Page 71 of Bad Witch

“Another safeguard,” I said scanning the page.

“What does it say?”

“It’s not written in a way most information is conveyed, but somehow…I understand it.” I couldn’t explain what I was looking at, only that I knew what it meant, what I felt. “The three sisters, they’re a lot older than we thought. They were ancient. They came across the wraiths deep in the forest a very long time ago. Over time, they fell in love. Brigid with Disease, Eartha with Mayhem, and Petra with Annihilation.”

“Fucking hell,” Fender muttered.

“The sisters wanted to live a quiet existence with their lovers, but the wraiths thirsted for destruction, wanting to destroy the world that the great goddess ruled—the mother, who’d created the sisters from her own flesh and bone, the being they worshipped above all others. The sisters were unable to change their lovers’ minds, so to save mankind, they broke their own hearts, and cast a spell that put the wraiths in a deep sleep, then locked them away, hiding them where no one could find them.”

“Does it say where they are?”

“To cast the spell, the priestesses each created a binding glyph. One of the sisters was chosen, the strongest among them, and they each carved their mark into her thigh bone. Those glyphs kept their lovers tied to that sister’s magic, and imprisoned, but also made her the key to their freedom. As long as the bone stayed intact, the wraiths would stay asleep.”

“You said Eartha and Petra were flayed, flesh stripped from bone. Uriel had to be looking for the glyphs.”

“I think so, yes,” I said, the horror of it sinking in deeper.

“Which means, he’s wanted this a long fucking time.” Fender dragged his hand down his face. “The question is, did he find them?”

“He could have been holding on to the bone until he was ready to make his move,” I said.

“Or maybe the dark power that Brigid spoke of when we were in her cavern, that came to her recently, that scared her. Maybe that was him? Or one of his angels?” He held my gaze. “If it was Brigid who had the glyphs…” He cursed. “The virus, Temp. Do you think Uriel has already released Disease?”

I hadn’t wanted to say it out loud. “I believe so, but we won’t know for sure, unless⁠—”

“We need to exhume the sisters.”

“Yes.”

Chapter

Twenty

Fender

* * *

The Stonebridge mansion was dark. Aradina was either out or had gone to bed.

“How’re we gonna get past the ward?” I asked Tempest.

She didn’t meet my gaze. “That won’t be a problem.”

“You can break it? Will that alert whoever’s inside?” I’d learned a lot about witches since War mated Willow, and I knew it wasn’t a simple thing.

Her hand curled around my forearm. “Trust me. It’ll be fine. You’ll need to stick close to me, though.”

I brushed my fingers down her smooth cheek, where her dimple appeared when she smiled. “That won’t be a problem.” Her soft smile now gave me a flash of them, making me suck in a hungry breath. I shook off the lust. I needed to be on my game, not pining after my female. “If we need to run, say the word, and I’ll get us out of here.”

She nodded and slid her hand down my arm before curling her fingers around mine. “Don’t let go until I say it’s clear.”

I wasn’t sure I’d ever held a female’s hand before Tempest, not like this, I’d never wanted to. But I loved it now. “You got it, peaches.”

Tempest closed her eyes, her lips moving rapidly as she recited a spell. Her eyes opened, then she pushed against the garden gate and it swung wide. She stepped over the threshold without hesitation, her hand still gripping mine. I watched the house, but no lights came on, no alarms, no magical attack came. The night stayed quiet.

“Let’s stick to the shadows,” I said and walked close to the tall hedge that wrapped around the property.

“The cemetery is behind the house. I saw it last time we were here.”