Page 44 of Sticks and Stones and Broken Bones

Nox snorted at his words, and I had a sudden wonder what the pair of them would be like if this little gathering took a violent turn. Oh gods, they’d be manic together.

“And how’s my sacrifice working out for you?” I asked, a little smug. “Got your necromancer?”

She sneered at me. “No, and now I know why. How did you do it? How did you take all that power for yourself?”

“Guess I just got lucky. Now, release Casimir or you’re going learn what it means to feel pain.”

My grandmother huffed. “You have no idea the power you’re dealing with, no idea how to use it. I mean, look at you. You’re supposed to be a mighty necromancer.” She stepped forwards, inching closer to me and I had the urge to curl in on myself. “But all I see is a scared little girl.”

She was right. I was scared and I also had no clue what I was doing when it came to my new powers. I had no chance against her. No chance at all.

“See,” she sneered. “No more backbone than a slug.”

Shame soured my stomach and I flinched at her words. For all my grand revenge schemes I was nothing more than a pathetic, weak thing. I couldn’t do this.

“Give us Nissa, and we’ll leave peacefully,” Korbin said calmly, coming to my aid.

What must they all think of me? Stupid. I was stupid to think I could take down my coven.

“You are none of those things, Draguta.” Hawk’s deep rumble echoed in my mind, his words so strong and confident, I almost believed them. “Look at me.”

I did as he asked and saw a world of warmth pouring from his honey-coloured eyes. It was so at odds with his dark, wicked looks. His long hair was hanging loose, wild and untamed, and he was in a similar get up to the Revenants, except he’d ripped the sleeves off the long black coat letting me feast on his delicious arms and all those wondrous tattoos.

“You are stronger than you think and, whatever the ugly crone says, you are worthy. Otherwise, the power wouldn’t have chosen you.”

His words sparked something in me. It was warm and felt a lot like hope. “Thank you.”

I turned my attention back to the others in the room and found my grandmother squaring off with Korbin whilst Rook and Nox held Nissa between them. She looked pissed.

It was only then I became aware that Casimir had stopped whimpering. I looked at the spot where he’d been curled and found nothing but the wooden floor.

“Where’s Casimir?” I asked, panic flooding through me. Had he vanished? Portalled somewhere? Was he in pain? Was he—

“Fuck,” Korbin exhaled.

“What?” I looked for any trace of Casimir. “What is it?”

“We need to leave. Now.” Korbin signalled something to the others, and they all started to leave, Nissa being dragged behind them.

I grabbed Korbin’s arm, making him flinch. I’d have to feel guilty about that later. “No, what about the coven?”

He clutched my hand, eyes pleading. “We don’t have time. We need to leave before—”

The candles blew out and darkness flooded the room.

“—that,” Korbin finished.

Shadows bled from the walls, thick and black, submerging the room into darkness. It was so thick that I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face.

A manic laugh echoed around the space, dark and wild, an evilness in every cackle and it clicked that this what Casimir was warning me about. This was why he told us to run.

Fear gripped my spine with an icy claw.

“Little bird, little bird. Will you sing sweetly for me?”

The words were low, nothing more than a whisper but they vibrated against my very soul. It didn’t sound like Casimir. The voice was deeper with more of a rasp, a rumble wrapped in smoke. Like it came from the depths of hell.

The room erupted into chaos. Shouts and screams bounced around the room, and flashes of magic illuminated the darkness intermittently. I couldn’t make sense of anything. It was so much noise. So much confusion.

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