AllFreeNovel
Share Us
As we turn the corner, I stumble to a halt, grabbing Steph’s wrist so she’ll stop, too. My wide eyes watch as Shannon strolls toward us, a satisfied smirk on her face. Jerking her head to the left as if to instruct us to follow her, she slithers into an alley.
“Holy shit,” Steph mumbles. “She really does look like me. It’s creepy.”
I look over my shoulder, praying to see some sign that Jesse and the others are still behind us. Of course, I see nothing. They’re invisible, and I send up a little prayer to whoever’s listening that they’re tracking us as Steph and I head for the mouth of the alley.
This is it. Our chance to put a stop to the witches hell-bent on destroying everything I care about.
Steph’s hand slips into mine, and we hold onto each other as we turn the corner. The alley is narrow and filled with dumpsters, and we tread carefully as we approach Shannon, who’s waiting for us about halfway down.
“Well, well, well. Look who finally decided to come out to play,” Shannon says, her voice as snide as her smirk.
“This is so weird,” Steph mumbles, and I glance over to see her studying her twin. “It’s like looking in a mirror.”
“You wish,” Shannon says, flipping her dark hair over her shoulder.
I have a sudden ridiculous urge to roll my eyes at her insulted response––they are completely identical, after all––but unease churns in my gut, keeping me on edge. Something is off, here. Why would Shannon lure us down here with no backup? Sure, she’s a powerful witch, but so is Steph. And as deceitful as Shannon is, she’s not stupid.
As if I conjured them, two female forms blip into view on either side of Shannon. My mouth droops into a frown when I recognize Tamelen, then drops open when I turn my attention to the other witch––
“Theodora?”
The woman from the airplane. The one that gave me the tea that knocked me out.
“I’m glad you remember me, dear,” the old woman says with a deceptively kind smile. “Though I’m afraid I wasn’t completely honest with you when we first met. My name is Hyacinth.”
“Hyacinth,” I repeat, testing the name on my tongue. “Why did you lie? And why did you drug me?”
“I couldn’t have you telling the heir who I was. I was aware he’d be waiting at the airport for me when I arrived. He spoke of his plans when Tamelen was there, examining the king’s condition. Of course, the spelled tea was supposed to put you in a coma, not just a short nap. I’m still confused as to why it didn’t work.”
“A coma?” I ask, gripping Steph’s hand even tighter. “You wanted to put me in a coma? Why?”
“Enough,” Shannon says, her voice deep and firm. “The king is dead, and when the heir comes for his mate, we can kill him, too.”
“Jesse won’t be so easy to kill,” I say, hoping the fear her words struck in me doesn’t leak out in my voice.
“He will be once I take that one’s power,” Shannon says, nodding in Steph’s direction.
“Just try it,” Steph shoots back, steeling her spine.
“Oh, please,” Shannon says with an obnoxious laugh. “We all know you have no idea what you’re doing. That idiot aunt of ours kept you bound and ignorant while I’ve been honing my skills my entire life. You don’t stand a chance against me.”
Where are Jesse and the others? If they were here, they’d make themselves known, wouldn’t they? The longer they wait, the more time they give Shannon, Tamelen, and Hyacinth to sense their presence and the magic shielding them.
“The king isn’t dead,” I blurt, stalling for time.
“Of course, he is,” Tamelen says, speaking for the first time. “He was at death’s door before the werewolf bite that finished him off.”
“Werewolf bite?” I ask, wrinkling my brow as if I have no fucking idea what she’s talking about. I shake my head. “I’m afraid you’ve been misinformed.”
“You lying bitch!”
The shouted words echo through the alley as Jasmine leaps from behind a dumpster. She strides forward to stand beside Shannon, her death glare singeing my skin.
“I let the werewolf in and watched him bite my father. He’s dead.”
“And why didn’t the werewolf attack you?” I ask, tilting my head as if I’m only mildly curious and not freaking the fuck out at this dangerous situation.
I should get an Oscar for this performance.
