Aurora was certain her family would detect and investigate any magic close to the property, even if it posed no threat. Everyone agreed it wasn’t a good idea for too many people to break in, since they were going for stealth, not afight, and with a handful of Lockwoods in the woods on the other side of the compound, it would be the perfect misdirection.
Gia climbed out of the car, followed by Aurora, who floated ahead, leading the way toward the compound’s northernmost boundary.
As they quietly picked their way through the trees, Gia’s skin prickled. She tried to stay in the moment. Concentrate on the plan. On Aurora. On the strange vampire. But her thoughts kept wandering down another path.
Horrific memories slithered through her mind, like she’d stepped into a waking dream. A nightmare. She did her best not to let the feelings register, reminding herself to look at it all later. She could fall apart once this was done. But even if she ignored all the gory details—the guilt—she couldn’t pretend she was the same person who’d woken in bed next to Aurora that morning.
God, had it been only this morning?
The Gia from earlier today had never hurt anyone, didn’t know how to cast a single spell, and had spent much of her life believing she was helpless. The woman she was now—had always been—was capable of making hardened criminals tremble without a care.
Detachment had been another of Franco’s commands. Not simply to be quiet and not cry, but to not feel. Even if she’d had no choice, the memory of standing impassive—being a person without emotion—had become a part of Gia. It was like two people had merged. The old Gia and this hiddenthing.
What would she do with this new monster inside her? She could say it wasn’t her. Casting those spells had not been her choice. But the memories were hers. The capability was hers.
Yesterday, Gia would have said she’d never kill Franco. Now, she wasn’t sure. She’d still never kill for power. For her own gain. Not for any of the reasons Franco killed. But toprotect herself? To protect Aurora? It’d be much easier to take that step now than it would have been before.
Gia wasn’t sure what to make of that change.
She called on her magic for the first time of her own free will and explored the depths of power within her. It was easier than she’d thought, but then, she’d done it countless times, hadn’t she?
Familiar magic awakened within, and her stomach twisted in anticipation of something terrible. No. Nothing bad was happening. She was safe in the woods with Aurora and Viv. She had control.
All the things she’d done with her magic had been horrid, but it had been terrible to have no choice. One of the most terrible things, perhaps, and nothing like that would happen now. No deadly spells would twist her magic unless she decided.
What would she decide?
As Gia stepped through the trees, she was confident she’d be able to make peace with all her own decisions, but the things she’d done while under Franco’s control were forhimto make peace with, and enacting bloody vengeance on him would be deserved.
Aurora’s ghostly form flickered ahead, and Gia let her tense muscles relax. Aurora understood her. Had stood by her. And now, Gia could use everything she’d learned to help her. Letting the Thornfields have a hold over her for even a moment longer wasn’t an option. Gia wasn’t afraid to take risks like she had been. She was ready to do what needed to be done.
She searched their surroundings for spells. Up ahead lay a hugely complex tangle of magic, and she stopped in her tracks, stunned she’d detected it so easily.
Aurora halted beside her, pointing toward the mess of magic. “The boundary starts right about there. I can’t feel it, butI’d recognize the edge of the property anywhere along the border.”
How many times had she walked to the edge, unable to go further? Gia shivered.
“Perfect.” Viv knelt and set a small wooden box she’d been carrying on the ground.
Aurora glanced sidelong at Gia. “That’s how we’re breaking in?”
“It is.” Viv flicked the box open and stepped away.
There was a flash of light as what looked like dust erupted from the box. Particles billowed through the air, gradually coming to rest and forming a small translucent wall before them. No, not a wall. It was more like the shape of a door.
With another flash, the dust disappeared, leaving nothing behind. How anticlimactic.
Gia squinted, and a glimmer caught in the late afternoon light. An outline of a door remained, hardly visible. Gia brushed it with her magic but couldn’t sense any power within the outline, even though the rest of the boundary remained unchanged.
She took a step closer. “There’s a hole in the ward.”
“Really?” Aurora swung to face Viv. “Where the hell did you get a trinket like that?”
Viv shrugged and sauntered through the magic door. “If I told you, I’d have to kill you.”
Uncertainty washed over Gia. “Are you serious?”
“It’s a good thing you don’t have to find out,” Viv called over her shoulder from the other side of the broken ward. “Hurry up. We have four hours before the spell wears off and the door closes.”
