably have succeeded.”
Rune chuffed.I like him.
“Jessie, reset the wards. You.” Sloane jabbed a finger at Conah. “Come with me. I assume you’re here to translate the book?”
Conah inclined his head. “I am. I should have done that to begin with; I forget sometimes how limited witches are when it comes to ancient languages.”
“You mean otherworld languages,” Sloane retorted.
Conah smiled. “That too.” He looked at me with a soft smile. “I’m here to help in any way I can, but I need a moment with Cora first.”
Sloane sighed. “That works, we need to refuel anyway. Meet me in the library in an hour.”
Jumping didn’t come naturally to them. It took a special incantation and tapped into their physical energy reserves. But an hour was enough time to hit the dining hall and fuel up.
She focused on me. “I’ll see you for training later.”
Shit. “I can’t tonight. I have the hunt.”
“Oh, yeah. Okay, tomorrow then.” She speared me with her emerald peepers. “Be safe.”
She winked out, taking The Elites with her. Rune nudged me with his nose.I’ll see you inside. I’d offer to put the kettle on but…He padded away, leaving me alone with Conah.
“Is that one of your mates?” he asked.
“Yeah, that’s Rune.”
“The one who doesn’t take human form.”
“You’ve been talking to Fee.” I tipped my head toward the cabin and started walking.
He joined me. “She’s worried about you, but she wants to respect your boundaries. She understands you need to do this yourself.” He frowned. “Whydo you need to do this yourself?”
I’d thought about this a lot over the past few weeks. Why did I need to go solo on this? Why did the thought of Fee being here with me make me anxious?
I finally understood. “I’ve always felt like a part of someone else’s story. A part of someone else’s life, and for the first time I have my own path to walk. It’s a bit of a mess at the moment, but it’s my mess. I love Fee. I always will, but I don’t want to be her tulpa anymore. I want to be my own person, and to do that I need to walk my path without her for a while. I need to master all this myself and settle in before I share it with her.”
He was silent for a long beat. “I understand, but you should know, if she hadn’t been called to deal with Underealm business she’d probably have broken and come here with me.”
Yeah, I could totally see that happening.
“I’d like to help if I can. I know a little about what the Grimswood coven protects. I understand the importance of keeping it hidden, and I’d like to offer my expertise in any way possible.”
He was an archivist, a master of ancient and otherworld languages, and an excellent researcher, not to mention a kickass Dominus reaper. Being able to call on him would be a huge bonus. Fee couldn’t be here, but this was her way of making sure I was taken care of, just like I’d made sure she was safe.
Still, he had a whole other life and responsibilities. Was it fair to drag him into my mess? “What about your Dominus duties?”
“Taken care of. I can come and go without too much issue once Sloane puts me back on the guest list.” He winked. “And I found this.” He pulled a book from beneath his jacket, aged pages bound in soft leather. “Lilith’s journal. Her only journal.”
“One journal for all those centuries?”
“I know.” His expression was grim. “Minimus, her advisor, told me she only ever kept one journal and recorded only troubling or vital events in it. I had a flick through and found a couple of references to Sons of Adam. I need to study it better. The handwriting isn’t easy to decipher and neither is the language used.”
We climbed the steps to the cabin, and I turned to face him. “Thank you for doing this.”
His shoulders sagged in relief, as if he’d been expecting me to turn him down. I was stubborn, not foolish.
