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Ivy: No, I didn’t. I couldn’t even hurt you.
That was the damn truth and why I thought of her often.
Me: What do you want?
Ivy: I’m on the run. I left our father, but he’s not a compassionate man and is hunting me. I don’t think I can keep running from him much longer.
I sucked in a sharp breath.
Me: And you want me to do what?
Ivy: I thought … the safest place would be to go to you, but I’m afraid of your friends. If I try to get close, they will kill me on the spot.
I wouldn’t let them do that, but I wouldn’t give in so easily.
Me: So?
Ivy: Meet me somewhere safe, neutral. Let’s talk. I’ll let you try to convince me to come back with you, even if I might end up in a cell. Or you can help me figure out how to hide from Paimon.
Me: Why can’t you do that on your own?
I flinched at my own words. I didn’t mean to be so harsh, but I had to know what her game was here.
Ivy: I could try. I’m not as strong as our father. But you are. With your power, you could create a spell to hide me. No?
I shook my head. Spell from dragon magic? Was that something she knew from living with Paimon? I would have to try that later. But for now …
Me: I don’t know.
Ivy: Please, Raika. You know how much I hate begging. It’s not my style. But you’re my sister and I thought we had bonded.
We had. I hated she wasn’t on the right side.
Me: Give me a few minutes. I need to think about this.
Not really. Despite everything, despite knowing this could be a trap, I couldn’t sit here and ignore her. Ivy was my sister and I knew she wasn’t as bad as Paimon. Not even close.
If I told anyone about it, they wouldn’t let me go after her. No, they would send a team to check on her. She wouldn’t show up then, and I would miss my opportunity to talk to her, to bring her on to this side.
I rushed to my bedroom, changed my shorts to leggings, and my crop top to a tank top, picked up a jacket, grabbed a bag with a few essentials (mainly, lots of elixir), and stared at my phone.
Holy shit, was I really doing this?
This was messed up. I should stay, go to sleep, wake up early tomorrow morning, and train with Thea and Almae. When they found out I was gone, they would hunt me down, and when they found me, they would skin me alive.
Oh, Shane … he would be so disappointed in me.
But this was Ivy. My sister. An almost friend. I knew she wasn’t bad, and I knew we could be much more. If I could get her away from Paimon, I had to do it. I had to try. She deserved a better life.
I pushed everything else to the back of my mind, otherwise I would chicken out. I slung my bag across my shoulder and left my room. I walked normally through the hallways. It was late, but not too late. Most vampires and witches were still awake. I crossed by two vampire guards and they paid no attention to me. Good.
I went to the underground garage, more specifically, to the small mudroom before exiting into it, where all the car keys were hanging from hooks on the wall. There had to be at least fifty keys here, for the fifty plus cars parked here. I glanced out, saw which car was the smallest—an Audi A3—and looked for its keys.
I grabbed it, entered the car, and prayed it remained quiet while I drove out of the garage, down the long driveway, and out onto the road. The engine purred to life, like a quiet cat. I drove the car away, glad no one stopped me.
I was sure some guards saw the car leaving the garage, even if they might not have recognized the driver. As I turned onto the highway off the castle’s property, I was sure that Drake and Thea had been informed of the “stolen” car and were trying to determine who was driving.
It was a matter of time until they figured out it was me.
