Page 106 of Visions of You

Jaron waited for the 'but.' There had to be one.

"Your siblings were not the reason I took you in. I didn't need you for that." Her gaze flickered to Keegan and Jaron's chest tightened with horror.

No.

Somehow she'd known he was connected to Keegan.

Had she foreseen that?

But why did it matter?

What did she need Keegan for?

Jaron's stomach churned. He wanted to throw up.

Had he led his mate to this witch?

"What do you want from me?" Keegan asked, coming to the same conclusion as Jaron.

"To be a seer is to establish a connection to fate itself," Malkira said. "Without that connection, observing its workings would be impossible."

Keegan's eyes widened, understanding dawning in them. Jaron could almost see the pieces falling into place in his mind.

He only wished he understood himself.

"I'm a natural seer," Keegan said slowly, "which means my connection to fate is firmer than yours. Especially now…"

Jaron swallowed hard at the implication in Keegan's words. He was referring to the fact that he was more powerful than ever before. All because he and Jaron had bonded. A bitter taste filled his mouth, remembering how supportive Malkira had been of him pursuing his mate.

She'd only wanted that so she could use Keegan for this.

"You need my help to conclude this ritual," Keegan stated, his voice flat.

Malkira nodded. "I couldn't do it without you, dear."

A silent fire burned in Keegan's gaze. "I'll never help you hurt my friends or Jaron's family."

"I thought you might say something like that." She reached for the pot on the table and filled a cup with its contents.

Jaron watched her, clutching the protective amulet around his neck. What was she going to do with that mind-control potion? Surely she couldn't think he or Keegan would drink it willingly.

She might be a witch, but she would have a hell of a time forcing that stuff down their throats.

Malkira didn't try to get them to drink it, though—she drank it herself.

The realization hit Jaron like a lightning bolt. The potion didn't put someone else under mind control; it gave the drinker the power to control others.

And she wasn't planning to control Jaron.

He whirled around in a desperate bid to rip the amulet off his own neck and place it around Keegan's, but he was already too late.

Keegan's eyes glazed over as Malkira's power took hold.

A dense fog shrouded Keegan's mind, muffling everything that was happening around him. Jaron's desperate pleas reached him as if from a great distance, distorted and meaningless. He felt his body moving against his will, fighting the strong arms trying to restrain him.

"Keegan, stop! It's me, Jaron. You have to fight it!" Jaron's words.

Keegan wanted to listen to them, to listen to his mate, but it was impossible. His thoughts were scattered and slippery. His limbs moved with a purpose that wasn't his own, throwing Jaron off balance as he shoved at him.