Page 68 of Rogue Witch

“Technically, it was my fault,” I say.

“What?” says.

“The attempt on her life took place in my class. In the end, Raith saved her life.”

“You forced me,” Raith says with the belligerence of a child.

Caleb stands. “He forced you? You mean you didn’t want to save her.”

Raith didn’t flinch. “You, of all people, should know how dangerous she is.”

Caleb glances from Blade to me, then back to Raith, and stares. “Dangerous? She died in my arms. You’re pissed I haven’t been around? Where were you when Cordero shot her?”

“As Blade said earlier, I had a knife through my heart—one Ciarah put there.”

Caleb growls. “I don’t blame her. You dogged her like the damned IRS. You weren’t supposed to be at the bakery that day.”

“I don’t care where I was supposed to be. She stuck a knife in my chest and left me for dead.”

“Stop your whining,” Caleb cut in. “Vampires can’t be killed with a knife through the heart. You don’t have a fucking heart.”

Raith flashes a grim smile. “Only because Ciarah cut it out that day.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

LEILAH

My surroundings shift and my eyes readjust as I stare for three more heartbeats at Raith, then he’s gone and I’m looking at Stony, who’s sitting beside me on the bed watching me. I glance at the window. It’s late afternoon, not quite dark.

I look back at Stony. “How long was I out?”

“Ten minutes,” she replies in a snort.

“What a weird dream.” But it wasn’t a dream.

What prompted the vision? Then I remember. Before I fell asleep, I was wondering who had hurt Raith to make him hate me. I don’t usually have visions. Well, not often. My thinking about Raith wasn’t enough to prompt a vision. Was it? No, I realize.

“Fuck a duck,” I murmur. “Damned blood pact.”

“Blood pacts are dangerous,” Stony says.

“No shit.” I knew that thing would come back to bite me in the ass. “Now I understand why Raith is so angry,” I say.

Stony drops onto her belly and waits. I take a deep breath and recount the vision.

“I guess I can’t be as angry with him as I’ve been,” I conclude. “I would hate women, too, if the woman I loved put a knife in my heart. I wonder if he would believe me if I told him that Nova intended to save his life. Though now I can’t recall how she intended to do that.” I look at Stony. “He might feel better knowing she didn’t completely betray him.”

Stony shakes her head and sneezes.

I sigh. “Yeah, I guess not. He would call me a liar and hate me even more.”

She snorts a mutter that I recognize as Chinese, then says, “Stop lying to yourself.”

“What are you talking about?” I ask.

She stares.

“Hey!” I cry. “You aren’t suggesting—”