“So you intercepted Bridget in Pontas? There were scars on her stomach from blood magic. It happened there, right? There was blood everywhere when I found the Gemini coven hiding there with most of Bridget’s things from New York. What else was Quinn looking for?”
“Cade…” Cassia sighed. That was question three. And a few extra. She didn’t think he even realized it. It was the first time she’d seen his eyes show signs of life in months.
“We’d been informed to intercept Bridget there.”
“How?” Cade pressed. “From who?”
“You’ve already asked three questions.”
Cassia swore the bars of the cell bent from Cade’s grip on them. After a long moment, he hissed, “What else do you want? Let’s make another deal.”
Cassia jumped in front of him. He was in no state of mind to be making deals. “You haven’t made a deal with me. Why do you want to go through the gate?”
Alexia pressed the bottle of wine to her lips and chugged. She chugged until there was nothing left. She wiped her mouth with her forearm and then flung the bottle to the side. With a deafening crack, it shattered against the metal bars surrounding her.
Cassia received her message loud and clear. There would be no more deals
Cade snarled, and then stormed toward the stairs. Cassia ran after him. Barely able to keep up with pace, she panted, “Would you slow…”
Her brother didn’t wait for her to finish. Instead, he shoved the top, wooden door open with a violent flick of his hand. Alarmed, Delphine hopped up and worriedly gazed between the twins.
“Of all the questions…” Cassia began.
Eyes stormy, Cade whirled on her. “Don’t start. I knew exactly what I was asking. You weren’t there that night in Cavamyne. Bridget might be back in the human realm, but things aren’t over. There’s still someone out there looking for her.”
“But don’t you think it’s weird Alexia volunteered to go through the gate, especially knowing about the curse?”
“I don’t give a fuck about why she wants to do anything!” Cade roared. “If she wants to forget everything about Elyria and leave, fine. Good for her. At least I got some answers from her.”
And that’s when she saw it. The gleam in his eyes she saw in the mirror every morning. The one he tried to hide when he noticed her gazing at him. He was… jealous. Whether over Alexia going to the human realm or forgetting, she wasn’t sure.
Delphine stepped between them. “I think it’s time to…”
“Right... I forgot about the damn party,” Cade muttered. “Cass, whatever you do, don’t let our father into your head again. You heard too much tonight. I don’t want him knowing anything else about Bridget or who may be after her.”
She wanted to scream at him that she never wanted him in her head in the first place, but instead, she pursed her lips and glared. Bridget wasn’t the only one with a target on her back.
“What about who’s after you? Quinn is still out there.”
“Last time I saw her, she had one arm,” Cade retorted. “I think I’m fine.”
Before Cassia could argue, he grabbed Delphine’s arm. And that’s when she saw the hesitation on the other girl’s face. Despite her claims to the contrary, Delphine was still struggling with traveling. Ever since Cavamyne, Cassia had noticed her reluctance. But who could blame her? The trip there with two other people had almost killed her. After a moment, Delphine closed her eyes, braced herself, and then disappeared with Cade with a loud pop.
By herself in the ruins of the south wing, silence pierced her ears. She should be used to the hollow noise by now. It was what she’d heard for months. Cassia’s throat tightened. She hated it. She hated feeling useless. She hated wondering what everyone else was doing without her. And most of all, she hated wondering if her brother would ever forgive her.
Chapter five
The courtyard where the gate was located always gave Cassia chills. Once, when she was eleven, she’d accidentally run into the black spiked door. She’d been playing a game of tag with Cade and Finn and hadn’t been paying attention to the path in front of her. If she lifted her chin, the tiny scar was still visible. For a few years, her pride prevented her from ever returning to the courtyard where she had lost the game. But now…
Cassia studied the garden’s chalky, stone archways, the drooping flowers, and the thorny bushes. Everything looked so lifeless. And then there was the door. A noise radiated from it, almost like static. A static that seemed to drain and suck every ounce of magic that dared to get close to it. Absentmindedly, she wondered if that was the reason for the state of the plants. When Cassia heard footsteps to her left, she jumped behind a bush. She chastised herself for the ridiculous impulse, especially when she realized it was just Cade and Delphine walking toward the entrance to the gate. She blamed the courtyard. It always made her jumpy. Still, she remained behind the bush and strained her eyes to listen to their quiet voices. Eavesdropping had become her only source of information lately.
“I checked on Marin again this morning,” Delphine said. “She still isn’t awake. This isn’t normal, especially for a Shaman…”
“What happened when Bridget and Archer went through the gate wasn’t normal. She was the one closest to the blast…”
Cassia’s interest piqued. Marin still hadn’t woken up? When everyone had returned from Cavamyne, she remembered hearing about how the young Shaman had passed out after sending Bridget and the other Warlock through the gate, and that seconds later, a blast of magic knocked everyone to the ground. Cade had also returned unconscious, but he’d awoken after a day.
“Do you think that’ll happen today?” Delphine asked.
