Page 18 of Woven Souls

It’s clear why thoughts of her no longer hurt. A new gut-wrenching failure has taken over anything I might have felt for her. All I can see and think about is the terror twisting Willow’s face when we cornered her and Jonah on the street yesterday afternoon. I see it clear as day, even now. It was such a stark difference from the reverence and awe that adorned her pretty features the first night we showed up at her house. Despite being cursed at the time, I had felt so deserving of such a reaction.

The only thing that should be scared of Ghosts are monsters.

While I have no idea what she is, I know for a fact Willow is not a monster. We fucked up and for what? What did we gain by stabbing Willow? I hardly sleep. When I close my eyes, all I can see is Willow’s limp body at my feet. I did that. Theodon may have sunk his blade into her gut, but I forced her to stand there and take it.

When the egg is done, I plate it. I nearly smile at my success, but I don’t. It’s a fried egg for crying out loud. Anyone can do this. I reach for another egg from the carton. One egg won’t be enough to feed the five of us.

“Smells like something is burning.”

Willow’s voice startles me so badly I knock the pan clear off the stove. The egg in my hand is smashed in my grip. Swearing, I fling the mess out of my palm into the sink before hurrying over to the toaster. Reaching into the machine, I try to grab for the burning bread, which only results in burning my fingers. I swear again. Yanking the power cord from the wall, I take the toaster and turn it upside down. Two blackened pieces of bread hit the counter.

“Fuck.”

I sigh and turn around, ready to pick up the pan off the floor. Willow is already on it. She places the pan back on the stove, turns off the flame, and looks over at me. Her hands come down to rest on her hips while one of her eyebrows rises upwards in an unspoken question. Unable to meet her gaze for long, I look down at the pieces of burnt bread.

“I was cooking breakfast… for all of us.” My voice comes out gruff.

“Oh.” There’s a pause. “That’s… nice of you.”

I don’t know how to take her tone, so my eyes flicker back to her face. She smiles, but I don’t miss the suspicion that flashes in her eyes. Well, at least they are clear and focused today. My gaze travels over the rest of her.

Willow’s bathed recently. Her wet hair is braided and flung over her shoulder, causing a large water mark to appear on the men’s shirt she’s wearing. It’s big enough for me, so she’d be drowning in the material if she hadn’t tied a knot in the back. She’s wearing the same cargo pants we found her in, while her feet are bare.

“It’s the least I could do.” I swallow as my eyes land on the pan. “For, well, you know…”

“You mean when you let your friend stab me?”

I wince. Willow’s never one to beat around the bush. All I can do is nod.

“Aren’t you going to apologize or something? Claim that it was all part of a plan, or that it was the best option at the moment?” she pushes.

Heat rushes to my cheeks. If she wants an apology, I’ll give it to her. But I believe in action, not words. I’ll have to find some way to prove how sincerely sorry I am. Until then, I’ll tell her what she wants to hear. I open my mouth, but she waves my apology away.

“Honey, save your breath. For now, breakfast will do. Where’s Theo?”

“I’m here.”

We both look up as Theodon walks into the room. He looks much better this morning. Though clearly still tired, he doesn’t look like a zombie. There’s a bit more color in his eyes and is that… Is he smiling at Willow?

“Good, we need to talk.” Willow walks over to the kitchen table where Theodon pulls out a seat for her. She sits, and he follows suit. Leaning back in her chair she regards the two of us, her pupils narrow, and her lips press together. “I’ve been dragged through hell ever since we met. I’ve let you beat your chests and spout your nonsense. It hasn’t really gotten us very far, has it? So, is it safe to say that at this point, we’re good to do thingsmyway?”

Theodon regards her curiously. His eyes flicker to me, but I ignore him. I keep my eyes trained on Willow, who’s facial expression shifts. I swear I can hear the attitude behind the look. Theodon concedes with a nod.

“I believe that’s fair.”

“Glad you agree, sweet cheeks, because it really wasn’t a question.” She flashes him a smile while his ears turn pink. “First things first, I need access to the internet. I contacted the man who authored that spell book in your possession and told him I wanted to meet up with him.”

My gasp causes both to turn to look at me.

“Why would you—”

“Because I’m tired of being chased by monsters and demons.” Her voice turns cold. “And while I’m not quite sure why nothing has broken into this house yet to try to eat me, I don’t think I’m out of the clear.”

“The house is protected by many strong protection spells. It mutes anything magical,” I offer up quickly. “That means your curse is muted, too.”

Willow frowns.

“So why does Jonah still have horns?”

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