Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 115432 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 577(@200wpm)___ 462(@250wpm)___ 385(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115432 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 577(@200wpm)___ 462(@250wpm)___ 385(@300wpm)
Sigbjørn nodded. “The witch wishes to save him. Waban is having him tortured, trying to break him to tell what he knows of the Omerons. So the witch has locked away his mind in hers. She’s split her energy and magic to protect him.”
“But aren’t all the Omeron witches spellbound?” Atarah asked softly.
Once again, Sigbjørn nodded. “They are, and she is.”
“She is using what is left of her magic to do this?” Jabari questioned.
“And it is clearly killing her,” Rhea said and looked up at the door. “When this Jason was exposed, her coven must have turned on her for breaking the rules, and she escaped. The fact that she’s managed to hold on this long is a testament to her power.”
“But why would she run here?” M’kena questioned, and because I understood that, I wondered what else did she forget to add.
“True, simply coming to yell at Druella and Theseus seems a waste of strength,” Jabari mused. “If she had energy, she should have—”
We all stopped as we smelt the magic, and it wasn’t coming from me. The upstairs door burst open, and with a gush of wind, moving faster than any mortal, was Adelaide, her hands reaching for my neck, the smell of poison on them.
“You! Ah!” she cried out, falling to her knees in front of me as she reached for my head.
“Witch, you are in my home. You will not attack my family,” Sigbjørn stated as Adelaide fell to the floor, crying out in pain.
“I would also like it if she did not destroy the décor,” Rhea snapped as she glared at the woman.
No one had moved, not even me. I didn’t even move to protect myself. She was fast, but I had seen her coming, and because I could see her coming, I knew everyone else would, too.
“You…” she sneered, still looking at me, and then she winced. “Ah.”
“If I apply any more pressure, it may sever your protection of your lover. Is that what you wish?” Sigbjørn questioned.
She was still for a moment before shaking her head no.
“Good. I am glad you are awake. Hinrik does not get many mortal patients anymore. I’m pleased he was able to tend to some of your wounds. We have many questions for you, witch.”
It took a few minutes before she relaxed and pushed herself up with her hands. “I will tell you whatever you want, but make her free me!”
Her eyes whipped back to me.
“I am not touching you,” I said to her.
“My magic!” she screamed at me. “Free my magic!”
I froze and felt something in me loosen, seeing a witch in my mind again. I shivered and shook my head. “I didn’t touch your magic—”
“You did! Shadow says so!” she spat at me.
“I do not—”
“We were spellbound a year ago, us, Omeron witches, the strongest of us all beaten in an attack we could not remember! And no one understood how or why. Nothing made sense!” she spat out angrily. “Do you know how painful it is? Your soul, your connection to the earth, your only defense in this world locked away. I almost died at the hands of a vampire if not for Jason pitying me. Saving me.”
“That’s when you first fell in love with him?” I asked.
“That is none of your business!” she snapped. “Just free my magic.”
“I told you I do not have it. I am a vampire!” I hollered back at her.
She shook her head. “Shadow never lies.”
“Who is Shadow?”
“Her cat familiar,” M’kena answered, and at her voice, Adelaide flinched.
“Yes, my familiar. Her name is Shadow.” For some reason, she felt very comfortable yelling and snapping at me but not everyone else. “When my magic was bound, I couldn’t see her, and I could barely feel her. But I worked to get some of it back, and now she appears sometimes if I call. And it’s only then I can ask her anything. So, the first time I asked, ‘Who attacked the Omeron Coven?’” Her eyes shifted back on me and said, “Druella Zirie Omeron.”
My eyes widened. “No—”
“That’s what I said because I’d never heard of a Druella Omeron. The only Omeron left is Axel, and his only child was a son murdered by vampires years ago. That is why he watches out for all of us.”
“I—”
“So, the next question I asked is who spellbound our power, and again, she said Druella Zirie Omeron. And again, this did not make sense. The only Druella I knew was you. And you were never a witch. But then how could you become a Noble Blood vampire? How could our coven be unaware of any witch born and raised in our lands? So, I asked Shadow one last question, ‘Who is Druella Zirie Omeron?’”
“Stop!” I snapped, not liking any of it.
You can’t run from this, Druella, the voice in my mind said again. And I could feel the bounds on myself loosen more in me.