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Iwas avoiding the easiest way to getting my men back, but maybe I didn’t need to go to Finn after all. Who could trust him after what he did?
My distrust and uncertainty over whether I should go to Finn or not led me to Nebulae. I knew I needed to take matters into my own hands. Other than Finn, who I would be repulsed to look at, and Millicent, who couldn't use her magic, I had one more ace up my sleeve.
The Cave witches.
They had helped before and I had every reason to believe they would do so again, especially when they found out Altair, Morpheus, and Dominik had gotten caught up in a magical mirror. Because of me. Upon the brothers' takeover of Shadow World and rise to oversee it, the Cave witches had pledged loyalty, giving them free reign in some unclaimed parts of Shadow World and almost all of Nebulae.
Standing on the cliff above the caves, I bit my lips from anxiety. The hot wind buffeted my cloak, tugging at it with each gust. A deep breath filled my lungs with the smell of recent rain and wild mint, which grew in abundance here. The broad, nakedfields below spread before me, filled with tall grasses swaying with the breeze.
Deep within the cave's tomblike walls, a coven of twelve witches lurked. They had to be inside when the sun suddenly rose, bringing the land out of its deep darkness. On Shadow World, night and day never seemed to follow any pattern. One hour, it could be night, then in the next all the sky could be filled with daylight. Time here was a mystery to tell, because this realm didn't follow a regular twenty-hour period.
My demons taught me that it was impossible to ascend the cliffs using traditional methods. Teleportation was a quicker option. Cave witches had their own special type of magic to keep intruders out—magic I learned how to circumvent from my time here. But in order to avoid being rude, or as imposing as Altair, Morpheus, or Dom, I decided to make it known that I was coming before I stepped in.
I closed my eyes and began to chant an ancient incantation, my voice growing louder and more powerful with each word, taking my message of arrival within the caves. The wind around me moved aggressively across my back, whipping my hair and cloak around me. Suddenly, there was a blinding flash of light and I disappeared from the cliff, teleporting to the front door of the cave-dwelling witches.
Sure enough, out came three women from the cave, the foremost one flinging the door wide open. Only one of them—the younger one—had a smile on her face, while the other two kept their expressions neutral.
"Sadie." Summer—the younger witch—greeted me before the others.
"We've been expecting you," Beatrix said in an ominous tone.
Helena frowned, shaking her head in disapproval. "You shouldn't have come. You should've stayed in Shadow World."
My body tensed as I uttered the words, "But something bad has happened."
Beatrix quickly noticed the absence of my men who always came alongside me and read my fear-stricken face. "I can tell," she said, her voice heavy with dread. "Helena was right—you shouldn't have come. We tried to warn you by sending a message to Shadow World, but it appears our message didn't reach you in time."
A shiver ran down my spine as I knew that whatever Beatrix had to say would be a catastrophe. "I teleported straight from Shadow World and didn't receive a message," I stammered, "but I've been preoccupied by the mess I've caused lately, trying to fix it. What is going on? Why shouldn't I have come here?"
"We figured something bad happened to the brothers. We felt the protective barriers we set up around Nebulae begin to dissolve. That could only happen if all three life forces used to bind the spell were gone," Beatrix explained.
"Altair, Morpheus, and Dom. You used their life force." My voice trembled with dismay.
"Yes. As soon as the barrier began to dissolve, another strong demon presence started lurking here. We don't know who he is. He literally just breached this realm. His soul is powerful; he is an ancient. We can tell. He's already killed one of us—Rose—and we have reason to believe he's out for more blood. We haven't unlocked the cave doors in hours. Your call gives us hope. We need more powers against him with the brothers gone."
I swallowed. "Do you know what type of demon? Is it a shadow demon like the brothers?"
"We don't know. And we can't tackle what we don't know. Come inside." Helena pulled me over the threshold. "We'll tell you more. We have to seal the doors. The barrier around this cave is the only protection we have against it. Perhaps he's not ventured out this far. Rose went to the market for something.Her last act before her final breath was to send a message warning us to stay out of the main quad until the brothers returned. When we tried to contact them, especially Altair, our attempts hit a roadblock and we feared that something bad may have already happened." She sighed. "And then you showed up."
"It has." I exhaled heavily in response. "And it seems every action has triggered the domino affect."
"Come, sit down. Let's hear about it," Summer gestured, her voice heavy with anticipation. "You can stay here with us until this threat is gone."
"I can't stay, Summer. I'm going to help with this new demon threat. I'm not afraid and I will banish them before I leave here—whoever they are. But I think you can all agree that the real issue is bringing back the brothers." I wrung my hands together. "It's so ironic. I can banish demons, but I can't seem to bring mine back here."
"What happened when you were on Earth?" Helena urged.
"When we went back to investigate my sister's absence, the brothers were taken by a spell. It was over before I realized what was happening. Nothing I did would bring them back. I need to reverse it and I know your coven might have experience with such a spell," I said.
Helena pressed a hand to her chest. "Oh, but, Sadie...we've never reversed an Earthly spell. We can try, but I'm afraid the least we can help you do is lend you some of our magic or recipes to replicate the magic that took them away. All we'll need is a glimpse of the moment it happened exactly as it happened."
I groaned and sank into my seat. "I don't even know where they are or what kind of trouble they might be in, and replication won't get them back."
Summer stood and began to pace, her voice gaining an edge of urgency. "It's a start, because if you understand the spell, you can generate your own reversal on Earth from where the spellwas created. You know our magic doesn't work there. But are you sure they’re all…okay…alive?”
"I don't think they're dead. That's why I'm only half sane," I breathed.
Summer shook her head. "No. It would take a lot to drain them, and a whole lot more to kill them."
