Chapter 22 #4
Luna had frowned. “So, you’re saying the curse was complicated?
” Jackson nodded. The memory lingered as I crushed the dittany into a paste.
I’d never studied curses much; most of my reading had been on herbs and healing.
But Jackson was right, whoever had crafted that spell knew exactly what they were doing.
And to me, it didn’t just feel like murder. It felt like a message.
Before I could think any further, an arm wrapped around my waist and Alaric’s familiar scent filled my senses. I tensed at the unexpected touch, the bond flaring sharply, urging me to push him away. I fought it down. Hard.
“Hey there, beautiful,” Alaric whispered near my ear, heat rushing to my cheeks. He set a plate down in front of me, a slice of strawberry cake waiting there. My favorite. A reluctant smile tugged at my lips.
“Ooh, yum,” I murmured, dipping my finger into the frosting and tasting it. “Mmm.” Alaric chuckled and nuzzled into my neck, sending a shiver down my spine and for a brief, traitorous second, I imagined it was Aiden. Guilt hit hard. I forced the thought away immediately.
“So,” Alaric said lightly, taking a bite of the cake as he leaned against the worktable, “I figured I might find you in here. Someone didn’t show up for sparring.”
“Yeah, sorry,” I replied. “I’ve just had… a lot on my mind.” That was only half the truth. The other half was the way things seemed off between us now, how every moment with him carried a weight of guilt I couldn’t shake.
He studied me for a second, then smiled softly. “What’s on your mind?” I took another bite of cake just to buy myself time. Because I knew what I needed to say. And I knew it would hurt both of us.
I swallowed and met his gaze. “I think… maybe we should take a break.” The words hurt, but not like losing something precious. More like the ache of knowing I was about to hurt him.
“A break?” His brows knit together.
“Yeah,” I breathed. “From us.” My chest tightened. Alaric had been my childhood dream. The boy I once imagined marrying, building a life with. But the bond, everything happening now, had twisted things into something unrecognizable.
“I see,” he said after a moment. “Is this because of Aiden?” I let out a sigh. “Look Ryn, I’m not stupid; I was there this morning when he pulled you away from me.”
“It’s not all just about him, Al, it’s everything, this bond, the truths I’m figuring out, it’s all too much and I can’t keep dragging you through this when it’s already making it hard for me to even see you.” He nodded slowly, pain flickering across his face.
“I kind of knew,” he admitted. “The moment you came out of that fog marked by the Sun Goddess… I realized you weren’t really mine anymore. I just didn’t want to believe it. Not yet.” My throat tightened. I stepped forward and drew him into a hug.
“Me neither,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “I wish things were different. I wish it was you.” His arms tightened around me, his face buried against my neck. Tears pricked my eyes.
“Me, too,” he said softly, then pulled back. “But… we’re still best friends, right?”
“Of course,” I said, managing a small smile. “Always.” He rested his forehead against mine. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” he replied gently. “I understand.” Some of the guilt eased from my chest. “So,” he added, trying to lighten the moment, “what else has been keeping you up?”
I nodded, stepping back and grabbing the cake again. “Well… I broke into my aunt’s files.”
He smiled knowingly. “Of course you did.”
“The girl they found dead, there was no blood left in her body. None. No wounds. No struggle.” I passed him the plate, and he took a bite, frowning.
“That’s… bizarre. How does someone even do that?”
“I don’t know. Jackson thinks it might be black magic. A rune. He said some ancient spells could be powerful enough.”
Alaric shook his head slowly. “I’ve never heard of anything like that.”
“Maybe you were looking in the wrong books,” I suggested quietly. “My mom used to warn me about the dark arts. But this feels… older. Worse.”
“You might be right,” he said. “Most people don’t dig into magic like that unless they’re already corrupted.”
“Then maybe it’s time we start digging.”
He glanced sideways at me. “I might be able to help. I have access to the restricted section.”
My eyes widened. “You do?”
“Library prefect,” he said with a shrug.
“But we have to be careful. Whoever did this? They’re already here.
” The words sent a chill through me. Firebeard’s warnings echoed in my mind.
The black book. The prophecy. Before fire, before form, I flowed…
I almost told him everything. Almost. But the words died in my throat.
“Hey,” Alaric said gently, brushing frosting from the corner of my mouth. “What are you thinking about?”
“Nothing,” I lied. “Just… runes.” He studied me for a moment, before nodding.
We stayed there a while longer, the tension slowly easing as the familiar rhythm of our friendship settled back into place.
It hurt, letting go of the version of me that once dreamed of a life with him.
But staying would’ve been worse. I did love Alaric.
I always would. It just didn’t feel the same anymore.