Page 105 of Divine Oaths

He shot me a look, a soft light coloring his expression. “Be careful,” he whispered, leaving the office with a quick glance at his brother and a nod at everyone else.

“If the blade is a relic and we attempt to summon Duncan, we might also be at risk of waking the general,” Angelica said. “A wraith that has already manifested as corporeal in the living world is dangerous. But one that has been forcibly awoken can be deadly. It comes with the risk of becoming cursed.”

Startled, I spun to face Angelica.

“Wraiths can cast curses,” I repeated.

“Anyone who can channel both the realm of the living and the dead can. A curse is an incantation on one’s lineage, both the living and the dead, as well as those not yet born.”

All the pieces came together. A wraith, whether it was Duncan or Winhall, had likely cursed the Saint James family all those years ago. And if it was Duncan, then it would explain why Alaster, his descendant, felt it was his duty to inherit the estate. He’d had the knife, after all.

The realization sank in for all of us, and a curious light settled into Angelica’s expression.

She gave Vivian a questioning look. “Is it so?”

“I believe it may be,” Vivian said. She turned to me, her eyes bright. “We’ve been consulting with the other Ԑnhye, trying to understand why your powers are connected to Kasem’s lifeline and the curse. We believe that the night you saved Kasem and he became a wraith, the two of you may have cast an incantation, one so powerful that it bound your powers to his lifeline. Not a curse but an oath, a divine promise of what may come to pass. That is why your powers are bound to him, and that is why this will not end until either the curse is fulfilled or broken. Your powers and his future hang in the balance of your oath and his family curse.”

Kasem and I exchanged a look, both of us at a loss for words. That night had been so fleeting, and yet I remembered how in that moment, when he’d asked me to stay, I’d promised him a future—a future in which he’d receive his inheritance.

“If we’re able to track down the wraith and use the knife to banish them, that could free Kasem’s future bloodline from the curse’s hold.” Angelica turned to Kasem. “Did your side of the family have any history with this blade at all? Do you know?”

“It’s like Jojo said. It belongs to Alaster’s side. I think our dad wanted to get rid of it at some point, but he was overruled by the Board.”

“Our safest bet is to speak to a soul who’s recently crossed to the other side,” Vivian said.

Angelica sighed. “None of this is safe. All of us are in danger if this wraith is behind the curse and the terrors happening on campus. And with Sigma and Theta infiltrated by its presence, if we are to find the owner of the relic and attempt to banish it, we might be fighting a larger battle than we are capable of. Who knows what they’d do to stop us from breaking the curse?”

From where he sat, Kasem shifted in his seat. He’d been distant since the night in the swamp, and even now, he wouldn’t look at me.

“All of this is because of our family,” he said. “And the closer we get to finding answers, the more dangerous this all becomes.”

“It’ll be over soon.” I was trying to be optimistic when I jumped in, but my words were heavy. “What about Jay?” I asked, turning to the others when once again, Kasem ignored me. “He’s out there. If Pete didn’t care about students dying in his attempt to kill Kasem, Jay won’t either.”

December 7 was only a few weeks away, and knowing Jay—and now Alaster—they’d probably make their next move soon.

Kasem answered, but he addressed his words to the others, refusing to meet my eyes.

“I’ll handle him. You should just focus on your training with the Ԑnhye. If they can help you with your powers, it won’t matter whether the curse is broken or not.”

I tried to stifle my anger at how dismissive he was being. But I couldn’t help the tinge of frustration that slipped into my voice.

“No, I can help with this. I’ve made so much progress already with Vivian and Angelica.” I glanced at Honey. “Assuming there won’t be many more rush activities with Theta.”

She looked uncertain. “I heard you were rushing for both. That’s a dangerous game to be playing.”

“Which is why she should focus on Ԑnhye,” Kasem interjected. “She doesn’t have enough control of her affinity to keep dividing her efforts like this.

“And you can’t control your wraith form,” I snapped. “You should be preparing for the binding ritual, not risking your life more.”

Honey cleared her throat. “I think for now, we should focus on summoning a recently departed spirit so we can send a message to the owner of the dagger.”

I sighed, returning the blade to the satchel.

“Let’s do it in the morning, before the sun rises and the veil between realms is weak,” Angelica said. “Better than at midnight, when we’d have to also deal with bloodthirsty creatures in the swamp.”

And so we departed, gathering everything we’d need for a summoning of our own.

CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT