The garden looked like a mess, with the gross magic circle, animal blood traces and the two dead bodies. We burned the bodies, watching the smoke rise into the darkened sky, dissipating into nothingness.
The air carried the acrid scent of burning flesh, but it was a necessary ritual to ensure no traces of their foul magic remained.
Idris didn’t mention the cursed pendant to Cassandra when she came back, nor did Gabriel or I. It was an unspoken agreement—we knew Cassandra was likely unaware of the pendant’s true nature, and telling her would only burden her unnecessarily.
The weeks following were spent in Silvercrest’s village as preparations for the impending battle with the Iron Fang Pack intensified. Despite the looming conflict, the atmosphere in the village was surprisingly light.
