“Sorry.” He held up his hands as though to prove he wouldn’t touch her again. “I was just trying to help.”
He stood and slipped the vial into his bag.
“That’s mine.” Eden didn’t want him holding the potion she needed.
“And you have the other two bottles,” he said, zipping the bag. “But if your purse gets stolen, isn’t it better that we have a backup?”
His reasoning made sense, which only annoyed her more.
What is your problem? It’s not like he grabbed your breast.
She had no logical answer except that danger or not, she didn’t want Ash touching her. Quinn wouldn’t like it.
But you left him. You ripped out his heart.
The surety of winning Quinn back faded in the light of day, and Eden’s guilt resurfaced at hurting him the way she had.
“Is there coffee?” She spoke to shake the thought, but once she’d mentioned caffeine, realized she needed some.
“We can get something on the way.”
“Where exactly are we going?”
All Ash had told her was Glastonbury. Beyond that, she was in the dark.
“I’ve been trying to figure that out.” Ash pulled a tourism map off the table and opened it on the bed.
“What do you mean, ‘figure it out’? I thought this Magda person could see it.”
“She can. Sort of. It’s not like she’s got a GPS tracker on it.” Ash studied the map.
“So, how are we supposed to find it?”
“All of the stones have been found in places with mystical significance. One of the first was uncovered at a pyramid in Egypt. Another in Uluru, Australia.”
“So you’re looking for landmarks?” Eden leaned closer to study the map.
“There are ley lines all over this area—highly mystical energy. The stone could be anywhere. But I figured we should start with the major attractions.”
“What about the Tor?” Eden pointed. “And the Chalice Well.”
“That’s what I was thinking too.” He traced a finger along the map. “And the Abbey.”
“And then what? The stones are smaller than the palm of my hand. We’d have to turn over every rock on the path up the Tor. What if it’s buried?”
Ash didn’t look up from the map, but knitted his brows. “If we get close enough, I should be able to sense something…a resonance.”
“A resonance?”
“My ancestors created the seals. I’m attuned to them. Usually, it only works on Samhain, but with the cloaking spell weakened…” Ash shrugged—a both hopeful and non-committal gesture. “If we get close, with any luck, I’ll be able to find it.”
She hoped he meant his luck because hers was the worst.
Eden might not put much stock in luck, but with little else to go on, she found herself wandering amongst the ruins of Glastonbury Abbey.
She wrapped her coat tighter around herself, eyeing Ash as he roamed what remained of the Lady Chapel. He didn’t show his discomfort, but she knew he must be freezing in his lightweight jacket.
She sipped at her coffee, its warmth radiating through her gloves as she strolled the grounds where King Arthur and his queen, Guinevere, were said to be buried. Historians argued as to whether Arthur truly existed, and if he did, whether any of the stories about him were true, but standing over what was said to be their graves, Eden couldn’t help but feel their presence. As a child, she’d thought Merlin’s magic was too fantastic to be real, but now, it seemed as plausible as anything else.
Focus.
They were here to find the seal to Agamon’s prison, not get lost in fantasy. Trouble was, there wasn’t really much for Eden to do. Ash had made it clear; sensing the stone was not akin to sensing magic. As long as the cloaking spell held, only one of the Custos could feel its presence. It would have saved the extra entrance fee for Ash to search alone, but Eden suspected he’d brought her as a way to keep watch over her.
Or on you. Don’t forget, you don’t know who this person is.
Eden wanted to believe Ash was protecting her as he claimed but knew wanting wouldn’t make it so. She needed to keep her guard up.
She wandered over to him, taking in the remains of the once-magnificent building.
“Catching any vibes?”
Ash shook his head. “Nothing. And I’ve walked the length of the place.”
He had. While Eden had wandered the site slowly, he had marched the grounds on a mission.
“Should we move on?”
“Probably.”
“You don’t seem convinced.” Eden wondered just how confident he was that he’d be able to find the stone even if they got close.
“This part was sort of Ani’s domain.” The admission seemed to smart.
“Oh, well, that’s perfect.” Eden couldn’t keep the edge from her voice. “Maybe you could have mentioned this before now.”
“To what end?” Irritation flashed in his eyes. “We had to try, and I’m all you’ve got.”
“Yes, you made sure of that,” Eden muttered.
“What are you on about?”
“Would it really have been that terrible for me to tell my friends where I was going and why?”
Ash’s mouth twisted into a wry smile. “That’s a convenient memory you have.”
She wheeled around on him. “Excuse me?”
He met her gaze, a firm set to his jaw. “I never told you what to tell your friends. All I said was I could help you, and it was dangerous. The rest was your decision.”
His words were a blow to the gut, more so because they were true.
“For the record,” he continued, “it was the right decision. That boyfriend of yours…”
“Quinn.” She spoke through clenched teeth. Saying his name—especially to Ash—opened the wound she’d been desperately trying to keep closed.
“He wasn’t going to let you go. At best, he would have insisted on coming.”
“Would that have been so bad?”
Why shouldn’t Quinn have come? Why wouldn’t Ash have wanted him to?
