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“We?” I ask, still not sure if I can trust Sophie. Yes, she just killed the bad guys—if she’s telling the truth—but she’s also a traitor.
At least, I think she is?
“The League of Supernatural Investigations,” she says softly. “The League, for short. I work for them, undercover. They’re kind of like—”
“The supernatural version of the FBI,” comes a deep, dear voice from closer to the cavern entrance.
I spin to see Edmond walking up the path, Herbish and two slightly shorter goblins by his side, and tears of relief spring into my eyes.
“Sounds like Sophie was working as a secret agent,” he adds.
“Yes!” Sophie nods as she glances between us. “I was, and I couldn’t tell anyone until the mission was over. I’m so sorry. Knowing you all thought I was working for the Shadowbanes made me physically ill. Please know, I’d never let you down or violate your trust for real, Casey, not for anything in the world. And after this, I’m retiring. I’m going to be a librarian and nothing but a librarian for the rest of my life.” She presses a shaky hand to her chest. “My heart can’t take any more of this kind of thing. I was so scared some innocent vampire was going to follow us in here and get sucked into the portal, too.”
“I nearly was,” Edmond says, motioning toward the goblins. “But Herbish and her boys stopped me. They saved my life.”
Herbish shrugs shyly. “Oh, it weren’t nothing. Happy to do it. Casey’d do the same for me and mine.”
“I would,” I agree. “In a heartbeat. Thank you, Herbish.” I launch myself at Herbish, giving her a grateful squeeze, then at Edmond. I throw my arms around his neck and warn him, “I’m never letting go. Never.”
He catches me with a grunt, hugging me just as tight.
“I was so scared,” I breathe into his neck. “I didn’t think I’d see you again, and I had to see you because I know how to break the curse.” I pull back, panic beginning to fade as I meet his steady gaze. “I know how to break the curse! She told me.”
His eyes widen. “What? Who?”
“Priscilla! I drugged her with a truth potion, and she spilled everything. Then she tried to kill me, but I escaped and—”
“Step away from Edmond, Cassandra, and shut your stupid mouth,” a sickeningly sweet voice orders from just a few feet behind Edmond.
Before I can fully process the meaning of the words—or the fact that the boogie woman has clawed her way out of her watery grave—I’ve taken three quick steps back and slapped a hand over my lips.
My obedience is instantaneous and complete.
Disobedience isn’t an option, neither is resistance.
Priscilla’s gift is even stronger than Edmond’s, so strong she’ll be able to force everyone in this cave to do exactly as she pleases.
And I already know that what pleases Priscilla isn’t going to please any of us.
Not by a long shot.
Chapter Twenty-Four
EDMOND
Imove to cover my ears—to stab through my own eardrums if that’s the only way to keep Priscilla from taking control—but it’s too late.
“Hands over your mouth, too, Edmond. Same for you, Sophie,” Priscilla commands, her gift in full force. “Both of you, stand by the cavern wall and keep quiet until I decide what to do with my bad little boy and the least likely loser to be a double agent.” She snaps her fingers at Herbish and her boys. “You three can leave us now. Go to bed, go to sleep without saying a word to anyone, and don’t wake up until the sun is high in the sky. If you or any of your people interrupt me tonight, you won’t leave this cave alive.”
The younger goblins immediately shuffle off down a dimly lit tunnel to the left.
Herbish grunts and trembles in place, clearly fighting the order, but after a beat she follows her boys. Her miserable whimper as she disappears into the depths of the cave makes me curse myself all over again.
This is my fault. I should have destroyed Priscilla decades ago.
I should have taken justice into my own hands and ensured she couldn’t hurt anyone else the way she’s hurt me and so many others. But I accepted that this is the way the vampire world works, that a maker has the right to curse her offspring as she sees fit, even though the deepest, truest part of my being insisted it wasn’t right or just or even tolerable.
But the part of me that was raised to obey, to fit in, to play by the rules of society—human or vampire—was stronger than my Goddess-given truth.
