Chapter 25 - Shane
Even though I have my arms wrapped around Hyacinth’s shoulders, I feel like she’s slipping further and further away from me. The wind inside our bubble has increased, and it’s as if it’s trying to rip us apart. I tighten my grip on Hyacinth and close my eyes, burying my head in her shoulder.
I will never let go. If you cross to the other side, then I do, too.
The wind around us increases, completely annihilating my senses. The only thing I can feel is Hyacinth’s weight in my arms, but she’s gone cold and still, as if she’s already dead.
She can’t be! I won’t allow it.
I tighten my arms around her, realizing for the first time that I have absolutely no idea what happens if we die in here without breaking the curse.
Then… everyone dies? Every wolf, every witch?
“Please,” I whisper, shaking her a little. “Please, my love. Don’t die.”
Hyacinth murmurs softly, and I shake her again. She slowly raises her head, leaning back against me.
“Shane,” she whispers. “You’re here.”
I gaze at her. “I don’t think I could go anywhere, even if I wanted to.”
“Your soul held me. It brought me back.” Her head lolls on my shoulder, and she reaches weakly for my hands where they are clasped across her chest. “Never alone,” she whispers, her eyes closing.
“No, Hyacinth, no!” I yell, shaking her. “I have no fucking clue what’s going on here, but you’re not going out like this—and neither am I! Wake up and do your thing.”
She blinks, shaking her head a little. On a wild impulse, I grab her shoulders and turn her around, pulling her close and kissing her as hard as I can.
Hyacinth sighs, her head falling back as she practically melts in my arms. The brutal wind around us loses some of its strength, and a warm energy begins to bloom in its place.
“Shane,” she whispers, putting her arms around my neck and kissing me. I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her close to me, leaving no space between our bodies as both of us drown in the kiss.
Hyacinth drops her head to my shoulder, wrapping her entire body around mine.
The warm energy between us continues to grow, and the screaming wind settles.
As the whirlwind around us begins to die down, I can see the others outside the circle.
Sadie is standing with her hands held high, and it looks like she’s shouting.
Trina kneels nearby, and the pale figures around them must be Owen and Rhys.
More dark figures approach, lining up around the outside of the barrier.
Have all the packs been called here? What the hell is going on?
Suddenly, Hyacinth screams, throwing her head back and grabbing my shoulders. I hold on to her waist as she shudders in my lap, pain rippling through her entire body. She stares up at the sky as the scream pours from her mouth, a torrent of pure agony.
“Hyacinth!” I yell, trying to shake her out of it.
The scream dies in her throat, and she grabs my shoulders, clinging to me as the earth beneath us starts to shake.
What the fuck is going on?
A massive crack above my head makes me jump, and I look up to see the force field ripping open. The edges flow back towards the ground, and as they touch the soil, the earth itself shivers, shock waves spreading towards us.
I cling even more tightly to Hyacinth, but the ripples moving through the earth don’t hurt us.
They slap against us lightly as if the soil has become a shallow pond, and after gently washing against us, the waves ripple back in the other direction, spreading through the waiting circle of people and out into the garden.
Everywhere the wave touches, bright green grass springs up.
Bushes burst out from the ground in splashes of color, and vibrant flowers bloom within them.
The energy wave rushes against the manor, and there is a deep, shuddering rumble.
Stones shiver, and black dust rises into the sky.
In that moment, I realize the manor was originally built from pale sandstone bricks, which had turned dark under the effects of the curse.
The black dust disappears on the wind, and the manor glows like a golden palace. I hold Hyacinth in my arms, the very faint whisper of her breath giving me hope that she’s still alive and all of this is what’s supposed to happen.
“Shane!” Sadie cries, running into the circle. “Is she okay?”
“I don’t know,” I respond, my voice low. “I have no fucking clue what’s happening.”
“Lay her down,” Sadie says, and I carefully put Hyacinth down so Sadie can examine her.
Trina hurries over next, followed by Rhys and Owen.
“Is it okay for us to be in here? Owen asks. “Isn’t this a magic circle?”
“The barrier has been dissolved,” Sadie says. “I believe the curse is broken. I’d just like it if Hyacinth woke up.”
“I am awake,” Hyacinth whispers.
Without thinking, I shove everyone else away and lean over to kiss her, stroking her cheek and muttering incoherent streams of utter nonsense. Hyacinth raises her hands and giggles.
“Shane, let me catch a breath. I’m okay.”
“I was so scared,” I reply, stroking her hair.
“So was I,” she admits, holding my hand.
“What happened in there?” Sadie asks.
“Lynette was still trapped in the manor,” Hyacinth says. “Her soul. She was suffering terribly, wondering why Darian betrayed her, but never giving up hope he’d come for her.”
“I pieced together some of it,” Trina says. “But you finally got the whole story, didn’t you?”
Hyacinth nods. “Darian received a message that he thought was from Lynette to another man. Mad with jealousy, he locked her up and went on a killing spree to exterminate the witches. He lost the stomach for it, though, and decided to go back and question Lynette. That’s when his beta killed him.”
“What?” Rhys asks, shocked. “What are you talking about?”
“It was a plot by the council the whole time,” Hyacinth says. “To get rid of the witches and take power over the valley. That’s why no one ever knew what happened to Darian, and why Lynette died in the manor.”
“That explains a lot,” Rhys says, his voice harsh. He turns around slowly, his gaze sweeping the edge of the circle.
