at me through dark eyelashes and a soft smile. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” I tipped her chin up. “Now, let’s go see your nephew.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
Saffie
The air was tense as we followed my mother through the quaint little streets of Crone Island toward their infirmary where Kenneth was being kept. Part of me wanted to look around and explore this island that had been my mother’s home for two hundred years but with every step my stomach tightened more into knots.
And the silence from my Coven-mates was deafening.
There were no jokes. No laughter. No hushed voices or whispers. Just silence.
They were scared. I felt it in their auras prickling on my back. Tennessee and Tegan walked in front of the group, with me and Riah right behind and the rest of our group behind us. Our Coven Leaders may have walked with their heads high and shoulders back but I doubted any of us missed the emerald green shade of their soulmate glyphs. They were anxious and worried. Their pulses were high.
I glanced down at my chest to the aquamarine heart-shaped crystal and tears stung my eyes. Happy tears, for the first time in a long time. This shade of our glyph meant our love was so old and strong it could withstand anything. All I wanted to do was rejoice in this moment with my soulmate and celebrate…but I could not let myself be happy while one of our own was down.
Especially one that was related to me.
Kenneth had always reminded me of my little brother Cyrus. He was the spitting image of him. This felt like losing him all over again. As if he knew what I was thinking, Riah squeezed my hand tight.
Finally, we stopped outside a stone building that looked like it was part of a castle.
Mother turned to face us and exhaled. “Before we go in…we stabilized him and tried everything we could to revive him but we’ve yet to see a change.”
“Witch’s Shock?” Riah asked quietly.
Mother nodded.
Tegan half-turned and held her hand out. “Bentley?”
The group parted and then little Bentley Bishop came hurrying forward mumbling under his breath. His golden eyes were dark and red, his dark hair disheveled. “…all my fault.”
“We all would take the hit to protect each other, Benny,” Tegan said as she wrapped her arm around his shoulders. “Let’s just see if we can help him.”
Tennessee cleared his throat. “We’re ready when you are, Myrtle.”
She smiled, nodded, then pushed the doors open and walked inside.
Riah and I followed Tennessee, Tegan, and Bentley through the door, but then my steps faltered. I had known he’d gotten Witch’s Shock from saving Bentley a few months back and that he had not recovered as of yet, but I had deeply prayed he would’ve been on the mend. I wasn’t even inside the room fully and the sickness of his aura stung my eyes.
The room was a pristine white from the floors to the walls and ceilings and even the furniture. It wasn’t a large room, there was only one bed with a single chair beside it, but the windows in the two walls on either side of him made it feel bigger. The windows were wide open, letting that glorious cool salty breeze sweep through the room. The late afternoon sun filled the air with a soft golden haze.
I sighed as the sudden urge to lay down and take a nap settled in.
Easton groaned. “Damn, Hunter, is that you? Imma nap right here if you don’t stop.”
“That’s not me,” Hunter whispered.
“No, it’s Crone magic.” Riah’s voice was low. “It’s for deep healing.”
And then I saw him…lying in the center of the bed across the room from us.
Kenneth.
His long silver hair was fanned out under his head. He looked alive on the outside, like perhaps he was just taking a nap but something lurked under the surface. The sickness I felt in his aura was a surface wound, the depth of it went deeper into his soul.
I stepped around Tegan and Tennessee and walked straight up to Kenneth’s bed, then took his one hand in both of mine. His skin was dry and cold to the touch despite the thick heat and humidity in the air. A soft blue light shined from his skin, one I didn’t think anyone else could see…it meant he was dying. His soul was preparing to depart his body yet something was holding him back.
I closed my eyes and pushed my magic out. Show me, Kenneth. Let me