Chapter 52: what the hell?
~Hazel’s POV~
My stomach clenched as everything unfolded right in front of me.
Cyrius... lying in a coffin, on the verge of waking up in the next thirty seconds.
Caspian lost for the first time, his usual calm demeanor is gone.
And Cayden spiraling out of control.
I took a deep breath. Something clung to me... like a whisper from inside.
"You are an abomination... bringing another abomination."
If I truly carried power inside me something witches feared then maybe... just maybe, I could do something. Maybe I could fix the dagger. Maybe I could be useful.
"Let me do it," I blurted out.
Their heads turned to me briefly, but their eyes flicked away like the words had slipped past them. Like I was invisible.
I turned to Caspian. He was the only one who might actually listen.
"Caspian," I pleaded. "Let me try. The witches are after me because they think I have powers. Whether it’s me or the child, there’s something. I might be a witch."
I clutched my gown, heart hammering in my chest. Caspian met my gaze with those bright, sea-blue eyes.
"Darling," he said gently, placing a hand on my shoulder, "I know you’re trying to help. But you touched the lantern that day—it didn’t glow. You’re not a witch."
"But..." I whispered, my voice breaking. "It vibrated. Remember? I felt something."
I squeezed his hand tightly, hoping he’d believe me.
"Just stay out of this, Hazel," Cayden cut in, chuckling as he ran a hand through his long hair. "You’re not what you’re claiming to be."
I scowled at him. "I’m only trying to help."
I turned back to Caspian. "Please. Let’s just try. We don’t have time to waste."
"Don’t involve yourself in this," he said, more carefully now. "We’ll wait until Aurora heals tomorrow "
"We don’t have till tomorrow!" Cayden roared. "He’s waking up! In less than five minutes he’ll stand up. Then we’ll be dealing with him."
"I guess we don’t have a choice," Caspian said quietly.
Cayden suddenly stepped forward and grabbed Cyrius’s unconscious body by the throat.
Caspian shouted,
Cayden shoved
body slammed into
sorry!" Cayden shouted. "But he’s waking up. We have no
ME TRY IT!" I yelled. "Just let me try to create another dagger. If the witches are after my power, it means I have
looked at me, conflicted. Then
We all froze.
dark veins had
fresh. Like consciousness was clawing its way
panic
"I’ll have to
what do we
coughed again. Louder this time. The
out and returned with the dagger and the
yourself," he said, handing them to
snatching them
dagger as I studied the grimoire. There
placing my hand
began chanting
final word with hope and
Nothing happened.
Not even a flicker.
forward, took the dagger from my hand, and drove it into
Nothing.... My heart drooped.
shook. His eyes
threw the dagger across the
our goddamn time!" he growled, both
my nails, heart crumbling. Why did
disappointment clawed up my
right," I whispered. "We’ll have to...
never met Cyrius. Never even spoken to him. But
triplets. No matter how dark or twisted his story
I said, barely above
them turned to me—just as Caspian’s
as
floor was glowing. I
hesitation,
BOOM.
onto his body. His limbs
all released a shaky
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