Chapter 5 #2
“Magic has to be the solution to breaking the curses without having to actually fulfill the conditions that break the curses,” Riven continues, staring at Ambrose like he knows this has to have occurred to him as well.
“The magic it would take would have to be immense. It would have to equal the gods’ magic,” Ambrose says.
“Does it, though? Does anyone really believe the gods were the ones who created the curses, the magic for the blood deals, any of it? Or was it a witch?” Riven asks.
“Why would a witch curse their own the most severely?” Emeric asks.
Everyone stares at Emeric. I’m not sure which species has been cursed the most severely, but no one here has any sympathy for the witches. The witches have attacked the wolves at every turn.
“I’m not saying I have all the answers, but the gods are just that—gods. Would they really care enough about us to put curses on us?” Riven continues.
“What else would they bother themselves with? Of course, they would do something like this. Living an eternity must bore even the most righteous of creatures. My theory is they want to wipe us all out and create new magical creatures in our places,” Nyx says.
I stare at him across the table. Unable to take my eyes off him once he’s spoken, I study everything about him.
His chiseled jawline, the way his hair falls longer in front of his eyes than usual, the way he sits forward in his chair, so engaged in this conversation.
There is nothing about him that doesn’t mesmerize me.
I’m as drawn to his perilous beauty as ever.
Automatically, I try to float into his mind, but I’m met with emptiness.
A hollow cave where no matter how far I venture, he won’t be at the end of it.
Nyx clenches his jaw, his eyes flickering over mine, like he knows exactly what I’m trying to do. It frustrates him as much as it does me that he can’t talk to me in my mind. At last, he breaks eye contact with me, turning his attention to Riven.
Frustratingly, I do the same.
“Magic has to be the answer. If we can get enough witches, with enough power together, working together to undo the curses, then there is a chance they can be broken,” Riven continues.
“You’re a witch, right?” Ambrose asks.
Riven nods.
“How? How, when every other witch with natural-born power is a female? I was given my powers by Isolde, which means my powers aren’t the same as a full-blooded witch,” Ambrose asks.
“I’m not sure how. My mother was a witch. My father is a wolf shifter. I know most witches prefer humans to procreate with, but not my mother.
“Most males born of a witch mother don’t have any magical powers, but I do. Mostly related to healing, at least, that’s the part of the power I’m most interested in and have cultivated. But that doesn’t mean I can’t grow the other parts of my powers,” Riven says.
“So we have me, who has weakened powers. And you, who is only half witch. Doesn’t seem nearly enough to undo a curse that I’m sure entire witch covens have tried to combine their powers against to break,” Ambrose says sarcastically.
“We also have Emeric and your entire Moonlight pack,” Riven says.
“What? I’m not a witch,” Emeric says.
“No, but since Ambrose is, the entire Moonlight pack has some level of powers. Maybe they don’t manifest in the same way as other witches, but that power can be harnessed to help break a curse,” Riven says.
“Still not enough. And we won’t be convincing any other witches to join our cause when they think they’ll control us the second the next full moon comes around.
Lumi will have no choice but to mark with me because of the blood deal we made, and I’ll have no choice but to choose the witches’ curse to break in order to keep my mate alive. ”
“We don’t have to break the curses for everyone, just for one person. For you or Nyx. Breaking either of your curses would significantly help. Or breaking the blood deal between you and Lumi. That would require the smallest amount of magic,” Riven says.
“The blood deal lasts an eternity, I’m not sure I would call that small magic,” Ambrose says.
“But it’s magic created by two people, so maybe it can be broken by two people,” he continues.
“Nyx and I broke our blood deal. It can happen,” I say.
Everyone stares at me like I’ve grown two heads. I shift uncomfortably in my seat and look at Nyx out of the corner of my eyes, like I may have said something wrong.
“It’s true. It’s more like we both willed it to end. We released each other from it, and so it broke. But by that point, I’d already broken the deal, so it wouldn’t shock me if I dropped dead at any moment,” Nyx says.
I glare at him, not impressed by his joking about dying.
“Well, then, we should start with Ambrose and Lumi’s blood deal.”
“No, that doesn’t solve anything. Breaking their blood deal doesn’t change anything. It doesn’t protect Lumi,” Nyx says. Nor does it protect him.
“But it gives them both free will back. Isn’t that important?” Riven looks from me to Ambrose.
Ambrose is about to answer before I jump in.
“No, it’s not. We both had free will when we made that deal.
For the time being, it stands,” I say, hating every word that leaves my mouth.
Hating that it means that I will have to accept Ambrose as my mate.
But it’s the only way to ensure that Nyx lives.
I need Ambrose to keep to his part of the blood deal.
I need him to break the curse for the vampires to save Nyx.
Both men look at me with sadness in their eyes for different reasons, but it’s the right thing for now. There is no other choice. Ambrose might be my mate, but I don’t fully trust him to do the right thing for Nyx. And Nyx I love too much to risk his life.
“Then we should focus on breaking Ambrose’s individual witch curse with magic while ensuring Nyx stays sane long enough for you to break the vampire curse on the next full moon,” Riven says.
I nod.
“At least we have a plan now,” Sylara says, her own eyes displaying some disappointment in me.
I don’t care. Nyx lives—the rest I’ll figure out later.