The battle is over, but the war…the war has only just begun.Chapter 22I hold my hand over the bottle of wine and pull out the cork. I can feel eyes on me as I pour myself a glass, taking a big sip before turning around. Kristy, Ruby, Abby, and Lucas are seated at the kitchen table, and Phil is still in the living room, trying to entertain Penny.
My head is spinning, my heart is still racing, and I’m somewhere in between wanting to pass out and freaking the fuck out, running through the woods with swords raised, finding the demon and cutting him to pieces.
Only days ago, Lucas was cursed and was dying before my eyes. We transfer the curse and someone sends a demon with monstrous roots for pets—who happens to know that my wardings would prevent a demon from crossing through them.
“Do you still think Lucas killed those people in the woods?” I ask Ruby, tone coming off harsher than I meant to. I’m nervous, and the more time I have to think about this, the more the nerves settle into my very core.
“You accused me of murder?” Lucas asks, tipping his head and looking amused.
Ruby lets out a breath and shakes her head. “No, and I’m sorry I jumped to conclusions. But can you blame me?” Her eyebrows go up, and she rests her hands on the table. “He’s a vampire. We’re witches.”
“Did you tell anyone you thought it was Lucas?” I ask, coming over to the table. My little kitchen table only seats four, so I sit on Lucas’s lap, taking another big drink of wine before setting my glass down.
“No. I meant what I said about the coven being disappointed you left. People like you,” she says like she can’t believe it. She casts her eyes down and waits a beat before looking up at me again. “And I can see why. You are pretty badass. I suppose all those stories about you are true after all.”
“Possibly,” I say and feel the wine hit me already. The good—or bad, I’m not sure—thing about losing a lot of blood means you feel a buzz a hell of a lot faster. “And good you didn’t tell anyone. Because I think the necromancers who cursed Lucas are behind this, too. It’s no coincidence the attack happened when it did.”
“Do you think they’re still under the impression he’s dead?” Kristy asks, pulling her arms in closer to her body. Freya jumps up in her lap, comforting her.
“Maybe.”
“Hold up.” Ruby leans in. “Necromancers? Curses? You have so many questions to answer right now.” She looks at Scarlet and raises her eyebrows.
My eyes fall shut, and I feel the world spinning around me. Maybe drinking wasn’t a good idea. Or maybe I’m just not drunk enough yet.
“I know. And I’ll answer them all.” The last time I spit out the truth, it felt good, and it saved me a lot of time. There’s no point in tiptoeing around anything now. Ruby saw Scarlet transform from little fluffball to full-blown hound from Hell. There’s no way to explain her or why she listens to me other than to go with the truth.
And somehow, my blood kills demons now.
I don’t even know where to start. So much has happened and so much needs to be explained so this doesn’t sound crazier than it actually is.
Letting out a breath, I open my eyes and lean back against Lucas, needing to feel his body against mine. “A few days ago, Lucas was cursed with necromancy. The curse was slowly bringing him back to life knowing he wouldn’t be able to survive coming alive again. I was able to bind it and then use an illegal ritual to transfer the curse into an undead squirrel that I myself used necromancy to bring back to life.”
Ruby blinks and looks at me for a second before speaking. “So the signs of necromancy Professor Greystone warned us about was you?”
I shake my head. I’ll tell Ruby everything about me, but I’m not ratting out Evander. “No, I told him, so he knew about the curse. He really was warning you all about a group of witches practicing necromancy. They had to be somewhere nearby, probably tapping into the Ley line. It takes a lot of power to curse a vampire over a thousand years old.”
“Yeah, it would.” Ruby nods. “But why curse him?”
“To go after me,” I say slowly. “Forcing me to watch the people I love suffer is worse than outright killing me.”
“It is,” she agrees and inhales, shifting her weight in the chair. Ruby’s always been a stickler for the rules. Some people need law and order to make them feel safe, and Ruby is one of those people. A few seconds pass before she speaks again. “But why go after you? I understand demons attacking, but necromancers? Seems a little random unless you pissed someone off.”