Fake Mate of the Enemy Shifter (Red Oak Shifters #2)

22. Cassia

Chapter twenty-two

Cassia

A full moon looms above as Grey and I sneak out of the castle and into the Red Oak forest. We crouch low, moving quickly and quietly as we cut through the field, our path illuminated only by the moonlight.

“The night patrol should be on the other side of the rampart,” I whisper to him as he takes the lead.

For the past few nights, we’ve been observing Moonveil’s patrols, making note of where they go at what times and how long they take to get from one place to another. According to our calculations, we have twenty minutes to do what we need to do out in the forest. I can only hope it’s enough time.

Grey nods and quickens his pace, leading me to the small remaining grove of Red Oak trees up ahead. The closer we get, the higher they tower over us with their thick trunks and reddish-tinted leaves. He slips between them, finding a small open space among the cluster for us to stand in.

“You really think this is going to work?” I ask him in a quiet voice, moonlight streaming through the trees above.

“I’ve never done this spell before, but I studied it very thoroughly,” Grey assures me before straightening up and taking a breath. “This better work. I spent hours in the library trying to figure out who claimed to cast the curse.”

I chew on my bottom lip nervously. We decided to try and figure out how to get my powers back first. If I’m without magic, I’m more at risk of getting hurt or killed when we revolt against Morgana and Lucian.

Since the ancestor who cast the curse is dead, all we can resort to is a spell that may or may not allow us to speak to those who have passed on. It’s powerful magic, but if anyone can figure it out, I believe in Grey.

Grey holds his hands out and closes his eyes, the leaves beginning to lightly flutter around us as he channels the trees’ power. He murmurs beneath his breath, furrowing his brow as he concentrates harder to harness all of the power flowing through him.

“Ledora … speak to me … follow my voice and make your presence known.”

My body tenses up as a cold breeze grazes my skin, making goosebumps flare up on my arms. Something is happening. There is a change in the air.

Movement that I can’t see.

My eyes dart around, scoping out the shadows and the clusters of leaves above us. At first, I think I’m imagining things until a glimmer of light behind Grey catches my eye. “Grey …”

Grey opens his eyes, following my gaze behind him and slowly turning around to face a white, shimmery spirit of an older woman with waist-length hair and a thin figure. “Ledora?”

“Descendant …” the spirit speaks, her breathy voice echoing. “Why have you summoned me?”

Grey shares a shocked look with me. He was as uncertain as I was about the viability of the spell. He turns back to Ledora. “Did you cast a curse on the forest to prevent dark witches from using its power?”

“The forest should only be used for good,” Ledora states. “After all the fights and arguments, I decided the most certain way to protect the forest was to bind it with a protective spell.”

“So, it’s true,” I breathe out as I glance down at the leather cross-body bag hanging from my shoulder. The sapling is tucked inside and has been kept safe by Grey since the ceremony.

“How do we break the curse?” Grey asks her.

“The curse should not be broken. The forest must be protected,” Ledora replies in a firm voice.

“This is Cassia, my wife. She may have bad blood running through her veins, but she is not a bad witch,” Grey argues as he points at me. “She will help me get rid of actual evil witches, but her powers are gone! How do we get her powers back?”

“You are too trusting, descendent.”

“I’m not,” Grey says as he narrows his eyes. “I’m doing what’s best for all the innocent people caught in a terrible situation. Moonveil’s leaders must be defeated, and I can’t do it without Cassia. She needs her powers back.”

Ledora stays quiet for a few seconds, making my hope start to wane. She then floats closer to me, her face too shimmery for me to make out features.

“I don’t want to be bad,” I promise her. “I would never use the forest for ill will.”

Ledora tilts her head at me before straightening up. “To become one with magic once more, one must cleanse bad blood with good magic and good intentions. Only then will one regain what they’ve lost from the vessel that taketh.”

“The vessel … the sapling! It has your powers contained inside of it,” Grey tells me as realization lights up his face. “I knew I felt some sort of power besides its own radiating from inside of it.”

“What do you mean cleanse bad blood with good magic and good intentions? That doesn’t make any sense,” I question the spirit.

“Embrace the good, even in the face of animosity,” Ledora replies as she starts to fade away into the darkness.

“What? Tell me what that means!” I tell her as I hurry toward her.

Before I can reach her, she disappears, making me slow to a stop. I whirl around, checking every shadow for her, but she’s nowhere to be found.

“I don’t understand,” I breathe out as I shake my head in disbelief. We came here for answers, and I have even more questions than before!

Grey reaches me and takes my hands in his. “Hey, hey. I know. We’ll figure it out.”

Frustrated tears prick my eyes as I bow my head, disappointment weighing me down. I want my powers back! I want to stop feeling so useless and weak when there is undoubtedly a war on the horizon. Whether I’m ready or not, Everblade will attack Moonveil, and I will get caught in the crossfire.

I part my lips to speak, but approaching footsteps make my mouth snap shut just as Morgana and Moonveil’s night patrol steps into the small clearing. My blood grows cold, every muscle in my body locking up. “Morgana.”

Morgana raises an eyebrow at us as she joins her hands together in front of her. “Now, what are you two doing out here in the forest so late at night?”

Grey tightens his jaw for a moment before giving her a casual smile. “Finishing our bonding spell. We didn’t get to complete it at the ceremony. Figured we could do something a little more lowkey.”

Morgana eyes him. “Oh, really? And you had to do it away from everyone in the middle of the night?”

Fear is the first thing to hit me whenever I face her, but the more she speaks, the more irritated I become. She thinks that she can bully whoever she wants just because of her position. Even worse, she thinks that she can get away with whatever she wants because she’s the leader.

She will never acknowledge boundaries or rules besides the ones she makes herself.

I hate what she stands for, and I need to start acting more on my anger than succumbing to my fear.

“I wanted him to channel the power of the moon for me. Since I can’t,” I reply as I gesture up through the canopy of leaves above us where the moon is looming in the sky.

Grey gives me a warm look that’s genuine, but I can also see the amusement glinting in his eyes. He’s impressed. “It was nice. Shame you missed it.”

Morgana’s steady expression twitches. “Agreed.”

I take Grey’s hand, my eyes meeting Morgana’s. It’s a bold move, but if I have an opportunity to make her look stupid, I can’t help but take it. “We’re done here, though. Enjoy your night.”

Morgana narrows her eyes as I walk past her, my arm grazing hers. She whips around, and I swear I can feel her glare burning into the back of my skull as Grey and I make our way out of the grove.

“Cassia,” Grey murmurs under his breath.

“Just keep walking,” I reply as I keep my gaze forward, the sound of my rapid heartbeat thumping in my ears.

Witches don’t have sharpened senses like he and the other wolves do, but I don’t want to chance anything. Now that I’m a part of his revolution plan, we have to be more careful than ever before. There is no room for error like the one we almost committed.

Once we make it inside the castle walls, I release the breath that I was holding, sharing a stunned look with him. That was close.

Too close.