“We have to find them!” Hyacinth says, grabbing Sadie’s hand. “We have to find Darian’s bones, and Lynette’s, and put them in a grave together. She said it would seal the curse for good.”
“We’ll find them,” Trina says, patting Hyacinth’s arm. “And we’ll give them a decent burial.”
“I hope they’re together,” Hyacinth says, starting to cry. “Darian said he couldn’t have found her without me—without us. He was wandering the otherworld looking for her, desperate to be with her.”
“You saw them in the circle of light?” Sadie asks.
Hyacinth nods.
“Then they’re together,” Sadie says, smiling. “We’ve brought peace to their souls and power back to the pack. The wolves should all be healed now.”
“Will more witches wake up?” Trina asks. “We knew nothing of our history or our powers before we connected to our wolf mates. Surely there are other witches out there that don’t even know what they are.”
“Yes,” Sadie agrees, nodding. “The witches who managed to escape would have used a standard amnesia spell to protect themselves and their daughters. Now that Lynette’s curse has broken, that ripple could undo the spell, too. Witches might be waking up for miles around.”
A shout comes from the edge of the circle, and all of us turn to look. Someone has fallen down, and the crowd is gathering around them.
“What now?” I mutter.
“Help me up,” Hyacinth says. I put my arm around her, and both of us get to our feet, following the others.
As we get closer, I see Darla writhing on the ground. Her eyes are dark pits, and her skin runs with black lines as if her blood is full of ink.
I look around at the other elders. All of them are glowing with health. My eyes snap back to Darla again as a guttural howl rips out of her throat.
“I knew it,” Rhys says bitterly. “It was your line that started all this, wasn’t it? It was always you.”
Darla laughs maniacally, pointing at him. “Darian didn’t deserve to live,” she spits. “He was unclean.”
“I’d be careful what insults you throw around,” Sadie says. “Since you’re the one about to go to hell.”
Darla tries to speak again, but the earth around her begins to bubble. Darla sinks into it as if the soft grass has become a deep pond, and she screams as her body is slowly swallowed by the soil, until nothing but thick green grass remains.
“That was one of the freakiest things I’ve ever seen,” I mutter, still staring at the green patch of grass.
“It was the final act of the curse,” Sadie explains. “I wasn’t sure if it was going to happen or not, but the lingering resentment from Lynette and even Darian sought out the only living soul connected to the betrayal and took her to sate itself.”
“Are we done now?” Owen asks. “Seriously, I don’t know if I can take much more of this. Every time I think the curse has been broken, we stumble over another layer.”
“It’s done,” Hyacinth says. “But we have to find Darian and Lynette’s remains and lay them in a grave together. Then their souls will truly have peace.”
“That won’t be easy,” Rhys says. “Even if every wolf regains his full power. We’ll be searching the woods for years.”
“We can help,” Sadie reminds him, laughing. “Did you forget about magic?”
“You can do a locator spell on old bones?” he asks.
Sadie nods. “Of course. We’ll need the wolves to help, too, but we can definitely narrow down the search. We are connected to Lynette by blood.” She gestures to Hyacinth and Trina.
“That’s been bugging me,” Trina says. “How are we all related? I know we have zero knowledge of our family history, but still—how did Lynette have a child if she was locked in the manor?”
“There aren’t any direct records,” Sadie says. “They would have deliberately avoided official documents, but in Lynette’s diary, she mentions her sister, as well as her mother and aunts. Some of them must have made it out, and those women are our ancestors.”
“What now?” a voice asks, and I look around to see us surrounded by random pack members, including the remaining elders.
“What are you guys doing here?” I ask.
Neville shrugs. “We were here already, obviously. Once the spell got going, people just showed up and joined the circle.”
“All of you felt the magic,” Sadie says, smiling. “Thank you—all of you. Your energy made a difference. It took all of us to break the curse.”
“And still,” Neville laughs. “What now?”
“Now, we find Lynette and Darian,” Trina says. “And lay them to rest.”
“And go and hug our loved ones,” I add. “And find out if everyone is healed from the curse.”
“And reassure everyone that the curse is broken, and we’re safe,” Sadie says.
“And sleep,” Hyacinth says, leaning against me. “Sleep for a whole week. And a hot bath. I’m pretty hungry, too.”
“I can’t argue with any of that,” Neville says. “Come on, everyone. We’ve got work to do!”
The six of us stand in the garden, watching the others go ahead of us. The elders show relief as they walk past the manor and down the drive, proving to themselves they’re no longer trapped. Others get into their cars, calling out to each other as they plan the next course of action.
Hyacinth leans heavily against me, and I reach down and pick her up, snuggling her against my chest as she passes out. I suddenly realize that my strength has returned. My alpha senses are sharper than ever.
“What will you do?” Rhys asks me.
“I’ve got to get this girl home,” I say. “Would the two of you check in on my infirmary for me and spread the word?”
“Yes, for sure we will,” Rhys says, smiling.
“Thank you,” I reply. “I have to get her home. She risked herself for all of us.”
“She’ll be okay,” Sadie says. “All she needs is a bit of rest—and you.”
“She’s got me,” I reply, holding Hyacinth even tighter to my chest. I turn and walk towards the car, still too shocked by everything that’s happened to process any of it. The only thing that feels real is Hyacinth’s weight in my arms.
I bend down to kiss her gently, feeling that finally my heart is complete and my soul is at peace.