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My blood turned to ice. “You’re the one who turned everything over to the priestesses.”
Mandy timidly nodded.
Lucas’s hands curled into fists. “You said you’d never side with the priestesses!”
Tears spilled over her lids. “I didn’t mean for this to happen! They said they’d grant you immunity if I told them everything!”
“You took an oath—a witch’s vow!” Lucas fumed. “You should be dead right now. Or did you fake the vow, too?”
“I kept my vow!” Mandy cried. “I did what I thought was best for the coven—for you. I wanted to stop this. You and Nadine were getting out of control. I thought stopping you guys was the only way to save more lives and bring the coven together. I didn’t want anyone else to die, but the priestesses lied to me!”
Lucas blew a breath. “This is the problem with witch vows. If the wording is too specific, it can kill you for no reason. If it’s just a little off, your friends can betray you!”
Mandy began to sob. “Please believe me when I say that I never intended to betray you. I came here to tell you that I’m sorry.”
“How could you do this?” I demanded. “After losing Amy to them?”
“I did this because of Amy, for her,” Mandy said tearfully. “I’ll never forget the way she screamed that night when those bitches burned her at the pyre. And I’ll be damned if I let that happen to anyone else.”
“That’s what we were trying to prevent!” I screamed.
“Really?” Mandy challenged. “Because Hector and William are dead all thanks to your cause. Things are worse than ever.”
“It’s not our fault,” Lucas seethed.
“Isn’t it? Isn’t it yours, and mine?” Mandy challenged. “Things would’ve been better if we had stayed out of it and let the priestesses do as they pleased. We should’ve done nothing at all! Because if Amy had, she’d still be alive. And so would everyone who’s died for us.”
Mandy shook her head. “But that wasn’t good enough for you, was it? You had to win, Nadine, and you would’ve killed everyone in the coven for the virtue of saving it. And as much as I regret turning you in, I can’t help but admit I’ll get some sort of satisfaction that you’re going to face some consequences for putting everyone’s life in danger. Don’t worry about me. I’m sure I’ll receive my penance soon.”
I didn’t even know what to say to her. People often said betrayal felt like a knife to the back, but this was far, far worse. It was more like being impaled by a hundred swords, cutting you into a million pieces all at once. My eyes stung as if they were filled with shards of glass. I honestly wanted nothing to do with Mandy right now.
The door opened, and Verla entered. I was surprised to see Grammy following behind her. Verla crossed her hands in front of her. “It’s almost time.”
I cleared my throat, ignoring Mandy as I turned to my grandmother. “Thank you for coming, Grammy.”
“Of course, Nadine,” she said softly. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
Grammy opened her mouth to say more, but three officers burst into the room then.
“Your time is up,” one of them growled. He grabbed Grammy by the shoulder and started dragging her out of the room. “You’re not supposed to be here.”
My stomach hollowed. “Leave her alone!”
“My granddaughter—ow!” Grammy cried.
I started forward, but one of the officers grabbed me. The other put his hands on Lucas, and they shoved us out of the room. With the noxite bracelet on my wrist, I wasn’t strong enough to fight back.
“It’s time to go,” the officer barked. “Your trial begins now.”
I shot one last look behind me, and I saw Mandy standing in the doorway, her eyes sparkling. “Goodbye,” she said, like it was the last goodbye we’d ever have… and it just might be.
We entered a large, crowded room that felt dark and foreboding. There were no windows, merely dark mahogany walls on all sides that seemed to block us in. Mahogany was meant to represent strength, but if anything, I felt like a frayed piece of firewood about to be reduced to ash. The room was lit by sconces. I thought they were meant to look comforting, but they reminded me more of torches.
Loud protests from outside filtered into the room, but the crowd inside remained quiet. Familiar faces stared back at me—some supportive, like Chloe and Onyx in the front row. The officer who’d snatched Grammy shoved her into a seat beside Professor Warren. Her eyes narrowed on the priestesses across the room, like she was trying to set them on fire with her mind.
I didn’t see Grant and Talia anywhere, which was unnerving because they’d agreed to testify. Miles was noticeably missing, too. They must be held back by the crowd.
Other faces didn’t appear so friendly. The priestesses sat in the front row behind the prosecutor. They wouldn’t be the ones to judge the trial, but they sure as hell looked proud, like they already knew they had this in the bag. They knew exactly what they were doing, parading us in front of the coven.
