I should have been wary of spooking the woman who had barely accepted me. The woman who hadn’t come close to accepting what I felt for her.
I’d barely accepted it myself.
And yet all I felt was a deep, all-encompassing satisfaction after proving to her that she was mine.
At the same time, the need to tie her to me was like a set of claws digging into my spine.
My black heart couldn’t contain all that I felt for her.
Part of me hated her for the weakness she caused in me. A larger part knew that if anything ever happened to her, this realm would burn.
A knock on the door. I turned, finding Bael and Ag waiting for me.
Bael glanced around the living room, and it was obvious he knew what had just happened. Whatever he could see on my face warned him not to say a word.
“Our people have been searching for the black witch. She has disappeared.”
Rage swept through me at the thought. After she’d ‘borrowed’ the last grimoire, I’d changed the code to my safe and sunk more power into my ward. Some part of me had known she was not to be trusted.
And yet, over the past decade, I’d trusted the witch enough to allow her into my home. Worse, I’d allowed her to have access to Danica while she was unconscious. I’d even trusted her with Danica’s sister’s life.
“She’s a black witch,” Ag said. “It was only a matter of time before she betrayed us. You made allowances for that when you decided to work with her.”
“She’s either dead or in the underworld. Have you flipped Teremos yet?” Another demon we hoped to sway to our side.
“I believe so. Lucifer killed his beloved. If Teremos could get through the portal, he would, but now he is willing to lose his life if it means Lucifer loses his.”
“Find out if Gloria is there.”
Ag nodded. “If she’s stupid enough to turn to Lucifer, she deserves everything she will get.”
Gloria knew nothing that could truly harm us, had never been privy to my plans. Yet she knew things about Danica’s family that Lucifer would findveryinteresting.
Hopefully, Lucifer would have one of his rages and kill her when she showed up without the grimoires. But I would need to plan for other eventualities, just in case.
* * *
Danica
The funerals began at sunset. Some of the bodies had already been taken by relatives, back to their hometowns. Those who had no other families, or who had otherwise made their wishes clear, were given a joint funeral.
The coven had its own plot in Maplewood Cemetery. There had been protests earlier in the week regarding so many witches being buried on consecrated ground— even white witches–- but the local authorities had quickly put a stop to that.
No one wanted to piss Gemma off right now.
The coven had already formed a circle, and the witches were surrounding the coffins when we arrived. Evie stepped past me and joined the circle, clutching Freya and Marie’s hands.
Those who weren’t coven members surrounded the circle, heads bowed as the coven mourned their dead. The coven had been a mainstay in Durham for years, and representatives from all factions had taken the time to pay their respects.
On the other side of the circle, Gary nodded at me, Cil and Zip by his side. Selina stood nearby, her eyes sad as she watched the proceedings. Nathaniel, Liam, and Kyla were positioned a few feet away, and even Mariam had taken the time to show her face.
Other covens had shown up too, including witches from both the Jefferson and Allen covens, along with several other covens.
Samael, Vas, and Bael stood next to me, and I idly wondered when the last time so many paranormals and humans had been gathered in the same place at the same time, without it turning into bloodshed.
Meredith stepped up next to me, her delicate shoulders hunched. Her best friend was being buried today. I wrapped my arm around her and gave her a quick hug.
Vas glanced at Mere once, and then looked at everyone but her for the rest of the ceremony. Subtle.
