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His amusement deepened. “What makes you think I’d care? All I want in the end is his death.”
“If that were true, you could have kill
ed them all months ago, rather than concocting such elaborate plans to make them all suffer before you murdered them.”
“That is also true.”
He took a step toward me, and that was when I saw the fishing wire that was looped around Aiden’s neck. It had snapped taut when Waverley moved, and though it wasn’t cutting deep enough yet to cause major damage, blood was beginning to trickle down Aiden’s neck.
But that wire wasn’t the only thing connecting the two men. Twining around the fishing line was a needle-fine black thread—something I shouldn’t have seen in the darkness. I narrowed my gaze and, after a heartbeat, I realized what it was—a rebound spell.
Any attack we made on Waverley would be felt by Aiden—and that meant it was even more imperative we got him out of harm’s way before we tried anything against Waverley.
“If you want Redfern, then release Aiden.” My voice was surprisingly even considering the turmoil in my body and the toll it was beginning to take. It wasn’t just the ants now—my muscles trembled and even my bones began to ache. Everything felt like it was turning to mush. Perhaps I was actually melting. “Once he’s free of this clearing, we’ll deal.”
Waverley laughed. “You, my dear witch, are in no position to barter right now.”
There’s someone sneaking up behind us, Belle said. He’s armed.
I reached into my left pocket and wrapped my fingers around the charm. Location?
If Waverley is standing one o’clock, then our sneaky thug is at seven.
“Oh, but I am,” I said to Waverley. “And will be for as long as I hold the strings of Redfern’s life in my hands.”
With that, I turned and threw the charm into the forest. There was a brief retort and then someone started screaming—it was a high-pitched sound that was both fear and confusion.
But then, suddenly seeing a dozen or more hairy huntsman spiders crawling all over you often had that sort of effect.
Waverley’s moving, Belle warned.
I immediately swung back around. Waverley had taken several steps closer and the garrote had again tightened. Blood ringed Aiden’s neck and stained his shirt collar.
“Release the ranger, and you get what you want,” I said bluntly. “It’s as simple as that.”
“I will not fucking leave you to face this madman alone.” Aiden’s voice was raw—harsh—but the anger pulsing from him wasn’t aimed at me. It was aimed at the situation, and at his own helplessness.
“You, Ranger, will do precisely as ordered. This fight is not yours. It was never yours.” My words were almost as harsh and as pain-filled as his. I needed this ended and quickly, otherwise our small chance of surviving would melt away as quickly as my strength was beginning to.
Waverley studied me for several seconds before his gaze flicked to Belle. His eyes narrowed and, for one terrifying moment, I thought he’d seen through our ruse. My heart was racing so hard now it felt ready to tear out of my chest—and maybe that played to our favor. As a vampire, he’d hear the siren call of it, even from where he was standing, and it would suggest fear rather than confidence. Artlessness rather than scheming.
“Fine,” he said abruptly. “We’ll play it your way for the time being.”
He pulled a knife from his pocket and moved back to Aiden, first cutting the ropes that bound him to the tree, and then the wire. It remained embedded in his neck, as Aiden made no move to remove it. He was too busy fighting unconsciousness after the sudden release of his wounded arm had jarred the silver letter opener in his shoulder.
My psychic senses were at least in working order. It was a shame one of us didn’t have telekinesis—it would have been a useful skill in a situation like this.
He shoved the knife away then grabbed Aiden by his good arm and roughly hauled him upright. Aiden hissed and his face went grayer. He was barely holding on. I crossed mental fingers that he had enough strength to get out of the clearing—out of harm’s way.
Except for one thing—Waverley’s rebound spell hadn’t been severed along with the wire.
Fuck, fuck, fuck….
“You may leave, Ranger.”
“Except that he can’t,” I said. “I may not be able to create magic, but I can still see it, vampire. Kill the rebound spell that holds the ranger in your power, or I’ll follow through with my threat.”
He studied me for several too-long seconds, and then murmured an incantation. Power surged, a dark sensation that had my skin crawling, and the black thread connecting him to Aiden disintegrated. Relief stirred, but it wasn’t as if he was actually safe yet.
