Page 38 of Haunted Hearts

“And did it work? The sacrifice?” I step in closer.

Kai’s mouth quirks. “Apparently… the child wasn’t his.”

I blink. “So the Covenant… all their sacrifices, their whole mission… it’s all bullshit?”

“Not entirely,” he says. “Not when it comes to your bloodline.”

I shake my head. “What is Calli, then?”

He hesitates. “I don’t know. At first, I stayed because I wanted to figure it out—how humans got the artifact, what kind of creature she was. I thought your bloodline was just some twisted kind of witch.”

“But she’s not.”

“No.” He exhales. “And…” He pauses. “I never expected to fall in love with her.”

The silence hits me hard.

“Why are you telling me all this?”

“Why shouldn’t I? I have nothing to gain or lose.”

I’m puzzled by his reactions, his apparent openness. It almost doesn’t make sense. Why would he be willing to divulge all this if he was truly the enemy? If he is, he is either really smart or really stupid. Either way, I can take advantage of this.

“Her magic’s hurting her,” I say, my voice low.

“It’s killing her,” he replies flatly. “She wasn’t built to hold it. Like your ancestors, it’s burning her from the inside out.”

“But the sacrifices—weren’t they supposed to fix that?”

“The original purpose has been lost. They don’t even remember what they’re trying to fix anymore. But your blood… your blood could stabilize her.”

“So—my blood. A Halloway’s blood. That’s what it takes.”

There is silence for a moment as I take it in. All I’ve ever wanted was to save Calli, to eradicate the Covenant’s poison in this world. I want her to have a life. I planned it all out; I have always been willing to die for her. That hasn’t changed, but this was something I never thought I would have to consider.

I swear I hear the word no echo in my mind.

I try to push the feeling away, but the disappointment coming from you is undeniable.

“There is no other way?” I say, my voice quiet, as I feel myself losing hope.

“I have witnessed plenty of Halloways without the gift live long, happy lives. I had hoped I could help her hone it, control it. That maybe it would keep the bleeding at bay.”

A desperate thought comes to my mind. Maybe that’s the key, maybe no one has to die.

“What if she just doesn’t use it?”

He considers my question. “I’m not sure—she will always radiate the magic naturally—but it could delay it. The issue is, her magic is tied to emotion.”

“Could we suppress it somehow?”

“Maybe, but that is ancient knowledge lost since before the war.” He pauses. “You could look in the grimoire.”

The second person today to suggest it. I don’t like the idea; there has to be a way to avoid it—for now.

“No. She will not go near that thing. It’s poison.”

“How do you think we got here?”