“I have a headache.” The sooner I could leave, the better.
“Why don’t we go for a stroll in the garden? That might help.” I brushed her hand away and lifted my glass to my lips. Was she dumb? It was minus five outside, and the dress she wore barely covered anything.
“In the mood for frostbite?”
She smirked. “I figured you could keep me warm.” Pink-tipped fingers trailed down my chest, and I had to fight hard not to shudder with disgust.
“Maybe some other time,” I replied dismissively. One more hour, and then I would go check on my mother. By then, Dad would be drunk enough not to notice if I sneaked downstairs.
Thank the goddess Brianna wasn’t here this weekend. She’d disappeared up north on coven business, according to my father. What that business was, I didn’t bother asking.
Petronella took my arm and began recounting a boring as fuck story about her equally insipid friends while I pretended to listen. As sheprattled on, I watched my father move around the room, networking and pretending he cared about anyone but himself.
Outside, thunder rumbled and jagged lightning lit up the garden. As the storm grew louder, my father glanced in my direction, and when one particularly vicious thunder crack rattled the windows so hard everyone gasped, he glared.
The butler shuffled in a few minutes later and coughed. “Coffee and liqueurs are being served in the drawing room, sir.”
Everyone trailed out, including Petronella, who’d given up trying to engage with me. Once the room cleared, my father stormed over and slammed me against the wall. A painting wobbled precariously, and a priceless Chinese vase crashed to the floor. Rink hovered in the doorway, observing with a faint smirk.
“Just this once, Alaric, could you act like my fucking son?”
“I’m not convinced I am your son, Father.” If only that were true. I’d checked our DNA several years ago, praying he wasn’t my sperm donor, only to be disappointed.
“How dare you!” Ice crystals formed in the air around us as his magic exploded outward, reacting to his anger. But I wafted them away. His magic couldn’t hurt me. Not anymore.
I shoved him back, enjoying the way his eyes flared in surprise.
“I’m leaving. Enjoy the rest of your evening, Father.” My patience was officially exhausted. The sooner I got back to campus, the better. I had a witch I wanted to see. Knowing Montgomery had been inside her head still worried me, but Dad had said nothing, so I had to assume whatever Montgomery had found, it didn’t relate to me or the vampire.
“Not yet, Alaric. Not unless you want your mother to have a very unpleasant night.”
That fucking bastard.Of course he would use my mother against me.
“You lay one more finger on her, and I’ll cook you alive!”
“I promise I won’t touch her if you come with me. There’s something we need to discuss.” His smug smile had klaxons going off in my head, but I swallowed my trepidation and followed him into his study. The minute I entered, the door slammed shut behind me, and when I spun around, Rink stood there.
He pulled a small potion from his pocket, his grin triumphant.
“What the—”
With a flick of his wrist, he froze me. I fought back, but I couldn’t stop him from forcing the potion down my throat.
The vile liquid tasted of blood and death.Dark magic.
“What have you done?” I clutched my throat and heaved as the magic burned like fire in my chest before sinking into my bones.
“A little insurance policy, Alaric,” Dad said, “since you have been horribly uncooperative of late. Rink’s been working on some new potions for me. I plan to roll them out to the highest bidder soon. We’ve been most pleased with the results of our experiments so far.”
Panic flooded my system with adrenaline, but the paralysis spell still held me trapped, no matter how hard I struggled.
“The paralysis spell will ease shortly, and when it does, you’ll forget everything that happened here, head back to campus, and await further instructions.”
I dreaded to think what those instructions might be.
53
Raven
