Page 35 of Eternal Thorns

“Yeah,” Kai said, examining a shelf of preserved herbs that still carried traces of forest magic. “And I'm starting to think our grandmothers knew exactly who that would be.”

“They did.” The Witch of Blackbriar Hollow's voice made them both jump. She stood in the study's doorway, though neither had heard her approach. “I've waited decades for an Ashworth who could not only carry the key, but understand what it means.”

“How did you get in?” Kai demanded, but she waved away the question.

“The manor remembers its old allies.” She moved into the room, trailing fingers along the maps and documents. “Last night's dream-memory and your response to it confirmed what the Elder Willow and I suspected. You have the potential to heal the breach, Silas.”

“But Marcus had that potential too, didn't he?” Silas gestured at the letter. “Look how that ended.”

“Marcus let ambition poison possibility.” Agnes turned to face him fully. “The next dream will be harder. It will show not just what was possible, but how it was lost. And something dark will use your reactions against both you and Thorne.”

“The shadow in the dream,” Silas said. “The thing that whispered to Marcus about power.”

“It's grown stronger since then, feeding on centuries of division.” Her expression grew grave. “The shadow that hunts you wears familiar faces. Trust your heart's recognition, not your eyes' perception.”

“Speaking of cryptic warnings,” Kai interjected, “want to explain any of that in normal person language?”

But Silas's attention had caught on the map, specifically on a marking that seemed to pulse with faint power. “This shows where the second journal is hidden, doesn't it?”

“Yes.” Agnes followed his gaze. “In the heart of Thorne's domain. Retrieving it is necessary, but entering the forest will change everything. The old barriers are weakening. The shadow entity gathers strength.”

“So what's the play here?” Kai asked. “Wait for more magical dreams and hope we figure things out before something terrible happens?”

Silas studied the map, then the gardens visible through the study's windows where the Eldergrove loomed dark and watchful. In that moment, he felt something extraordinary - an echo of emotion not his own, a complex tangle of hope and fear that he somehow knew belonged to Thorne.

“No,” he said quietly. “If breaking this cycle requires trust, then trust has to start with action.” He looked at Agnes. “I'm going into the forest. Today.”

“That's either very brave or completely insane,” Kai said. “I vote insane.”

“The guardian will see it as a challenge,” Agnes warned.

“Good.” Silas traced the path marked on the map. “Because it is one. I'm choosing to trust first, to reach out instead of waiting behind barriers. If I'm wrong...” He shrugged. “Then at least I tried something different than hiding in fear.”

Agnes's clouded eyes seemed to clear for a moment, showing depths of power and knowledge. “Sometimes the bravest choice and the maddest one are the same thing.” She moved toward the door, then paused. “Remember what you saw in the dream. Forest magic responds to invitation, not demand. The same is true of trust.”

After she'd gone, Kai stared at his friend for a long moment. “We're really doing this? Walking straight into the domain of an angry forest spirit who might still want to kill you?”

“You don't have to come.”

“Oh, shut up.” Kai started examining the preserved herbs with new purpose. “If we're going to commit magical suicide, we're at least going to do it properly prepared. My grandmother didn't teach me herb-craft for nothing.”

Silas turned back to the map, feeling that echo of foreign emotion again. Somewhere in the forest, a guardian waited to see what choice he would make. Whether he would really prove different from his ancestor.

Time to find out.

13

THE WATCHER'S DILEMMA

Thorne's consciousness spread through his network of forest sentinels like water finding its level, each connection bringing new reports that made his spectral form flicker with agitation. The magical awakening within Thornhaven Manor exceeded anything he'd expected or prepared for.

Through a crow's eyes, he watched Silas discover the hidden study's entrance. Through ancient roots that had breached the manor's foundations centuries ago, he felt the key's power unlocking protections he'd personally woven into the walls. Every sentinel reported the same unsettling observation - this wasn't just an Ashworth wielding inherited power. This was something entirely new.

“You feel it too, don't you?” Briar materialized beside him, her freckles glowing with excitement. “The way he works with the magic instead of trying to force it?”

Thorne wanted to dismiss her observation, but the evidence kept mounting. Where Marcus had approached each magical discovery with barely concealed hunger, Silas moved through the ancient protections with something closer to reverence. Eachunlocking felt less like invasion and more like restoration, as if he were reminding the manor of its true nature rather than imposing his will upon it.

The forest itself betrayed Thorne's carefully maintained distance. Branches shifted to catch glimpses through the manor's windows. Flowers turned their faces toward Silas's movement like sunflowers tracking light. Even the dour stone spirits, traditionally suspicious of any human presence, reported an inexplicable draw toward his magical signature.

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