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Knowing that Savida suffered like that for God knows how long, made me sick to my stomach. “I thought you wanted the fire. Why wouldn’t you just take it? Why the torture?”
She rolled her eyes. “If we take the fire too early, then it might not be as strong as we need. You never know what you’re going to get when you summon. It could be old or young, powerful or weak; burying them makes sure that the fire grows more powerful and is ready when we need it to be.”
“Okay. So the fires you have been collecting for years are going to bring back Sigurd’s soul?”
“That’s the plan, yes.”
“Wouldn’t it have been simpler to spend a year collectively making a new defender? This seems so unnecessary.”
She glared, and it reminded me of every argument we had when we were together. Oh, the good old days. “It isn’t unnecessary. If there were any other option, we wouldn’t be doing this. And clearly, there isn’t another option, because no one has seen one.”
My body tingled. Something more was going on here. I just didn’t know what.
I continued, “I think someone’s telling lies, Lydia. If the story said it took a year for Sigurd to be ready, it only makes sense to find someone to do that again. No need for all this pomp and ceremony to raise a guy that is over a thousand years old. Leave the bloke alone to his afterlife in Valhalla. Poor bastard.”
“You are so cynical. Look, he promised he would be our defender and that he would come when he was called upon.”
I sat back in disbelief. “He can’t escape that promise in death? Fuck me, remind me never to make a promise to you lot.”
“Charlie, stop being flippant.”
“Lydia, stop being blind.” I replied quickly, feeling more and more like I was talking to a cult member rather than my ex. “You’re following the word of an ages-old text, doing something dangerous and unnecessary.”
“Look, Charlie, you’ve been a witch for all of a few months, so don’t come to me and announce that you have all the answers, because you don’t.”
I let out a frustrated huff and then admitted defeat. Arguing with her was not productive. “You’re right. I’m sorry. You’re doing me a huge favor, and I shouldn’t be having a go at you.”
She deflated. “I don’t want to fight with you. Let me introduce you to some people. Maybe you’ll understand a bit more after spending time with us.”
“Yeah, okay.”
She stood up and smiled. “Come with me.”
She walked to the back of the store with the bookcase wallpaper, and I watched as she twisted a doorknob I hadn’t seen, disguised by the books, and opened a door into another room.
Fucking witches and their secret rooms.
I made sure she entered first so I wouldn’t get another bad luck curse and followed her into a room similar to the small cafe. It had the same dim lighting and the same bookcase wallpaper but was bigger and had far more people sitting at tables and standing up, chatting.
“Simon!” Lydia called and dragged me across the room to a ginger bloke casually dressed in t-shirt and jeans, eating a sandwich and reading a book at a table in the corner of the room. He looked up at the sound of his name, and I noticed his oversized glasses covering his brown eyes. They seemed familiar somehow.
He smiled politely, but I could tell he wasn’t pleased to see us. Or maybe it was just Lydia. “Hi, Lydia. How can I help you?”
“Hi, Simon. I wanted to introduce you to Charlie. He’s new, found out about his witch heritage a few months ago.”
“Oh yeah? What line?” His polite smile turned to one of genuine interest and welcome.
I shrugged. “Apparently Bradbury.”
His eyebrows raised, and his smile widened. “No way. I’m a Bradbury. We’ll have to find out where you fell out of the family tree.”
Lydia turned to me and said, “Simon will help you figure out where you came from. He’s a pretty prominent figure in the Bradbury line. I’ll leave you in his capable hands. Bye, Charlie. Maybe I’ll see you around.” She flashed a seductive smile, which I repressed a shudder at, and walked away, leaving me with Simon.
“You mind?” I asked him since he didn’t get a choice and she’d left him to babysit me.
He chuckled. “Not at all. Sit down. Let’s see if we can find your family.”
I made myself comfortable on the leather chair and said dryly, “So is it like a normal DNA blood test or some magic spell that lets me find that shit out?”
