She looked away from me. Aurelia caught the act, and a small smile spread across her face, finally breaking the pitiful look she was giving me.
“Wounds,” I said and pushed myself into a sitting position, with Cedar and Aurelia helping me up.
It was a car, likely a van, with a partition that separated us from the driver and had more than enough room for the four of us in the back.
My heart soared.
We were finally together again. These weren’t the best circumstances, but if the council knew about it and didn’t forbid it, we were in the clear.
At least for now.
"They were wounds, not scars,” I clarified, looking at the group. The memory of General Lee’s hand holding my father’s heart was still fresh in my mind. My eyes stung, but I tried my best to push through. “I caught a glimpse of them before it all went to shit.”
Aurelia’s brows furrowed.
“My source would have mentioned it if they were open.”
“Did you see what he was doing there?” Cedar asked.
I shook my head.
“I was about to go in. I was taking out the surrounding vampires guarding the place when the hunters came.”
“I’m sorry about your father,” Cedar whispered, her hand on my back.
“He was shitty,” Aurelia said with a huff. “One more enemy gone.” I couldn’t hide the way my heart sank at her words, and her face twisted up. “Why do you feel like that?”
“I…” I ran my tongue over my fangs, Cedar’s blood still there. “I don’t know. He was going to kill me but pulled back and…”
My hand came up to my neck. There would be a scarred mess where my tattoo used to be, my outcast status visible to everyone. I flinched when my fingers brushed across it. It was sore and still open, but not actively bleeding.
The pieces started clicking.
“It’s magic,” I told them. “His wounds. They felt and smelled weird.”
“How would they heal then?” Atlas asked, calling our attention back to her. She had a long lock of her hair between her hands, her eyes on it as if it were more engrossing than our display.
She probably doesn’t want to watch Aurelia with us.Dark satisfaction unfurled in me.
“A witch can make and heal the wounds,” Cedar replied. “He has to be working with one.”
Aurelia made a noise.
“We don’t have any in the castle, so whoever did it in the first place must be healing him. The real question is,whyis he using magic on himself?”
There was an uncomfortable feeling in the bond. Like dread slowly seeping into us.
“Did you happen to see what was carved on it?” Cedar asked in a small voice.
I shook my head. “I was too busy trying not to die.”
Atlas let out a scoff.
“And see where that got us.”
“We are going back to the Castle palace,” Aurelia cut in before I could attack the dark-haired vampire who finally had the nerve to look at her.
“That’s not a good idea,” she warned. “Your brother is going to be furious.”
