“You always say that like you mean it.”
“I do.”
Mark huffed a quiet laugh.
Silence settled between them after that, never uncomfortable.
Spencer’s gaze lingered on the water a moment longer before he finally stepped back.
Tomorrow, they would search and confirm, and if luck is on their side they would find her and finish the job, quickly. Spencer reached for the lamp but paused because something deep within his chest, something old and instinctive, didn't quite believe it would be that easy. With that final thought he clicked the light off, not willing to let the thought linger.
5
Edith had routines,not because she was predictable… absolutely not, she would argue that point to her last breath, but because some things were… necessary.
The grotto was one of those things.
Tucked just beyond the main stretch of Krakens Hole, hidden underneath Krakens Hollow, it opened into a cavern that shimmered with soft, living light. Water pooled in its centre—clear, glowing faintly, touched by magic that ran deeper than anything Edith could name.
Merlin’s Gate, that’s what the witches called it, and she loved it. It didn’t ask questions and didn’t expect anything. It just… was.
Edith padded carefully along the edge of the water, her claws clicking softly against the smooth stone before she reached her usual spot; the submerged platform where Dave and Brutas in their Kraken form would bask.
“Right,” she muttered, settling herself. “If this doesn’t fix everything, I’ll be writing a strongly worded complaint to… someone.”
She wasn’t entirely sure who. The grotto, perhaps, it seemed as good a candidate as any. Then with a small sigh, she dipped her front feet into the water.
The warmth travelled up her legs, Not too hot and not too cold it was just right.
It seeped into her scales, into her bones, easing the lingering ache from last night’s frantic escape. The burn in her wings softened, the tension in her chest loosening just enough that she could breathe a little easier.
Edith let out a slow, contented hum.
“Okay,” she admitted. “That’s better.”
She shifted slightly, letting more of her feet rest in the water, her tail curling lazily behind her.
For a brief moment, Edith let herself forget about hunters and her past and any loomingvamoosingsituation. Just the gentle ripple of water and the soft glow of magic surrounded her. It helped, which was why when the explosion happened she nearly launched herself into the cavern wall.
BOOM.
Edith yelped, claws scrabbling against the stone as she jerked backward, wings flaring instinctively and water spraying everywhere.
“What in the…”
She froze, her heart hammering in her chest as she looked about and frowned, there was no debris, no falling rock, no sign of destruction at all. Nothing apart from the echoes of the blast… until…
“Oh for the love of… WHO LEFT THE SECONDARY SIGIL UNATTENDED?!” A voice pierced the quiet and echoed off the walls of the cavern, a voice that was on edge, annoyed, and very much alive and not dead from said explosion.
Edith blinked. “That’s new,” she whispered.
From deeper within the cavern, another voice called out, this one far more amused.
“Oh don’t be dramatic, it only exploded alittle.”
“A LITTLE?!”
Laughter followed, bright and unapologetic. It filled the air with a positive energy.
