Eternal Promise: (The Cursed Series, Book 5)

and level, though.
“Then there’s no deal.” Ivy’s words had an edge to them.
“And then there’s no power for your coven,” Trent said. “Even when the curse is broken, you still won’t be as powerful as the Zoya. Without Isach and my family, you’re still only second best.”
Ivy narrowed her eyes, her fingers curling into her palms. Her lips thinned into a straight, angry line. I sighed. This was not going well.
Trent, who still had a firm hold on my hand, grazed his thumb over my knuckles. “Blood oaths can be very tricky, so if you want me and Chloe to swear another one, then I want Isach to write it.”
My jaw dropped, and my eyes widened. Where had that come from? Isach’s expression hadn’t changed, which led me to believe he and Trent had talked about this before we’d ever stepped foot in Ivy’s house.
“We can write it together,” she said.
“That’s fair. Thank you,” Trent said. He shifted over, giving me a tad more room. “Now, explain to me how this works.”
I leaned back and got comfortable. Ivy explained the process to Trent—in much more technical terms than she’d used with me—and how the magic worked. When she got to the part about the Zoya, and then the magical consequences as they pertained to any potential child, I stiffened. I let my gaze wander around the room, refusing to look at Trent, though I could feel his body tensing.
When Ivy finally stopped talking, Trent asked, “What, exactly, do you mean when you say you want us to align with your coven?” His tone was so cold it made me shiver.
“It means we’ll work together to defeat the Zoya and to protect your child. And, should any other threats arise in the future, we can count on you to be our allies,” Ivy said.
“And by protect our child, you mean you want access to its magic,” Trent said, his tone accusatory.
“Wait, what?” I said, sitting up straight. “That wasn’t part of the deal, Ivy. You never said that.”
Letting her have any access to a child of mine was just as bad as handing it over to the Zoya. I’d seen firsthand how other members of her coven acted around her—they were submissive and afraid.
Ivy shifted in her chair. “If I’m the reason the child even exists in the first place, and if my coven is the reason the child survives the Zoya, then it only seems fair that my coven gets to reap some of the benefits.”
“Absolutely not.” I stood, hands balled into fists.
Trent stood, too, and faced me, his back to Ivy. “Chloe,” he said softly, hands on my shoulders. “Trust me, okay?” His sharp blue eyes were hyper-focused and pleading.
I had a feeling I wasn’t going to like what would happen next, but I trusted Trent implicitly. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I nodded and sat back down.
Trent reclaimed his spot next to me and once again took my hand in his, lacing our fingers. Ivy’s gaze dropped to our joined hands, a faint smile lifting the corners of her mouth. If I didn’t know better, I’d think she was actually happy Trent and I were together and doing well. She probably was knowing the curse being broken was a guarantee.
“There’s nothing we can do about the child being born with magic,” Isach said. “But we can do something about the magic itself.” He smiled—the same smile he’d given me the day he’d offered me up to Hannah. My skin crawled.
Ivy huffed. “You’re not suggesting we bind the child’s magic.”
“That’s exactly what we’re suggesting,” Trent said.
“Bind the magic?” I looked from Isach to Trent. “What does that mean?”
“It’s a spell that would make the child’s magic dormant. It will always be there, but it can never be accessed,” Isach explained, and when he smiled this time, it wasn’t creepy or evil.
“Except by the witch who casts the binding spell,” Ivy said. “Which means a Zoya will still have access to immense amounts of magic.”
I whipped my head around to stare at Isach. “Is that true?”
He nodded. “But you know why I’m doing this, Chloe. I want out. I don’t want access to anymore magic. But I assumed you didn’t want her”—he jutted his chin in Ivy’s direction—”to have access, either.”
“Okay, enough.” Ivy held up her hands. “I think you’re under the misguided belief that this is a negotiation. It’s not. I’ve made my offer. Take it or leave it.”
As if they’d somehow planned it, Trent and Isach stood at the same exact time. I scrambled to get to my feet.
“Then I guess we’re done here.” Trent tugged on my hand. “Let’s go.”
My heart stopped. That was it? We were just going to walk out?
“I’ve already gotten what I wanted. Chloe’s going to break the curse regardless,” Ivy said with a soft chuckle. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted, so go head. Walk out that door. I’ll still get what I want, and you two… well, I wish you both the best.”
Trent stopped, released my hand, and crossed his arms. “The only way you’re getting what you want is if I change her, and trust me, Ivy, I’m fully prepared to accept her mortality. Are you?”
My entire body went numb. What did he say? Would he really refuse to change me just so Ivy wouldn’t get what she wanted?
“And don’t try to pull what you did last time,” Isach said. “Because of the bond that you transferred, Sean and Jax can’t change her. And Trent is very heavily protected at the moment.”
Isach stood next to Trent, the two of them presenting a united front. Or more like a terrifying, impenetrable force.
Thoughts raced through my head, tripping over one another. I couldn’t latch on to any single thought or idea; they were all moving too fast. All I could do was stare at Trent. He’d asked me to trust him, and I did, but that was before he told Ivy he’d make me stay human. He didn’t really mean that, did