Page 67 of Healing Elixirs & Wicked Crows

"Good to see that you're not dead, little brother," Darius said, cocking a hip to the side as he folded his arms over his chest.

"I died, did I not?"I asked, my body still feeling the heaviness of death's embrace.

"Unfortunately, no," Briar growled, glaring at me.

I jerked to the side, my hand slicing upward quick enough to disarm her.My movements weren't precise though, so I caught the blade under my finger, tearing my flesh open along her blade as I pulled it from her grip.I climbed up onto my elbows, groaning against the lingering pain within my body as I did so.

"We need to go.Now.Rosemary is in danger," I said.

Briar's boot landed with a thud in my stomach, and I sputtered up air, choking on nothing as I glared up at her."Dagger," she demanded, her hand held out in waiting."Now!"

"What is wrong with you, you freaking hellcat?We need to get her back," I replied, grumbling as I put some space between Briar and myself.

"I'd be careful what you call my mate, brother," Darius said, a low rumble of something feral from within him and a flash of darkness behind his green gaze.

Dragging my fingers through my hair, I straightened until I stood at my full height.I stared at my brother, noticing for the first time how I now stood a few inches taller than he."I will be careful as long as you don’t get in the way of me rescuing mine."

"Where is she?"Briar demanded, pulling another dagger from her boot."I don't give a crow's piss what you think you are to her.Where.Is.My.Sister?"

The tattered remains of Rosemary's pack lay scattered in the grass like wilted memories.Torn sketches fluttered in the breeze, powdered herbs crumbled into the soil.All of it… gone.My eyes drifted downward, catching the glint of the elixir she had let slip from her grasp.I stooped to retrieve it, cradling the small bottle as if it were some fragile remnant of her heart.Of ours.“We found the flower she wanted to—” I paused, the words catching as I looked from Briar to Darius, the weight of it all pressing against my ribs.I tucked the elixir into the pocket of my trousers as I asked, “How are you here?”

Out of the corner of my eye, the fur of wolves glinted through the trees, one of a familiar gray and one russet.

“Though they will return later, they say their debt to you is paid,” Darius said, nodding toward the retreating wolves.He cast a weary look through the woods.“We need to get going.These woods aren’t safe at night.”

"If you could explain how you’re both here, that would be great."

Briar picked up the dagger I had discarded."Tell us everything," she demanded."Then I'll decide if I should kill you or tell you."

Darius sighed."The curse was broken."

"Obviously," I deadpanned."But what happened that made it break?"

"We were hoping you could fill us in," Darius admitted."One moment I was a crow watching over Briar, the next moment I was not a crow, and Briar was awake."

I love you, damn it.I forgive you.Just don't die.

“She.”I rubbed the hair along the nape of my neck as I stared around the forest blankly.The memory of her words as I was dying."She broke the curse."

She had known everything then.Rosemary had known who I was, that I had lied to her, that I intended to betray her, and still she’d admitted her love for me.She had lost everything, and still...

She broke the curse.

Briar laughed."Of course she did, you idiot.Who else would?"She rolled her eyes."Took you both longer than I thought it would.Far too long."

"I’m sorry that it took too long to break the curse.I didn’t even know she was alive until just a few years ago.Now, if you both don’t mind, perhaps we can go get her now?I’m sure you both remember how Mother is."

"Mother has her?Fuck."Darius tipped his head back and looked up to the sky."Calm down, brother.We will rescue her, but we will need to adjust our plan."

“Your plan?”I cast a look between the two of them.“Why are you both here right now?You didn’t come to find me and Rosemary, did you?”

“We followed your path through the woods hoping we would find you along the way, but no,” Darius said, his teeth clenching even as I watched Briar’s chin give a slight nod of encouragement for him to continue.“Briar and I were on our way to end this once and for all.We found your allies along the way and learned of the hard journey you both traveled, but we didn’t know you had become separated until we found you alone.The wolves caught your scent a mile back and let us here.”

“So, you have a plan of attack?”I asked, finding comfort in his words.When they both nodded, I said, “Good.”

We moved deeper into the forest, away from any potential scouts, until we found a defensible position among a cluster of ancient oaks.Darius produced a map from his pack, one I remembered from our childhood explorations.

"How long has it been?How long was I on the ground like that?"I asked, studying our surroundings more carefully.The remnants of Rosemary's bag seemed fewer than I remembered, as if most had already blown away.