The image of the cold, beautiful female on the diamond throne beside my father flashes through my mind.
“This is insane…why am I here?”
“In this cell or in this world?” he asks earnestly.
“Both!” I shout, my voice clamoring against the walls. “Why am I being tortured for information?! Why am I being called a witch?!”
“The Kingsguard must have seen the shadow smoke in the Bone Forest when we arrived. They brought you here because they think—they hope—that you’re the last Blackblood witch.”
“Are you kidding? That’s literally insane. Why would they think that?”
“I was getting to that part,” he says almost guiltily. Fixing him with a death glare, I lean in.
“What. Part.”
“You were born in the mortal realm,” Zadyn begins slowly, readying me for the shoe I know he’s about to drop. “But you possess the last drop of black blood left in this world, in all worlds.”
“Meaningwhatexactly.”
“Meaning that you are the one and only living descendant of the Blackblood clan.”
I don’t know what that means, but a wild laugh bursts from me because I’m sure, I ampositive, that I hit my head in the bookshop and none of this is really happening. I shove to my feet to pace around the small cell while Zadyn watches me carefully from the ground.
“Are you alright?” he asks after a moment.
“I think you’re sorely mistaken. I was born in thehumanworld, on this little planet calledEarth—I believe you’ve heard of it? My father was notfaeor ‘Blueblood,’” I use air quotes.
“Blackblood,” he corrects.
“And my mother may be a witch, but she sure as shit isn’t the kind you’re referring to. Both parents perfectly human, okay? Just like me.” I gesture to my disheveled, bloodstained body.
“Your lineage has no bearing. Black blood isn’t hereditary; the magic chooses. You were chosen across worlds, across time.”
“How did you—never mind. This is all a pipe dream. I’ve completely lost my shit.” I toss my shackled arms up and slide down the length of the rough, uneven wall. “Oh, well. Guess I don’t have to file taxes this year on account of insanity.”
“This is very real.” Zadyn scoots closer and places a large hand over my drawn-up knee, peering into my eyes. The warmth in his beautiful face is almost enough to combat my speeding heart and growing anxiety.
Almost. But not quite.
“Don’t you think I’d know if I was a witch?” I hiss. “I have no supernatural abilities. I neverhave, and believe me, I’ve attended my fair share of middle school sleepover seances.”
“Youarethe last Blackblood,” he affirms. “You may not know it yet, but you have great power within you.”
Shaking my head, I counter, “And why should I believe a word you say? You’ve lied to me my whole life, and you expect me to just believe I was chosen by some voodoo bullshit to be a witch? Maybe you’re just as crazy as I am.” My gaze falls to the heavy shackles encircling my wrists.
“Look at me.” Reluctantly, I do as he says. “I’m telling you the truth. You were chosen. Just as I was chosen to be your familiar, to guard you, and deliver you here safely. This mark—it brought me to you.” He points to the tattoo on his chest.
“Your tattoo?” I ask incredulously.
“It’s the mark of a familiar,” he explains. “It appeared when you were born.”
Absurd. So fucking absurd.
“The mark acts like a compass, guiding me to you. You were glamoured at birth to blend in with the humans of your world. Your magic was repressed, your appearance muted.”
“Blendin with the humans? Iamhuman. Why would I need a glamour to blend?”
“You may have been born in the human world, but you aren’t human. Witches are native to Solterre.”
