“She’s Tish, my familiar. As for your previous question, I’m aware now of the danger Madeleine and her friends pose. My mother already warned me that she can’t be freed under any circumstances.”
Isadora’s brow arches. “You spoke to Tatiana? When?”
Whoa, she doesn’t know about our visit? I’m shocked and damn curious as to why Derek didn’t inform the High Witch.
“Last night.”
“She’s still lucid, then?”
“She was for a moment.” Sophie sighs. “I didn’t come here to talk about my mother. You wanted to know how Madeleine escaped. She drew blood from me before I could stop her. I think that’s how she was able to leave her cell. I didn’t do anything to the wards.”
“Not intentionally.” Isadora presses her index finger against her lips. “I just don’t understand how your blood weakened the wards.”
“My father believed my blood would work because I’m related to Madeleine. She’s my mother’s sister.”
“Yes, I’m aware of the family tie, but your father was mistaken. Your blood wouldn’t be enough. If it were that simple, Boone’s blood would have sufficed.”
A light bulb lights up in my head. “Oh yeah. That’s right. Madeleine almost killed Boone. It was Vivi who fr—” I stop suddenly, cursing my big mouth.
Isadora shoots daggers from her eyes, and Sophie is staring at me, bewildered and with a gleam of enlightenment. “Vivi is Lucca’s girlfriend. He had just fed from her before he turnedyou into a vampire.” She gasps. “And I had fed from you before visiting Bloodstone. It all makes sense now. Vivi’s blood is the key to everything. She’s a Nightingale.”
SOPHIE
The blood seems to drain from Vaughn’s face when I say Lucca’s girlfriend is a Nightingale. It’s the only explanation. He glances at the High Witch in a panicked motion, and I know I guessed right. Even though he said that secret wasn’t his to tell, I feel betrayed nonetheless that he didn’t trust me.
“That’s a giant leap,” Isadora says.
“Bollocks. It’s a bull’s-eye. That’s why Lucca was able to make a vampire when that had been an impossibility for so long. And since Vaughn was made thanks to Nightingale magic, his blood still has the vestiges of it.” I look at Vaughn. “You were going to say Vivi freed Madeleine, weren’t you?”
Vaughn’s eyes flash with conflict and guilt. His shoulders slump forward as he exhales. “Yes, that’s what I was going to say. Boone attacked Vivi in the catacombs, and the worst would have happened if she hadn’t freed Madeleine with her blood.”
The worst would have happened.I repeat Vaughn’s words in my head. Boone would have succeeded in doing to her what he did to me. It seems the world doesn’t want me to forget what that bastard did. I keep getting reminders. It’s not Vaughn’s fault, though. He doesn’t even know what Boone did to me, but I’m sure he can guess the nature of my trauma.
“But if she’s a Nightingale, why didn’t she use her magic against that fucker?” Tish asks.
“Vivi didn’t have her powers, but her blood still had Nightingale magic,” Vaughn replies.
“Unfortunately, I can’t wait for Solomon to return to reinforce the wards. You’ll have to help me,” the High Witch says.
“Me? How can I help when my blood was the reason she almost escaped?” I ask.
“It’s only a problem if she gets near you. We won’t get close enough for her to have the chance.” She stands up. “We need to take care of this now.”
“I understand the urgency, but why me? My blood only has the power to free.”
“I don’t need your blood. I need your innate power.”
My forehead wrinkles. “Excuse me?”
“I recognize a powerful witch when I see one.”
“You can see she’s a witch?” Vaughn asks.
“Of course. The magic rarely shows up in vampires, but Sophie is brimming with it.”
“I was never strong. I need to use crystals most of the time.”
But I don’t know if that’s true anymore. I was able to blast that dragon shifter when my powers should have been completely depleted. I keep that detail to myself, though, and mercifully, Vaughn doesn’t blurt out my secret either.
