Chapter 7
CHAPTER SEVEN
Ilead the new arrivals through the house and gesture everyone into the family room, where Wylder, Orion, and Rowan have already arranged themselves on various pieces of furniture.
They look up as we file in—Asher and I in our onesies, followed by our three guest witches.
"We've got company." Asher hands one of the massive bowls of popcorn to Rowan and Orion on the couch and claims his usual spot on the oversized armchair with the other.
Mica, Izzy, and the new girl I now know is Clara, settle onto the fireplace mantle and the floor, while I perch on the arm of Asher's chair. Somebuddy hops into Asher's lap, still eyeing the newcomers with suspicion, and I reach down to scrub her velvety little ears.
Wylder leans forward, elbows on his knees. "What brings you ladies by? Has Poppy's confrontation with Laurel spread through the gossip grapevine already?"
Mica's eyebrows arch, and she looks at the other two before shaking her head. "No, we haven't heard about that."
Not wanting to get into that, I push the conversation in another direction. "They have an idea about how to banish Tharuzel back to the Hell Realm."
Clara fidgets with one of her braids, her dark blue eyes darting between us. She seems nervous, which makes me wonder how much courage it took to show up here tonight.
Izzy speaks up, her voice soft but steady. "We've been researching past demon events since the soul-siphoning at the Harvest Festival."
Mica frowns. "And after feeling the type of power we're up against while closing the tear on the veil, I’m guessing things are only going to get worse."
"They will," Wylder agrees, "because Tharuzel was only an entity then. He's building strength to become corporeal now, and if that happens, there's no way Sebastian's wards will contain him."
"Can we shore up the wards?" Izzy asks.
Wylder shrugs. "Sebastian has been focused on that since long before any of us got involved. But the truth of the matter is that it’s a temporary solution at best.”
“And what good does that do us?” Orion asks. “That just leaves us with a pissed-off major demon trapped in our hometown."
Clara frowns. "Maybe the elders of Emberwood don't understand the scope of what's happening. Maybe…."
"We're way past the point of claiming ignorance, Clara," Orion says. "Laurel knows exactly what's happening and how bad it's getting. But, instead of coming up with answers, she's covering her own ass and pointing the blame at everyone else."
Rowan scoffs. "And if she doesn't see how that will come back to bite her in the butt, she's more unhinged than she seems."
"She's more than unhinged," Izzy adds. "She clearly has her own agenda."
As much as I love hearing that the witches of the Emberwood Coven are wise to Laurel's duplicitous ways, that won't help us against Tharuzel. "So, what is your idea?"
Mica picks up the thread and meets everyone's gaze. "Most of you know I'm a metal witch, but my affinity isn't only about manipulating metals. It's also about understanding their properties, their histories, and their purposes."
She pauses, and when no one asks about that, she continues. "There's a legend in metallurgical magic circles about an ancient forge called The Cinderheart Crucible."
The name alone sends a jolt of energy up my spine.
"I've never heard of it," Wylder admits.
"You wouldn't have. It's old magic. The kind that predates covens and the time when witches organized themselves into communities.
" Mica's gray eyes gleam with something between excitement and trepidation.
"The Cinderheart Crucible wasn't just any forge.
It was built to create weapons and tools capable of banishing supernatural entities permanently. "
Asher stops mid-popcorn-chew. "Permanently as in go away and don't come back ever? Like not in another five years when the ley lines start going screwy and the veil starts to tear again?"
"Right. Permanently. If the lore is to be believed, it sends them back to their realm of origin and seals the door behind them."
"The legends say it severs connections between realms for all those banished for good," Clara adds.
Well, that sounds awesome, but all this talk of legend and lore isn't filling me with confidence.
Still, it's more than we had an hour ago.
"So, what are you envisioning?” I ask.
“We forge weapons on the Cinderheart Crucible and then, once Tharuzel has gained the power and strength to take a physical form, we use those weapons to send him back to the Hell Realm.”
I blink. “So, we just get up close and personal and go stabbytown on him? You realize he's over ten feet tall and has blades for claws, right?"
"And magic," Asher adds.
"And an army of minions," Orion adds.
Mica shrugs. "I didn't say it would be easy. But I'm hoping Poppy's connection with him will give us an advantage."
My pulse quickens.
Does the Emberwood Coven know about my blood-bound contract with Tharuzel?
How could they? Only my closest inner circle and Vale know about it.
And Vale wouldn't say anything. I may not trust my lawyer's ethics in getting things done above board, but I do trust his loyalty to his clients and his discretion.
I swallow. "My connection with him?"
"Yeah, he's the one who demon-marked your bloodline, right? When your mom and Sebastian were battling him the first time?" She looks at me directly, and there's nothing nefarious or hidden in her expression.
I let out a tight exhale and force a smile. "Yeah, of course. He's the demon who marked our bloodline."
"Right, so, you're a spirit witch with an inherent connection to the target of our assault. That combination, channeled through the Cinderheart Crucible during the time of the forging…"
"Could banish Tharuzel for good," I breathe.
"And his minions," Izzy adds. "All the demons he's pulled here to serve him will carry his energy signature. The weapons created by the forge could send them all back."
Rowan sits up straighter, shadows flickering at her fingertips like she can't quite contain them. "This could be our solution."
Wylder's already shaking his head. "It still won't be simple."
