Page 6 of Blood Bound
By killing Darick, I might have destroyed any hope we had of finding my sister. I sink back onto the couch, my head in my hands.
“Oh God,” I whisper. “What have I done?”
Gran is beside me in an instant, her touch comforting but doing little to ease the crushing weight of my guilt.
“Rowan, dear,” she says softly, “don’t blame yourself. You were acting on instinct, protecting yourself and your family. Any of us would have done the same in your position.”
I look up at her, tears stinging my eyes. “But what if he was our only lead? What if we never find Mia because of me?”
Dad scoffs, his face twisted with disbelief. “You’re all crazy if you think we could ever trust a vampire,” he spits out. “Rowan, I still need to know more about your…relationship with this Darick. How long has this been going on? What exactly—”
“Lake,” Mom interrupts again. “Now isn’t the time for this.”
I glance at Mom, expecting to see understanding in her eyes. Instead, I catch a flicker of disappointment before she masks it with concern. It’s subtle, but it’s there, and it cuts deep.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper, my voice cracking. “I should never have gotten close to him. I betrayed all of you; I know that now. I just…I wanted so badly to be useful, to find Mia, to be a real witch…a real Blackwood.”
“He gave you magic…” Kara’s voice is contemplative. “That’s why you were suddenly more powerful.”
I nod, fighting that familiar feeling of failure. Everyone else in my family was born with it. Me? I had to resort to feeding a vampire.
It makes me feel ill. Because beneath it all, I-
I enjoyed it.
No! I clench my hands into fists to the point that my fingernails bite through my skin. The time for self-recrimination is over.
“I thought I was doing the right thing,” I say. “I just…” My throat works as I swallow hard. “I just missed her so much. And when the Circles kept failing because I couldn’t keep the link strong, it felt like…it felt like I was the reason she was still out there. Afraid. Suffering.”
“No, Rowan!” Mom’s eyes are wide, filled with hurt. “No, that could never be your fault.”
“I know, Mom. But it felt that way. So when I thought I’d found a way to bring her home, I jumped at it. I know that was a mistake.” I gnaw on my lip. “I’m so sorry.”
Dad’s shoulders sag a little. “Ro-Ro…” He sighs, then rubs his forehead. “What are we going to do with you, my angel?”
I give a little shake of my head. “We’ll worry about that later. Right now, I think we should be looking at ways to find Mia. We know she’s alive…and I have magic, Dad! Strong magic.” I think of the surge of power that swept from me, the flames surrounding Darick. It’s sickening, but I can’t deny the strength I felt at that moment.
Dad frowns. “First, we have to share this information with the Conclave. They have to be advised before it reaches the vampires. They may think this was some sort of revenge attack and retaliate.”
I stare at him, aghast. The last thing I want to do is spark a war.
“I’m with Rowan on this,” Kara interjects. “We need to find Mia. We can’t just—”
“It would be foolish to think we could go out after her on our own when we don’t know what we’re up against,” Mom interrupts. “Lake, you’re right. We must reach out to the coven leaders.”
“But, Mom—” Kara begins, but Dad drowns out her voice is drowned.
“Your mother and I need to step in here,” he says firmly. “We’ve all seen what happens when things get out of control.” He gives me a pointed look.
“I don’t think that’s fair,” I object. “If I’d known—”
“Rowan—” Mom starts.
Suddenly, Gran’s voice cuts through the noise, silencing everyone. “Enough,” she says. “The Conclave must be informed, yes. But there’s more at play here than meets the eye.”
I look up, startled by the gravity in her voice.
“There are ancient forces at work,” Gran continues, her eyes sweeping across the room. “This connection between Rowan and Darick, Mia’s abduction…they might be more intertwined than we realize.”