“Only if you wanted him to live. He didn’t exactly look like a fighter.”
Eden burned with anger. “He’s more of a man than you’ll ever be.” She spun on her heel, heading for the exit.
Quinn might not have been built like Ash, but he fought when he needed to. He’d nearly chopped Bes’tal’s head off with an ax. And he was relentless. When it came to Eden, there was nothing he wouldn’t do.
And that’s why you didn’t tell him.
Even now, half a world away and missing him, desperate to talk to him, to touch him, to explain, she knew she’d made the right choice. Leaving—and keeping him in the dark about why—had been the only way to keep him out of danger.
That was her only comfort…knowing Quinn and Sarah were safe.
Chapter 18
Sarah cast a surreptitious glance at Alex as they hiked toward the tunnel opening. Their trip from Coventry House had passed mostly in silence, leaving Sarah with nothing to do but ruminate on both her own premonition and the message of danger the harbinger had brought. The closer they got, the more certain Sarah became that nothing was ever going to be the same.
Again.
That had been the theme of her life since arriving at college—constant change. Any time she thought she’d found firm footing—as a witch, as Kai’s girlfriend—circumstances shifted, and she found herself no closer to solid ground.
The pair approached the opening in the rock face, and Alex held up an orb of light. The events of the day pressed down on Sarah. Had it really only been twelve hours since they’d walked through the first time?
“You should know…” She kept her eyes on the entrance. “I had a vision about this.”
Alex glanced at her sharply. “What did you see?”
“Something we do here, or maybe something we find, is going to change things. And not for the better.”
Alex snorted. “Could you vague that up
a little more?”
“I don’t control what I see.”
“Doesn’t sound like you see much at all.”
“Not yet. Right now, I mostly get feelings. When I was a kid, I saw images, but Carolyn said the way my mother and friends reacted made me think the gift was unsafe. We were supposed to work on it, but…”
The mention Carolyn—not just their fallen High Priestess but Alex’s aunt—hung in the air.
“If we go in there…” Alex pointed to the opening. “Something bad is going to happen, and you’re just mentioning it to me now?”
“Would it have made a difference?”
“Maybe.”
Sarah flashed a wry smile and shook her head. “It wouldn’t have. You know we need to do this. I knew it too, even before my admittedly lacking vision.”
“And why is that?”
“Because we need answers. I need them for my best friend. You need them because, for all your faults, you care about what happens to everyone at Coventry House, and that means you care about Eden. We’re going in there, and when we do, we’ll get our answer. And that answer will lead us down a path from which there is no return.” Sarah strode past the mouth of the cave and stopped, glancing over her shoulder. “You coming?”
Sarah didn’t wait for a reply.
Chapter 19
Eden huffed up the steep hill known as Glastonbury Tor, still fuming. Ash must have sensed her mood, because he stayed silent beside her. Even his breathing was quiet, and she wondered if that was on purpose to prove that he was better equipped to protect her than Quinn.
A handful of tourists streamed both up and down the hill, on their way to or from St. Michael's Tower perched atop the summit.
In summer, the place must be overrun.
Eden reached inside her bag, fingers searching for the vial. For the tenth time that morning, she made sure the stopper was firmly in place.
Ash meandered off the trail, eyes on the ground. It wasn’t the first time, and none of the others had borne fruit, so Eden kept to the path. A few minutes later, he was back beside her, empty-handed.
The exertion of the climb burned away Eden’s anger, despite her wish to retain it. She didn’t want to feel good, didn’t want to see this much beauty—not without Quinn. Or Sarah. But once at the top, the view was breathtaking. So much so, for a moment, she forgot why she was there and what was at stake. Ash had gone to search the small tower, leaving Eden alone with her thoughts.
The valley stretched out below her, and she glanced back at the winding path she’d just climbed. That same path had been traversed by druids for centuries. How many seekers had passed this way? Eden wondered if they’d found what they’d been looking for. A glance over her shoulder at Ash told her that so far, he hadn’t.
She made her way over to the square tower, empty of people save for Ash. Outside, the structure appeared intact, stretching toward the sky. Inside it was roofless. Eden glanced up at the square of sky above.
“Anything?” It was the first word she’d spoken to him since the abbey.
“Not yet.” The frustration in his voice hung in the air, and Eden wondered whether it was directed at the situation or her.
He ran his fingers over the stone.
“Has this Magda person given you any other clues?”
“She’s not ‘this Magda person,’” he snapped. He exhaled sharply. “Sorry. It’s not you. The longer we’re out here…”
“The more exposed I am.”
“The more exposed we are,” he said. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”
“Because I’m the witch who can strengthen the seals.” It wasn’t an accusation, just the truth.
“That’s not the only reason I’m helping you,” he said softly.
“Then, why?”
“You wouldn’t understand.” Ash’s fingers gripped the rough stone.
“Try me.”
Guilt clouded Ash’s features. “Because I failed someone once. Someone who needed me.” His expression hardened. “I won’t let that happen again.”
His words landed, and Eden sensed that of everything he’d told her, this was the truest.
“I never thanked you,” she said, “for saving my life.”
