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There was something wicked about her demeanor, a taint that felt wrong, almost like a sickness that clung to her aura. An uneasy silence followed her words. I looked at Sebastian, who seemed confused as he zipped up his pants. His facial expression, skin pulled taut across his face, indicated he wasn’t in control.
That was when I saw it. I didn’t notice earlier because it was too dark at the sorority house during our altercation. The moon was brighter now, and I could see what I was too angry to discern before.
Sebastian’s eyes.
A weird glow encompassed his irises, too glassy and unfocused as he stared ahead. I knew without a doubt the man before me was altered. This wasn’t Seb. Not really. His physical body, yes. But someone controlled and manipulated his thoughts and actions. Strong magic prevented him from exerting his will. Did Silvia know her son had been taken hostage, used by unseen forces?
“Ah, I see you’re figuring it out.” Jadis pushed Sebastian aside and stalked forward, smoothing out her short skirt. “But you won’t live long enough to tell anyone else.”
I nearly scoffed . . . until I couldn’t move.
A loud screech exploded in the air, pulsing into the night with so much power that I was thrown backward. My eardrums ached, and my head throbbed as I suddenly felt weightless.
The attack happened so fast I couldn’t conjure the ability to fight it.
Pain gripped every muscle from head to toe. My body hung suspended in the air by Jadis, who grinned wickedly.
“I’ve been waiting a long time for this.”
I had no idea what she meant. “What?” All my efforts to break free from her hold failed. My shields trembled underneath the onslaught. She battered against them with sharp blasts of magic that weakened my body with every hit.
“Bye, Cassie.”
Before I could protect myself, I was tossed across the perfectly manicured yard and into one of the towering oaks that lined the drive. My body slammed into the base. The impact was brutal—almost too much to do more than lay there, stunned. My lungs felt crushed as I struggled to breathe. Confusion muddled my thoughts. How did she possess such magic? Jadis was never exceptionally gifted.
The truth became apparent when I caught a glimpse of something small in her hand. So simple. I should have figured it out sooner. The hex bag. The harmful spells. The attacks.
Jadis held a Voodoo doll. For every injury she intended to inflict upon me, she’d use this Voodoo magic to torture my body for as long as she desired. Jadis meant to kill me slowly, savoring the pain and agony I’d be forced to endure.
The heavy, evil presence from the earlier attacks returned, swarming my shields and pounding them relentlessly. The sinister aura, so cold and cruel, mocked my pain. I felt beaten down and struggled to keep myself protected. I didn’t know how much longer I could endure this trauma. Jadis was more potent than any average witch could ever become alone. I knew what she did when our eyes met, and she sneered with hatred.
Jadis had tapped into blood magic and torn open the veil.
Shit.
“CASSIE!”
My ears were ringing; all sounds echoing in consecutive bursts of sharp noises that faded in and out. Blinking rapidly, I tried to focus on the frantic voice that called my name.
“Cassie, can you hear me?”
I lifted my hands to my ears and felt the warm trickle of blood on my skin. My thoughts were muddy, but I remembered Jadis tried to kill me. She used a spell to knock me out and attempted to burst my eardrums before throwing my body into an oak tree. The loud noise would have ruptured my membranes and traumatized the tissue in my brain, while the violent impact intended to break every bone in my body. It was a deliberate attack to harm and inflict permanent injury.
Bitch.
Without the power and blessing of my ancestors, I would have died. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind.
“Cassie, answer me!”
The voice belonged to the damn vampire.
Damian’s presence held an alpha quality. Determined, insistent, powerful, and authoritative. I opened my mouth to answer when I realized something wasn’t right. I couldn’t speak. My sight began to fade, narrowing into tunnel vision. My ability to fight faded. Even my will felt siphoned away.
Each beat of my heart seemed to struggle against some unknown force. I gasped, my lungs desperate for oxygen, but I couldn’t make them cooperate. Sweat broke out on my skin as I realized my own frailty. Shock rendered me entirely speechless. My organs were shutting down. Mortally wounded, I knew I wouldn’t make it back to Howe Manor.
I’d die here within minutes.
“Cassie, take my blood. It’s the only way.” Damian’s voice brought me back from the edge.
