Page 104 of Blood as Sweet as Roses

How she stays, even though she knows who I am.

Without thinking any more, I lean forward, and I whisper my secret into the box.

There’s a hushed, heavy atmosphere as Amrita goes around the table, collecting secrets from everyone. As she goes, the stars seem to glow more vibrantly in the sky, the grass becomes dewy and long under my feet, and the night expands with magic.

Amrita floats to the center of the oak table, her owl familiar hovering beside her, her robes billowing out in waves around her. She holds the box of secrets over her head, as though offering it up to the night.

“Fates and fortunes!” she declares. Her voice booms out of her like a sudden clasp of thunder.

Many of the witches and even vampires jump at the sound. Startled, Lexi falls from her chair with a shriek. Vampires don’t often engage in these sorts of rituals, and I’m feeling horribly out of my depth. Instinctively, I reach for the dagger at my belt.

“I am Amrita Vyas, the High Priestess of the Morgan Witches, the Most Ancient Vampire to Walk This Earth,and…” she flashes a cheeky grin to the sky. “The Patron Saint of Doom-Scrolling!”

“That’s not fair!” Lexi protests, scrambling back into her seat. “You’ve only been on social media for like,twodays! You can’t claimthat title!”

But Amrita ignores her. Her feet leave the oak table as she rises into the air, the box of secrets floating out of her fingertips and up into the blackness of the sky.

“I am joined by the most powerful witches and vampires of the region, who join me in offering our darkest, our most forbidden secrets to you, Unspoken Universe, the invisible fabric of time and space, the eyes that see everything and nothing at all, the hearts that beat deep under the earth and sing through the heavens!

“My word is my bond, and I think that you’ll find,

“We’re ancient as you, so bear that in mind,

“We offer you secrets, for secrets in kind.”

The box opens wide, radiating a powerful, white light across the sky. It’s terrifying, for a vampire who hasn’t seen the sun in three hundred years. The other vampires are also shaken, cowering against the light. Even the witches look warily up at the floating box and Amrita’s glowing frame.

And then, unceremoniously, the box snaps shut, and the light disappears. It tumbles into Amrita’s arms as she, too, falls out of the sky and back down onto the oak table.

As suddenly as it started, we’re back in the conference room again, the wall sconces at their full brightness, although not as bright as the supernatural light we all just beheld.

“Should have just let her scroll on her phone,” Sabina grumbles beside me.

Amrita shakes her head, purple dust dissipating into the air like glitter from her dark hair. Eagerly, she opens the box, and pulls a tiny scroll of paper out.

As Amrita reads, her eyes widen.

“What does it say?” Murad asks, his voice hush and his brow furrowed.

Desperately curious, I lean forward as well. I’m glad I don’t have a heartbeat that could be detected by the other vampires in the room.

Amrita whispers,

“‘She’s made of light…

“‘She burns the night…’”

Sabina frowns. “What does that mean?”

“Andwhat does that have to do with Oana and Cedric?” I ask, narrowing my eyes at the vampire-witch before me.

But she’s got a far-away look in her eyes, and I can tell we’re not going to get a clear answer out of her.

“I’ve…I’ve got to go,” she says.

“What?” Celine asks. “But the conference has only just started…”

“Sorry, everyone!” Amrita’s face breaks out into a large grin. Carelessly, she tosses the wooden box to Celine, who snatches it out of the air. “Damien, cover my classes at the academy while I’m away!”