“Yes, Helen was my teacher,” April confird with a soft nod.
My heart fluttered and years of questions rose to my throat. I swallowed them down and settled for a bright smile.
“Where is she? I need to find her and talk to her,” I said.
April’s eyes fell and she shook her head.
“I’m sorry. I don’t know where she is. It has been years since I’ve heard from her at all. She hasn’t even reached out to in my dreams,” she said somberly.
I bit my lip and glanced at Soren quickly.
April hadn’t heard from Helen in years, but she’d been able to reach out to in my dreams as recently as a few days ago. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have co to Miltern. Was it the curse that kept her from talking to April or was it sothing else that allowed her to communicate with ?
I couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. My heart sank and I looked down.
All this way I’d traveled, and Helen wasn’t even here. Was it even her that had reached out in my dreams or was it April pretending to be her?
That didn’t make sense. April seed surprised that I even knew who Helen was.
“So, she’s a seer too, if she’s your teacher?” I asked, hoping she could give sothing useful.
“Oh no,” April said. A soft, respectful smile crossed her face. “Helen is much more than that! She’s a witch.”
Her joy and respect toward Helen confird that she was telling the truth. April hadn’t left Miltern in fourteen years. Otherwise, she’d know that witches had been hunted and that their very existence was taboo.
I glanced at Soren and our eyes t. He gave a sympathetic look but I understood that whatever I chose to reveal to her was up to .
April was already so scared and panicked, I didn’t want to freak her out more by telling her a lot of witches, possibly all of them, had been hunted and destroyed.
I caught Ashley shifting uncomfortably and I glanced over. Payne’s expression had changed, too. He looked a little pale and stricken.
They knew sothing about witches. Soren hadn’t ntioned that.
Crack!
In unison, all our heads snapped in the direction of the noise.
I held my breath.
Silence descended around us.
“It isn’t safe here,” April whispered sharply.
“That was nothing, just so temple debris,” Soren reported.
“No. It isn’t safe,” April insisted, shaking her head. She looked at with pleading eyes. “Get back to the hotel. You’ll be safe there.”
“What about you? Will you co with us?” I asked.
“I have a place to stay. Don’t worry about .” She rose to her feet and brushed off her dress and cloak.
“Where can I find you?” I asked, grabbing her arm.
“I’ll find you. We’re counting on you, Mila. The pack’s fate rests in your hands... help us, please,” she said.
Before I could respond, April slipped off into the darkness. I stared at my empty hand. Apparently, I hadn’t had that tight of a grip on her.
“Follow her,” Soren ordered.
“No,” I said. “I trust her. She’s been through enough and doesn’t need to be frightened or traumatized anymore.”
Soren narrowed his eyes at but he nodded.
“Belay that,” he agreed.
Ashley scoffed but I didn’t look at her.
Our group headed back to the hotel. Soren stuck close to with Ashley, Payne, and the others following behind.
The weight of April’s final words hung around my neck like an anvil. She seed convinced that I was the only one who could break the curse and save Miltern pack. I didn’t even know where to begin.
I’d only just accepted that I had witch ancestry and I had no idea how to use magic or break curses. I wasn’t even sure I knew the difference between witches, seers and healers.
And sohow, I was supposed to break the curse and save the pack?
April made it sound like if I didn’t make it happen, the pack would be cursed forever. As if finding out I was a witch that was responsible for several other witch deaths wasn’t enough pressure. Now, I had this looming fate that I didn’t understand.
I shook my head and kept my eyes down all the way back to the hotel. Payne and Ashley watched closely, like they could sense my tension. I didn’t say anything and neither did they.
What could they say?
This was a burden I had to carry myself.
They couldn’t promise that we’d figure sothing out. They couldn’t offer to help because they weren’t witches.
It was a lot of responsibility for but all of Miltern pack was counting on .
I headed straight to my room without talking to anyone.
The box I’d collected from the cetery still sat closed and useless on the bed.
Suddenly, I wondered if the box was the key to breaking the curse. Maybe there was sothing inside of it that would give the information I needed. So kind of tool or scroll that would allow to break the curse.
Did April an I was the only one who could do it because I was in possession of the box?
After all, she’d been the one to lead to it.
I picked it up again and started turning it this way and that.
Picking the lock hadn’t done any good. There was a round divot on the bottom with so grooves in it but it just looked like a dent in the wood. Like soone had carelessly banged the box around at one point.
I turned it over again and my finger grazed sothing on one of the brass brackets. I looked closer and saw so uniform lines lightly carved into the tal. I hadn’t noticed them before. They were very faded.
They weren’t just random lines, either. They were the sa language I’d seen on the headstone.
A language that Soren could read.
Groaning, I tilted my head back.
I’d have to ask him for help. But I couldn’t! I already told Soren I knew what was in the box. Bringing it to him and asking for help would an I had to admit I lied.
He’d never let live it down...
