Bound by Spells & Regrets

Epilogue: Harper

"Are you sure?" Jax grabs my face, his lips brushing against mine, and kisses me softly but urgently, like he's trying to hold onto this moment.

"I'm sure. I have Alex, so it won't take me. Plus, I need to come back to you," I whisper against his lips, feeling his smile as he kisses me again, deeper this time, like a promise.

I grab Alex's hands, and there's a flicker of uncertainty in both of us. We're not the spell-sharing type, even though we consult each other on the best ones. It's rare for us to do spells together, except that one time when Vivian asked us to help hide Eden, and Alex needed me. Now, it's different. The stakes are higher.

I sit down across from Alex, legs crossed, and I can see the tension in his face.

"I'm ready, babe. When you are," Alex says, his hands outstretched. I take them, gripping tighter than I normally would.

Over the years, I've done location spells before—they're second nature when you have something personal, something tied to the person you're searching for. But this... Tobias hasn't touched anything in centuries and using the location of Oliver to pinpoint something close to him. I'm flying blind, and to make matters worse, I'm dipping into dark magic, trying not to let it consume me.

I squeeze Alex's hands again, harder this time. He can tell I'm scared. Eden sits beside me, gripping my legs for comfort. Her touch is grounding, like a lifeline.

"I won't let them take you," Alex whispers, his voice barely audible. I look up at Jax, who's standing with his arms crossed, his face all hard edges and worry. His seriousness makes me more nervous, he can sense that. He mouths to me, 'I'm sorry. I love you,' and uncrosses his arms, giving me a small, reassuring smile. I smile back, trying to focus.

"Okay, here goes nothing."

As I dive into the magic, the words tumble out of me. The spell starts to form, and suddenly, I'm flying—overseas, mountains, through swirling dark clouds. Voices echo around me, taunting.

She is tainted.

I'm looking for someone, let me in.

No, we don't want you to find him. You gave up on us. The twins will give us power again. We need another vessel.

Mmm, there is another here.

No, you can't have him.

We will. He's the other one. He will come to us for help, one day. They always do. We are waiting for him to rise again.

Who? I demand, trying to push back the shadows.

When the twins' blood is shed, in the realm of the shadows, where lost souls swarm.

One will bring death, one will bring hope, both will rise.

The twins hold the key, to open the gates.

They both come, but not all will survive.

The shadows slam into me, and suddenly, I'm thrown back. My eyes snap open, and Jax is already there, grabbing my face, forcing me to focus on him.

"I thought I lost you," he says, his voice trembling. He pulls me into a tight hug, and I cling to him, trying to steady my racing heart. When I finally let go, I turn to check on Alex. He gives me a wink, a small sign that he's okay.

"You heard that, right?" I ask Alex. He nods, his face serious now.

"Heard what?" Ashton asks, his concern clear.

"Oliver and Bonnie can open the gate where Tobias is being held," I say, my voice heavy with the weight of the truth, "but it will also let Kane free."