I swallow hard, but don't reply. He reaches out and his long, pale fingers touch my temples between my eyes, and I flinch as if he jabbed needles into my skin.
Ruben steps back and addresses his daughter. "Hmm. I'm unsure if this is a good or bad situation. How about the others? Has the boy manifested any further magic?"
"No. He's not absorbing our energy." Anastasia crosses her arms. "He is highly skilled and has attempted to perform the magic asked, but so far he’s failed."
Throughout the conversation, Ruben's eyes remain on mine and I can't look away. I don't sense any mind reading, but this is more than unnerving. Inside I'm screaming 'what are you going to do to me?' and using everything I can to stop any invasion.
Ruben places his hands behind his back and runs his tongue along his teeth. "You keep bringing me the wrong people, Anastasia."
"This is the witch the Confederacy values above the others. The one I told you about—she has the witch, vampire, and shifter mates."
I fail to hide my surprise. "Friends,” I say.
Anastasia laughs. "Lovers."
Fighting my indignance, I straighten. "Call them what you want."
"But is she capable of what we need?" asks Ruben, ignoring our exchange. "She's too protected."
"Obviously not." Anastasia gestures at me. "We have a chance to teach her. To build on the Blackwood energy."
Ruben makes a humph sound and turns away. Then pauses and looks back. "Have you seen the Blackwood grimoire in the academy, girl?"
"No." He narrows his eyes. "Read me. I'm telling the truth."
"I believe the book is at your academy." Ruben's eyes darken. "If the pendant was located there, why not the book?"
"Perhaps Tobias has the grimoire," I say pointedly.
"No. Why would I be asking you if he did, silly child."
I grit my teeth. Does Tobias know where the book is? Blackwood magic seduced Matt when he took the grimoire, perhaps the same happened to Jamie and he took the book.
"Your grandmother should've written the spells again before she passed," Ruben says, clearly exasperated.
"Since her passing was a little sudden, I imagine she didn't have time," replies Anastasia.
"She had over sixty years!" Ruben throws his hands up. "Now we have the pendant, but we need that book. I don't know how the hell the items ended up in a Nightworld academy."
Anastasia looks the other way. She knows why. A secret within the family?
"What time does Gabriella arrive?" he asks her.
"Dusk, today."
At the mention of Andrei's mother's name, my chest tightens until I can’t breathe properly. The Blackwoods have me—and the Dominion are definitely involved.
"Good. I'd like her to see how potent we are. We have the ability to locate and retrieve her most wanted possession." His eyes burn my skin. Is Ruben talking about me? A possession. "But I will not make my brother's mistake," he says. "No more hybrids."
Anastasia cocks her head. "Not from us, but who knows what Maeve's future holds."
Ruben's lip curls. "Yes, you do, Anastasia." He straightens his sleeves. "If the magic is in there, heighten it. I'm not happy with how weak she is."
"And will that help?" she asks.
"The stronger the magic, the better." He takes one last displeased look at me and then stiffly leaves the room.
If I were brave enough to answer with snark, I'd say the stronger my magic, the better to take them all on.
"Does Tobias contain Blackwood energy too?" I ask Anastasia as she sits on a nearby armchair and crosses her legs.
"He's a vampire." She shakes her head. "People are right when they say you have little understanding of how this world works."
"Then why is he working with you?"
Our eyes meet, but she's unfathomable. Tobias could be working with her. "Let me explain what will happen."
I'm still standing, my shallow breathing not helping the dizzy fear. What will Anastasia do to me?
"You're pale, Maeve. Is everything alright?" I moisten my lips and keep my eyes on hers. "I'm not about to torture you, if that's what you think." My palm twinges at her words. "I much prefer games. Explore the house, take a look at what we own. But be careful who you tangle with. You wouldn't want to encourage the darker side of yourself."
"I'd rather sit in the room you locked me in last night," I retort.
"Hmm." She purses her lips. "Your guards might disturb you. Did you see them last night?"
A memory of the strange shadowy figures trips the same shiver down my spine as when I first saw them. "What were they?"
"Spirits who want freeing, so they work for us. We have a lot of unusual guests and employees in the building."
The shiver spreads through my whole body and for the first time, tears prompted by terror push at my eyes. Anastasia smiles with a glee in her eyes because she's breaking me.
"Don't be sad, Maeve. I won't hurt you. I want to help, remember?"
"And I won't help the Dominion."
"But why not? The Confederacy are frightened of you, the way they are of Andrei, and look what happened to him."
"You tried to kill me!" I protest. "The spell in Becci's head attacked me."
She shakes her head. "You wouldn't have died. So cute the witch thought he saved you. I'd like to speak to him some time. Do you think he'll try to find you here?"
I shake my head even though I know that's not true. They'll all attempt to come here.
“I’ll be able to control him, the way I can control you. That’s something we really need to work on—you have a poor resistance to mind control.”
“Now?” I ask and eye the doorway.
With those words, I walk backwards and trip over a chair.
Without wanting to.
Anastasia chuckles. “I’d rather you didn’t leave yet. Look at me.”
I turn my face away from her, but my head turns as if somebody has hold.
I meet Anastasia’s glee-filled eyes. “A warning for you: my brother excels at mind control too.” Her magic worms its way into my mind and tears through the block I throw up. “Now, what should I make you do?”
“Get out of my head,” I say through clenched teeth.
She walks forward and leans down, face close to mine as I’m paralysed. “What makes you angry, Maeve? Who do you want to hurt?”
“Nobody.”
She covers her mouth with a hand in mock horror. “You want to hurt me. Well, that isn’t an option. Try again.”
The worm-like sensation continues moving through my body, crawling into my veins.
“Oh. You’re rather upset with Tobias.” She waves a dismissive hand. “Understandably, but that would be inconvenient. And angry with Vincent for hurting your shifter, but he’s not a good candidate either.”
“Candidate for what?” I squirm as the magic tracks around inside me, painless but nauseating.
Anastasia’s eyes brighten and she steps back. “You’re angry with the Confederacy for what they did to Andrei. Now that is useful.”