Lock and Key (Nocturne Academy 1)

He jerked away from her, a low growl rising in his throat.

“Yes—definitely a wolf, I think,” Winifred Rattcliff said thoughtfully. “Anyway, you can imagine how long the condemned man—or woman—lasted, sewn into a sack with a ravenous predator that way. The answer is not long,” she went on. “Which is even less time than I believe you, my little Megan, will last when you’re sealed in this snare with your Nocturne lover.”

“What are you talking about?” Griffin growled. “I would never hurt Megan—I have marked her and she has marked me.”

“Oh, I think you might change your mind…once this is removed.” Reaching down, she tapped at the black lock again.

Griffin’s eyes widened.

“No…” His voice was low and hoarse. “No, you wouldn’t…”

“Oh, but I would.” Winifred was practically gloating as she pulled out the key and dangled it above our heads. “Think how it’s going to be for you when the thirst takes over and you can’t get away. The warm, sweet scent of her blood…that pulsing vein so close to your fangs…” She motioned my throat and it was true—Griffin was lying a little lower than me in the hammock or the “snare” as she had called it—and his mouth was right on the level with my neck.

“You can’t do this!” Griffin exclaimed. “Don’t do this—don’t make me hurt Megan. I love her!”

“Of course you do,” Winifred said coldly. “The two of you were fated to be together. You can’t help but be drawn to her and she to you. After all, if Corinne had her way, the two of you would re-arrange the entire Other world. But we can’t have that, can we? So instead of ruining everything, you’re going to do what your kind do best…” She gloated down at him. “You’re going to rip open the little witch’s throat and drink her dry!”

“Never!” Griffin swore angrily.

“Oh, yes—you might resist at first but eventually the thirst will take over and you will give in,” Winifred predicted calmly. “And don’t imagine any councilor that your father might hire will save you a second time, Darkheart. You’ll be put to death for what everyone believes is your third brutal murder.” She shook her head and made a tsking sound. “Of course, I’ll only be able to say I told them so. I advocated for the death penalty last time but they wouldn’t listen. I can’t tell you what trouble it was to get that stupid lock and key be-spelled instead when it would have been so much easier if they would have just killed you. But then, all’s well that ends well, I suppose.” She shrugged philosophically.

“You evil bitch!” Griffin growled.

“The term is witch, Nocturne,” she returned coldly. “And I’m not evil so much as practical. Do you think I could allow the two of you to upset the order of the entire magical world, just for love?” She sneered at us. “I think not! And neither does anyone else in the Other world. Why, if the Council of Other Elders knew what I was doing, they would thank me for preserving our status quo. But enough talking—dawn is almost here and it’s time for your little feast. Do enjoy quenching your thirst for the first time in fifteen years.”

She gave us a cool smile and I saw the disbelief and anger in Griffin’s face… as well as the desperation in his eyes.

The night before when I had cut for him and taken his pain, I had felt how awful his thirst was. And it had been over twenty-four hours since I had done that, so I knew it must be back, probably stronger than ever, and raging through him even now. The black lock around his throat was keeping him from biting me but what would happen when the senior witch unlocked it?

Exactly what she thinks is going to happen, I thought hopelessly. Griffin is going to lose control.

What were we going to do?

I had no time to answer that question or try to formulate a plan because just then Winifred reached down and fit the black Blood stone key into the black Blood stone lock.

She turned it and with a small click the lock fell away from Griffin’s throat.

72

“No…no!” I heard Griffin muttering to himself. He had turned his head as far away from me as he could and I knew if he was able to, he would probably have gotten out of the weird hammock and run as far as he could get from the temptation of my bare throat.

But he was still held in place by the spell Winifred Rattcliff had placed on him. There was no way to run and no place I could hide. We were pressed together and I couldn’t access my magic because I couldn’t draw any blood.

Of course, in just a moment I was dreadfully certain that Griffin would be drawing blood from me—lots of it. But somehow I knew that kind of bloodletting wouldn’t work for my magic. I had to draw the blood myself in order to use the Blood magic and there was no way to do that with the bite guard between my teeth and my hands tied far apart.