Page 57 of Sorcia's Heart
Sorcia stopped pacing and faced her.“You’ll be in danger,” she said, her tone cautious.
Zelda stepped forward, her voice softer but no less urgent.“Hazelton is desperate.You have no idea what he’ll do if he finds out you’ve turned on him.”
Hortense shrugged, though her glowing green eyes hinted at the weight of her decision.“I owe you all.I owe your coven.I disrupted your lives, and I let that monster manipulate me.”
Marcus pushed off the wall, his voice a calming counterbalance.“You were backed into a corner, Hortense.You made a bad choice, but you’ve taken steps to fix it.That doesn’t mean you have to put yourself in harm’s way.”
Hortense met his gaze, her chin lifting stubbornly.“I made that choice, Marcus.Now I need to make it right.”
“No,” Sorcia said, her voice sharp and unyielding.“Not like this.I don’t like this plan anymore.I don’t like the risk.We need to find another way to lure Birchsmire into a trap.”
Marcus frowned, his arms crossing over his broad chest.“Sorcia—”
The lights flickered.The room, powered entirely by their combined magic, pulsed with an unsettling energy.
Everyone froze.
“What’s happening?”Hortense asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
“I don’t know,” Sorcia replied, her gaze darting to the crystal orb.It was spinning rapidly, its usual steady glow replaced by a swirling storm of gray and black.The sight sent a chill down her spine.The orb knew something was wrong.
“It’s him,” Hortense said, her voice eerily calm.
Her sudden clarity sent alarm bells ringing through Sorcia’s mind.She reached out to stop the elf, but Hortense moved first, her neon green aura blazing to life.She turned to Marcus, her eyes steady and determined.“Keep her safe,” she commanded.Then, in a blur of motion, she sprinted out of the room.
“Hortense, wait!”Sorcia called, but the elf was already gone, her speed leaving nothing but a faint rustle of displaced air.
“Damn it!”Sorcia turned to Zelda, Jane, and Bethany.“You three stay together.Try to get behind Birchsmire.Marcus and I will flank him from the front.If we can surround him, I’ll use the binding spell.”
Zelda nodded sharply, already moving toward the exit.“Understood.”Jane and Bethany followed, their faces set with determination.
Marcus fell into step beside Sorcia as they made their way through the secret room’s enchanted exit and into the store below.“The binding spell?”he asked, his tone questioning but steady.
“Yeah.”Sorcia didn’t slow her pace, her boots thudding against the floor.“It’s a spell I learned a long time ago that creates containment rings.Think of it like a temporary prison.It might work better than what I sent to everyone when we first started this search.”
Marcus raised an eyebrow.“And this is a spell you’ve used successfully before?”
She grimaced but didn’t look at him.“Not exactly.We’ve tried it before—Zelda, Jane, Bethany, and I—but it never worked on lightning or ocean waves.”
“So you’re saying you’ve never actually contained anything with it,” Marcus said dryly, his long strides easily matching hers.
“I’m saying lightning and waves aren’t solid,” she replied, her voice tight with frustration.“Birchsmire is.At least, that’s what I’m counting on.”
Marcus’s lips twitched, but he didn’t smile.“Counting on, huh?Love, you’re really selling me on this plan.”
Sorcia shot him a look, her green eyes blazing with determination.“Do you have a better idea?”
He chuckled softly, the sound a mix of exasperation and admiration.“Not at the moment.Lead the way, Sorcia.I’ll be right behind you.”
As they emerged, the air was thick with anticipation.Sorcia could feel Birchsmire’s presence like a dark stain on the edges of her awareness.Her heart pounded, but she squared her shoulders and pressed on.
Whatever doubts she had about her plan, she buried them deep.Birchsmire was here, and this was their chance.Failure wasn’t an option.
Chapter 34
Thesceneonthestreet was chaos.The storm clouds roiled overhead, casting an eerie gray light over the confrontation.Rain began to patter on the pavement, the scent of wet asphalt mingling with the charged tension in the air.
“Hortense, don’t!”Sorcia’s voice rang out, her desperation cutting through the rising wind.“Your trees need you!”