“Which time?”
Ash grinned. The change was striking. The angles of his face softened as his brow unfurrowed.
“I guess I’ve been a bit of a brat.” She blushed.
He raised his shoulders a fraction. “I’m no piece of candy.”
She opened her mouth to speak, but Ash grabbed her by the elbow and pulled her outside the small tower.
“Hey!” She snatched her arm away. “What are you—”
“Look.” Ash cast his eyes to the left.
Eden followed his gaze to a young man thirty feet away. A handful of other tourists milled about, but there was something…off…about this guy. He wasn’t wandering around so much as searching.
Eden’s hand flew to her chest.
Ash grabbed it and lowered it back to her side. “The potion is working, or he’d already be over here. But we need to leave.”
Eden’s heart stuttered. She nodded and let him steer her around the back of the tower. What had Marcus said about the strength of the potion? Fifty meters? Eden converted that to yards, her stomach dropping when she realized high atop a hill like this, there were only so many people for her pursuer to choose from. She scanned the vicinity. Six adults milled about the hilltop while three others approached from the trail. The man was scrawny, but the way he held a hand in his pocket made Eden sure he had a weapon.
“Now.” Ash nodded toward three people who were heading back to the trail that led to the base of the hill.
Trying her best to act casual, Eden strolled over, hoping to make it appear they were all part of the same group. She was about to glance over her shoulder to see if the man was following, but a hiss from Ash kept her eyes on the trail. They reached a switchback, allowing Eden to cast a surreptitious glance. Her breath caught, and she nudged Ash.
“I see him,” he said.
The man stared at them, clearly aware his trail had grown cold and why. He started down the hill toward them, first at a good clip, then breaking into a run.
“Go.” Ash stopped, turning back up the way they’d come. “Get down the hill and stay with as many people as you can.” When Eden made no move, he gave her a firm push. “Go.”
Ash raced up the hill. The group they’d been shadowing turned, quizzical expressions at the scene of two men racing toward each other.
“It’s a silly game they play,” Eden said. “Boys…you know.”
The two women nodded and rolled their eyes while the man still seemed confused. But all three turned back and resumed their descent. Eden didn’t join them.
She couldn’t fling a fireball—there were too many people around. But air…
The flows shot from her outstretched hands and snaked their way around the would-be attacker. To an observer, it would look like he’d tripped. Tripped so hard, he rolled down the hill at twice the normal speed. Over and over, he tumbled, tourists looking on, wide-eyed.
Ash glanced back down at her, but far from grateful, he appeared annoyed. He trotted down to her side.
“I was handling it.” He kept walking down the trail.
“Thank you would suffice.” Eden fell in step, her cheeks hot.
“You know magic leaves a trace, right?” Ash’s jaw was set sharply, and he wouldn’t look at her. “You just let anyone paying attention within a quarter-mile radius that a powerful witch is in town.”
“It was just some air.”
“Just some…” He shook his head, incredulous. “You rolled him all the way down the hill.” Eden followed his gesture to where a small crowd now gathered around the man at the base of the Tor as he writhed in pain. “Do you have any idea how much energy that takes?”
She didn’t. Not really. She just knew what she could do. Her advanced abilities
didn’t negate the fact she was still a new witch with more talent than training.
“I’m sorry, I just… He had a weapon.”
“I’ve got two of them.” Ash balled his hands into fists.
It was so macho, so over-the-top that Eden burst out laughing.
“What?” Anger passed Ash’s face, but when he looked down at his hands—gripped so tightly, his knuckles were white—he shook his head and loosened his fists. “If you’re done laughing, can we go now, please?”
Eden nodded but pressed her lips together to keep from smiling.
When they’d reached the bottom of the Tor, it was a short walk to the Chalice Well. Once past the entrance, Eden felt as though she’d been transported to another world. She felt serene—filled with a peace that made no Earthly sense given the circumstances.
Once again, Ash searched while Eden meandered the trail toward the wellhead. A small sign depicted the direction of King Arthur’s healing pool, and Eden changed course.
If I don’t need healing, I don’t know who does.
She approached a small wading pool, the water six inches deep at most. A small staircase led into it, and despite the cold, Eden stripped off her boots and socks. Her feet froze on the stones, but that was nothing compared to when they hit the icy waters. The shiver traveled up her spine and seeped cold all over, but she didn’t care. She said a prayer to whatever gods held this place that she be healed of this mark and free of the danger she was in. That soon she’d be home in Somerland and back to her normal life.
“What are you doing?”
Ash’s voice startled Eden, and she spun around to face him. Her foot slipped on the slick surface beneath her, and she pitched forward with a cry. He splashed into the pool and caught her, strong hands gripped firmly around her waist. When he righted her, their eyes met, and Eden was keenly aware of how close he was. How warm her body was where it pressed against his.
But then she was cold. So cold. No breeze blew, but a shiver rippled through her. Ash flinched, and she knew he’d felt it too.
“What—?”
Her words cut off at a cracking sound from high above. A branch had broken and was falling straight at them. They sprang apart, the branch landing with a splash in the space between them.
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