And a smile that twisted like a knife in my gut.
“Afraid not, Sunshine.”
Thirty-One
GRAY
“Hello, Rayanne,” Jonathan said. “You look even better in person than you did in your realm. You’ve grown up to be more beautiful than I could’ve ever imagined.”
My skin crawled, bile rising in my throat as he grinned at me, his eyes wild with unchecked menace.
How many hours had I stared into those eyes? How many times had I run my fingers through that dark red hair, laughing about how much I envied it?
It was hard to believe I’d loved him so much.
Now, I just wanted to end him.
My eyes darted around the room, trying to get a sense for where I was. It wasn’t a hospital—that was for sure. The room was cold and damp, its stone walls rough and rounded, one side completely open to a corridor. There were no windows. The only light came from glass orbs lining the walls.
Somewhere in the distance, the ocean whispered against the shoreline.
I was in a cave on the coastline, just like I’d thought when I’d connected with Reva in the flames.
My heart quickened. If my vision had been correct, maybe the guys would figure out where I was. Maybe they’d put together all the rest of the clues and track me down. Maybe—
“I understand you might feel a little speechless,” Jonathan said, crashing into my thoughts. “Though I hope you change your mind about that. We have so much to catch up on! What has it been, ten years?”
When I didn’t respond, he turned to the woman behind him.
Fiona Brentwood bowed her head, her shoulders slumping.
Had she brought me here? Where were the guys? I thought Jonathan had somehow taken me from my realm last night, but if Fiona was here…
God, none of this made any sense. How did Jonathan even know she was at our house? How did he find me there?
“Ten years. Right, Feefs?” he said.
Fiona nodded, but she’d fallen silent, too.
I watched her a moment longer. I had no idea how either of us had come to be in his clutches, but one thing was certain: whether she still loved him or not, Fiona was not here of her own free will. Shame and fear rolled off her in waves, her body trembling. Every time he spoke, she jumped.
I tried to catch her eye, but she refused to look at me.
“Rayanne, honestly.” Jonathan sighed, clearly getting annoyed at my lack of enthusiasm over our little reunion. “You can’t think of a single thing to say to me after a decade?”
When I find you, I will burn you…
“Why am I not dead?” I finally asked.
“Dead?” he looked positively aghast. “Why on earth… Wait, are you talking about all that unpleasantness at your mother’s house? Oh, Sunshine. I was young and spineless back then. Just following Daddy’s orders. But, you know, we all have to grow up and become our own people eventually.” He laughed, his wild eyes dancing. He was totally unhinged—a cartoon villain I just couldn’t seem to outsmart. “Like most men in his generation, my father lacks imagination and foresight. Fortunately for you, I have plenty of both.”
I blinked up at him, unsure what to say. Everything about him seemed to be hanging on by a very thin thread.
Behind him, Fiona remained as still as a statue.
His smile dropped. “Get up, Rayanne.”
“You can’t turn me,” I said, sitting up on the table and swinging my legs over the edge. I was still dressed in my clothes from last night, including my bra and underwear, which was a relief. But whatever Jonathan was planning, I didn’t want to be on my back when it happened. “Witches can’t survive the change.”
