Page 98 of The Witch and The Blood Oath

“I will doanythingto get her back,” I vowed. My voice cracked. “I messed up. I know that, and I’m sorry. I’m so,sosorry.”

Ryder didn’t back away, but he didn’t move closer. Walker shifted toward me, and the wolf glared at him.

“I’ll help too,” Walker said. “I shouldn’t have let her go to the High Witch, man. I shouldn’t have ever agreed to any of this, but I’m going to make it right.”

Only Walker would find a way to blame himself for what had happened, but his words soothed Ryder. Shaking his head, the wolf sauntered deeper into the jungle, and when he returned, he was a jean-clad man.

“Ireallywant to fight you right now,” Ryder said, “so you better start talking. How are we going to get Elle back?”

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Walker

Beside me, Cady woke and sat up. Despite the sticky mess that covered her, seeing her alive continued to be a relief. I wasn’t sure, however, anyone would survive the brewing battle between Freya and Ryder.

“In a few hours,” Freya said, “Arion will be able to shift.”

Ryder scoffed. “Hours?We can’t wait hours.”

“What about the boat?” I asked.

“It’s destroyed,” Ryder answered. “I already checked. The Handmaidens are very thorough.”

“I know we all want off the island,” Cady said, “but where will we go? No one knows where the High Witch’s court is, assuming that’s where she took Elle.”

The thought of Cady getting anywhere near the High Witch ever again sent a shiver down my spine.

Ryder snarled, though he didn’t have any better ideas about where the High Witch’s court was than the rest of us. If hedid, he would’ve already swum across the damned ocean to get there.

“Why don’t you ask Freya?” Ryder snapped. “She’s the one who’s so close to Cordelia.”

Freya’s head swiveled to him, and her hair swung around her shoulders like living flames.

“I realized my mistake,” she said, “but the High—thefarceof a leader lied. She was supposed to be here at sundown. She came early in case I changed my mind.”

“It must suck,” I muttered, “being lied to.”

For a moment, I thought smoke curled out of Freya’s nostrils.

“I lied,” she gritted out, “and I hurt all of you. I willneverforgive myself for that. For what happened to Cadence and Arion.”

Her gaze drifted to my sister, and love shined there. My anger chipped away.

“I was wrong to trust Cordelia,” Freya continued. “I was wrong not to listen to my friends, but you don’t know what it’s like to have so many lives in your hands. You both just lead with your heart and see where it takes you.”

Freya gestured to Cady. “You see now what she can do with anounceof her time and power. I was just trying to avoid that. I was trying to keep everyone safe, but I failed. I know I failed, I just…”

Freya’s eyes brimmed with tears, and she looked to the sky. She did that a lot, I realized, to burn away unshed tears. Without a word, Cadence stood and walked to Freya. As Freya’s sobs broke free, my sister wrapped her in a hug.

“I’m sorry,” Freya said. She clutched Cady like a lifeline. “I’m so, so sorry.”

Cady squeezed her tighter.

“I forgive you,” my sister promised. “I forgive you, Freya. We’re coven, remember? We’refamily.”

The tightness in my chest eased, but I couldn’t let go of all my hurt, though part of me wanted to, if only to ease Freya's pain. I didn’t have any right to judge her—in the heat of the moment, I too had sacrificed Elle in favor of saving my sister. Freya had only tried to do what she always did. She had tried to protect everyone she loved.

So, why couldn’t I forgive her?

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