Page 1 of Bound

One

“You can do this,” Ruby consoled herself as she looked up at the forest on the edge of town. “It’s a simple spell. Everything that comes next…”

She trailed off, gripping her ritual dagger tightly. She had been trying not to think about what happened after she opened that portal to the Bygone’s void. It was much easier to think about the town behind her.

“Everything that happens next is for Sweetsguard,” she reminded herself.

She took a step toward the forest.

A voice rang out behind her, loud and annoying.

“Don’t pretend you’re doing this for us,” called Glenda Rivershore, standing at her clothesline with a washing basket perched on her wide hip. “You want to get yourself killed for your own dumb glory, you go right ahead. But don’t pretend you’re beingnoble.”

Ruby pocketed her dagger and turned. “I’m just trying to renew the ward, Glenda.Somebodyhas to.”

“And our local witch is rushing to the rescue,” Glenda drawled, snapping a sheet with such force it hurt Ruby’s ears.“You know what’s going to happen when you step into a Skullstalker’s void, let alone into You-Know-Who’s void? That bony bastard is going toeatyou. Or, at the very least, steal you away like he does to any traveler dumb enough to step off the path in those woods!”

Ruby desperately wanted to tell her that if she got eaten, at least she wouldn’t have to put up with Glenda’s constant insults. Or the townsfolk turning their noses up at her for living alone at the edge of town, studying magic, and praying to Paimon, the goat deity who protected the town. Witches were revered, to be sure. But they weren’t smiled at on market day.

“Somebody has to risk it,” she reminded Glenda. “Paimon has stopped answering. We needsomeoneto renew his ward.”

Glenda snorted, shuffling a sheet onto the line. “You mean your beloved magic is dying, and you’reterrifiedof being just like us regular folk. Iknowwitches, little girl. They all think they’re so much better than us. So, if you want to go and give yourself to that thing, go right ahead.”

Her door slammed open. Three children spilled out, chasing each other and singing a song Ruby herself had sung when she was young:“Keep to the light and be wary, keep to the map and don’t stray. Keep to the path and hurry along, or the Bygone will steal you away. Into his void of darkness deep, to wander and cry and never sleep?—”

“Children,” Glenda snapped. “Don’t say You-Know-Who’s name out loud! And wave goodbye to the witch. We’ll have to get a new one after this.”

“Bye, witch,” the children chorused.

Ruby sighed and waved at them as they ran toward the middle of town. She had been born in Sweetsguard, and one day, she would like to be buried here. But there were times when she wondered if there wasn’t somewhere that appreciated hertalents as a witch instead of using her services and leaving with a suspicious huff.

Not that it mattered now. There was no place like that where she was headed—only darkness and danger and, hopefully, a solution. If the ward failed, demons would pour into their town and devour everything in their path.

Ruby wasn’t about to let that happen, even if nobody thanked her for fixing it.

“If I don’t come back,” she called to Glenda, “Youwillhave to send for a new witch.”

“Yes, yes.” Glenda waved her peg basket at her. “Away with you.”

Ruby sighed and paused for one last look. If she squinted, she could see the town square, washed with morning light: bakers placing bread in windows, milkmaids lugging milk pails, stall owners setting up their wares. Everybody called good morning as they passed, full of cheer they never shared with her. Even so, she was full of fondness for it. The ramshackle stores had never looked so beautiful, and the children’s laughter had never sounded so sweet.

And in the middle of it all, Paimon’s ward. The great big slab had been set up so many generations ago that the origin was lost to time. But for all that time, it had been glossy and strong, the magic so vivid she could feel it thrumming when she placed her hand on it.

Not anymore. The goat horn rune was fading. The stone was drying and chipping. Soon, it would crack entirely—unless Ruby found someone to renew it. And if Paimon wasn’t answering, she would have to seek help elsewhere.

Even if it meant venturing into Skullstalker voids. Into theBygone’svoid, where wandering souls never found peace. And offering herself up to be eaten.

Skullstalkers were well known for eating humans, after all. It would be preferable to the fate the stories promised: endless wandering through the dark.

Ruby shuddered and took her first step into the woods.

“Hope You-Know-Who eats you fast,” Glenda called.

It was possibly the nicest thing Glenda had ever said to her.

“Thanks,” Ruby called back grudgingly.

She tightened her cloak. Then she stepped forward and let the woods swallow her up.

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