Page 89 of The Witch and The Blood Oath

“We will,” I promised and gently squeezed her arm. “Maybe it’ll help us figure a way out if we understand where we are.”

“Andwhy,”Freya added. She nodded to herself and paced. “This place is ancient. I don’t have your sister’s affinity for earth magic, but the magic of this place feels…untouched. Undisturbed. I think we’re the first beings to come here in a long time.”

“Ancient,” I repeated.

A thought niggled in my brain, just out of reach. When it struck me, I gasped.

“The cave of the ancients will tell you all,” I said. “Freya, this is what those crazy-ass trolls were talking about!”

Frey jerked her head up in down. “Right. This wasn’t triggered by the sirens’ song…”

“It was triggered by our connection,” I said, “The cave pulled us in after your magic called me back from the sirens’ enthrallment.”

“Our magic worked together,” she agreed, “and the cave appeared.”

Freya studied me with wild eyes.

“Marie called you something,” she said. “When she heard our magic interacted, she called me your—"

“Anchor,” I finished.

The light that swirled around us flared in response to the title.

“We’re here because you’re my Anchor.” I took a deep breath. “Whatever the hell that means.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

Freya

As the light receded to its normal, bright glow, Walker and I hesitated. After a moment of quiet stillness, we exchanged a weary look but approached the silver bowl.

I prepared myself to see anything swirling in the bowl’s depths—blood, darkness, dangerous magic—but it was clean and empty.

“Huh,” Walker remarked.

I searched the bowl and the dais for some sort of sign as to what to do with it. The Goddess had led us here. I was sure of it, yet I had no idea what the ancient hieroglyphs and swirling carvings meant. I turned my attention back to the walls, desperate for a clue.

Every second that passed brought us closer to the High Witch’s arrival. I had to get back to them—Cady, Arion, Ryder, and Elle. I had to warn them that Cordelia was coming. Maybe, together, we could figure out a loophole around the Blood Oath.

I had to warn my coven to run—to do anything to save themselves—because I couldn’t just hand Elle over to the High Witch. I barely knew her, but the truth had already become painfully obvious.

If either of us deserved to die, it wasn’t Elle.

If I gave Elle to the High Witch, maybe I could wrangle her back upon the completion of my Blood Oath. It would leave my coven in the same precarious position they had been in, but at least it would keep the Blood Oath’s magic from killing us instantly.

You have to get out of this cave first,I reminded myself.Focus.

On the walls, light danced and crafted images of men with power sparking from their fingertips and witches emanating potent magic. The pictures swirled in different directions. I must’ve missed the images among the barrage of glyphs and lights.

“Are those men with magic?” Walker asked.

“Impossible,” I whispered.

Walker shot me and incredulous look, and I shook my head.

“It was supposed to be impossible,” I said. “It’s what we’ve always been taught. Women are creators and harborers of magic—men are not. I thought you were the only exception because of your witch blood, but…”

“Maybe I’m not the first of my kind,” Walker finished.

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