Page 127 of Dark Flame

Arthur goes on, “Once all four of you are Dark, there is a ceremony our High Priestess will complete to inject the combined power through all witches.”

All…they’re planning on turning everyone away from the Goddess.

“So what now?” I tug on the chains. “We sit here until I fully turn to your side?”

“You already have.” Violet huffs. “We’ve been at this for decades, so don’t think us stupid. When you regained your magick a few nights ago, Darkness infused with your element. You are the exact witch our cause needs. Now, we wait for sundown, when you’ll be retrieved and brought to another place to be kept safe until the time of the war when we’ll need you.”

“Which is when?”

She shrugs. “In a few months or years perhaps. Until then, you’ll continue developing your powers under new teachers.”

“You still sound crazy.”

“You’re the lucky one, Harlow. The other three witches, while we need them, they’re less important. You, as the only vampire cure in current existence, are a very valuable commodity and our boss wants you all to himself for an insurance policy. If the war doesn’t turn in the way they think, you might be their Plan B.”

“And you? When this war doesn’t go how you want, you’ll die for this supposed cause?”

“Yes,” both echo at the same time. It’s Violet who continues, “We’re doing thisforwitches. When the four bloodlines join, our High Priestess will be performing magick to save everyone. Everyone will understand eventually.”

“You can both fuck off.”

The tunnel behind them suggests how low the sun is getting. Now dusk, the trees barely filtering any light through. If sundown is coming, I need to get out of here before then.

So I focus. Magick is ruled by emotions and I’m about to feel stronger than ever. Emotions greater than what I felt when supposedly killing them.

This time, I won’t miss.

Forty-Nine

ALEC

The moment sun falls,the enchantment does too and I’m out of the basement as the High Priestess walks through the front door, arms leaden with shopping bags. It’s sickeningly normal and humanlike, but the lack of Harlow behind her only confirms my suspicion.

In the past few hours, there’s been a myriad of emotions from her ripping my insides apart. Shock, panic, concern, betrayal, and curiosity. It’s a jumble making no sense.

But this witchwillanswer for all of it.

I’m in front of her instantly, my hand around her throat. Her shopping bags slip from her arms and crash all around us, items spilling out.

“Where’s Harlow?”

She struggles, nails scratching pointlessly at my skin. “With…you…”

If she thinks Harlow’s with me, then it’s either a good fucking lie or something is worse than I believed.

My grip loosens slightly, but I don’t let her down. “She went to your shop.”

The witch’s expression goes deathly pale and her reply guts me all over. “My shop is closed today.”

I haven’t felt fear—true fear—in a long fucking time.

“So where is she?” I ask it, but it’s a question more for me than her before I take off to town, uncaring if humans mingling out late notice the inhuman blur. I track Harlow’s scent to a small shop, following it to the back room.

Morgan in all her witchy abilities manifests in front of me. “Smell anything?”

“Yes.” My Bride’s scent tinged with fear, enticing my fury, and the others overlaying it. “Two witches.”

If witches were involved, Morgan’s the most likely suspect, but she ignores me, instead closing her eyes and holding up a finger for me to wait.