Page 89 of Untethering Dark

You’re precious to me.

“Oh, Liebe, I’ve upset you.” He cupped her cheeks, swiping away the tears with his thumbs. “I only meant you need not fear for me. Krampus was fine after Perchta’s ritual. You’re not taking more than I can or want to give.”

“How do you know that? Are you secret friends?”

He shook his head. “I’ve run into him on occasion. We didn’t discuss it at length, just enough to know there wasn’t a new threat to the forest. He was smiling and blushing like a maid, so, please believe me when I say I’ve no fears nor doubts about tomorrow, only excitement. If I look half as happy as he did, I’ll consider myself very lucky indeed.”

She smiled then, mind more at ease. “I’ve been looking forward to tomorrow all my life. It’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

It was a wonder, after so many years of jaded solitude, that Gudariks was so desperate to give so much of himself. But this fierce, beautiful witch untethered and seized him by the heartstrings, and he prayed to the boundless, infinite universe that she never let go. That it didn’t take her from him. He didn’t want to face down eternity with yet another great heartbreak,not after remembering what made an endless life worth living. And reacquiring a taste for it.

Chapter Forty-One

That evening, Astrid brought Johanna, Suri, and the other forest rangers cookies and thermoses of tea and Eintopf to fortify them against the cold. They had a few days yet before the poachers and their Wiedergänger masters gained enough strength to return—per Perchta’s calculations and Cigarette Man’s truth serum–addled ramblings—but it was all somewhat corroborated guesswork in the end, hence the need to stake out the campsite ahead of time.

The forest rangers were stern and grim-faced when she arrived but lit up at the sight of hot beverages and food.

“How’s it been?” Astrid asked Suri, doling out portions.

Suri shoved a cookie into their mouth, making a pleased sound as they chewed, eyes rolling back. After swallowing, they said, “Cold. Terribly dull. Don’t know what I was expecting. If I’d been thinking, I would’ve brought a book.”

Lowering her voice, Astrid then asked, “How’re Johanna and the others doing?”

“Tense,” Suri whispered back, growing serious. “On edge. Though they’re trying not to let it show. It’s the anticipation that’s getting to them, knowing something’s coming but not when or how many there will be or whether we’re nearly as prepared as we think. Johanna wants to get the bastards who killed the wolves, but she’s afraid, too. The people she loves and cares about are facing down some otherworldly danger, and there’s nothing she can do about it, because she knows we’re too stubborn to let her cut us out. It’s keeping her up at night.”

“I suppose there’s no chance she’d just let Gudariks and I handle this?”

Suri shook their head. “This is her job, and our responsibility, to protect the forest and the people who live near it. We’ll do our part, there’s no budging on that.”

Something in Astrid’s chest twinged. The stubborn loyalty of these humans, taking charge and answering for the sins of others, all because it was necessary and the right thing to do. It was ridiculously selfless and good—things she was not—but it overwhelmed her with fierce, sticky emotions.

“I wish there was something I could do or say.” Real, genuine comfort that actually meant something. The usual platitudes rang false and foolish. She couldn’t promise something wildly unenforceable like “everything will be all right,” not with the dangers they faced. Humans liked that sort of thing, but such fantasy helped no one.

“It might make them feel better to see you do a test run of the trap Perchta said she’d teach you.”

That wasn’t a bad idea. A demonstration could lend some confidence to the group, and it would do so without giving false assurances. That is, if Johanna thought they could handle blatantly wielded magic. “I’ll check with Johanna. Make sure it doesn’t hurt more than it helps.”

The last thing any of them needed was for her to spook their allies.

As Astrid approached, Johanna sipped from a thermos, watching her over the rim. Shadowy bags underlined her eyes, and the creases around her eyes and mouth were deepened by stress—the strong, unstoppable forest ranger. She’d never seen her dear friend look so tired. So breakable.

So mortal.

She blinked away the mist forming in her eyes, gritting her teeth in determination.

If anyone, or anything, hurt her friend, she’d rip them to shreds and dance upon their entrails.

Ice spikes shooting out of the ground should’ve sent a normal human being running, but the team of forest rangers looked on eagerly.

“Not much will get past that,” one of the rangers said, a younger, blond-haired fellow in his late twenties, who threw an arm around Johanna’s shoulders, grinning. “Between this and Suri’s pepper-spraying drone, they won’t stand a chance.”

“Glad you’re on our side,” another said, and not just to Astrid, but Suri, as well.

“Can you show us that again?” asked a third.

A round of enthusiastic agreement rose.

They seemed cheered,heartened, by her magic. Who could’ve guessed that a cold, prickly hag-to-be such as herself would give humans hope? Certainly not her. And what a daunting responsibility it was.

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