Page 26 of Dawn Unearthed

“Laurel, despite how she said it, is right. We need to be careful. You must focus on what you can and learn the basics. I will help you along the way.”

“This is all so much.” I pushed my hair from my face. “You expect me to do this, to learn magic, all while trying to settle here? I thought Ravenwood would be my home, a place for me to start a new life.”

“That’s what you’re doing,” Laurel said.

“No, I came here to be a baker. To open a shop and bake bread and brownies and honey buns,” I said, my voice rising. “I didn’t come here to learn about powers or magic or to change anything.”

“As I said, you might not have a choice,” Laurel reiterated. “None of us do.”

“Because of what happened today?” I asked.

“We’ve always known that a darkness was coming,” Rowen began. “I’m no seer, but sometimes we can scry and see what’s headed our way. A necromancer’s been on the horizon for a long time now, but it wasn’t until today that I realized how close they were. It’s either because of your arrival or we’re where everything was meant to be at this point,” she said.

“It’s my fault?” I asked incredulously.

The other woman shook her head. “No. Not at all. Some things are simply meant to be. You are a witch. You are a part of our coven. Part of the three—the power. We need you. But we don’t have a lot of time. Not if the necromancer is so close already and able to bring their dead flesh to our borders and within it. That means they are farther along in their training than we are.”

“It’s going to have to be a coven of two,” Laurel said, raising her chin. “You know that.”

I frowned, looking between the two of them. “I don’t understand.” I held up my hand as both of them glared at me. “I know it’s probably a painful subject, but if you’re telling me that I’m going to need to fight a necromancer and not run away like I want to right now, then I need to know why you’re saying it’s only a coven of two.”

Laurel growled before she pulled up her shirt so I could see her side. I gasped, I couldn’t help it, and tears pricked at my eyes.

“What happened?” I whispered, my hand reaching out as if to soothe without me even realizing it. I let my hand fall, shaking.

“I’m cursed,” Laurel snapped. “My entire family line is.”

Rowen flinched at that, and I had to wonder what was left unsaid.

“Somebody trapped my powers within me. Oh, I’m still a powerful witch with a fire affinity, but I can’t use it. Every time I do, it scalds me, etches its flames on my skin and burns me from the inside out. I am the phoenix flame with only ashes to bear. I don’t get to use my powers to protect, only to harm, only to murder. That’s my legacy. That’s what whoever cursed me wanted. That’s what plagues the Christophers.”

“And there’s nothing you can do, nothingwecould do?” I added, my voice soft.

Laurel pulled her shirt down and shook her head. “No. We’ve tried.”

“I’m still looking,” Rowen said softly, her voice far gentler than I had ever heard it before.

“And it’s not working, is it?” Laurel snapped.

“I’ve been trying for so long. And I’m going to continue.”

“It’s not enough,” Laurel said before pausing. She let out a breath, her head lowered. “And I know you’re trying.”

“What do I need to do?” I asked after a moment, staring down at the books. It was all so much, and I felt like I couldn’t keep up. But I had seen what came at us. I had felt them at my back, had watched Rome rip off their heads with his claws. He was a grizzly. An actual bear shifter. I had seen Jaxton shift into a hawk, the largest bird I had ever seen in my life, and then shift back into a human. The others had thrown him sweats as if his nudity weren’t a problem for them but had wanted to keep his modesty. As if revenants and necromancers and witches and prophecies and towns that understood the supernatural were commonplace to them. My breath started to come in pants, and I gripped the edge of the table. Laurel gave me a sad look, and Rowen leaned forward and grabbed my wrist in a punishing grip. “You’re okay. Breathe through it.”

“You say that I’m okay, but I’m still so behind.”

“You’re allowed to be behind. But now you have to catch up. I know this isn’t how we wanted this. It’s not how anybody wanted it, but you don’t have a choice. I hope you understand that. No matter what happens next, you need to learn. You need to practice. You need to remember these spells and try to protect those you love. And yourself. Because the town needs you. The coven needs you.”

I looked at her then and saw the fear in her eyes she tried to mask.

“It’s killing you, isn’t it?” I asked as if knowing it had been there all along.

She pulled away as if scalded and shook her head. “I’m fine.”

“She’s not fine. It takes a full coven to keep this town safe. To keep it hidden. And she’s doing it herself. Your aunt doesn’t have enough magic to help, my magic is killing me, and you’re too new. She’s putting her life-force into the wards and the spells she does. So, she needs you. And maybe she needs me too, but I’m not someone who can help.” Laurel looked at us and then down at the books. “I can never help. All I do is burn. All I do is make a mess—so, good luck with this. Be stronger than me. Be stronger than the Christophers.” She gave Rowen a pointed look and then walked out, slamming the door behind her.

I didn’t know what to say to make things better, but I did have questions. “My aunt and I are the last of my line.” I looked at Rowen. “You’re saying you’re the same for the Ravenwoods. How many Christophers are there?” I asked, knowing the answer was important, even though I didn’t know why.

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