My legs are so weak, they barely carry me to my bedroom, where I collapse on the floor in tears. I spend the next hour sobbing and gasping for breath as I break down.
I loved him. I gave him every part of myself. Told him things I’d never shared with another living soul. Showed him parts of myself I kept hidden under lock and key.
When High Priest Smythe passed away a couple of weeks after my parents, I used my family’s resources to rally the coven behind Caulder as our new High Priest. I fought the naysayers and did things to secure his power that I regret… passed rumors… gathered and fabricated evidence against his competition.
The wool suddenly lifts from my eyes, and I realize that he used me. For years, he took advantage of me—my money. My devotion. My loneliness. My blind adoration for him. The daymy parents passed away, he targeted and manipulated me into thinking he cared about me.
I rip off Caulder’s sweater he left behind last week, breathing in his deep citrus cologne as I rub my thumb over the soft knit. His scent usually brings back memories of the times we spent together. But those memories are tarnished, vile reminders of a love that was unrequited. What we had wasn’t real. It was a bastardization of what love should be.
I throw his sweater into the fireplace and watch the flames engulf it. The fabric slowly burns, turning to ash.
Caulder Scarborough is dead to me now.
I never want to see his lying, cheating face again. I have half a mind to expose him in front of the entire coven and ruin his engagement. But deep down, I know it would do nothing to harm his perfectly crafted reputation. I have no proof—it would be his word against mine.
Who will believe the crazy orphan whose parents’ death mentally destroyed him over the High Priest? Who will side with the loser who can’t control his magic over the beloved leader of our coven who restored our former glory?
I laugh to myself, because if I weren’t me, I wouldn’t believe me, either. Everyone is trapped so deeply in his sticky web. They’re all fooled by the facade he shows the world. The sharp suits, fancy car, and fake kindness and generosity he flaunts. I don’t stand a chance against him.
I grab a suitcase from my closet. All I need is clothes, books, and distance. If I’m ever going to get over my parents’ death and Caulder’s betrayal, I need to leave this place, find somewhere new, and reinvent myself. The idea of a warm, sunny climate outside of New England, where it doesn’t snow, is appealing.
As I pull the zipper close, the click of the front door unlocking echoes through my silent home. I forgot I gave him a key to the house. The sound of his boots thumping through the hallwayrankles me. I don’t want to hear his apologies or excuses. Before I can think of anything to say, he stops in the open doorway to my bedroom, scanning the sight before him. His eyes fall on the suitcase, and his jaw tightens.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“That’s not your concern anymore. Enjoy building your legacy with your beautiful bride,” I calmly state as I take the handle of my suitcase.
His fingers dig into my biceps as he grabs my arm to stop me. He laughs, like I told a funny joke. “Darling, You’re being dramatic. Unpack your things. I brought Thai to eat while we catch up on our show.”
Excuse me? What the actual fuck is happening right now?
“Get your hand off me and leave my house. I never want to see you again.” My voice is firm. The minute he said her name at the meeting, he gave her the future I so desperately wanted for two years. He ended us.
His grip tightens, holding me in place. “Don’t make me tell you twice. Go plate the food, and I’ll queue up the show.”
He shoves me through my bedroom door, parting me from my suitcase. He bullies me into the living room before I manage to dig my feet into the carpet and stop him.
“How about you take the food to your fiancee,Flora? She seems like the type to plate food. I bet she’d give you a linen napkin and even pour the soda into a chilled glass with ice.”
“Keep her name out of your mouth,” he shouts at me as he grips my face in his hand. His spittle lands on my face as his fingertips and thumb dig into my cheek. I try to break free from his hold, but he pins me against the wall.
“Flora,” I taunt him. “Soon to be FlorafuckingScarborough.”
He releases me, slapping me across the face so hard my head bounces off the wall. Then he slams me into the wall with his forearm across my chest. Sharp pain blares through my skull,and the aftershocks almost make me fall to the ground. I can feel the sting of his signet ring scratching my cheek and the warm trickle of blood rolling down to my jaw.
Caulder doesn’t seem shocked by what he’s done. If anything, he’s angrier.
“Look what you made me do!”
“Yeah, I made you string me along for years and cheat. I forced you to put your hands on me like a piece of human garbage. I’m the reason you’re an asshole.Fuck you,” I spit.
“You knew what this was.” His words feel worse than the slap did.
“How dare you,” I seethe, my breathing unsteady as I try to hold my temper. “You used me—hid me like a dirty fucking secret. Took everything I could possibly give you and then cast me aside when I was all used up.”
He smiles at me, as if he’s impressed I figured him out. Disgust claws its way up my throat. My anger boils, pressing at me from the inside and making me feel as if I’m moments away from exploding.
“You’re not good enough to stand by my side, Ambrose. You’re a loner. An orphan. An embarrassment who can’t control his magic.You’re crazy. Why would I pick someone like you when I can have the daughter of the richest member of the coven?”
