Page 24 of Edge of Wonder

“Liar. You just said you bound her to you, Sebastian, or did you not mean to let that little detail slip? You would have had to use a blood spell. The tiniest mistake and the bonding becomes permanent. Considering the risk, how many of your past clients were given the same service? Let me guess, none.”

I inhaled a breath, trying to rein in my patience. “How I run my business is not your concern. And this isyourfault! And thanks to you, I have to fix it.”

“Wait. You’re going to do it?” Tessa asked, surprise flashing across her features. “I thought I was going to have to apply pressure. I’ve been brushing up on some coercion spells. The really manipulative kind.”

“Save them,” I muttered under my breath.

Had I agreed to do this? My mind spun at the implications. I should march back to the cottage and tell Alice what we were about to do, but what if Tessa was wrong and it didn’t work? Could I give Alice hope for a second chance at life, and then watch it be snatched away? It was too cruel.

Maybe it was better if she didn’t know.

Even with the threat of imminent pain, my feet gave way, and my hands wrapped around the glass cover. “Regardless of your manipulative tendencies, Aunt Tessa, I came here to help Alice cross over, and I’ve never failed a job. She’s just gonna have to cross the other way. Now help me remove this cover.”

And then I’ll leave again. It’ll be even easier than the first time. No guilt.

Tessa shook her head as she lifted the end of the glass lid and slid it to the floor. “You know, your mother and I were only trying to buy Alice a few extra years. We didn’t realize you’d be gone when we got back. But fate is so clever. When you didn’t return home, it brought you here instead. What better way to attract a ghost hunter than with a ghost? I seriously couldn’t have planned it any better.”

“Yeah, fate’s great,” I said, motioning toward the pedestal. “Can you do something about these candles? I’ll use them to create the circle of protection.”

“Of course. Happy to help our girl.” Tessa waved her palm in a circle, and the candles surrounding the coffin flared to life. “Alice is going to be so relieved when she wakes up. She was very nervous about our plan.”

“Can you blame her? I’d be nervous too if you used your magic on me. You have a rocky reputation.”

Tessa scowled. “Ah, I missed your acerbic wit. Alice is such a lucky girl to have been matched with you.”

My glare could have been classified as a weapon. “Let’s finish this. Whether you meant to turn Alice into a ghost or not, I think she’s waited long enough for some resolution.”

“Still your fault,” Tessa singsonged as she reached for a pouch beneath her cloak. “Here, I brought you a tonic. It will help with the revival hangover. If you drink it now, you might not blackout.”

I accepted the vial and eyed the purple liquid fizzing inside. “What’s in it?”

Tessa rolled her head back and groaned at the dirt ceiling. “Why does everyone keep asking me that? It’ll work. Trust me.”

“Fine.” I popped the cork and drained the tonic. It tasted like toxic pond water mixed with a heavy dose of salt. But it worked immediately. My muscles relaxed and a tranquil feeling flooded my veins.

With Tessa’s questionable tonic flowing through my system, I returned my attention to Alice.

Resurrection wasn’t the same as casting a blood spell. I couldn’t cut my thumb and call it a day. Revival required genuine sacrifice. And while Tessa’s spell modification allowed me to bypass sacrificing my life, I still had to willingly acknowledge and accept the pain it would bring. Any hesitation and the spell would fail.

Necromancy wasn’t for the faint of heart, and it wasn’t part of every ghost hunter’s education. But thanks to the relentless preparation I’d had when I was younger, I’d been trained in dark magic.

I stepped into the circle of candles and pushed up the sleeves of my shirt. Brushing Alice’s hair away, I placed my palms on her shoulders and closed my eyes. I spoke the incantation, visualizing each word and pouring my energy into Alice’s still form.

At first, nothing happened. Then the vines moved. They scratched against my hands and climbed up my wrists. The longer I channeled the spell, the tighter they twisted, slicing through my skin. A burning pain radiated up my arms, spreading across my chest until it hurt to breathe. My head pounded, and the ground tilted savagely as I tried to stay upright and keep my hands in place.

Just a little more.

I buried a scream deep in my throat as the pain intensified. Fire burned through my veins, and shadows seeped into the corners of my vision. The candles flickered, their flames growing taller and taller until a burst of energy emanated from my palms.

The flames extinguished, plunging the room into darkness, and Tessa quickly re-lit the candles with a flick of her fingers.

“You still with me, Sebastian?” she asked, placing a hand on my back. Leaning forward, she gasped when she saw the black streaks covering my arms. The dark magic had seeped into my veins, spreading outward, trying to poison my blood. Without the “death adjacent” spell Tessa had cast over Alice, it would have, leaving me writhing on the cold stone until my heart stopped.

Not the most appealing way to go. Is it any wonder we don’t raise the dead more often?

“Barely,” I grumbled as the pain continued to shoot through my body.

The spasms slowly subsided, and the black marks receded on my skin. I squinted against the harsh light from the candles, blinking until Alice came back into focus.

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