Page 72 of Daughter of the Darkened City

“I’m Avenay,” she said, coming up to the desk.

The satyr gave her a dull look. “I know.”

“And your name is?”

The satyr pursed her lips, silent for a moment. “Junie.”

“Do you know what this book is?” Avenay dropped the grimoire on the desk.

Junie startled, then quickly grabbed the book, shoving it into her hands. “Hide this,” she hissed.

So shocked by the response, Avenay immediately obeyed.

“I don’t know how you found that,” Junie said, looking around as if for listening ears. “But keep it to yourself. It won’t do any good for anyone to know that book still exists.”

“Yet you knew,and gave it to Vasu.” Avenay couldn’t understand Junie’s behavior.

Junie met her gaze. “Just keep this to yourself, seraphe.”

Avenay drew in a deep breath, wanting to ask more questions when the door opened to the library. Both females whipped around to see who it was and Avenay let out her breath when Vasu walked in.

“I heard you may still be here,” Vasu said, giving her a smile.

She nodded. “I’ve been trying to see if I could find anything for the ritual in two days.”

Vasu gestured to the book in her hand. “Can I help with your research?”

“Maybe…” Avenay took him over to her table and told him what she’d found. “Do you know of any power harvesting spells?”

Vasu pursed his lips, thinking. “I know they talk of it often, so there must be. I’ll take a look for you and see what I can find.”

Avenay squeezed his arm. “I would be eternally grateful.”

Chapter 28: Enid

The atrium of the temple was dim and cool, with scented smoke curling around Enid. She rubbed clammy hands on her pants, flexing her fingers to release some of the nervous energy churning inside her. Her limbs had felt stiff for days and she was certain it was the anxiety. The ritual was approaching closer with each day, and she felt less and less equipped for it. This was her last chance to get it right before they attempted it.

“You two don’t have to come along,” Enid said, looking at her brothers. She wished they wouldn’t. Having them witness her failurewas demoralizing. But no matter how many times she told them to stay, they insisted on coming.

“I want to make sure you’re safe,” Dryston said, his stony glare never leaving Onora, who barely noticed him anymore.

“I’m hoping that by us being there, your colony, that it will help your magic,” Kaemon said.

If that would work, it would have last time, surely. They arrived in the same room as before and Hevena greeted her, face tight with worry,and Enid didn’t take that as a good sign at all. But the witch only took her hands and smiled.

“Today will be the day, Lady Enid,” she said.

It had to be. They didn’t have more time for training. Two days until the new moon and tomorrow the witches needed the day to prepare. She had to do it now or never.

She didn’t tell Hevena that. Instead,she sat in her place, taking Onora’s hand in her own. It was no longer odd to hold the Hunter’s hand. Some sense of volatile camaraderie had bloomed between them. After all was said and done, though, she still wouldn’t trust the woman to not kill her.

They began again, the witches chanting, the power flowing, coming to her, stopping. She closed her eyes, breathing in and out deeply,stilling her breaths, focusing, focusing. She followed that line from Avenay, the one that she knew was the mate bond now. After the night in the sauna, everything had become so, so clear to her. And though neither had defined what it was between them, even if they still slept in separate rooms, the look in Avenay’s eyes after had spoken a universe worth of truths to Enid. Whatever it was, Enid could bet pretty solidly it wasn’t just sex.

She brushed along that line between them, exploring how the magic melded with hers and received a small caress back. Avenay. She smiled, tracing that line, finding where it came to her, finding that portal, and opening it up. More energy flowed in, strange energy, strong and consuming. It was from the witches, amplified by Onora’s powers. She gasped as ice frosted in her veins.

“That’s good,” Hevena said hastily. “Let it flow, keep it open.”

The horn in her hands became warm, burning hot against her cold hands. Her teeth chattered, and it took everything in her to not shut down, to not stop. But it was closing.

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