Chapter 77

~Grace~

I knew it wouldn’t be easy to tell Alex about Christopher, but I had to do it at some point. Besides, I didn’t want to keep secrets from him.

“Christopher?” Alex asked, his voice a growl.

I nodded, looking back at Christopher’s body laying on the ground.

“My bad. I assumed he was being a usual menace, so I put an end to things,” Alex said, rather dismissively. “I did tell him the next time I saw him I’d rip his head off.”

I sighed, shaking my head. “Alex…”

“I don’t want him around you.”

“I don’t want him around me, either, but there was no one else I could turn to!” I exclaimed.

Alex raised an eyebrow at me. “Is that what he told you?”

I sighed harder, giving him an exasperated look.

“No, Alex. That’s what I decided on my own. I didn’t know anyone else who could perform magic, and I didn’t want Liam’s family to be murdered, so out of the options I had, Christopher was it.”

Alex crossed his arms across his chest. He stared at me, brows lowered. It felt like he was examining me.

I felt my cheeks turn red. “W-what are you looking at?”

Alex didn’t answer, just moved in close. I stayed still as his face came inches away from mine. I stared into his eyes, nervous.

He moved down, and pressed his face into my neck. I blushed.

“Alex…” I hissed, not wanting to look at Enzo.

Not here, goddammit!

Alex took a long, deep breath. I shivered, feeling his breath against my neck.

“What are you looking for…?” I asked, pulling away from him. I knew my face was beet red.

“You smell different,” Alex growled, and he pushed me onto my back.

He straddled me, his hands on both sides of my face.

Oh my god!

I instantly covered my face. I was too ashamed to look.

I can’t do this here, this is such a bad time!!

“Alex, please-” I said, my voice small.

He must have finally come to his senses, as I felt his weight shift off of my body. I slowly uncovered my face. Alex was standing now, his hand stretched out towards me.

I took it, and he pulled me to my feet.

“We’ll revisit this,” Alex said, but I couldn’t tell what he was thinking. Did he know about the mark Christopher gave me? I held off on telling him that detail because, well…

I wanted Christopher to live.

Once we got Christopher somewhere he could get healed, and we were far away from him, I’d be happy to tell him.

Well, not happy, but certainly less scared.

Speaking of Christopher…

I looked back towards his body, then at Alex again.

“He needs to be healed. You tore him up pretty bad.”

Alex glanced at me. “I meant to.”

I frowned at him. “Alex, I mean it. He’ll die if we don’t.”

Alex gave me a look like “so?” but I chose to ignore it.

“Just help me load him into your car.”

Taking Chrisopher to the infirmary at the Black Lycan clan was the fastest way to get him medical attention.

Although it wasn’t ideal, and it concerned me that Christopher and Alex would be in the same building together, I agreed to it.

If I could perform the ritual on the whole clan, then it should be no problem. It worked just fine when I did it on Enzo and Alex, but…

I was so scared I’d mess it up and make things worse. Although I suppose it couldn’t be much worse than certain death, which drew nearer by the second.

It was already past noon by the time we got back to the Black Lycan clan castle, and my heart was beating through my chest.

What if things didn’t work out? What if I couldn’t perform the spell in time? What if I made things worse?

“Hey, it’ll be fine,” Alex’s voice broke me out of my thoughts. He and Enzo carried Christopher while I held the tome close to my chest.

I smiled at him, but I didn’t really feel any better.

“You’re smart and capable, and you cured Enzo and me. I have no doubt that you can help everyone else, too.”

Now I really did feel a little better.

I just hoped he was right.

The main hall looked just as haunting as last night, when Christopher and I scoped it out. God, the image of bodies all over the ground will remain in my mind forever.

I took a deep breath. It would be more difficult with more people, but the room was large enough to fit the whole clan in here, I just needed to make the ritual circle around the clan.

I had Alex and Enzo help shift the clan into a more compact area while I began to set up the circle, symbols, and candles.

I hadn’t actually done this part myself, so I could only hope I was doing things correctly. I followed the picture in the book, but I had no idea if it had to be done in a certain order, or anything.

I wished I could remember how Christopher did it. I wished he was awake.

Finally, the ritual circle is completed.

Okay. Here comes the moment of truth. I really hope this works, because I don’t know what else to do otherwise.

Christopher is out of the picture now, so it’s not like he could find another spell for me.

Either this works, or the Lycans or Liam’s family will die.

I swallowed, my mouth dry. Nothing to worry about at all. Just the lives of everyone in this room.

Standing before the unconscious Lycans, I held the open book out in front of me and took a deep breath.

It’s okay. You’ve done this before. Just do it the same as last time.

I begin to read the words, as close as I could do last time. I couldn’t be sure I was replicating it, but it felt like I was doing it right.

Or was I?

Shoot, did I just mess up that word? Does that matter, or is it the intentions? I definitely don’t know how to pronounce these words anyway, and it worked just fine last time.

I continued reading through the spell, my palms sweaty from nervousness. Alex placed his hand on my shoulder, and I felt a bit more steady.

My eyes focused on the words, I didn't notice anything else. I only want to get through this spell as accurately as I could.

I finished the last word and looked up. It was quiet.

It took a while for something to happen when I did it for Alex and Enzo, so maybe I just had to wait?

A minute passed.

I looked at Alex and Enzo, who looked at me and shrugged.

“Did you see anything while I was reading the spell?” I asked, beginning to feel dread seep into my chest.

They shook their heads.

No….

Did I do it wrong?

I looked back at the Lycans. None of them moved.

Should I read the spell again?

Should I wait longer?

I wished Christopher was awake to give me any form of understanding…

Footsteps from behind jerked me out of my thoughts and I turned around.

Liam?!