AllFreeNovel
Share Us
EMBER
First, Emily had left, her aura tinted green with jealousy and red with rage. It reminded me of Christmas, only it wasn’t jolly. If anything, it was a nightmare, and Morgan was Krampus.
Emily’s wolf side had come out to play twice today. It was getting harder for her to control it. I wonder why it came out now and not when she was a child. Maybe it had something to do with why her witch powers didn’t surface until recently, either. Add that to the list of shit we needed to figure out.
After her, Griffin left, discouraged and unable to sway Morgan. I could see true sadness surrounding him and felt the grief of him losing his friend. Sure, Morgan hadn’t died, but she might as well have. The girl he once knew and any sense of humanity she once held was gone, shrouded in darkness.
Seeing Griffin’s aura feeling so tortured and conflicted made me hate her even more. He was disappointed in Morgan, Emily, and himself. Despite what others may think, Griffin had a big heart and was affected by things more than he let on.
Now, it was just Morgan and me sitting in that room.
“Oh great,” Morgan said, a snarky sarcasm in her voice. “Now the psychic freakshow is coming over.”
Whatever. Her comments didn’t bother me. I’d been called a freak most of my life—or, at least, what I could remember from it. I’ve learned how to remain silent and not give bullies the satisfaction of bringing me down.
“What, you’re not gonna talk without your friends there to back you up?” Morgan goaded me.
I narrowed my eyes and glared at her from my corner. “I know you’ve been using black magic,” I said, turning the conversation to where I wanted it to go. “You’re tainted now.”
Was I poking the bear? Absolutely. Why wouldn’t I? This piece of work locked up in the cage had tried to kill my best friend and wanted to hurt our wolves. I wasn’t leaving this room without talking a little shit.
Morgan scoffed, rolling her eyes. “What? Do you want to save me?”
“Unlike my friends, I couldn’t care less if you live or die. I see no redemption in you and think you would be better off dead.”
Morgan’s lips curled into a devious smile, and it sent a chill through my body. “You’re right about that,” she said, raising her hands and jerking them toward her, simultaneously sucking the air from my chest. “You’d be better off killing me before I kill you.”
Even through Emily’s barrier, she had her affinity and was determined to prove that she could still use it. But I was losing air and on the verge of passing out without letting up. My eyes fluttered shut, seeing stars and flickers of light clouding my vision. I swayed to the side, nearly falling off the chair.
Adina rushed into the room and ran over to help me up. Morgan finally released her grip on my oxygen. I gasped in a huge breath, leaning into Adina as I tried to collect myself in front of the monster determined to harm me.
“Remember,” she said, stepping close to the bars. “Remember this feeling. I am powerful, even when I’m locked in a cage. And I wasn’t even using black magic. Even from this cage, I can kill any one of you, whenever I want. You remember that.”
I left the room to lie down, but not before shouting a few profanities. Let Adina deal with that bitch for a while. I was done with her. And after having the breath sucked out of me—literally—I needed a breather.
When I got to my room, I flopped onto the bed, closing my eyes. Before I could think about anything else, I felt those familiar claws tugging at my mind.
Balthazar?
Hello, dear. Long time no speak,he teased. He’d spoken through my mind the other night when he warned me about Morgan and Emily.
Our talks were becoming more frequent, and I looked forward to them in a weird way. Though, something in my gut told me that there was much more to him than he let on. Whatever his motivations were, I had to tread carefully.
Do you wish to speak more? I asked, partially joking but curious about his intentions.
I’m always open to speaking with you, dear Ember. But I come with a warning. Your friends are in trouble if they go back to Morgan’s bar. You need to stay together, now more than ever. Despite their objections, it would be wise for them to stay at the warehouse.
With Morgan locked in a cage, what was waiting at the bar? Didn’t matter. I agreed with him because I didn’t want to lose the safety in numbers.
I asked, Do you know about this puzzle box? What is it?
Not much. Only that it expands curses. So, nothing more than we already knew. But he was lying. I could tell from how he sighed before answering that he knew more than he let on. Why wouldn’t he tell me?
If you wish to know more, look through the books in the alpha’s office. You should find the answers to your questions.
I debated calling him out on it, not wanting to sever this connection, but I figured, what the hell? Why not?
You know more, don’t you? Why are you telling me some but not all?
