Witch (The Devil's Roses 4)

“Don’t tell me that Hanna's mom committed suicide because of Marcus. It was never because of Marcus you tool. She had matched with Dr. Jekyll. The problem was that when he shifted into Hyde she lost her match. It was transferred. No one knew that could happen. Suddenly she loved Marcus and he loved her. Terrified of having an affair she went to Lydia. She struggled with the emptiness for years. Then they had Hanna. Imagine being a mother and feeling nothing for your child.”

Sam felt nothing. He started to worry.

Lorri nodded, “Now you get it. Marcus assumed she had chosen the doctor and threatened to kill him. She felt nothing for either of them though. She took her life before either of them was ruined from her mistake. The spell has a cost Sam. Every spell has a cost. Look at the guards that keep the darkness out. They cost Annabelle her life. So now you see how stupid you are.”

“I don’t feel anything. I don’t feel regret.”

“Do you love anyone Sam? When you think of your mother being held captive by Jonathan as his fun time girl do you feel anger?”

He shook his head, “I feel nothing.”

“Then you are as useful as a tit on a bull. You feel no anger? You feel no love? What will drive you to help us in the fight for your mother’s freedom?”

He shrugged, “I don’t really feel like fighting.”

She laughed bitterly, “All this on day one. Great news Sam. Now the best part, this spell grows. The nothingness you feel today will intensify. In a month you will feel even less. Soon you will not even feel pain.”

He looked at Lorri, “This is bad.”

She laughed harder, “No shit. Now go find Ophelia and get her scrying for a solution to this little problem before you hang yourself and can’t die so you just hang there like the idiot you are.”

He should have felt worried. He knew that.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Ophelia

“You want to go for a walk?”

The redhead nodded blankly.

She got up from the armchair and followed Ophelia from the room.

“My name is Ophelia.”

“Hanna.”

“Nice to meet you.”

They walked from the castle in an awkwardness neither of them tried to fix. They walked along the bushes in the back garden.

“I’m sorry. I never would have done it if I knew what he was asking.”

Hanna shook her head, “I deserve everything I’m getting. I let my powers get the best of me. I swore I would never but I did.”

Ophelia sighed, “I just wish it could be last week again and all of this was gone. I want my friends and my parents and my sister. I want normal.”

Hanna burst into laughter, “Oh god you have no idea. You know Aimee was a nerdy science geek who was going to University and had finally landed the boy of her dreams before she became a death dealer. Ari had a nice little café with her uncle in the desert before her abilities kicked in. I had a best friend named Rebecca. My aunt and uncle murdered her and triggered my dormant freak genes from my dad’s science experiments on himself. We all just used to be people.”

Ophelia felt sad. Tears formed in her eyes, “What are we doing? Why are we waiting?”

Hanna smirked at her, “Dorian told me your brother is as strong as you are so we can’t use you to our advantage. Plus your dad lives in Alaska in this place we checked out the other day. It’s like a fortress. Impossible to get into. We don’t have the numbers we used to. They have the advantage. It would be a slaughter fest. The only advantages we have are me and Aimee and Ari. They don’t have anything like us.”

“My sister is there.”

She nodded, “Yeah my boyfriend Sam, his mom is there. He doesn’t think I know, but Dorian told me.”

Ophelia cleared her throat, “That sucks. Who is this Dorian?”

Hanna paused in the grass, “I meant my ex boyfriend. Sorry. It just hasn’t really hit me yet.”

She didn’t say anything. She just gave Hanna the quiet moment she needed.

“He won’t ever be my boyfriend again.” She sat on the rock outlining the garden beside them. She bent her face into her hands.

Ophelia put her hands on Hanna’s back and rubbed it like she had done to her sister millions of times. She had dated a lot of boys who always ended up being dirtbags.

Ophelia was about to speak when she saw movement in the forest behind them. She squinted to see a man walking amongst the massive trees.

“I’ll be right back. I think I see someone spying on us.”

She walked away leaving Hanna to sob on the rock. The girl was a mess.

Ophelia pointed at the man, “Who are you?”

He stopped walking and spoke with an English accent, “Oliver. The resemblance to your mother is remarkable.”

He didn’t look like he belonged in the woods. He wore jeans and loafers and a light blue dress shirt with short sleeves that hugged his biceps. He had a tattoo just poking out of the collar of the dress shirt on the right side of his neck and short dark blond hair.

