Page 176 of Castings & Curses

“Even if that is the price, Grandfather,” I answered firmly, “I choose love. I choose Cristian.”

A moment later, as the heavy door of my grandfather’s house slammed shut behind me, I felt my legs buckle. The night was silent, holding its breath as I leaned against the rough, mossy wall of the cottage. I was on the precipice of losing everything—my family, community, identity as a witch—all for love.

Casting a glance upward, I sought solace in the moon, a beacon of hope in the lonely night. Just like me, it had its phases. Now, it seemed, was my time of darkness.

But I couldn’t allow despair to swallow me whole, not yet. I had to be strong. For me, for Cristian, for us. I took a deep breath, the cool night air sharp against my throat, before steadying myself away from the wall.

As I trudged home, every flickering light in the windows, every cobblestone beneath my feet was a stark reminder of what I was risking. The thought of leaving this all behind, the only world I had ever known, was terrifying. But as the image of Cristian’s face swam into my mind—those deep, haunting eyes filled with an irresistible mix of vulnerability and strength—I knew I had no other choice.

I needed to see Cristian…to let him know what we were up against.

CHAPTER12

Cristian

As I navigated the forest,my vampire senses heightened in the thick veil of night. Owls hooted from the treetops, and a distant stream gurgled softly. But despite the peace, an ominous dread gnawed at me, matching the urgency in Sage’s missive, delivered by a white dove.

The forest gave way to a moonlit clearing, and there she was. Sage, radiant under the ethereal glow, her hair a wild mane of golden waves. Her beauty hit me like a physical blow, breathtaking and heart-wrenchingly painful all at once. Somehow, with my vampiric sight, she was even more achingly beautiful.

“Cristian,” she greeted, her voice soft yet laced with a strain that hadn’t been there before. She stood rigid, her usual warmth dimmed.

“Sage.” I closed the distance, desperate to erase the unease between us.

“We need to talk,” she began, her tone grave, her hands fidgeting with the fabric of her gown.

A sense of foreboding washed over me as I watched her struggle for words. “What is it?”

She took a deep breath, her gaze meeting mine, a silent plea for understanding. “I went to see my grandfather today,” she confessed. “I needed his blessing for us to…continue.”

A pit formed in my stomach, an instinctual knowledge that this was not going to end well. “And?”

“He refused,” she answered shakily. “Cristian, he knows about you, about what you are now. Our families, they have a history, a feud.”

I bowed my head. “I heard the same from the vampire council. A curse, they said, from a thousand years ago that forbids witches and vampires from loving each other.” I drew her into my arms and rested my cheek on the crown of her head as her arms tightened around my waist. “I care nothing for curses.”

“I wish I could say the same, but, Cristian”—she drew back and gazed up at me with vulnerable huge green eyes—“if we continue, we’ll put everyone in danger. Not just us. Because of that, Grandfather said I’d be exiled and driven from the coven. And that we’d be hunted—”

I pressed my lips to hers to stop her rush of words. When she twined her arms around my neck and kissed me back, pressing her body against mine, I felt as if we were the last two beings on the face of the earth and our love was all that mattered. “We will find a way, Sage,” I whispered when we parted.

“How?” she asked, myriad emotions playing across her face—fear, regret, and stubborn determination. “I don’t want to lose you. But I’m also scared of losing my family, my coven.”

I caressed her cheek. “We’re at a crossroads, our worlds colliding, forcing us to make impossible choices. We can fight, challenge fate, our leaders, or accept their rules and part ways.”

“I don’t want to lose you,” she confessed, drawing back to take my hands in hers. Her warm fingers wrapped around my cold ones, a touch that used to bring comfort but now only seemed to herald our impending heartbreak.

“Nor I you,” I said, our shared pain a tangible force between us. “But neither do I want to be the cause of your ruin. You don’t deserve to be shunned by your people.”

“And you don’t deserve to be alone, to be deprived of love,” she countered.

“But your family, your grandfather—”

“They will have to understand. They can’t dictate whom I can or cannot love.”

I gripped her hands more firmly. “Sage, this is your entire life we’re talking about. Your coven, your legacy,” I reminded her, not wanting her to make a decision she might regret later. “And there’s the vampire council to contend with as well. There were threats made against us both.”

“I don’t care. You’re a part of my life, Cristian,” she said, searching my eyes. “I won’t deny my feelings for you. Not for my grandfather, not for the coven, and not for the vampire council.”

She was prepared to fight, to stand against everyone for us. My strong, brave girl.

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