Page 43 of Woven Souls

All eyes turn to me.

“Willow, if you truly think that we cannot escape our current situation, perhaps, maybe, we simply embrace it?” It’s hard to believe the words coming out of my mouth given the circumstances of how we arrived at this house in the first place.

“Excuse me?” Kwil asks, pushing himself off the wall to stare at me in disbelief. “You want to stay bound? ToWillow?”

“Hey!” Willow glares at him. “I’m not that bad to be around.”

He looks down at her, his expression quickly shifting. “That’s not what I meant. I’m just wondering why Theodon is willing to risk your life one moment and then be bound to you in another. He’s made it clear from the very beginning his position on the matter—”

“But things have changed.” I step closer to Willow and Kwil. “I’ve… had a change of heart.”

Kwil scowls. “Is this so you can keep an eye on her now that you know what she is capable of?”

The thought hadn’t crossed my mind, but now that he says it out loud, the old me probably would have seen the situation just like that.

“Or is she a weapon you can use against the Brotherhood when they come knocking?” Jonah asks, surprising all of us as he breaks his silence. He stares up at me, his eyes hardening. “You’re being hunted by your own people. I’m sure it would be nice to have someone who can send their souls to the next realm with just a wave of her hands.”

“Of course not!” Anger and shame balloon in my chest. “I have no intentions ofusingWillow to our advantage.”

“Then what are you saying?” Viktor asks, coming to a halt to look at me. The red in his cheeks is gone. His expression has shifted so I cannot read it again.

Taking a deep breath to regain my composure, I take the moment to try to find the words to explain. My eyes shift around the room, meeting everyone’s gaze, saving Willow’s for last.

“What I’m trying to say is that whether we’re bound or not, I would not walk away from you, Willow.” With a deep breath, I continue, “You’re cursed and have a new warlock gunning for you, and I have no doubt that the Brotherhood has looked into who you are, since your car was at one of our safehouses, and are after you as well. It may not seem like it, but I still cling to what little is left of my honor. I could not, in good conscience, leave you to deal with the mess that we’ve brought down upon you. We can search for a way to fix this situation between us, which sounds like a futile endeavor, or we can focus our energy on the other pressing issues. Accepting this new way of life wouldn’t be too difficult. It is something to consider and obviously, we wouldallneed to be on board with this idea, since this is an all or nothing situation.”

There. That sounds logical right? The decision to stay bound to a woman I’ve only known a short time is sound enough to be plausible. It certainly has nothing to do with my heart and how it flies into a panic at the thought of never seeing Willow again. Or how I ache to touch her again, even if it’s just her ankle.

Suddenly, Jonah stands. He turns to face Willow, giving me his back.

“It doesn’t matter, bound or not, I want to be by your side until the very end,” he declares.

Willow blinks up at him in surprise. She opens her mouth to say something, but Kwil steps forward, reaches down, and takes her hand.

“We’re mates. I’m not going anywhere. There isn’t a ‘fix’ for us.”

Willow’s brows rise, even as she frowns.

“You guys aren’t… scared of me?”

Jonah shrugs one shoulder. “Not of you. Now your dad…that’sa different story.”

Kwil snorts. “Yeah, what he said.”

Willow’s smile is slow in coming as she searches both Jonah and Kwil’s faces for something. But when it arrives, it’s full of joy and so beautiful I can feel my throat close up. Having to look away before envy can dig its claws into me, my eyes fall on Viktor. He is watching the interaction in silence. His face could be made of stone for all the expression he’s giving us.

He must feel my gaze on him because suddenly, he turns and meets mine straight on.

Although his face gives nothing away, there is a blaze set in those bright eyes I’d thought I would never see again.

The last time I saw this look was the day before his whole world came crashing down around him.

Chapter10

VIKTOR

The nightmares come for me again, as they do every night.

Ribbons of gold twisted into bows, dark black hair, and deep brown eyes all haunt me. Whispers from the past barrel through my head. All those promises of love … they ram against the walls I’ve erected around my heart. I can’t escape the pain, the bittersweet taste of hope, or the crushing heartache. There’s no hiding from the past in my dreams.

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