Spellbound

Original Edition: Thirty-Six

I asked Soren to give me the night alone. The disappointment that flashed in his eyes was crushing, and I almost changed my mind. But I needed to use the little time I had left to find answers since I knew the tome could never leave the Reynard. I had about one-third of the book left to read and only days left to do it.

I poured myself a glass of white wine, settled in the armchair next to the wood stove, and started to read.

I have tried for many years to find a way to get into the Kobold realm, see what lies on the other side of the portal my ancestors opened, but to no avail. That didn't stop me from figuring out a way to combat the curse. Not reverse it entirely—there's no way to do that, and I don't think there's any way I can truly help both boys, but I have found a spell that I think will give at least one of them a chance to go home. Wanda told me I was crazy for trying—and when Wanda Willow calls you crazy, you know you may have gone too far. But I have to help them, and I really think it worked.

That being said, the boys are still stuck here...for now. What I did was I add a stipulation to the curse, a caveat that says that one brother can go back home.

Just one.

Wanda always talks about order and balance in magic. A give and take.

The debt for Robert and Gregory has been paid for generations now, and I believe magic has granted the twins this small reprieve. Unfortunately, it comes at a new cost.

All Archer and Soren need is one Fox descendant to fall in love with one of them. Then one brother can go back, and the other will remain here as payment for the wrongs the Kobold did to our family. Both were wrong, but decades upon decades have passed, and both brothers have paid for too long for a never-ending feud that wasn't their fault.

I cast the spell tonight, and everything seemed to line up perfectly. But we won't know for sure until the next descendant inherits the Reynard. Which means I will never know, unless I see it from Beyond.

I am confident in my decision to bypass Raven and pass the Reynard down to Gemma. Even though she's still a child, I can't think of a better person to take over after I'm gone, and what's better...I know her mind and heart will be open enough to at least entertain the notion of falling in love with one of my boys, thus freeing him from his prison.

I swallowed and closed the book, letting it slide from my hands into my lap.

It all came down to me.

All the unending questions that Soren and Archer refused to answer. The tidbits that kept me up at night, they all snap into place.

Archer telling Soren that it didn't matter how he felt about me, as long as I fell in love with him. He wanted to use me to free himself from the Reynard and leave Soren behind.

God, he's an even bigger dickhead than I thought.

Another thought flew through my mind. If I could've freed Soren instead, why would he tell me not to fall in love with hi—oh, fuck.

If I fell in love with Soren, he'd be free...and he would go back to his realm. And leave me here, heartbroken. He couldn't bear to hurt me, not like he felt he'd hurt Hazel.

I had been the key. I could've broken the spell, but now it would be up to Raven.

The thought of my frigid cousin having feelings for anyone beyond herself or committing to anything besides work was laughable.

It would never happen.

Would it?

But if anyone could melt her...it would be Soren. He could charm her with his smile or play a song on the piano that set her imagination wild. Soren could see the good in her and bring it to the surface. Then she would be wrapped in his arms, sharing a bed with him. Feeling his skin pressed against hers.