Page 113 of Spellbound & Speechless
He nods, nudging me gently. “Go on.”
Mac has been quiet since seeing his father’s wolf form, and I can’t blame him. I wouldn’t know how to face my mother in battle.
The rose quartz crystal beats in my hand, charged with the energy of love. My energy. Juniper holds an obsidian,Rowan with a Ruby, Maple with a pink tourmaline, and Laurel with a peridot.
Ozan may be the one performing the spell, but we’re all playing our part, simultaneously lifting the stones in the air.
“I call upon you, Thirnoth.” Ozan’s voice booms. “To take back the one you created. Take her power as an offering.”
We’ve never worked with demons before, but it’s not unheard of for witches. If our ancestors gave us this spell, we have to trust it.
“Wait!” the corrupt witch shouts.
In an instant, she looks younger. She sounds like a child crying for help. Corruption makes witches rotten, but there’s a flash of innocence in her eyes.
It’s a trick. It must be.
“I can tell you what happened to your mother,” she says. “I have information. Believe me. I will tell you everything about the weapon.”
The weapon? The weapon is the grimoire… and she doesn’t know about it. She can’t—not more than we already know.
Or perhaps we don’t know about it at all. A new spell was added days ago, and we don’t know where it originated. Our mother didn’t have enough time. There was more for her to teach us.
Now, she can never finish her work.
A hush falls over the room. Ozan looks to Juniper for an answer, but she’s frozen—her lips parted, tears welling in her eyes.
We don’t know which demon attacked our mother. Was it Thirnoth, the same demon in charge of corrupt witches? This witch may have information.
Or perhaps…
“It’s a trick,” I say. “I don’t believe her. She’s trying to knock our guard down.”
“Aspen is right.” Juniper snaps out of it, nodding confidently. “Continue.” She locks eyes with Ozan and doesn’t move them.
He continues the spell, chanting in another language—one I don’t understand, that only the spell-casters do. I can cast simple glamour spells, like I can make a glamour potion, but this level of spell-work is above me.
It’s all-powerful. The energy sways. Light forms between our crystals, connecting into a massive orb of rainbow light.
Ozan yells louder. The grimoire slams itself shut.
The corrupt witch lets out a wicked scream as she disappears into the rainbow light.
“She’s gone,” Mac says.
“She can’t return to this plane,” Ozan mutters, rubbing his face. He must be exhausted. In the span of a few moments, more grays have appeared in his dark hair and beard.
I look at where Mac stands in the corner. Tears spill from his eyes, and his nose is red as he falls to his knees.
“She’s gone,” Mac repeats. “It’s over.”
“No,” Juniper says. “This may be the end of her, but I have a feeling this is nowhere near the end of… of this.Allof this.”
Though none of us agree with her aloud, we must all know she’s right. I know it, even if I want her to be wrong.
If this corrupt witch had information on our mother’s death, if she evenknewabout our mother’s death, that means there’s more to it than we were led to believe.
Chapter 40
