Page 97 of Fighting for Her Heart

“How do I do that?” My voice cracks, shocked that I actually want her to tell me.

She puts her hand over my heart, and her touch is so warm and familiar to me that my entire psyche splinters into pieces.

I’m exhausted, confused, destroyed by pain. And not just pain from the silver. Pain from my guilt in the part I’ve played in bringing the men here. Pain from learning the truth of who I am, from seeing the men I love suffer, and perhaps most of all, pain from discovering my mother lied to me—my entire life.

“Can you feel your magic inside you now?” Nora asks. “Listen for it. Concentrate. Find it. Are you ready to seize your powers?”

“Yes.” My body feels like it’s expanding from within, an undeniable light and force growing inside me. But I’m still trapped in silver, bolted to the wall.

“How?” I ask. “How do I seize my power and wield it? Teach me, please.” The swell continues to rise inside me, and I’m ashamed by how thrilling and welcome it feels.

Nora smiles. “Of course I will teach you. It’s my destiny to guide you, just as it is your destiny to grant freedom from oppression to women.”

I’ve lost the will to argue with her.

“I agree,” I say softly.

“Agree to what?” Nora asks.

“To do anything you want as long as you free these men.”

Beside us, the men struggle in their bindings, moans and growls rising from behind their silver gags.

Crossing her arms over her chest, Nora sighs. “I willconsideryour request, in time, if you still feel this way, but onlyafteryou make at least six more to replace them.”

“Fine.” It’s her first concession. I consider it a win.

“But—” she holds up her finger in front of me “—I want this understood. You will notstopat six. I will not risk running out of our precious resource—not ever again.”

“I understand.” I nod. “But I have one more condition.”

“You are not in a position to bargain, my daughter.”

I swallow my rising bile. “I realize that but…but if you ever loved me…if you ever cared for meat all.” I wish I still had tears, but even if I used them, I’m not sure Nora would be moved. “As an act of good faith and understanding between us, I want you to remove their silver bindings.”

Frowning, she turns back toward the men I love. “If I do that, they could escape.”

“Escape?” I say. “From a keeper of magic as powerful as you? Surely you can find another way to hold three vampires captive without using constant pain.”

She shrugs, clearly trying to hide a smug smile. “But why should I take such a risk?”

“You said that the previous lambent vampires all died. And that the only one you still have is refusing to feed. Have you considered why? Why they’ddecideto die?”

Her chin lifts. And then, turning toward the far wall, she flicks her wrist.

The wall at the end of the space disappears, revealing a jail cell of sorts—a room formed from crisscrossed bars, almost like chain link, but heavier.

The space inside looks far from comfortable, but there are five sets of bunk beds, and a few wooden benches and chairs. Is she saying she’ll move the men in there? It’s better than being chained to the wall with silver, I suppose.

I spot something on one of the bunks. A body. It takes a moment to realize it’s a vampire, and my blood chills. He’s alive. Barely. Presumably their last lambent vampire. The last one before she tricked me into creating three more.

“Sisters,” Nora turns toward the other witches, currently replacing the blood collecting receptacles beneath each of my men. “Please transfer our guests into the barracks. Carefully. One at a time.”

They nod.

Tending to Ryker first, the witches remove the blood and semen collecting equipment. Leaving on his silver collar, cuffs and gag, they release the shackles holding his bindings to the bolts on the wall.

Carefully watching their actions, I try to figure out what’s real and what’s not.