But this could be the way to break the curse. April, Miltern, they deserved freedom. It was my only lead.
Soren had promised to help . Would he once he learned I’d lied?
Well, if he didn’t, then he was a complete bastard. This was about saving a pack from a horrible curse, not about whether I trusted him.
Tucking the box under my arm, I collected myself and went across the hall to Soren’s room. I raised my hand to knock and hesitated. Sighing, I dropped my arm to my side.
This was either going to go very badly or be the salvation Miltern needed.
Sighing again, I lifted my hand and knocked.
Soren opened the door, an amused smirk on his face.
“Another late night visit. This is becoming a habit of yours,” he said as I strode into his room.
“I need your assistance,” I said bluntly.
“Oh really?” He ca up behind and put his hands on my hips.
A shudder ran through and I bit my tongue. Pain shot through my face and I pulled away from him.
“With this,” I said, holding up the box.
Soren frowned. He scanned the box and cocked his head to the side.
“I thought you said you opened it,” he said curtly.
“Are you that shocked I lied?” I challenged.
The light returned to Soren’s eyes and he grinned. “No, I suspected you were exaggerating your success. Why co to ? Aren’t you able to handle everything on your own?”
“We have a deal, right? You agreed to help . I thought we could work on this puzzle together.” I smiled coyly.
“Oh, is that the reason?” he asked, arching an eyebrow. He gave a suspicious look like he didn’t believe .
Not that I expected him to.
He was challenging , though, like he wanted to admit that I needed his help. I didn’t want to admit that to him but I knew it was the truth. He knew it was the truth too.
Sighing, I looked at the box and juggled it from one hand to the other.
“Are you going back on our deal?” I asked.
Soren chuckled. “Not in the least. I’m just curious as to why you’re bringing this to now. You’ve been so adamant about doing everything else on your own. It isn’t just the deal that brings you to my door tonight. I want to know why.”
He smiled slyly and I realized he knew exactly what he was doing and all the buttons he was pushing.
I rolled my eyes and groaned.
“Fine, I need your help. I can’t open the box and I know you know the language that is engraved on it. I can’t do this without you. Is that what you wanted to hear?” I snapped.
Soren arched his eyebrow and pressed a hand to his chest.
“Bestill my heart. If that isn’t the kindest way anyone has asked for a favor,” he taunted.
I glared at him even harder. He really wanted to make this as uncomfortable as possible for .
Hugging the box to my chest, I turned away from him. Sighing, I bowed my head slightly and I let go of my frustration and anger. I needed his help, regardless of what I wanted.
Slowly, I turned back to him.
“Please, will you help ?” I asked softly.
Soren chuckled and amusent flickered in his eyes.
I cursed at myself for getting drawn into his antics and for getting drawn into his smile, again!
“Alright, let take a look,” he offered, holding his hands out.
Reluctantly, I handed the box over.
“That language from the tombstone is on the brass brackets. I thought maybe if you could translate it, that would be so kind of magic password,” I suggested, pointing to where the letters were engraved.
Soren squinted, like he had trouble making out the lines too.
“It says: To seek what cannot be found, a treasure must be offered, to open the gate, close the ring.”
“That makes no sense,” I blurted out.
“Well, it wasn’t a magical password. The box is still locked,” Soren said, straining his fingers as he tested it.
“I tried picking the lock, that did no good,” I admitted.
“You’re the witch, why don’t you say the words aloud and see if it works.”
I shrugged. “Okay. To seek what cannot be found, a treasure must be offered, to open the gate, close the ring.”
Again, nothing happened. Soren tried to open the lid but it remained stuck in place.
“Look!” I gasped. The light carvings lted into the brackets, disappearing.
“All the good that did. We lost our one lead...” Soren muttered. He continued to examine the box, eyes focused.
I sighed and walked away. This was useless! How could I save all of Miltern if I couldn’t even get into a box!?
“What’s this?” Soren asked.
I turned back and looked at the divot in the bottom of the box.
He ran his thumb over the grooves.
“I don’t know. I figured it was a dent made by soone mishandling the box.”
“No. This kind of box would be magically protected from harm. This is part of the design. These grooves...”
“What are you thinking?”
“To open the gate... a treasure... the ring...” Soren muttered to himself.
He was onto sothing and I felt inadequate. If he figured out the puzzle before I did, I wouldn’t know how to feel about myself!
“The ring you gave . It is an heirloom and it could fit in these grooves,” he said.
“It’s a riddle?” I asked, dumbfounded.
“Precisely.”
Soren handed the box and went to the table beside the bed. He opened the top drawer and pulled out the ring I’d given him. I found it odd that he’d brought it all the way here with him.
“Turn the box over,” he instructed.
I did as I was told.
Soren pressed the ring into the divot, the gemstone design slid neatly into the grooves. He pressed down and the brass lock clicked.
Gasping, I flipped the box over and threw the lid open.
#
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