“I needed a witch anyway, but you’re a day too soon,” he said with a sigh and ran his hand through his hair.
“What’s behind there?” I asked and tried to move further away, though I knew that putting space between us was only delaying the inevitable.
I’m going to die here.
Panic shot through the bond. I could almost hear Vesper’s panicked yell through my mind. I still couldn’t hear Aurelia, though.
“What?” He looked up as if he were thinking. When his eyes met mine again, they were completely red.
My stomach sank.
“Who?” I asked, my voice shaking.
His smile widened.
“Don’t worry, you’ll see what’s behind the door, but first… Let’s take a nap.”
Pain shot through my neck. My magic didn’t have enough time to react to his speed.
Time slowed. My body felt heavy. Blackness started closing in.
“We’ll have use for you yet, little witch. See you when you wake up.”
Against the screaming in my head, my world turned black.
Vesper
Something’s wrong.
Part of the bond went silent. I could finally feel Aurelia, and it was getting stronger, meaning she was getting closer. But Cedar’s part of the bond was gone.
It wasn't like when she was asleep at night. We could still feel her then, feel her fear and pain.
But this… There was nothing there.
The bond still existed, nestled inside me right next to Aurelia, but it was dormant. Cold.
I finished my work in the upper floors and bolted down to the foyer. The bond was pulling me to her. Our panic feeding into each other’s.
By the time Aurelia rushed through the doors, I felt like I was going to jump out of my skin. Her hair was tousled from her run up into the house, her dress dirty at the hem, and she smelled of blood and magic.
“Where were you?” I asked and grabbed her by the arm.
She looked over my shoulder, then back at me.
“I was meeting my husband,” she whispered. Most of the time, when she was with us, she called him Caspian. None of us liked his official title.
I thought she was doing something to prepare for tomorrow. But why couldn't we know about it? And why did it have to be now?
Did she send us on this scavenger hunt knowing we’d find nothing?
I couldn't feel angry because of how panicked I was.
“The bond… It’s?—”
“I know,” she said in a nervous whisper. “Where was she? Did she find?—”
“Oh good, you’re finally back fromvisiting your husband,” Adrian said, suddenly at our side. Dread rose in me so quickly, I jerked away from him, automatically trying to take Aurelia with me.
