Page 29 of Filthy Little Witch
I sniffed it again and sat down opposite Wes, debating whether I should actually consume it. Over the last week, we’d eaten separately, and everything I ate had been made by my own hands. Atlas and I weren’t friends, barely acquaintances. The last conversation we’d had ended with us snarling in each other’s faces. With my magic still damaged and the bond absent, now would be the perfect opportunity to?—
“It’s not poisoned,” Atlas said, plucking a broccoli off my plate and shoving it into his mouth with a despicable wink.
I raised an eyebrow but didn’t answer as I picked up my fork and knife to dive in.
“I didn’t think so,” I said. “I was just wondering where a warrior learned to cook.”
“Ugh, you wound me,” he said, clutching his chest in fake offense.
“It doesn’t take much to find food in the fridge and put it in the microwave,” Wes teased, causing Atlas to reach over and slug him in the shoulder.
“Cunt,” Atlas said with a grimace.
“Asshole,” Wes replied, rubbing at his chest.
“Hey, knock that off,” I cut in. “He’s still healing up.”
“He deserved it,” Atlas grumbled, diving into his dinner.
“Good thing everything resets at midnight.” Wes stuck a piece of ham into his mouth and chewed. “At least we won’t run out of food.”
“If everything is as it was when we created the liminal, then the grocery stores should still be stocked,” I said. “We can make a run later this week, if there’s anything you want that we don’t already have.”
Atlas raised his eyebrows. “You think it’s going to take that long to get out of here?”
“We didn’t find anything helpful today,” Wes said. “Lots of theory and conjecture, but nothing solid.”
“I’d like to go out to the sacred forest tomorrow,” I said. “I can feel my magic returning, and a trip to hallowed earth will help.”
“If your magic is returning, shouldn’t the bond come back with it?” Wes asked.
I thought about Constance’s book, about how the feedback loop exhausted itself between three people until it shut off. I didn’t know if that was happening to us or if it was something about the liminal itself.
“I don’t know,” I finally said. “But it’s a start.”
“Atlas, you’ll need to go with her,” Wes said. “I’m still too injured to be any help if the demon shows up.”
Atlas sighed and reluctantly nodded.
“I can go by myself,” I said. “This is ancient ground, even in the liminal. The demon can’t get me here.”
“Yeah, and we thought that about the salt ward, too. Didn’t we?” Atlas smirked, and I hated that he had a point. “Until we know more about where we are and why, no one goes outside alone.”
As much as I didn’t like it, I had to admit it was reasonable. We ate the rest of our dinner in silence, and when it got late, we went back to our separate rooms to sleep.
CHAPTER 11
Marta
Atlas took me to the forest the next morning, the same place where I’d been inducted into the coven and bonded to the two of them. Despite how much he lived to goad me, he didn’t say anything on the walk there.
Once I had my hands in the earth, I retreated to my safe space in my mind. I pulled on the energy of the woods and the power of my ancestors, sucking it into me as I reciprocated with my gratitude and relief that the connection still existed, even in this terrible place. I tried calling out to the woman who’d assisted me before, that ethereal being with light pouring out of her.
But she didn’t answer, and she didn’t show herself. Nor did the demon, neither in the physical realm or the mental.
Once I was more grounded and the remnants of my magic pulsed through my veins, I opened my eyes to find Atlas sitting on a log, twirling a knife between his long, capable fingers. He hadn’t noticed that I’d returned, so I took a moment to look him over. Even if he acted like a terrible little shit, he was a beautiful man, his face perfectly imperfect, his jaw square, and his bright green eyes twinkling in the sunlight. Both of the Colt brothers were attractive, and if it weren’t for the years of animosity between us, this whole stuck-together thing might not have been so bad. At least they were pretty to look at.
He glanced up and caught me staring at him, and I quickly darted my focus away, forcing myself to my feet.
