Page 21 of Curses and Casualties
Georgia nods slowly, her gaze fixed on the words. “So, if we can harness our bond correctly, we need to do more than just restore the flow of magic. We also need to find a way to realign the supernatural hierarchy so that it doesn’t revert back to this stifled state. We need to make sure that the lessons of the past aren’t just remembered but integrated into how things are run from now on.”
She leans back against me, her body tense with the weight of our discoveries. “It’s a huge responsibility, Ryan. Are we even ready for something this huge?”
I wrap my arms around her, feeling the vibration of her pulse sync with mine in that moment. “We might not ever feel completely ready,” I admit. “But I also don’t think we really have a choice. Caspian spoke of others working toward the bond’s return, so I have to believe that we’re not alone here. Our job is to complete our bond and restore magic, and once we do that, the right paths should open for us, and allies will appear when we need them most.”
Georgia leans back against me and sighs. “I hope you’re right, Ryan. Because this all feels far too big for a tiny pack of four.”
Not alone,Kane adds, unusually philosophical.Book knows us. Building knows us. Magic recognizes what we are. More will come.
Chapter 9
Georgia
The scent of freshly brewed coffee and sizzling bacon greets us as we make our way down to the tavern for breakfast. Despite the early hour, the place is already bustling with activity. A group of pixies flutters past, leaving trails of glittering dust that smells like fresh mint. At a corner table, two vampires sip from steaming mugs of…hot blood? While a centaur carefully navigates between tables, his hooves clicking on the wooden floor.
Ryan meets me at the entrance, his hair disheveled and eyes tired, but a small smile plays on his lips. “Good morning, love,” he says, his voice husky. “Sleep well?”
“Better than you, it seems,” I reply, reaching up to touch his face. “You look like you didn’t sleep.”
He kisses my fingers. “I didn’t much. But I’m OK.” He leads me to a long wooden table where Amara, Darius, Ethan, and Scarlett are already seated.
As we pass other tables, I notice a few knowing smirks and whispered comments. One witch actually winks at me, and I realize with mortification that our magical explosion in the library probably wasn’t as contained as we thought.
As we take our seats, Amara’s eyes twinkle with amusement. “I trust you two had an... enlightening evening in my library last night?”
I feel my cheeks flush hot as Ryan and I exchange guilty glances. “We didn’t mean to intrude,” I say quickly, but Amara just waves a hand.
“No need to apologize. The library is there to be used, and I appreciate you tidying up after yourselves. Besides,” she adds with a wink, “strengthening your bond is crucial right now. I’m glad you’re taking the initiative.”
From a nearby table, a satyr calls out, “Next time maybe use a soundproof room! Some of us were trying to sleep!” His companions burst into laughter, and I want to sink through the floor.
Ryan chuckles, seeming far less embarrassed than me. “Actually, we found some useful texts that helped us understand more about our bond and what it means to magic.”
“You found information on the Soul Bond?” Scarlett asks as she leans forward, a piece of half-eaten toast in her hand. “Dad said they got rid of everything in the 1600s.”
“As with all attempts to rob folks of knowledge, some remnants slipped through the cracks,” Amara explains. “This sanctuary has a way of preserving what needs to be remembered. The ancient packs, their histories, their bonds—none are truly lost, just hidden away until the right moment.”
Ethan, who had been quietly sipping his coffee, finally chimes in. “So, are you saying there are more secrets about our kind here that could potentially help us?” His tone is hopeful, tinged with a curiosity that seems to lift the morning fog around him.
Amara nods. “Most likely. But discovering them is not merely a matter of searching, it’s about readiness, about being open to the truths you might uncover. This sanctuary doesn’t easily giveup its secrets to just anyone. It senses intent, it evaluates the heart. The book Ryan and Georgia found last night only surfaced because it recognized their genuine need.”
“Wow,” Scarlett breathes, shaking her head in amazement. “Tell us everything it said.”
A server—who appears to be part dryad based on the leaves woven through her hair—sets plates full of scrambled eggs, sizzling bacon, and aromatic herbed potatoes in front of us. As we begin to eat, Ryan and I take turns explaining what we learned from the book about the origins of the Soul Bond and its importance to the supernatural world.
“The more I learn, the angrier I am at the Elders and the Council by extension,” Ethan says, his brow furrowing. “They are literally starving us all of the magic we need to thrive.”
Scarlett nods along beside him. “And this is why shifters are having trouble conceiving, right?” she asks. “There haven’t been new pups born for over a decade inside the Whisper Valley Pack, and I hear there haven’t been many elsewhere either.”
“You’re right about that,” Amara says. “And it’s why it’s so important that we succeed. Without the cycle of birth and renewal, shifterkind will die out, and all magic will slowly fade away with them. The Soul Bond is the power that keeps the cycle turning.”
“The text said that the Soul Bond is a power that can’t be stopped,” I start, knowing the answer, but needing to ask this anyway. “That it will always find a way to manifest itself, even in the direst circumstances.”
“Yes,” Amara whispers, pressing her lips together as I take a deep breath to steady myself.
“So that means that all this time…” My voice goes hoarse, teetering on the edge of a revelation that suddenly makes the air thicker, harder to breathe. “It’s been trying to come back, but the Council has been actively exterminating anyone before theycan complete it. For centuries.” A pit forms in my stomach as I think about all those soul-bonded couples, as deeply connected as Ryan and me, torn apart just because a few power-hungry Elders saw them as threats to their dominion. “How many? How many pairs have been denied their destinies, their happiness?” My voice cracks, the weight of countless lost loves pressing down on me.
Ryan reaches out, his hand covering mine under the table. “It’s monstrous,” he says, his voice low and filled with simmering anger. “To think that true love, something so pure and magical, could be seen as something to control and destroy...”
