Wicked Ties (The Tether Trilogy Book 2)
Wicked Ties: Chapter 9

When we reach Blackwater, the moon shines boldly in the night sky and the temperature has dropped several degrees. My breaths ripple out, floating past me when I step out of the SUV. It may be chillier here, but it’s nowhere near as cold as the prison of Caz’s mind.

Speaking of, Killian and Rowan waste no time taking Caz’s body out of Alora’s SUV. As they do, a voice runs through my head that catches me completely off guard.

Willow, my time is running out. Forget about me. Live your life on Earth and promise to never come back to Vakeeli. And tell my family to let me go. I love you.

“What?” I whisper. Caz? Caz?

“What’s the matter?” Juniper rushes toward me.

“I just heard Caz’s voice telling me to forget about him.”

I stare at his motionless body as Rowan and Killian steady him in their hands. Why would he say that? I’m not living without him. What the hell is he talking about?

Caz? Why are you saying that? Can you hear me?

I wait for his response, but it’s like I’m speaking into a void again. There’s nothing but silence, my voice echoing back to me.

Juniper’s brows have dipped with concern. “Are you sure it was his voice?”

“I’m positive. It sounded just like him. I don’t know, maybe it was a warning. We need to hurry and get to the portal.” I take a sweep of my surroundings. In the dark, it’s hard to tell exactly where the portal is, but Killian bobs his head in the proper direction, and I take the lead. We trek through the forest and despite how badly I’m shivering, I walk as quickly as my body will go.

“Make a right at that tree, then a few paces left. I marked the area with a W,” Killian says, and sure enough, as Juniper points her flashlight, I spot the W on the ground. “W for Willow,” Killian goes on.

“That was very wise of you, Killian,” Maeve tells him. “Thank you.”

Beatrix rushes past me, carrying a large burlap bag with her. From the bag she takes out vials, bowls, books, and containers filled with various colored liquids, powders, and rocks.

“Lay him on the ground,” she orders Killian and Rowan. They place him down and she looks to me. “In order for this to work properly, your bodies must merge.”

“Merge?” I frown. “What does that mean?”

“The less clothes you have on, the better this will work. Clothes are barriers to Mythic magic, and for something as powerful as sending you both through a portal, I don’t want any sort of resistance.”

“Oh.” My eyes flicker to Rowan and Killian, and then to Maeve and Juniper. They all stare at each other, then glance back at Alora and her guard, Proll, who stand near the gate a distance away.

“Are you saying she needs to be naked?” Maeve demands.

“Not entirely naked, but the less garments she wears, the better.” Beatrix pops open a purple vial and sprinkles some of the liquid onto the ground. “Their bodies must touch consistently throughout the process with minimal barriers. He’s already shirtless, so I suggest removing your shirt too, Willow.”

Maeve and Juniper look at me with sympathetic gazes, while Killian and Rowan glance at each other a fleeting moment before focusing on their mother.

“Is there no other way?” Maeve tries again.

I look down at my cloak and shirt. I’ll be freezing my ass off, but…this is for Caz. “It’s fine. I’ll do it,” I tell them.

Killian and Rowan turn away immediately, facing the opposite direction. I don’t look to see what anyone else does as I slide out of the cloak and pull the shirt over my head. I unbutton my pants next, sliding them down and stepping out of them. Standing in just a bra and panties, I wince as the cold bites my skin, and a breeze wraps around me. I put my focus on Caz’s pale body on the ground. This is for him. For us.

“Okay, now I need you to lie on top of him.” Beatrix has a book open and is flipping through the pages. As she does, I lie on top of Caz’s body. He doesn’t make a sound, and I swear it terrifies me. That, and his body being like a block of ice is disheartening, but I cling to him and rest my ear on his chest. His heart still beats, a solid thu-thunk, thu-thunk. I replace relief in that.

“Now, for everyone else, I need you to leave. If I can manage this, the portal will be powerful. It will suck anyone and anything into it who is in a certain range, and there’s no guarantee you’ll end up in the same place as the Tethered. There are so many universes—thousands. It’s a risk I’m sure none of you want to take.”

“Right. Fine,” Maeve mutters reluctantly.

“Here.” Rowan’s voice is near, and he walks up to me with a black handgun in hand. His eyes are everywhere and on me all at once. “Take this with you. Caz won’t like being in another place without a gun.”

I take the gun and place it between us. “Thanks, Rowan.”

He nods then turns away just as quickly as he had before, jogging away with Killian.

“We’ll do everything we can to replace a way for you two to be free from Mournwrath!” Juniper yells as Maeve takes her hand. “We promise!”

I smile, watching as Maeve tugs her away. Juniper looks back once more with a helpless stare as Alora approaches.

“Come to the fields when you’re done, Beatrix,” Alora commands. “There are still pressing matters to discuss.”

“If I make it out alive,” Beatrix mutters.

When everyone is gone, Beatrix draws in a breath then exhales. She places the thick book on the ground then picks up a clear vial. Removing the cork lid, she pours a powder out of it to outline our bodies.

“Beatrix?” I call, and her eyes lower to mine. “Thank you for doing this.”

She looks at me, perplexed, then asks, “How can you thank me? I betrayed you. Alora will probably have my head if I make it out alive.”

“You’re making up for your mistake now,” I murmur.

Her eyes glisten in the dark. She then clears her throat, blinking the tears away and stepping back.

Putting the lid back on the bottle, she says, “Think of somewhere on Earth that is safe for you, and it will take you there.”

“Okay.”

After setting the bottle aside, she spreads her hands apart and begins a chant:

When worlds collide, they bring rebirth

Vakeeli tides be carried to Earth

Where tethered bonds shall not arise

And wicked souls will have no worth

Take thine power and give to thee

These hopeless souls who are in need

The first time Beatrix says the chant, an iridescent purple light surrounds my and Caz’s body. The second time, our bodies are lifted off the ground. I hold on to him tighter, squeezing my eyes shut, bracing for what’s to come. The third time, we spin in the air, slowly at first, then fast—so fast I should be dizzy.

Beatrix screams the chant and I hear pain in her voice, but she doesn’t stop, not until purple light beams in the sky like a signal. The air vibrates around us, and when I look down, the ground crumbles. Beatrix is on her knees, purple flames surrounding her. She doesn’t stop chanting, despite her expressions of pain. She raises her hands in the air, gesturing to us, and I hear her yell the words, “Regal tether, break thy bond! Send them to a land beyond!”

Her voice fades, and total darkness consumes me. I hear nothing but my ragged breaths. Caz’s body is beneath me, cold, motionless.

We float in dark, deafening silence, and I close my eyes, thinking of that safe place—somewhere we will land together. Somewhere Mournwrath won’t be able to reach us.

I hold Caz tighter and my stomach drops when we plummet into the dark abyss.