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Beth pauses on her way out the door. “It’s lonely there, without her.”
Helena comes out of her bedroom and sits on the sofa across from me. Shadows surround her. I blink, trying to clear them away, but it only lessens their depth a bit.
She eyes me strangely, and I smile wanly at her. “Helena, I’m so sorry. I neglected to tell you the risks of cutting my hair. Are you well?”
“I am. Thank you for the apology. I am almost completely myself. When I cut your hair,” she pauses, tapping her fingers on the sofa, “it was nothing I’ve ever experienced before. No wonder that witch kept you locked up in a cage.”
My shoulders droop. “I am so sorry. I should have told you. When she cut my hair, she said a spell. I assumed that was how she obtained my magic.”
Helena waves her hand back and forth, crossing her legs. Her light blue dress shifts, and she adjusts the skirt. “As I said, it was amazing. You, however, look as if you’ve been living with werewolves.”
I grimace. “I thought my magic would grow. Instead, this happened.” I pause, then blurt out my worry. “Airalin screamed that she would get revenge on me. Helena, I need my magic to keep her from taking me again.”
I stop talking as the desperation in my voice chokes me. With deep breaths, I calm myself down, remembering that at the very least Raúl is welcome inside the tower and can help me escape again. I do not ever want it to come to that, though.
“Hmm.” She stares at the fire for a second, twirling a strand of her hair. “What if you cut more of your hair yourself? Instead of me cutting it?”
I bunch up the fabric of my dress into my hand, my heart pounding. “Do you think I’ll pass out again?”
“I have no idea. Is it worth the risk to you?”
I grip the fabric harder before nodding. My magic returning is worth potentially passing out, if it means I can protect Raúl and myself. “Yes, it is. Let’s do this.”
Chapter Fifty-Eight
Beth walks in, carrying a small tray of food. “Perfect timing, Beth,” says Helena with a huge grin. “We are about to experiment with Penny’s hair.”
She sets the tray down while Helena rifles through her desk. She brings me a pair of incredibly ornate brass scissors.
“Now,” says Helena. “If you pass out again, we both are here to take care of you.”
My heart races and my fingers tremble as I nod. We lay the ends of my coils across the small table in between us, undoing the braids slightly. I hesitate for only a second before snipping a few inches off the bottom.
Helena and Beth watch me, their unblinking eyes waiting for any sign from me. At first, just like last time, I feel nothing. My heart skips a beat. “Nothing,” I say a moment later.
As soon as I close my mouth, however, my entire body starts trembling. Pain shoots through me and I cry out in agony, my eyes watering. My heart squeezes and I put my hand to my chest, gasping for breath.
Like a flash, it all disappears. I slump down on the sofa, still trying to breathe. Helena stares at me with concern until I wave her off, assuring her I am fine. Closing my eyes, I search deep for the storm of magic. A sigh escapes my lips when I find it. Although it is much, much smaller than before, the magic reserve is there.
I open my eyes and tell Helena. She bounces excitedly. “I am glad it worked. We can try cutting more tomorrow. You doing it might simply be the key.” She smiles sadly. “I wish Carmen were here. She would know what to do.”
Not having any energy to respond, I simply nod, moving as little as possible. I pause for a second, realizing that I have magic again. Reaching deep inside, I hold a small sliver, which is a bigger part of my reserve than before. I recite one of the spells I memorized before, a chant to bring energy to the body. It is from the grimoire in the vampire’s library.
“Vitality surges, body aglow. Energy coursing, vibrant flow,” I say out loud. Suddenly, energy flows through my body. Any speck of tiredness in my body has been burned out. “Thank you, Helena.” I grin. “You are a genius.”
She flips her hair. “Of course I am.” She grins wickedly. “Now if you could tell a certain gentleman I’ve been eyeing… Speaking of, I am supposed to go find him.”
“As if you need my help in that department,” I say with a laugh. I spring up from the sofa. “I’m off to tell Raúl, then.” She winks at me as I leave, shutting the door behind me. Raúl said he had to attend to business, so I was guessing he was in his office. I head that way, humming as I walk.
The heavy wooden door is slightly ajar, so I push it all the way open. Raúl is sitting behind his desk, talking to a horde of vampires. Some are sitting on chairs, others pace the room.
I grimace, intending to step back and leave, but Raúl catches my eyes. His red eye darkens, and he beckons me forward. Cheeks scarlet, I look at the floor as I shuffle in, careful to avoid bumping into anyone.
“Chair,” says Raúl.
A vampire appears, carrying a chair, and places it next to him. “Sit,” Raúl says with a gesture. “We are discussing the vampire rebels.”
He turns to the room. “For those of you who don’t know, this is Penny. She is responsible for providing us with the quality information about the location of Niles.”
