Page 43 of The Powerless Witch
I stared with my mouth open, wondering if this was the same man who walked into Council meetings like his sole purpose in life was to annoy the shit out of me. Yet he knew the name of his butler, of the human girl Celeste claimed. Maybe Roman wasn’t as bad as…
I shook my head. One revelation at a time. He was still a dick.
“You can’t keep Lily from her. They are fated mates. They were literally made for each other,” I said quietly, trying not to sound confrontational.
Roman put his empty glass down, leaning on the edge of the table and crossing his arms.
“I’m not keeping anyone from anyone,” he said pointedly, his eyes narrowing. “But you need to understand something, wolf. I do not believe in fate. I do not believe in having no choice in who you love or marry or mate. So I am warning you. Fated mates or not, this is Lily’s decision and nobody will force her into something she doesn’t want. So until Lily tells me herself that she wants to see Alice, your sister will do well to stay away or I swear on Celeste’s life, I will kill her. Do you understand?”
I wanted to snarl at him, to punch his face for good measure, but instead, I nodded. Not because I agreed, but because, for once, he didn’t seem to be doing it just to be an asshole. He could never understand the bond Alice and Lily shared, or even the one Celeste and I had, but his intentions were…good, so that was enough for now. I just hoped it would be enough for Alice.
“And if the girl wants to?”
“Then they can do whatever the fuck they want.” Roman threw a hand up in exasperation. “Hell, I’ll even throw in a dowry for Lily if you still do that in your pack.” I scowled at him and for a moment, that all-knowing smirk I hated so much pulled on his lips. “Now, if there isn’t anything pressing, get out of here before your sister doessomething stupid. I’ll text you my new number later, so if you find anything related to the witches, let me know.”
I nodded, heading toward the door. I had gotten a lot more than I had come here for, and for once, it felt like it wasn’t a waste. But it still stung that it was a vampire that had provided the aid, not one of my kind, not even my own power.
“Isaac,” he said, and I stopped at the threshold, turning to look at him over my shoulder. “Stay alive. With Celeste tied to you by the bond, I don’t want her suffering unnecessarily if you end up dead.”
I scoffed, not sure if I should laugh or be offended. That had almost sounded like concern there. Almost.
“Likewise, bloodsucker,” I murmured as I walked away. “She is annoying as it is. If I have to watch her reminisce about your past again, I might just off myself.”
Chapter 18
Samara
“Iknow you’re awake.”
I didn’t reply; I didn’t even stir as the words echoed in my throbbing head, unsettling the pleasant silence that had taken over after all the pain and screaming. I wanted the voice to go away, to let me stay like this before Regina noticed me. I was sure she wasn’t done with me, not after forcing me to translocate back during the attack on the vampires. She rarely used my oath in such a violent matter. She liked to exercise control through other measures, but when she did…it meant I fucked up. Royally.
Lying on the floor and struggling to hold on to my thoughts was a good indication of that. I knew she wouldn’t kill me. She needed me to fulfill the role she chose me for, but I was afraid that whatever goodwill I had gathered with my obedience was all gone. I had never seen her this furious before, not even at Mathias.
“You really fucked up this time, didn’t you, Samara?” Mathias’ annoying voice kept talking. Something touched my cheek, and I did everything in my power not to flinch when he pushed a strand of hair out of my face. Pleasant numbness spread through my body, but even as the sharp throbbing in my mind subsided and the ache in my muscles abated, I still found it hard to move. The smell of sweat and blood was gone too, replaced by his uniquely empty scent. “I peeked into your memories. I knowwhy you wanted to stay. Regina doesn’t…yet, but who knows, I might tell her. I still owe you one for what happened in my room.”
“Don’t…” I rasped, my voice barely a whisper after all the screaming I had done earlier. He chuckled. If he told Regina about that girl, she’d kill her. Meghan had said she was one of the Ancient one’s humans, which meant she was already a target, but if Regina learned she was someone from my past, someone I remembered, she’d destroy that girl and her…myentire family.
“I wonder…what would you be willing to do for me if I can tell you where they are right now,” Mathias continued while his finger traced the lines of my cheek, moving up to my brow and then back to the shell of my ear.
I shuddered, but forced myself to say, “Anything.”
He chuckled again, the sound so pleased that I regretted my answer immediately. I could find them myself; I had to figure out where Roman lurked and how to get past him. But leaving the house without Regina knowing was the real problem.
“That’s a very tempting offer, so I’ll think about it,” he purred, pulling his hand away. “A guest is coming, so I suggest you keep playing dead.”
His power brushed against my face like a cold, phantom wind, and a second later, his presence was gone. I didn’t even have time to sigh in relief before the door opened and two pairs of feet walked in. The first one I recognized by the distinctive clacking of high heels, the second one, was unfamiliar and almost silent.
I opened my eyes just enough to see through my lashes, suppressing the groan that rose to my mouth at the effort. The room was blurry at first, dark and gloomy thanks to the crappy weather and half-closed curtains. The only light was coming from the lamp on Regina’s desk and what slipped in through the half-opened door.
The heels proceeded toward the desk, but the other pair stopped in the middle of the room and I had a nagging feeling their owner was staring at me. I wasn’t sure who those thin legs clad in dark jeans and comfortable, but expensive shoes belonged—not until they spoke, at least.
“Did you kill your ward?”
Regina stopped fussing around her desk, likely to look at her guest—or me. I made sure to keep my breathing even and my body perfectly unmoving. Dead, like Mathiassaid.
“Of course not,” Regina replied in a clipped tone. “She was being willful and clumsy these past few weeks, so she needed to be taught a lesson. We cannot afford mistakes, especially now. Don’t mind her.”
“True,” Mariam replied, finally turning away. She slumped onto one of the sofas without waiting for Regina’s invitation, and the silence dragged on for a few more seconds before she spoke again. “How are the preparations going? I heard there was a problem during the attacks?”