Page 66 of Twisted

“I haven’t talked to him yet,” Mabel starts and looks around.“Actually, why are you here?No one else is?”

“There was business I had to attend to in the area.”

Now it’s my turn to give him a quizzical stare.“You’re not going to elaborate on that, are you?”

“No,” he says simply.“I am not.It is not a matter of either of your concern.”I don’t need to use magic to be able to sense how annoyed he is that I can’t be held spellbound.“Everything is under control, don’t worry.”

“That’s exactly what someone who doesn’t have things under control would say,” I counter.“I’m quite capable, you know.”

“I’m well aware of the spells you can cast without trying.My brother is growing quite fond of you.”His eyes narrow and I again can read between the lines.He doesn’t like that Xavier trusts me.“Do I even want to know why your clothes are wet?”

“The sprinkler system went off when Wren used magic to incinerate the demon,” Mabel tells him matter of factly.“It was so cool.I wish there were security footage inside the private rooms.”

Theo’s eyes narrow again.He’s lucky vampires can’t get wrinkles with how much he glares.“Are you sure nothing was caught on camera?”

“Yes.This ain't my first rodeo,” I remind him.“Like the other brides you’veacquired,I came from the Order.But unlike them, I remember everything and I was—and still am—one of the best hunters they’ve ever seen.”

“She really is good,” Mabel goes on.“Ugh, too bad I can’t talk about this on my YouTube channel!”

“You have a channel?”I ask.

“I just started one a few months ago after everyone was begging for more.I’ve gotten brand deals already.”

“That’s so cool,” I tell her, impressed yet again.“You’ll have to show me.”

“I will.You want to redo your room, don’t you?”

“I would love to.”

“I figured that girly-girl vibe wasn’t your thing.We can do a whole redecorate-with-me video, if you’re up for it.”

“Yeah,” I tell her.“That would be fun.”

Theo looks back and forth between us.“I don’t know if I like this.”

“What, that we’re friends?”I ask pointedly.“You want us to hate each other instead?”

Theo just lets out a sigh and shakes his head.“Not my circus, not my monkeys,” he mumbles and walks away.

“Well, we should probably shower and change,” I say.Mabel agrees and we go upstairs to shower and change.

“Are you okay?”Mabel asks when we get to my doorway.“Seeing your adoptive parents had to have rattled you.”

“It did,” I confess.“I thought about what I’d say to them before.But it’s like the words just died in my throat.”

“Betrayal hurts the most when it’s done by someone we thought would love and protect us.”

“Yeah.”I bit my lip and shake my head.“And it’s also the whole identity crisis I’m having along with it.Everything I thought about myself was a lie.”

“Does the name Blackwood mean anything to you?”

“No.If I’m really Florence Blackwood, there has to be a record of me somewhere.It’s just…a mindfuck.”

“If I could jazz the blues away for you, I would.”

“Thanks, Mabel.”I make myself smile.“It was fun going out tonight.Even without the demons.”

“It was fun.”She takes my hand and gives it a gentle squeeze.“You’re Florence Malus now.My sister-in-law and my friend.You can’t change who you used to be, but you have complete control over who you can become.”