Page 47 of Sophie's Ruin
That got Celeste’s attention.
“WhereisSophie?” the witch asked, stepping closer to me.
“She’s…gone.” I swallowed to relieve the tightness in my throat.
“What do you mean ‘gone’?” Waylon chimed in, his gaze stretching behind me as if he were expecting to see Sophie standing there.
“She rescued me from the clan leaders’ captivity, but some of them got away. She went after them. She wants revenge.” The last three words were difficult to get out because they were not my Sophie.
“She truly rescued you all by herself?” Isabelle’s delicate brows climbed her forehead.
“She did, but I think something’s wrong.”
“Somethingiswrong,” Celeste said grimly.
“It’s her magic, isn’t it?” I asked, looking at the witch, and she nodded. “What happened while I was gone?” I demanded, looking between Celeste, Isabelle, and Waylon. I didn’t dare look at Wren lest my fury return in full force.
“What happened was…she went a little insane with worry when the clans took you. She became obsessed with getting you back,” Isabelle explained, but I knew there had to be more to it.
“She wanted me to come with her to hunt down the remaining clan leaders, and when I refused, she said someone else would help her. Do you know who she was talking about?”
Isabelle shook her head, but Celeste’s eyes narrowed.
“I thought I caught her talking to someone in the woods the other night, but I didn’t see who it was,” the witch said.
“Someone from the village?” Isabelle gave Waylon a questioning look.
“Not Amelie. She’s been spending all her free time with me,” he replied. His face took on a strange expression as he shifted from foot to foot.
“Wait, what village?” I asked Isabelle, as her words finally sank in.
Her gaze found mine again, and she smiled, her face lighting up with warmth and excitement.
“The White Witches settlement. Henry, there are so many of them. It’s truly amazing. I can’t wait for you to see it.”
I stared at her in disbelief. I’d thought most of the White Witches had been eradicated or turned Dark during the Red War. Their tragic fate had always weighed heavily on me because I wished there had been something I could have done to prevent it. Learning that there were a lot more of them than I had realized alleviated the weight just a fraction.
“There is an entire village?” I looked at Celeste and she nodded, pride and joy shining on her aged face. “I can’t wait to see it,” I told her. “But first, I need to find Sophie.”
Understanding settled into her features as they became hard with determination.
“I will listen to the world and see if it whispers about her whereabouts. I’m afraid she is not only a danger to others but also to herself. Her magic is?—”
“Dark,” I interjected. “I’ve seen it firsthand.”
How did you let that happen?I wanted to shake the witch.
The question was on the tip of my tongue, but I didn’t voice it. I needed Celeste’s help to find Sophie, so I couldn’t confront her like I wanted to. Her lips pressed into a thin line as if she knew what I was thinking, but she didn’t say anything else before she turned around and walked inside the house. I took a step to follow after her, but Isabelle’s hand landed on my arm.
“It’s good to have you back,” she said, her voice shaking with emotion.
When I looked at her, her eyes were glimmering with tears. I couldn’t bring myself to say anything in return. I wanted to tell her it was good to be back, but I couldn’t force the words out because my feeling of elation was tamped down by one of dread. I couldn’t help but feel like my freedom had come at a price, and Sophie was currently paying it. What that price was, I wasn’t sure, but a cold, heavy feeling of foreboding crept into my chest and settled there.
“You said some of the clan leaders escaped,” Waylon said, drawing my attention to him.
“Yes, Emeric, Lena, and Yvonne are still on the loose.”
“What about Camilla, Moreau, and Beatrice Stern?” Isabelle asked.
