Page 53 of Board Games and Broomsticks

Nyssa’s power surged again, and the words of the binding spell tumbled out of her mouth in a voice she barely recognized as her own. That blinding, white light flashed once more as the creatures shrank back into their figurine forms, and then Elowen was at Nyssa’s side, her hand cupping her cheek as the world finally slipped away.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

The first thing Nyssa became aware of when she woke was that her face was wet.

There was a moment when she thought it was blood. Her entire body went numb, her ears ringing. She’d thought her magic strong enough to save Elowen, but of course, it hadn’t been. She’d failed, and now she was at the mercy of the wolf and the bear, and Elowen was—

Something small and rough traced her temple. The brush of a feline tongue, followed by the recognizable scent of fish.

Nyx.

Nyssa opened her eyes to find her familiar loafed on the pillow beside her head, her tongue out as she leaned in for another lick, and Nyssa almost sobbed in relief. Whatever magic she’d tapped into in the forest had been enough. She was home.

Her eyes slowly glanced around her bedroom, searching for any sign of Elowen. She was alone, but there was a chair pulled up close to Nyssa’s bedside with a thick, knitted cardigan Nyssa recognized as one of Elowen’s draped over the arm. She’s safe. We’re both safe.

Nyssa’s entire body screamed in protest when she attempted to sit up, and a wave of nausea had her scrunching her eyes shut once more. Witches, she felt awful. She’d thought the magical hangover from stripping Morven of his powers all those years ago had been bad, but it had been nothing compared to this. Every bone in her body felt like it had been crushed, and even the faint murmur of voices outside her bedroom door made her head feel as though it was going to split in half.

She was going to pull the pillow over her head and block them out when she heard the familiar cadence of Elowen’s voice.

Grunting in pain, Nyssa attempted once more to shuffle into some sort of seated position, only to have Nyx move from her place on the pillow and firmly plant herself on Nyssa’s chest, letting out a loud, purposeful yowl.

The voices outside came to an abrupt stop. Nyssa’s bedroom door creaked open, admitting Liora, Alaric and, finally, Elowen.

Nyssa’s chest constricted at the sight of her. Her beautiful, angular face was covered in small cuts, and there was a deep, yellowing bruise covering her jaw. One of her arms had been put into a sling, and when she walked over to Nyssa’s bedside, it was with an obvious limp.

‘Oh, El.’ Nyssa tried – and failed – to blink back her tears. She was safe, yes, but she was clearly not okay. ‘I’m so sorry.’

‘Ah, none of that,’ Elowen scolded. ‘If it wasn’t for you turning those things back into figurines, I’d look a lot worse.’ Her own eyes were glassy as she tucked a strand of Nyssa’s hair behind her ear. ‘What happened to you? Before that? One moment you were fine, and then you just … went into some sort of trance.’

No matter what you try, we shall prevail.

Nyssa clenched her hands into fists as the words Morven had spoken echoed in her mind. ‘… It was Morven,’ she admitted, unable to look at any of her friends as she explained what had happened. How she’d heard that awful sound, and then Morven’s voice, in her head. But she kept the burden of his final words to herself. ‘His magic was so oppressive. It was almost too strong, but then … I felt this strange surge of magic. It felt and smelled … familiar.’

‘Familiar how?’ Liora asked.

Nyssa wasn’t really sure how to explain it. ‘It sort of reminded me of the feeling I’d get whenever my grandma would cast, and I swore I could scent her magic, but … that’s obviously not possible.’ She still caught whiffs of Lisabeth’s magic here, at the cottage, where her old spells and enchantments lingered, but there was no explanation for it appearing out in the woods at the exact moment and spot she needed it. ‘Whatever it was, my body must not have been able to sustain that amount of power, though, which is why I passed out …’ Nyssa turned her attention back to Elowen. ‘Your face is the last thing I remember. What happened after that?’

‘I tried to wake you, but you were out cold. I thought—’ Elowen’s voice cracked slightly, and Nyssa reached for her hand, interweaving their fingers together despite the pain it caused. ‘I didn’t know what to do. I magicked a bed of sticks and leaves to carry you back to the café.’

‘Li and I found you on the edge of town. This one,’ Alaric paused to scratch behind Nyx’s ears affectionately, ‘started making a huge fuss about an hour after you left, and demanded we follow her. She led us to you and El, and we brought you both back here. You’ve been unconscious ever since.’

‘Don’t worry, though,’ Liora added, ‘Gwen, Torin and I have been taking care of the café! And despite Elowen’s insistence on being the one to care for you, we’ve taken it in turns. One of us has been here with you every day.’

‘Every day?’ Nyssa frowned. ‘How long have I been unconscious?’ Nyssa’s stomach twisted at the nervous glances her friends exchanged. ‘How long?’

‘… Almost a week,’ Liora said quietly, and Nyssa couldn’t understand why she looked so uncomfortable until the pieces clicked together in her head.

They’d gone into the forest with her final trial three days away. If Nyssa had been unconscious for longer than that, then that meant …

‘I missed my final test,’ she said simply, her throat constricting at the realization. Despite how conflicted she’d felt about it, she’d still wanted to take the trial. To know that the coven – that the life she’d worked so hard for – was still an option for her.

Now, it never would be.

‘Final test?’ Elowen asked, brows drawing together in realization. ‘You mean the trial with your coven?’

Dammit. With everything going on, Nyssa had forgotten that she hadn’t told anyone but Liora about receiving a date for her final trial.

‘I thought you were still waiting to have the date confirmed?’ Alaric asked.