Page 88 of What Is Dark Within Me

“What the hell are you two talking about?” she spat. “Are we going to keep trying to kill each other or what?”

“Congratulations. You’ve already done it. I should thank you, Aleja. If I can’t save my brother’s village, I can take down the Knowing One and his High General in one blow. I wouldn’t have had the courage to do this otherwise,” Roland said, turning to face her.

She looked at the sickle, but Roland was already moving toward the well. Both Nicolas and Aleja stumbled as the shadows around their legs tightened. Someone came running out of a house—the woman with the shotgun, who must have been watching from her window—screaming, “No! Not you! We need you!”

If Roland didn’t kill them first, she and Nicolas were going to have to fight their way out of a mob with Violet in tow. Aleja braced herself, half-expecting to feel the pain of a bullet tearing through her back, but the village was as focused on Roland as she was. If he had looked beautiful before, he wasradiantnow. His eyes filled with golden light, the ash on his face falling away to reveal smooth skin. Roland said a word that filled her head with the same sort of static she’d heard in the Hiding Place’s war room.

She picked up on his words mid-sentence, as the buzzing in her head cleared. “…you’ve always craved the blood of witches. I will give you something better. The body and blood of a Dark Saint.”

“Don’t,” Nicolas shouted, struggling against his bonds. One of his wings broke through, allowing him to take a few staggering steps forward. “You kept anAuthorityalive? Unleashing it will—”

“You will all live together within it, sharing a dream forever. Think yourselves lucky. Goodbye, Nicolas, Aleja.My sole regret is not being able to look into your eyes when you understand I’ve won.”

The shadows scattered as Roland took the last step toward the edge of the well, looked back at Aleja with another smile—this one unreadable—and let his body tumble.

* * *

A Spell of Trespass

Of all the magic discussed in this grimoire, there is but one thing that we truly do not advise: trespassing on an Otherlander’s home when it is made clear you are not welcome.

We will speak no more of it.

The final noteleft in the book:

Sleep, sleep, sleep, witchling. Soon we will be together forever, dreaming the same dream, alongside all the others.

10

A SPELL OF SILENCE

“Run, dove, run,”Nicolas urged, but the buzzing hadn’t receded and she could barely hear him.

Most of the people moving frantically about the buildings were distracted by the spreading fire, but the handful who’d seen Roland throw himself into the well stared with wide-eyed horror. This included the woman with the shotgun, no longer the only armed villager. Those gathered behind her carried pitchforks, rifles, and even a long hunting spear.

“Aleja, take Violet and go,” Nicolas growled again. “I’ll handle them.”

The world brightened, like the clouds over the sun had parted. No. That wasn’t right. This light was coming from below. It hit her face first, the heat of it so scorching, she’d be sunburned if she survived whatever was coming next. Nicolas moved his body over hers as Aleja clamped her eyes shut. Even with her face pressed against his torso, the light needled into any exposed skin it could find, searing enough to make her cry out.

Violet. Her friend had been slumped over a wood pile, fully exposed.

“If you’re ever going to listen to me, listen now. Grab your friend and go. Don’t look back, no matter what happens,” Nicolas muttered into her hair. “Do it, Aleja. You can’t fight the thing coming out of the well.”

“But—you?”

“I’ll hold it back long enough for you to get to Garm.”

“If you die, I die,” she hissed.

The fading light brought her no comfort. Hot magic flickered inside of her as she spotted Violet peering from behind the pile with her skin pink, eyebrows singed, and mouth open. Many of the villagers had not been so lucky. Those unable to run for cover lay across the clearing in blackened clothes—unmoving.

“If Violet can clear her head, she can unbind us. If not, when you get back to the Hiding Place, go to your grandmother as quickly as you can. Even if your body goes—”

“I’m not living the rest of eternity in adream, Nic.”

Whatever argument he was about to make was drowned out by the heavy beat of wings. The last thing she saw before he blocked her with his body was a swathe of pale pink feathers, slightly damp with well water.

Nicolas pushed her back.

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