Page 48 of Twisted

“Subject’s test results show a one-hundred percent match to human DNA,” Devon whispers as he reads a line from the document.“Witches are human.”

“We are.”My fingers shake as I scroll down another page.“Why were they taking my blood?”

“They took a lot too,” Devon adds, pointing to a note on the screen.“That’s like a blood donation amount.”

“I don’t remember any of this.”I swallow, throat thick and tight.My entire world is starting to collapse around me as it’s revealed that everything I thought I knew was a lie.“Why would they—” I gasp right before Devon sees what I’m looking at.

“Fuck,” he breathes and puts his hand on my thigh.“Wren…this is fucked up.”

“Yeah,” I say and blink a few times.Maybe I’m dreaming.And I’m sick.It’s a fever dream…that’s actually a nightmare.Because what I’m looking at can’t be true.There’s no way.Only…there is.“It all makes sense.”

“It does?”

“No.But maybe.”I look at Devon.“They told me they saved me.That demon killed my parents and they took me, not knowing I was a witch.I didn’t show signs of having powers until I was like six or something.”

“I’m really sorry, Wren,” he says and I can feel the emotion in his voice.He knows the pain of betrayal.He knows what it feels like to think your family wants you but they’re only using you.Because he’s being used by his vampire ‘brothers’ to continue the family line.Whether they want him to join them in eternity is a whole other question…and not one I can think about right now.“They knew the whole time.”

“And they didn’t save me.They kidnapped me so they could use me to make super soldiers.”

CHAPTER20

“Well, it didn’t work, if that makes you feel any better,” Devon offers after a few seconds of silence hangs in the air.“Injecting other hunters with your blood didn’t give them powers.”

I let out a strained laugh.“Right.Magic…magic doesn’t work that way.You’re born with it.”

“Or maybe it’s Maybelline.”

“You are so lame,” I say, laughing again but this time it’s real.Devon playfully elbows me.

“Hey, it got a little giggle out of you at least.”

“It did.This….this is so fucked up.”I shake my head.

“It really is.”He slowly inhales and twists his body to look at me.“I’m really sorry, Wren.What they did was more than just twisted.It violated you.”

“Big time.”

“I can only imagine how you’re feeling.I don’t know what I can offer other than support, but I’m here.”

Our eyes meet and my heart flutters in my chest and I push back the urge to cry.We were taught that crying is a sign of weakness, but I always knew it was wrong.Hiding your feelings is the real weakness.Being able to deal with shame, guilt, and disappointment in a normal, human way takes strength.

“I thought they saved me,” I finally say after a moment of sitting in stunned silence.“I believed everything they told me.”I push my damp hair back over and shiver.Devon tightens the blanket back around my shoulders and lets one hand linger on my forearm.“I thought they cared.”

“Maybe they do care.”

“Hello, look at where I am.”

“Oh, shit, right.”He looks away, eyes darting around the room as he talks.“Just because they had nefarious reasons in the beginning doesn’t mean they never grew to care about you.It seems it became pretty clear when you were only sixteen that there was no way to bioengineer magic.”

“Yeah,” I say, not really letting myself agree or disagree.Normally, in a situation like this, I’d rely on my training to stay calm.I’d disassociate in a way that let me think rationally and not let emotion cloud my judgment.I was raised like a fucking warrior, robbed at any chance of a normal childhood.I could be bitter and angry, but that’s not going to change the past.

But no matter what, I can’t stop this gut-wrenching feeling of heartbreak.

“I was useful, though.”I bite my lip and lean forward, scrolling through another page.“I’m a good hunter.Like a really good one.”

“Yeah, you seem pretty lethal,” he chides and looks at his arm where the energy ball hit him.

“Sorry about that.Again.”