But Sally, that young witch we met, is responsible?
Taina has barely parked the car before I’m hopping out the door. Auntie tells me to wait, but I ignore her. It’s dark in the dump, so I use my phone flashlight to guide me. The second wooden cabin on the left looks more lived-in than the others, so I know we’re in the right place. I’m grateful the door is unlocked, so I stride right in, the others barely on my heels.
My coven keeps telling me to slow down, but I don’t. Regardless of what I find down here, I need to face Sally head-on. After finding a doorway to the basement, I dash down the steps.
When I get to the base of the stairs, I freeze. My whole body goes cold, and I can’t even blink at the sight. Behind me, Seb calls, “Loxley, wait, can we just…oh no.”
Gordy is tied up, sitting upright against the wall. And a sword is floating above his head. It could drop at any moment, but it’s being held up by magic. A figure stands a few feet from him?Sally has her hand raised. She’s holding my familiar—my boyfriend, my mate, my everything—hostage.
“Whoa, whoa,” Seb says.
“Sally?” Kenta asks in disbelief.
“Shut up!” she barks. “And no one move or the guy gets chopped up.”
“Gordy,” I whisper, my eyes burning with anxious tears.
He weakly opens his eyes. “Loxley?”
“G-G-Gordy,” I say, stepping forward.
“Shut up!” Sally’s voice freezes me in place. “I can’t…can’t think!” She wipes her face with her free hand, and it’s then that I realize how disheveled she looks.
“What is going on?” Kai asks.
“Just…just NO ONE talk or the turtle gets cut!” She rubs her face, like she’s having a mental breakdown. When my gaze flits from her to Gordy, a plan forms in the back of my mind. Sally holds all the cards; she’s kidnapped my love, and Gordy could die if we try to rush her.
I’m an empath witch; it’s time to be empathetic.
“Sally. You’re…not well,” I whisper.
“Of COURSE not!” She pulls at her hair and wipes her eyes again.
“You…don’t have to do this,” I say.
“Just let him go,” Seb says. I turn to him and motion for him to be quiet, then turn back to her.
“I…I do have to. I have no choice,” she says, her voice lacking conviction. It’s almost as if Sally hasn’t slept in days. For all I know, it’s true, so I need to reach her.
“Sally…” She looks at me, and I step closer. Raising up my hands in a gesture of peace, I take a deep breath and access my magic. In moments, I take in Sally’s aura.
Echoes of her pain flash through my mind. Her aura is so potent this close up that I can almost see her memories, like a picture book in my mind.
“You…were cursed. Cursed to…hunger. Deeply,” I say.
She sniffs and nods, and tears run down her cheek. “None of you know what it’s like,” she says in a broken tone. “This curse…these fangs.” She opens her mouth to reveal a monstrous set of teeth. “It hurts so much. I need to consume magic. I…need to feed.”
“But you…don’t want to.” My words are quiet, and I take another step forward. “Someone…did this to you.”
She lets out a sob and stares at the floor. “It was almost two years ago. I fell in love with my witch tutor. He was handsome and charming, and I didn’t know any other witches…”
I turn back to the others and nod, letting them know that she’s telling the truth. Turning back to her, I ask, “And?”
“He gave me this…this curse.” She sniffs and gazes at me, tired eyes broken. “I’m so hungry for magic…all the time. But with him?” She looks at Gordy, who stares at us in concern. “He has so much arcana. I wanted to keep him, at least until I could cure this fucking curse.”
With another sob, she looks down and shakes her head. “It hurts so much,” she rasps. “I don’t want to keep kidnapping witches, but there is no other option. To quell this hunger, I have to…I have to keep feeding off of him.” She looks at me with broken eyes and says, “I don’t want this life.”
Her aura tells me she’s not lying, so I step forward again. “I believe you.”
