Page 25 of Into the Void

“I know.”

“Is that a problem?” Nick asked. “Is she?”

“Only if you choose to lend your strength and reputation to her coven.”

Nick hesitated, and Samuel observed him.

“There is no need to decide now, Nick. This is all very new, and your brother has been hurt. Just like the rest of us, a void is at the mercy of his emotions. Take your time, and when you’re ready, contact me.”

Samuel stepped over the pile of ash, and he handed Nick a business card. A phone number was written in neat, black ink, and there was nothing else on it except for a single, intricate letter.S.

“I do hope you make the right choice, Nick. I would hate to have to kill you.”

***

Chapter 8 - Cara

Cara checked her phone again. She got Nick’s address from Quinn, who didn’t have it, but it didn’t take her long to ask around, and one of the guys happily told her. Cara was pretty sure that he thought she was surprising Nick at home for some romantic reason, but she didn’t have time to think about it.

She needed to get to Nick before anything happened.

Sneaking out of her parents’ house was easy. The coven was panicking, and everyone was focused on the void. Nobody noticed her leaving. Of course, the bus to Edinburgh was late, and then she had to switch to another bus route, and it felt like they hit every single red light that was possible.

She spent the journey sending him message after message, trying repeatedly to call him, and wishing she could use a locator spell on him, just to make sure that he was safe. He didn’t reply, and she kept getting more worried.

The bus turned the corner, and she slammed her hand against the stop button. She hopped off and practically ran to Nick’s street.

She checked the house numbers as she passed, and finally she found it. The lights were off, and her senses - normal and supernatural - told her it was empty. She knocked on the front door until she saw the doorbell, and she rang it, but nobody answered.

Cara knew it was probably a bad idea, but she called her magic to break the lock. If he was inside, she needed to know. He could have been injured, or worse, and his family might have been in there.

It didn’t work.

Cara frowned and tried again, but her power fizzled and died as soon as it touched the door. She took a few steps back and looked around. This wasn’t the void. Her power was still hers to control, but something was blocking her.

Something like another witch, or a protective enchantment.

She tried to relax and extend her senses, and she felt something nearby. She crouched down and realised there were symbols on the ground. Protective runes. They were carved into the stone. She followed the lines of runes until she was sure it was circling the house. They were wards, witch magic, and someone had gone to a lot of effort to protect this place.

Cara glanced around again. There was nobody in sight, and none of the neighbours were looking out their windows to watch the strange girl standing outside Nick’s house.

She checked her phone to confirm that this was the right address. It was. She crouched down and brushed her hand over the wards, and they glowed to life, pulsing briefly and then fading again when she pulled her hand back.

The circle was designed to keep out any supernatural creatures. There was no distinction between good or bad, species or abilities. It was a blanket protection.

Cara couldn’t understand it. Someone protected this house. The symbols didn’t look brand new, either. They had been there for a while. So this wasn’t a reaction to Nick finding out about the void. These wards were here long before Cara touched him and unleashed his dormant power.

She thought about finding a rock and breaking a window, but if she was right about these runes, she still wouldn’t be able to enter.

Cara walked around the house, peering inside windows, but it was clearly empty, and there were no signs of a struggle. She looked at the upstairs windows. If she could get up there, she could see inside, even if she couldn’t enter.

She could probably find a way to bypass the wards, but it would take too long, and besides, breaking the circle would only put his home in more danger. Right now, it provided a lot more safety than she could give him.

She was about to start climbing when she heard footsteps, and she quickly took out her phone and pretended to use it. The last thing she needed was a concerned neighbour calling the police.

In the dim light, she could barely make out the silhouette of the person approaching. It was a man, about the right height and size to be Nick. She got to her feet and opened her mouth to speak to him.

He stumbled into the light and she gasped. It wasn’t Nick. The stranger had dried blood covering his head and the side of his face. Despite the blood, she thought he resembled Nick.

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