“No. I’m upset with whoever framed Andrei, but as I don’t know who, I can’t be angry, can I?” I snap back.
“If somebody hurt one of your boys, that would make you angry, wouldn’t it?”
“Why are you obsessed with this?” I ask.
“Because I need more of this.”
The worm reaches my heart and I jolt, disconnecting from myself as my mind blurs. A new spell energy replaces the usual tingle when my magic triggers and a shadow flickers in the corner of my vision.
I move my head for a clearer look, but the shadow doesn’t exist—apart from in my head. Whispering joins the shadow, a multitude of incoherent voices in my mind. Terrified Anastasia is triggering a vision, I suck in a breath and draw on my mental magic for protection.
But the magic whispering in my mind won’t let me. My urge is to fight back. To draw all the energy from the voices and darkness and throw a spell at the woman who abducted me.
Runes glow violet against the wall—those hidden so well I never noticed them. Or did I create them? Their power magnifies the new magic and I finally scramble to catch up with what’s happening.
“I want to leave.”
Anastasia smiles as I stand. “You could fight me.”
Yes. “No.”
Her smile drops. “Do it.”
The voices stop as if somebody unplugged them, and the shadow edging my vision clears. I blink. What the hell is happening? Anastasia glares at me as air rushes from my lungs, breathing out the frustration that had clutched at my chest. The runes on the wall have vanished and the disgusting wriggling inside disappeared.
“Can I go now?” I ask stiffly.
She purses her lips, staring as if I’m an apparition. “How did you stop the magic?”
“I guess I’m stronger than I thought,” I say with bravado I don’t feel.
“Or not strong enough.” With her cryptic response, Anastasia wrinkles her nose and waves a hand towards the door. “Fine. I won’t keep you any longer, but I do hope to see you at the gathering this evening.”
I hesitate. Is this a trick? She gestures at the door again. Confused, I make my way towards the exit and my stomach tightens when I see who’s standing outside.
Tobias.
From his vantage point, he saw everything, but I didn’t see him.
I tip my chin and narrow my eyes at Tobias, projecting ‘what the hell are you doing?’ into his mind. No response. Instead, he turns and walks away. Heat prickles through my body as my anxiety spikes.
Why won’t he talk to me?
Chapter Six
MAEVE
My room would be a sanctuary if this was an ordinary house; instead, I'm on alert for threats and the strange guards that hover around the edge of my consciousness. I ate alone at dinner, sitting in the same room alone. My stomach churned and I struggled to eat the chicken and salad placed in front of me. I avoided eating or drinking much, terrified the Blackwoods may add something dangerous to influence me further. Each time I heard a voice nearby, I readied myself for Anastasia's hinted magical test, but saw nobody apart from my escort, Mhairi.
Relieved I'm allowed respite in my room, I'm ready to crawl under the covers and hide.
Again, my thoughts return to the others. Did Jamie survive? And what of Ash and Andrei. My throat thickens. They'll plan to find me, but how is that possible? The Confederacy may help return me to the academy, but with each passing day I'm unsure if I'm any safer in their hands. Both sides want to use me in a war headed by people who have their own interests at heart, not those of the supernatural societies they lead.
Vincent may be a Dominion tool, but someone else inside the academy has sinister motives too. Are the Dominion and Confederacy playing into each other's hands? All I can picture is death and stalemate.
I sit on the edge of the bed, sinking into the sumptuous mattress, and pick up one of the many pillows. I hold the silken material to my face as if I squeezed hard enough, I could push some of my stress into the pillow. All day, I've attempted to connect with Jamie's mind. We never have before, but I hoped in vain we might. Nothing. Our magical connection must be on a different plane to Matt and Amelia's.
This sharpens into focus the worst part of this situation. I'm alone.
I smother my face with the pillow and scream the frustration and anguish I've saved so far today. Then I place the pillow back on the bed and take a shuddery breath. If I rest, am I safe to sleep?
The floorboards outside the room creak instantly, pushing my heart rate sky high. Oh, god, no. I never hear Mhairi's footsteps when she approaches the door. What if this is Nikolai? He took delight in following me at a subtle distance I could feel as I wandered the house.
Jumping to my feet, I look around the room for a weapon. I've not physically attacked anybody since I punched Tyler since magic works better, but if I surprise the intruder, I might disarm them enough to cast a spell.
I hold my breath as if this would allow me to hear more, but the only sound is blood whooshing in my ears.
The door remains closed. Swallowing the lump growing in my throat, I creep to the door and press my ear against the wood. What if this is more than one person?
A test.
The rune in the centre of the door glows and my hearing dulls. I try to open the door, but the metal doorknob burns into my palm and I snatch my hand away. No injury, but enough discomfort to keep me from trying again.
The floorboards creak outside again and I place my hand on the door, away from the rune, steadying myself as the anxiety grows.
I sense a new energy—one I'm familiar with.
"I'm coming in." Tobias's voice is barely audible in my mind and I'm torn between relief and fear he's the enemy sent to test me.
The door handle moves, and I step back as the door opens. Tobias stays in the hallway and watches me warily.
I'm speechless, expecting more words from him in my mind, but nothing. He’s dressed as he was at breakfast, the well-cut black shirt and trousers bringing him closer to Nikolai than Tobias in appearance. He glances behind him before slowly closing the door with a quiet click, then rests his back against the wood. Exhaustion paints dark shadows beneath Tobias’s eyes and there’s defeat in his expression.
Finally, I find my voice. "You betrayed us."
"No."
I choke out a laugh. "You're cosying up with Anastasia. Are you waiting for her to cure you so you can be your old self?"
"How can you believe that?" he whispers.
"Umm. I've seen you with her and she's all over you. Anastasia touched you and her look told me she’d done that before." I screw my face up in disgust. “And you didn’t pull away.”
"I'm spending my time around her to help you. Didn't you hear what I said when she attacked us?" Tobias steps forward and I back away. "Maeve. I’m doing all I can to protect you, and I won’t stop until you’re out of here and safe."
I cross my arms around myself as my emotions threaten to break through the paper-thin barrier holding them back. "I want to believe you, but you stood back and watched what Anastasia did to me." I swallow. “I don’t understand what she did to me.”
He shakes his head and looks at me in despair. "I helped you."