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)
“I felt and saw your magic, so I forgot who I was talking to,” she sneered bitterly. “I saw it in Jason’s mind. You were the one who broke my spell and exposed him at the trial. Of course, you wouldn’t help me. It’s only us against the rest of you. Fine. Free my magic, and I will go by myself and do it.”
“I don’t know how—”
“Just do it!”
“I thought this wasn’t a Nike commercial,” I shot back. “I tried. When I try to undo the spell, nothing happens. I said spells that didn’t work. I tried yanking at the ties of the witch in my mind, but my hands are burned, and I’m pushed back.”
“How is that possible!” She ran her hands through her hair. She was frustrated, as if I weren’t doing my best to be patient and understand everything that I thought was impossible become possible.
“You are a witch in bed with an invisible cat, surrounded by vampires. Don’t you think it’s time to expand what you know is possible?” I replied.
“Just because magic exists does not mean there are no rules. There is balance and—”
“Before you two get into another argument, I do wish to continue my questions,” Arsiein interrupted, drawing our attention back to him as he stood beside her bed.
“I said I would answer your questions if she released my magic. But she doesn’t even know how, so I don’t care—”
“And how do you suppose to get out of here?” The threat in his voice was so clear that Shadow stood up on all fours, hissing at him, not that Arsiein could see it or cared. “You have already told us your magic is weak. If you try to use any more fighting to leave, you may break the connection to your lover. Or my father will break it for you. You are not in a position to refuse my questions.”
Her head hung as she knew it, too. “So I am a prisoner here.”
“You came here on your own,” Atarah said, going to the door. “We will not hurt you unless you try to hurt us.”
“But I can’t leave. Isn’t that a prisoner?” Adelaide asked, and she was right.
“It is. But from your wounds. I must ask, would you prefer we leave you out in the open?” Atarah questioned, and when she opened the door, Pelopia stood with a tray of human food. Milk, bread, fruits, and pancakes. The smell of which made Adelaide’s stomach grumble loudly. “You’ve been on the run from the witches. When was the last time you had a proper meal?”
Adelaide stared at the tray as Pelopia set it in front of her. “You think you will win me over with food?”
“I don’t have to win you over. You are a prisoner, remember,” Atarah said gently, offering her a kind smile. “Adelaide, you don’t have to trust or like us. We won’t pretend to trust you, either. However, we aren’t going to treat you like the witches did. You help us, and we will figure out how to help you without causing a war.”
I looked between Arsiein and Atarah. I now clearly saw the good vampire–bad vampire act they were putting on.
Adelaide wouldn’t fall for that, either.
“What’s your question?” Adelaide asked as she reached for the bread.
What? Really? Were mortals so stupid? She gave in over soft words and bread?
Atarah smiled at her before getting up and turning back around. The glance she gave Arsiein, signaling that she’d done her job, was lost on no one but the witch.
“When did your coven turn on you?” Arsiein asked her.
“The night Druella left Washington,” she said as she now grabbed the glass of milk, drinking a large gulp before adding. “Thanks to Druella’s vampire boyfriend exposing Jason in the museum. Apparently, they forgot or didn’t care that Simone works there. When she went to scrub the cameras, she caught the video of him exposing Jason.”
“What did they do that night?” Arsiein pressed, not at all caring.
“Brought me before the coven and…tried to cleanse me,” she mumbled under her breath.
“Cleanse you?” I asked, not understanding.
Her gaze snapped to me in anger. “They call it a cleansing, but it was torture. Whips of fire to the back. Forced to drink enchanting waters and listen to…well, lectures. They wanted to make me forgot him, and then they wanted to make me hate him and all vampires again.”
“Why didn’t they just kill you?” Arsiein frowned in confusion. “Witches who get involved with vampires are often killed as traitors.”
She smacked her lips and stuffed another bite in before answering. “Didn’t you hear? The Omeron Coven was attacked. Almost all of us are bound. Killing any witch, especially powerful witches who can still manage to use magic in the coven right now, would leave us—them weaker.”
“So, you escaped?” I asked.