Page 105 of The Witch and The Blood Oath

“I won’t burn you,” Freya sniped. “Grab some mane or you’ll fly off and we’ll have to scrape you off the rocks.”

“Your caring nature warms my heart,” I muttered and reached around Freya to grab two fistfuls of Arion’s dark locks.

“Use your legs to hold on,” I reminded Cady.

As soon as the words left my mouth, Arion leaped.

My stomach bottomed out and if it wasn’t so empty, I would’ve hurled. As Arion dove toward the ocean, the dark rocks raced to meet us, and ocean water sprayed my skin. It took every ounce of my strength to keep from tumbling off the beast’s back. A huge gust of wind righted the familiar’s nosedive, and he hit the water running.

Wind and sea salt pelted my body, but I couldn’t deny the freedom of Arion’s speed. We raced across the water as fast as lightning. I gripped with both my legs and hands for dear life and caged Cady between my arms. Luckily, the girl had impeccable balance and didn’t need much help from me to stay on.

As the scenery changed from streaks of blue water and endless sunshine to green grass and towering trees, the temperatures dropped.

“Whoa,” Freya proclaimed.

I threw all my momentum back, and the familiar halted. For a moment, I simply sat and reoriented myself to a world that wasn’t a mere blur of speed and flashing colors. When I was sure I wasn’t going to fall or be sick, I slid my leg over Arion’s hip and dismounted. I helped Cady off Arion’s back and took in our surroundings.

Dusk had settled over the familiar mountains of Montana. The wind, uninhibited by the barren, mountainous land, chilled my sea-spray-soaked skin. My damp clothes clung to me, and I squirmed.

“Oh, don’t complain about your wet jeans,” Cady chided. “At least you’re not covered in honey and dirt.”

Freya cursed. “Sorry, I meant to do something about that once my magic bounced back from all the healing. Here.”

Freya whispered a spell, and her magic buzzed in the air. Mine hummed in response, but I ignored the pleasant heat in my veins. Freya waved a hand and suddenly, Cadence stood beside me with clean skin and a fully restored pink shirt, jeans, and sneakers.

Freya flicked her wrist in my direction, and a huge gust of wind nearly knocked me off my feet. Arion nickered, and Freya smirked.

“There,” she said, “you’re dry. We’ll be back in no time.”

“Be care—” She and Arion jetted back down the mountain.

“Somethingweirdis going on between you two,” Cady remarked.

“Not as weird as your crush on Ryder,” I countered. “You shouldn’t eyeball naked werewolves, Cady-Cat. It’s creepy.”

Cady snickered and flicked my arm. As we chuckled, Freya, Ryder, and Arion reappeared. Ryder slid off Arion’s back and frowned.

“What are you two laughing about?” he asked.

Cady’s face turned pink, and I snorted. Freya and Ryder eyed us like we were nuts, but laughter was a relief. Once Arion shifted back into his cat form, and Freya led us toward the home of the dark witches, we sobered.

The four of us crept up the side of the mountain. As we climbed higher, the grass lost its color and crunched under our feet. The wind howled, and I was grateful Freya had dried the water from my clothes.

When we crested the mountaintop, Freya stopped, raised her pointer finger to her lips, and sank to her knees. Following her lead, we army crawled across the brittle grass, dirt, and dead weeds, toward a distant house. Sunlight streaked across the horizon, and I squinted.

Intoxicating scents of fresh bread, warm stew, and saccharine honey wafted on the chilly breeze. I held my hand up against the sunlight and glimpsed a mansion sprawled across the dead grass. Every spire, wall, and windowpane was bone-white. A gravel walkway led to its towering front door.

“They really know how to stick to a color scheme,” I muttered.

Cady snickered.

“For witches,” Freya whispered, “white is the color of death.”

I studied the mountain further. Across the skyline, several other peaks reached higher into the sky. The air was thin, but it didn’t burn my lungs like only the air on a crazy-high peak could. There was no reason for the barren landscape before us.

Another breeze carried the rich sent of baked goods, and my stomach growled louder. I no longer cared why this whole mountain was dead.

I was hungry.

---