“That’s far enough,” Smithson tells me, coolly placing a hand on my shoulder.
I glare at him. Full of spite, full of venom, full of hatred, I glare. If it were just Mother and me here, perhaps I could make her see reason. But no, she had to have the Captain Commander of her guard with her.
“That’s all right,” Mother coos. “He’s just upset his precious girl is not who she pretends to be.”
“You say that as if it’s her fault!” I explode.
“Of course it’s her fault,” the Queen contests. “She’s had exposure to magic at some point before she got to us. It tainted her mind—the part of her being responsible for controlling the elemental forces that give right to magical ability. If I had known… if she had told me—”
“You should have asked her!” I exclaim. “You should have been more careful with her! And now she—she’s suffering upstairs in that godforsaken holding cell because of you!”
“Not because of me, my son. Because of herself. Because she cannot be trusted. Because all of it is outside of her control.”
She turns away and walks to the bookshelf. She runs her hand along the rows of books before settling on one with a blood red cover.
She pulls it out. The title is engraved in thick, gold letters—but it’s all in runes, and thus in a language I cannot read.
“This is the last surviving copy of the Witch’s Covenant,” she informs me. “It lays out the rules of how a new witch is to be trained. It is—it was—a sacred text to the five great families. We devoted our lives to the teachings of this book. The rules governing witchcraft are clear.” She flips it open and points to a page. “One who is found tainted,” she quotes, “shall be deprived of all magical knowledge, shall not be taught, and shall be put in isolation until such time that all her abilities are leeched out of her.”
Morgan looks at me. “You see? It’s quite clear what needs to be done.”
The blood drains from my face. “What does that mean? ‘Leeches?’”
“It’s simple,” Mother says. “Much as we drink the blood of humans, there are beings who feed on a witch’s magic. Eleira will be bound until one such is found. Then, she will be given a choice. Give up her magical abilities forever, or…” Mother’s eyes shine, “…die.”
Chapter Fifty
ELEIRA
The silver surrounding me makes every breath I take a misery. The foul energy from the accursed metal pounds into me from all sides. It not only disorients me, but it makes me feel vulnerable, weak, sickly, confused…
I remember little of the aftermath of my training with the Queen. All I know is she thought the tornado was my fault— and that the horrid creature attempting to crawl through the floor was my doing.
The door to the cell rattles. I look up. A muffled curse comes from the outside.
My heart leaps in my chest. I recognize that voice.
“Raul?” I say, standing up—
Instantly I wish I hadn’t. A savage bout of vertigo takes me, induced by the silver. I sit back down, hard, and oomph.
A moment later the view latch comes open. I see Raul’s beautiful green eyes shine through.
“Eleira?” he calls. “Eleira, are you in there?”
Morgan cast a spell that deflects the light in this room. For anybody looking in, I’m invisible.
But that doesn’t mean I cannot use my voice.
“Yes!” I say. I yearn to run to him, to press against the door and feel his presence on the other side… but I cannot.
This spot in the center of the room is the only place I can stay in without suffering crippling nausea.
“Where? Dammit, why can’t I see you?”
“Your mother cast a spell,” I say. “It bends the light.”
He curses again. “I’ll get you out of there, Eleira. I promise. I won’t have you ripped away from me again.”
That’s such a sweet sentiment… but I’ve been through enough at the hands of these vampires to know it’s misplaced.
“I don’t know if you can help me.” Melancholy fills my words.
“Don’t say that!” Raul shouts. “Eleira—don’t. Don’t give up!”
I blink through eyes that are suddenly moist. How many times must I be made prisoner? How many times must I find myself in a position of utter helplessness—even if I seemingly did not do anything wrong?
I wipe at the tears angrily. “I’m not giving up,” I say. “I’m just realistic. What can you do? What can anyone do, when the Queen holds all the power?”
“I will get you out,” Raul promises. “I hold it on my own life, on Phillip’s, on anybody’s who’s ever been important to me. I swear it. I’ll find a way.”