"It won't," Mica admits, her expression falling, "because I have no idea where the forge actually is."
The room falls silent except for Nobuddy's snoring.
"Wait," Asher sets down the popcorn bowl, "you sold us on a legendary forge that can save the day, but you don't know where it is?"
"I know it exists," Mica says defensively. "The records are fragmented, but there are too many references across too many traditions for it to be purely mythological. Metal witches have been searching for it for generations."
"So, we're joining a centuries-old supernatural treasure hunt?" Orion asks.
"Arrr, matey's." Asher cups his hand over one eye. "Me thinks this be the sort of quest where the treasure’s imaginary and the punishment is very real—and pointy."
I scratch behind Somebuddy's ears, my mind racing. "He's not wrong. If metal witches have been searching for generations, what makes you think we can find it?"
Mica meets my gaze. "Because you have something they didn't—me."
We're still debating whether we're more likely to come up empty-handed or be killed when the doorbell chimes again. Somebuddy launches from my lap, yapping like he's raising a full-scale alarm. Nobuddy jolts from his nap and joins the clarion call.
"Wow, we’re popular tonight," Asher mutters, extricating himself from his chair.
But before he gets anywhere, Sebastian steps into the doorway. His black hair is disheveled and spiked up at odd angles as if he's been running his hands through it. And his bright blue eyes—so disconcertingly similar to mine—look haunted.
"Sorry to interrupt." His gaze sweeps the room and lands on Rowan. "I need to talk to you."
Rowan's shadows curl tighter around her fingers. "Why? What about?"
He scans the group and then shifts his gaze back to her. "Do you want to talk privately?"
"Not really, no. If it's bad news—and judging by the vibes you're throwing off, it is—I'd rather hear it with my friends."
"All right. An hour ago, I was contacted by the Thornhill Coven elders." Sebastian's voice is flat, stripped of its usual chaotic energy. "They want you home and have requested that I portal you back tonight, or they will be sending an envoy into Emberwood territory tomorrow."
Rowan stands, and the temperature in the room drops several degrees. "No. They can't just summon me like I'm some wayward child."
"They can, actually." Sebastian looks miserable. "You're still under their coven's jurisdiction. They have every right—"
"I don't care about their rights. What about mine?" The shadows around Rowan coalesce into sharp, blade-like tendrils. "I finally found somewhere I fit. Somewhere I'm not just the troublemaker from the cursecraft family. I'm useful here."
My chest tightens watching her unravel. I stand, careful not to spook her when her magic is this agitated.
Sebastian runs a hand over his face. "Trust me, kid, I get it. But Poppy's dealing with enough scrutiny from other covens right now. Laurel has stirred up trouble, and if Thornhill thinks Poppy is harboring—"
"Harboring?" Rowan's voice cracks. "I'm not a fugitive."
"That's not what I meant." Sebastian's shoulders sag. "Look, just go home. Talk to your parents. Show them you're fine, that you're not being corrupted by dark magic or whatever story they're envisioning. Then, once everyone has calmed down, you can revisit the idea of coming back."
"But what if they won't let me come back?"
Clara stands hesitantly. "My mother works with Thornhill sometimes. If you need someone to vouch—"
"It won't matter." Rowan's words are bitter. "My family's looking for an excuse to rein me in. Once I'm inside the compound, I'll be stuck."
I cross the room to go to her, ignoring the warning look Wylder shoots me. "Hey… girlfriend."
She won't meet my gaze.
"Rowan, look at me."
Those gray and amethyst eyes finally lift, and they're glossy with unshed tears.
"If you want to stay and fight for your freedom, that's what we do. Let Thornhill send its envoys. We'll stand by you. I mean it. In light of what happened to me and my sisters, I won't let anyone get shipped off against their will.”
But the moment I make the offer, I see that Rowan has already given up the fight.
I pull her close, feeling the tension of her stiff form before she melts into the hug. "You'll always be welcome here. Always. This isn't goodbye. It's just temporary."
"You don't know that."
"I do. Because you're part of this team. Part of this house. And Hallowind House doesn't let go of its people easily."
Asher appears beside us, wrapping his long arms around both of us. "The Life and Death Brigade doesn't abandon its own, Ro."
Rowan lets out a shaky laugh against my shoulder. "You guys are such saps."
"Sloth and Scooby-Doo onesie-wearing saps," I correct.
She pulls back, swiping at her eyes. "Fine. But when I get back—and I will get back—I expect a full update on the progress you've made finding that forge."
"Deal."
When we break apart, Sebastian gestures to the hallway. "I'll wait at the back of the house while you pack. Poppy, do you mind if we use the Hallowind stones?"
"Have at it," I say.
"I'm not packing." Rowan grabs her leather jacket from where she'd draped it over the end of the couch. "I'm leaving my stuff in my room for when I get back."
"Done deal," Asher agrees. "And get back here as soon as you can, chickie. Having a guru with cursecraft and shadow magic is a coup for the Brigade."
"Flatterer."
Asher and I follow Sebastian and Rowan to the living room and watch through the glass doors as they disappear into the forest at the back of my property. "She'll be back, right?"
Asher wraps an arm around my hip and hugs me to his side. “Yeah, P. She'll be back. She’s one of us. Besides, we’re too awesome to quit.”
I chuckle. “Addictive, some might say.”
“You know it. We’re the snickerdoodle crack of our age.”