All Chapters of The Forsaken: Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

The garden has been transformed. Where once there was only trimmed hedges and quiet moonlit stone, now ancient banners flutter in the breeze. Torches stand tall, their flames dancing in ceremonial rhythm. A wide circle of white ash marks the ritual grounds, sacred soil untouched for years. It was last used when my father accepted his title, and now... it waits for me. I follow behind my father and mother, the crowd splitting before us like water parted by a ship’s bow. Kaya walks behind me, silent and composed, keeping her distance but remaining in the front row. I feel her energy like a heartbeat against my back. Every time I glance to the side, she’s there. Not overshadowing. Not leaning in. Just steady. Steady in a way that grounds me more than any oath or prophecy ever could. Sky paces inside me. Restless. Awake. "They’re watching us," he says, his voice rougher than usual, stirred by the ceremonial air. "Not the people, but the old ones. The spirits. The Alphas before us." I

"You dont need to worry about that," Atlas says. "You are the priority on this trip, for you to find the answers you are looking for. To Hollow Pines, we need to cross just barely the rogue's territory, hardly step on it. What Cole said about the magic in that place is true. Something is making it grow bigger, but I have our amulets ready, just in case. But now, who knows if they'll work." A chill slips down my spine, more from the weight of his words than the night air.Hollow Pines. Just the name feels like a whisper left too long in the dark. A place that doesn’t belong on any map, and yet somehow calls to those who need something lost, answers, power, redemption. Or ruin."The amulets only work on our side of the border, so we can't be spelled on our lands. But I dont know how I feel about leading you... and everyone else on a witch's territory. Perhaps it would be better if you stayed...""Dont even go there. I can take care of us. Plus, Cole said he can take care of the witch, th

The road stretches ahead, dark and narrow, the trees closing in like sentinels guarding some secret. Atlas drives with a quiet precision, his hands firm on the wheel, face neutral. Beside him, I find myself caught between the quiet hum of the engine and the even quieter weight of not know what to say.Behind us, Thalia and Sofia are talking. Not about anything important, at least not to me. The casual banter between them is a stark contrast to the quiet intensity of the front seat. Thalia’s voice carries with that mix of levity and sharpness she always has, while Sofia’s clipped responses echo back just as dry. They talk about everything from the lack of coffee to the weather, but there’s an undertone to it all, a way they can’t quite shake the rest of the world out of their minds. The weight of the forest around us presses down like the first breath before a storm. But it’s not the storm they’re worried about. It’s everything they left behind.Shaun watches outside the window, his bod

"We can take her," Saf says confidently. The witch smiles but she doesn’t move closer, but the air between us seems to shrink anyway. I can feel her gaze settle on me like hands, brushing over my face, my shoulders, the edges of my thoughts. Behind me, Atlas growls. Not like a threat. More like a warning. Or both. "Relax, Alpha." She says. "If anyone should be mad, it should be me." She says, then looks back at me. "You disturbed my harvest." “What do you want?” I ask. My voice is steadier than I expect it to be. She tilts her head again, birdlike. Curious. “To see you,” she says simply. “To look at the girl who dreams like the old ones do. You don’t know what you are, do you?” I flinch. Just a little. But she sees it. I know she does. “I’m not anything,” I say. “Ahh,” she hums. “You’re everything. That’s the problem.” She turns then, walking in a slow circle around me, never stepping too close. The frost doesn’t crunch beneath her feet. It just... yields. Like the e

The darkness presses in, thick and heavy, like sinking beneath the surface of a deep, still lake. Time warps, seconds stretch into eternity, and the edges of my consciousness fray, tangled between the threads of my own memories and something else, something foreign, before the light calls back to me and I again feel the weight of my head as I lift it from the table. The sound of water pouring confuses me until my vision clears and I see Amara pouring tea into two cups."What did you do to me?" I ask as I rub my forehead and the edge of my eyes. "Please tell me you are alright," Saf begs. "For a moment I couldn't feel you.""I'm fine." I reassure her even if I'm not sure."I had to access your soul in order to search it." Amara says casually. "Trust me, it's much worse if I do it while you are awake." "So turning my brain into liquid is better?" I ask.Amara glances up from the teapot at me, the faintest curve tugging at the corner of her mouth, not a smile exactly, but something wry