She glared at him, “You know my mother?”

He smirked making her knees wobble, “Everyone knows who your mother is Ophelia. That’s why I’m here. To help you.”

She held her finger up, pointing at his face. He never even flinched, “You must not know much about me.” She wanted to laugh at herself for being such a noob but he could be her father for all she knew. None of the others seemed to age beyond thirty-ish. He looked twenty-five, but she knew that meant nothing.

“I know all there is to know about you. Born July 7th, 1994 at seven minutes after seven. Your brother was born a minute after you, making you the older twin. You’re part of a prophecy to end the world or heal it, depending on how you choose. I know I'm drawn to you. From the minute it was discovered you were alive I have felt you at every moment.”

“That's creepy. You are not welcome here. This is the Vampire queen’s property. She eats strangers.”

He laughed, “You are much cuter than I thought. I had feared you would look like your father. He’s not the handsomest of men.”

“You know my father how?”

“I fell with him.”

She gulped realizing he would then of course be as strong as Lorri. She held her finger pointed at him, “You’re an angel?”

He gave a short nod.

“Why are you here?”

“For you.”

She took a step back and shouted over her shoulder, “Hanna come meet my friend.”

He looked nervous seeing Hanna, “Is she a Siren?”

Ophelia beamed, “Don’t like Sirens? Pretty sure that makes you racist.”

His laugh grew nervous, “Oh I like them just fine. In fact I have a rather hard time not liking them. Tell her to stay over there.”

Ophelia smiled as she heard the crunching of Hanna’s footsteps on the gravel and branches coming closer, “Who is he?” She asked.

“He is like Lorri only he must be one of the bad ones. Lorri never mentioned an Oliver to me.”

Hanna wiped her face, “Dorian mentioned one to me. He’s Jonathan’s pet. He let the darkness take him the way your father did.”

He smirked, “Of course Dorian would know you. He’s always liked Siren’s. I recall he had one a while ago. Never got over her I’m afraid. She was lovely.”

Hanna sneered, “Why are you here?” She pulled her phone out and sent a message.

Dorian appeared instantly just behind them, “Oliver. What on earth could possibly posses you to come here?”

Oliver smiled, “Brother. It’s good to see you again.” He crossed his arms making the shirt seem constricting.

“Why are they all so hot?” Ophelia leaned in and whispered to Hanna who giggled.

“I think I could have gone a little longer before I saw you again. You’re a traitor to your own kind and to our father.”

Oliver’s eyes flashed at Ophelia again, “I cannot say you misjudge me brother but I can say I was wrong. Wrong in my betrayal and wrong in the side I chose. The dark is a tempting seductress.”

“You’re boring me. Out with why you’re here?”

He shrugged, “I came to help. Jonathan has taken it too far. He’s mad.”

Dorian laughed, “He’s always been mad and you’ve always been a wanker so please stop wasting my time. Go back and tell Jonathan your pathetic little attempt failed. We won’t be tricked by you two.”

Ophelia felt like she was out of the loop. She glanced at Hanna who seemed to be following along well enough and sighed, “Well I’m going inside. Nice meeting you Oliver. Please tell my father I said hello and thanks for raping my mother for a thousand years so I could be born to this wonder and excitement.”

His words floated into her mind, ‘I need you Ophelia. We need to be together’. She turned back to him and frowned. He smiled again, “I can get you guys inside.”

‘Your sister Abbey is still alive, for now. We need to hurry’ his words licked at her mind. She watched him. His blue eyes seemed honest. His beautiful face was sexy. She couldn’t be sure if she wanted to say yes because he was gorgeous or because he was a good guy.

Hanna glanced at her and nodded, “We do need help getting in there.”

Dorian also crossed his arms, “It’s a trap. We follow him in and then Jonathan gets you.”

Oliver cocked his head, “Brother he has the upper hand. Why would he need her to come to him?”

Dorian shrugged, “Look I’m not playing at this Oliver. I’ve sent a message to Lorri who will no doubt be here any minute, with Aimee.”

Oliver grinned, “Ah yes the dealer you made. Quite the intelligent move. You’ve made something bigger than us all there. Can she take us out?”

Dorian nodded, “She can.”

Oliver shook his head and chuckled, “You made something that can kill you? You’ve always been the reckless one.”