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I run my fingers over one of the lines, fascinated, and Thad growls threateningly. Rolling my eyes, I move back into his arms, not touching Zee before Thad fights him.
“He could have broken free from any seal if he hadn’t done that,” I whisper more to myself than him. “By giving you some of his power, he would have weakened himself. Not by much, but enough to keep him locked away.”
Zee and Thad exchange a look just as Gage’s voice finds us.
“It’s because he wants to be locked away.” I look up as he heads toward us, and he adds, “He wants to wait until the blood oath no longer binds him before he’s set free. And I’m not setting him free until we’re done with the big bad—whoever in the fuck that is. It’s the only way I’ll know for sure the oath is severed.”
So Gavin was under oath? That actually makes a lot of sense. He seemed so pissed off all the time when prisoners were brought back. It’s like he wanted it to be over.
“So you think you can actually help?” Zee asks me, bringing my attention back to him.
“I know I can.”
“She could probably help Karma, too,” Kimber says as she joins us from out of nowhere.
She’s light. Why is she going?
Then it hits me—she was the victim.
I wonder how many want vengeance against me. I wonder how many of them would understand I couldn’t help it.
“Thad’s dick actually helped the team,” Zee says through a laugh, and Thad rolls his eyes before tugging me to him before I can question that statement.
“Roslyn’s coming with. Obviously she can be useful.”
Gage’s eyes narrow. “On this mission? You sure that’s a good idea? This isn’t exactly a sanctioned deal.”
Thad studies me before kissing my forehead. “You think she’ll have mercy on someone who helped the rings?”
I put my hand over his as Gage says, “Good point. Load up. We have a witch to torture and kill. And the best news is that we have her trapped. She doesn’t even know she’s as powerless as she made so many others.”
***
ROSLYN
A powerless witch lies somewhere in the shadows of the forest. Apparently holed up in some cabin she won’t be able to escape. How they bound her without her knowledge, I don’t know.
“I’ll be back. Stay here,” Thad says, kissing my cheek like that’s all it takes to keep me in place.
“Hell no. I’m coming with you. You said she’s strong. You might need me.”
He smirks before tipping my chin up.
“I do need you. I need you to stay at the edge and keep an eye out for anyone who might come to help her. If she’s in with the rings, then she probably has some powerful friends. Zee’s taking the other side. We set a trap and have her bound.”
Zee walks by with chains in his hand, and the rattle of them sends flashes of memories into my mind.
“Stop! Please stop!” I’m screaming.
Cheerful whistling is all he does as the whip marks me over and over, slicing through the flesh. Why does it hurt so much? Why is he doing this?
The blood pours as each crack bites into the flesh, and I cry out as the chains rattle against my hands, holding me in place and forcing me to take it.
“Roslyn?” Thad’s loud voice grabs my attention, and I shake away the thoughts while clearing my throat.
Reflexively, I reach down, feeling for the phantom marks on my stomach and chest. Magic covers the scars on the surface but not the ones burrowed deep. Unless you’re Slade. Not even magic can cover the amount of scars he truly has.
“Why the chains?” I ask, not even caring what Thad might have been saying.
