The Coven's Source

Chapter Fifty-Nine

'You really think we're better now?' Kirill asked as he handed me Henrik whom I welcomed gratefully.

An hour had passed since Yakiv had been unmasked. I was clean, sitting in the small room Kirill had claimed as his own, the shades of dusk creeping through the window and forcing the candles to be lit. I was glad to be clean and have a moment to be preoccupied, the child in my arms full of life and warmth easily distracting me. Seeing those vibrant eyes and curled hair soothed me, melting away the worries of Grigore and the revelation of Yakiv, but it tugged at my heart when I realised this child was an orphan. Both Vesna and Petrov were dead, slain by Cara.

I should've hunted her sooner.

'Yes.' I said with a smile as I let Henrik settle in my lap, loving the heavy lump of life he was. 'Cara is dead so her spells should be lifting.'

Kirill frowned and folded his arms. 'Aleksander is still a wolf.'

'Erna was stronger than Cara, older too. She knew how to make lasting curses. Those are difficult and I doubt Cara was capable of casting them. The fact Yakiv showed his face and Helma is awake is proof.' I reassured, glancing at the large bowl full of water where the green frog sat. She watched with wide yellow eyes that held too much intelligence, giving me the strong impression Helma was fully aware of everything.

I placed my fingers over Henrik's forehead. 'I'll need to check you both just in case. You should be safe now.'

Kirill shifted his weight, his eyes glowing with hope while he clearly tried to smother it by scowling. 'And Siliva? You said she was taken. She's not safe.'

I paused, noticing the concern flitting over his features. She must've taken good care of them both. I was relieved that trusting her had been the right decision.

'I believe so, but Nelly wants her alive and back within the Coven. She's lost too many, she won't kill her, but I owe her for her help. We won't abandon her to Nelly.' I waved him away lightly. 'Now, let me focus.'

Kirill snapped his mouth shut but remained where he was, shifting his weight and watching like a hawk as I gathered my magic and pushed it into Henrik.

Instantly I knew the curse was gone. I didn't need to delve that far at all to be certain. There was no malice and the rumbling of squirming maggots ready to rupture free from his body was gone. He was clean. Cara was truly dead and her claws were finally releasing. It made me so giddy with relief.

I pulled myself free, finding Kirill sitting opposite me and the room darker than it had been before. His attention was fixed on Helma, stroking her back with wet fingers and murmuring to her gently as he read from a book. But I realised swiftly we weren't on our own now when the swell of warm honey spread over my tongue.

'Is it gone?' Grigore asked, his voice low and accent purring.

My heart flew into a frantic rhythm of excitement and dread when I saw Grigore sitting in the worn-out leather chair beside the bed, leaning forward with his hooded gaze utterly fixed on me. I didn't like how he was dressed; his shirt loose and barely done up, revealing the strong lines of his neck sloping into his wide shoulders, his damp hair tied roughly back. It made my magic whisper with curiosity and my body to warm sensually, a desire to touch him flowering.

'Yes.' I stammered, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

Now I knew Toma wasn't mine and the memories a curse, I was hyper-aware of Grigore; that he was mine and my attraction to him natural. He was the man who was supposed to be in my head, the man who'd loved me the last ten years of my life and I knew it. I just didn't know how to face it when I didn't know him. He was still unfamiliar visually and so different to the man I had thought was my Weaver; taller, broader and rougher with a much more threatening air to him. It made me nervous about approaching him, unsure if I should at all. I still couldn't remember a thing about him, who he was, what he was like, what I thought of him.