Raising Innocence: A Rylee Adamson Novel(16)

“Past tense?” I asked.
His shoulders tightened up, almost imperceptibly, then slowly relaxed. “Past tense. She asked of me things I could not do. Spells she wanted that I was unwilling to give her. For all her strength, and she is the strongest to wield wild magic in centuries, there is a darkness in her.” He scrubbed a hand through his hair. “It was too late when I saw it, too late to stop her.”
Terese was shaking her head. “No, I won’t believe it!”
I’d had enough of this diplomacy crap. Two strides and I was in Terese’s face, not even an inch away. “She’s trying to kill my family, has spelled an anklet that drains the wearer’s life away, has threatened the life of my werewolf—”
Stunned silence met my words and they exchanged glances several times before anyone spoke.
“Did you say your werewolf?” Terese asked, her brows knitting over her ridiculously stunning eyes.
“Um, yeah.” I wasn’t sure what I’d stepped in now.
Terese pursed her lips. “Would you be willing to have us lay a truth spell on you?”
“It won’t work, but sure,” I said, wanting to hurry this up.
“Then we’ll lay it on her.” Terese pointed at Giselle, who nodded without hesitation.
“I will, if you will answer questions for us, and if once you see the truth, you will make a peace pact with Rylee.”
Terese agreed and the others stepped around us in a circle. My shoulders tightened with anticipation; I didn’t like people where I couldn’t see them.
The thing was, I wasn’t sure what a truth spell entailed, and I should have known better than to just agree. Should have, but I thought Giselle knew what she was up to. Of course, that was just it, she did.
Terese beckoned to Giselle to kneel in front of her, and then placed one hand on either side of her head.
“En memories benefactor justifus.” Terese intoned.
Giselle flexed and let out a moan. Terese’s eyes glazed over and I realized that she was seeing what Giselle had seen as she flinched and her face grew sorrowful. Tears slipped down her creamy skin, and I hated her a little. Terese had no right to be upset; Milly had been my best friend, not hers. And no, I don’t care how stupid that sounds.
Terese let go of Giselle. “They are speaking the truth. I have seen it. Milly is not who we thought she was.” She covered her lips with her dainty freaking fingers. The murmuring started and she lifted a hand again for silence. “We must meet with the full Coven. There are things Milly has done that you could not know were against our precepts.”
“You mean like the anklet?” I asked.
Terese nodded. “The threat to your wolf, that alone will gain her excommunication.”
That surprised me. “Why?”
“The local pack is a part of our extended family, if you will. Milly was their liaison.” Terese stared at me, as if willing me to understand the unspoken words.
It only took me about two seconds to put it together. Milly was in good with the pack, and the pack was trying to kill Alex. I thought back to when the pack had chased us and Milly had refused to do anything about it. All the puzzle pieces were becoming painfully, razor-sharp clear.
The rage that had dimmed with the pummeling I’d taken came flooding back, my muscles awash with adrenaline. I stood there, shaking, but unable to move just yet.
“Then you have no problem if I kill her?” I asked, proud at how steady my voice was, how quiet and deadly.
Terese stared at me, the pulse in her throat jumping. “I saw her connection to you through your mentor’s eyes. If you must kill her, there will be no retribution from us.”
The other witches gasped and the previous Coven leader, Milly’s boy-toy, stepped forward, mouth a thin line, eyes hard with anger.
“No, Milly could be helped—”
This time it was Giselle who lifted her hand in a sharp slashing movement, cutting him off.
“No, she can’t. The darkness in her has taken root; the only way to keep that darkness from spreading is to destroy its vessel.”#p#分页标题#e#
Her words hung in the air, and the finality of the situation slid over me. Milly—for all the love I’d had for her, for the memories we shared, the oaths we’d taken together—would never be back.
This was it.
I was going to kill my best friend.

6
The first thing Terese did was make a blood oath with me, one of peace. One that would keep me on the good side of the Coven, regardless of the fact that I was going to kill Milly.
We repeated the necessary words as blood from a finger prick from each of us dropped into an open brazier.
“By blood and oath, a binding tie between magic, death and honor.”