What feels like a lie is saying I have a biological brother. Scott told me we weren’t related. That he’s not really my brother.
“You’d never put him at risk.” She wraps another hex around my wrist.
“Of course not.”
She goes back to the desk and closes the black box. “I thought so.”
“What are you getting at?” I ask, narrowing my eyes. “You’re not telling me something.”
Ruby swallows hard and chews on her bottom lip. I’ve never seen her rattled like this. She’s always full of herself. Irritatingly confident. A stuck-up know-it-all.
The office door flies open and Ruth steps in. She flicks her wrist once she’s in and the door closes behind her.
“I’ll take it from here,” she says, and Ruby gives her a curt nod. She looks at me once more, eyes still full of fear, and then hurries out of the office.
Ruth perches on the edge of the desk and crosses her arms, pushing the sleeves of her dress robes up over her forearms.
“I reviewed your file,” she starts, and I slowly shake my head. What is she doing? Shouldn’t she be in with Tabatha, helping to get the demon out of Evander?
“Okay?”
“You graduated top of your class.”
I blink. “I, uh, had great teachers.”
“Tell me.” Her eyes narrow and she leans in. “How does a girl from a non-magical home, who didn’t start here until she was ten years old, end up with such high marks?”
“This isn’t important right now.”
“Isn’t it?” Ruth cocks an eyebrow. “Because I find it just as curious as a common witch being able to fight off a third-hierarchy demon.”
“I…I don’t know what you’re talking about.” If Lucas were here, he’d be able to hear my heart rate increasing. He’d be able to smell my fear and panic.
“Don’t play dumb with me, Ms. Martin.”
“I’m not. I swear, I don’t know how I—”
“Cut the bullshit.” She stands up, blue eyes flashing. “You are in no place to lie to me.”
“I’m not lying.”
“Let me remind you that your charges are dire. You seem to care for that vampire you’ve been spending so much time with,” she says, recoiling from her own words, as the thought of sleeping with a vampire repulses her. “It would be a shame if anything were to happen to him. After all, who will be there to remove a curse after you’ve been burned at the stake?”
My eyes widen and all the air leaves my lungs. She’s threatening Lucas? He’s old. The oldest vampire I know. It would take a very powerful witch to curse him…and Ruth is a powerful witch.
She holds my gaze. “I’m willing to throw this all out, under one condition.”
My mind is racing, and I have no fucking clue what she’s talking about. All I know is Lucas could be in danger and Evander is in danger. We need to get the demon out of him like yesterday.
“What?” I reply, desperate to appease her and deal with the consequences later. “What do you want?”
“I told you. In.”
“In? In where?”
“Not where, but who.” Her eyes narrow and it hits me: the Grand Coven suspected me of Satanism but didn’t have enough proof to move past suspicion.
Holy shit.
Ruth wants me to get her a deal with the Devil.
Chapter 2
“I swear to you,” I start, hands shaking. “I’m not working with the Devil.”
“Please.” Ruth pushes off the desk and goes to the fireplace. She waves her hands over the logs, conjuring a small fire. She purses her lips, looking at the small flames in annoyance, and waves her hand over the logs again, doubling the fire. “There’s only one reason you’d find brimstone, and we both know what it is.”
“Fine,” I say, eyes going to the large grandfather clock in the corner by the wall. Evander is running out of time before he’s at real risk for damage. “There was a third-hierarchy demon. And I fought it off, but I don’t know how I did it.”
“Don’t lie to me!” Ruth hisses. “There is no way you could have fought one off. You’re working together.”
“No! I would never work with a demon.”
“Lies!”
I lean back in the chair, eyes flicking down to the hagstone hexes tied around my wrists. I’m not bound to the chair, but the hexes are magically bound to me until someone takes them off. My lips part and I squeeze my eyes closed, trying hard not to freak out right now.
“I am not working with the Devil,” I say slowly. “I can’t get you an in with him even if I tried because I’m not in communication with him.”
Ruth holds up her hand and pressure surrounds my neck as if she’s choking me. “Do you think I’m stupid?”
“You probably don’t want me to answer that,” I choke out.
She slowly starts to make a fist with her fingers and the pressure around my neck intensifies. I gasp for air.
“Let me make this clear,” she snarls. “There is no way a witch born from nonmagical heritage could possess the abilities you do unless you’ve been given extra power. And there’s only one way you can get that extra power. So, you can either summon the Devil and tell him I’m worthy, or you will be tied up and burned. If you’re lucky, you’ll die of smoke inhalation before your flesh starts to melt off your bones. And then I’ll have fun going after that vampire.”
She releases her hand and I suck in air, coughing hard.
I don’t have time for this. She’s hellbent on getting more power, and power-hungry psychos can’t be reasoned with. Evander needs to be saved, and I have to go warn Lucas before he gets too worried about me and hangs around the door, awaiting my return.
“Fine,” I gasp, neck aching. I swallow hard and feel my throat burn. “I’ll…I’ll take you to the woods and I’ll summon him. But only after an exorcism has been done and Evander is okay.”
Ruth considers my offer for a moment. “Okay. If you don’t deliver, I will proceed with your charges.”
“All you want is for me to summon him and tell him you’re worthy?” I ask, desperately trying to come up with a plan. “There’s not much else I can do from there. Only he can decide who he’ll let in.”
Ruth’s eyes narrow. “The Dark Lord won’t reject me.”
“But if he does,” I plead, “I’ll still have done my part, I’ll be free from the charges. You haven’t filed them yet, correct?”
“Correct,” she says, and it hits me even harder that blackmailing me was her plan all along. Assuming I’m working with the Devil makes sense, as much as I hate to admit it. Because like she just said, a witch shouldn’t be able to fight off a powerful demon.
Or do magic while warded.
Or heal themselves.
Or have glowing eyes…like Evander said he thought he saw in the woods right before he got possessed.
My stomach gurgles with fear that I’m evil. That demon blood runs in my veins and that’s why demons are after me and why they’re calling me a half-breed. Why they’re saying I shouldn’t be.
But I have another question, one I can’t figure out. How does she know the extent of my relationship with Lucas? Did we make it that obvious we’re a couple when the other witches showed up at my house the night we escaped from the demon? I suppose it doesn’t matter, though I can’t help but feel violated, like someone had been spying on me and reporting back.
Just like how the vampires know about us and want me dead for it.
I suck in a breath and look at Ruth. I’ve been backed into a corner and my only option is to agree with her, though I won’t be able to give her what she wants. I’m not working with the Devil and agreeing won’t summon him. But…I have no other choice.
“I’ll summon him,” I say, and all my breath leaves me. I close my eyes in a long blink, trying hard to focus on anything other than the crippling anxiety that’s pulsing through me. “And then it will be up to him.”
Ruth smiles, eyes gleaming. “He’ll
be pleased with what I have to offer.”
A chill runs through me and I work to keep my face neutral. “I hope so.” I swallow my pounding heart. “Evander?”
Ruth rolls her eyes. “I’ll go assist now.”
“Let me help. I…I think I can.”