Page 33 of The Powerless Witch
The familiar sight of the mansion’s tall rooftops had me sighing with relief. I made sure not to inhale the scent of blood hanging heavily in the car, focusing on the meandering path and the gate that opened when I stopped down to punch the passcode. I barely waited for the engine to grumble into silence before rushing out of the tiny space. I considered leaving Lily to get herself inside so I wouldn’t have to get too close to her, but I wasn’t sure if she could walk and the garage was pitch black, so I made my way to her door.
I watched her stumble out of her seat, desperately reaching out for something to steady herself with. I slipped my fingers into hers and she jumped, but then relaxed against me. Row after row, the lights came on and the door leading inside the house swung open.
“Master!” Chester strode toward us with a tense, worried expression, frowning at my disheveled appearance before turning his attention to Lily. She was still blinking against the brightness, the drying blood on her face and hair suggested the wound hadn’t been too deep. “What happened? Do you need—”
“Medical assistance, yes,” I finished in his stead, nudging Lily toward him.
“For you or her?” Chester asked as he wrapped an arm around her hunched shoulders.
“Both. Have mine ready in my room,” I replied, already turning my back to them. I was just reaching for the trunk when Lily spoke.
“Wait, are you really hurt? Don’t you vampires heal?” her voice was hoarse, but full of that untamed curiosity that had almost gotten her killed today. All because I went against my better judgment and let her accompany me.
“We do,” I replied, opening the trunk and lowering my eyes to the body inside. She was unconscious, but the steady beats of her heart told me she was still alive. For now. “But in order to heal, we need sustenance.” I grabbed the front of the witch’s bloodied shirt and dragged her out. Her feet hit the ground lifelessly, but I didn’t let her drop. “Chester, get Lily inside and examine her. Call for a doctor if you deem it necessary. I need to—”
“Omg, is she one of them?” Lily gasped, taking a step toward me, then suddenly taking two back and bumping into Chester’s shoulder. Her eyes remained on the witch’s body that was hanging awkwardly in my grip. As I watched fear and wariness make their way onto Lily’s face, I bent over and picked up the woman, tossing her over my shoulder.
“You promised to listen to me and do what I said, Lily.” My voice was sharper than usual, but it did the trick of switching her attention to me. “So do as you are told, or our arrangement is over. No more questions.”
Her lips parted as if she was about to protest, but then she just nodded. Throwing me one last look over her shoulder, she allowed the butler to lead her inside the house. I waited until they were out of sight before heading to the basement. The witch was still out, but I wanted her to be restrained when she awoke—she might not be able to hurt me, but I didn’t want any damage done to the property or its current occupants.
I didn’t bother with the lights as I stopped next to one of the naked walls, sliding my fingers over the space where the trigger was. With a low hiss, the stone turned, revealing an even darker tunnel going beneath the last official level of the house.
This was one of the improvements I had mentioned to Celeste, although I hadn’t told her I had a dungeon added, per se. She wasn’t particularly fond of these kinds of places, but I thought it necessary, considering how prudent and clever humans had become. Not that they had ever come to investigate me, but I thought it better not to have blood spilled inside my home. Beneath it was better.
The fake wall closed behind me, and I continued down the corridor in complete silence. There were three doors on each side, all unoccupied, but I headed toward the main room on the other end. The space was wide and oval—fully equipped with everything from soundproof walls to a magical barrier, as well as iron bars inside the stone, in case I had a Fae to interrogate.
I brought the witch to the wall, putting her down on her feet. Her knees buckled, but I grabbed her by the neck before she fell, securing her wrists in the magical cuffs chained deep into the concrete. I let her hang there as I stepped back and stripped my shirt, tossing it out of the room since the smell of Lily’s blood was distracting me.
I had been fast enough to avoid the blast—and the sun that had come out of the clouds, no doubt thanks to those damn vixens—but I wasn’t completely unscathed. I could still feel my body healing from the burns, from the cracks where the ceiling had collapsed on us, from digging in the ground that had broken my nails, my fingers.
I needed to feed.
Grabbing the bucket in the corner, I filled it with water from the low sink beside it and strode back to the witch. Her head had bobbed forward, shoulders painfully twisted as her weight pulled her down. She jumped with a yelp when the ice-cold water poured over her head, her eyes darting around in panic.
I doubted she could see anything in the dark, but in any case, her panic had nothing to do with her surroundings. I was ready to bet my immortal life that the thing that scared her the most was the fact that she could no longer feel her magic. She had the same expression Celeste had when I first put magical cuffs on her. But unlike my witch, this woman meant nothing to me, and her life was only worth as much as her willingness to betray her people to save it.
The smell of fear permeated the air, then of rage and determination. I watched her search the shadows, looking for a way out. I waited until her eyes adjusted to the darkness and she noticed the faint silhouette of the door. Once hope filled her eyes and she started testing her binds, I flipped the switch on.
She squinted against the light, bracing herself for an attack, but I just strode to stand in front of her, letting her fear grow while she looked me over. Her dark hair fell wet and limp over her face, a deep cut running across one of her cheeks. It had closed already, but the smell of blood made me grab her by the throat.
Her trepidation grew even as she raised her chin in defiance.
She needed more fear.
I sank my teeth into her neck without warning and she screamed at the first gulp of blood I sucked. I made sure it hurt, tearing the skin enough to prolong the agony without actually killing her. She thrashed and kicked, but her strength soon waned and her curses turned into whimpers.
When I pulled back, she sagged between the binds, shuddering like a leaf. She didn’t pass out, but her eyes remained on the floor as if she couldn’t bear to look at me. Magic danced through my body, her sweet blood sending a burst of power to the very edge of my fingers. Yet it didn’t quench my hunger, it didn’t make my head light and my heart full. It was just…blood.
“I will tell you…nothing,” she whispered, still staring at the floor. “So might as well kill me, monster.”
She finally raised her head, looking at me through locks of dark hair. I gave her my most taunting smile, watching as her hatred burned brighter.
“Oh, you will.” I stepped closer, and despite her bold declaration, she flinched. “You see, witch, I’m happy to dispatch your whole kind for what you did to Celeste. I’m baffled that she hasn’t done that already, to be honest. She had all the time in the world; she could have killed one witch a day and by now, you’d be all gone.” I grabbed her chin, raising it so she couldn’t look away. “But she still holds hope that you will accept her one day. I don’t. You know why?” Leaning down, I stopped my face right in front of hers, watching as hesitation swirled in her eyes. “Because she is better than you. Because even after your kind betrayed her in every way, she allows you to keep breathing. I’m not that merciful, witch. I will slaughter you all if she so much as breathes the word. But for her, I’ll let you live. All you have to do is tell me what Regina is planning.”
Her eyes searched my face while she tried to determine if I was telling the truth or not. I allowed my features to soften, holding her chin instead of squeezing it. Giving her that feeling of control she so craved, like it was her choice to make.
She didn’t take it. Instead, she pulled her head back and spat in my face.