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In a moment of clarity, I realized the rogue witch sent me to theEtherto ensure I was bitten by the Thrall. I was meant to be weakened, my magic vulnerable. The only way to penetrate my shields was to steal a portion of my soul. No amount of magic alone could do such a thing, but if combined with a Thrall bite the demonic creatures could siphon a portion of it while I lost control.
Now the rogue witch had exactly what he wanted. Heowneda piece of my essence.
As soon as the knowledge entered my head, the pain began to fade away. A sinister chuckle echoed in my head and I yelled, calling out and threatening the witch, cursing him, and swearing my revenge.
He wasn’t getting away with this.
I’d steal my essence back. No one would stop me.
The witch’s voice answered with sensual promise. “I truly hope so, my sweet Cassandra.”
Bolting upright in my backyard, I found the astonished stares of my ancestors, myCosan, Gypsy, and my Aunt Gwen. With a flick of my wrist the candles burned higher and I sank to my knees, speaking to my mother with renewed strength and vigor.
“I’ll find this witch and end him, I swear. Bless me ancestors, I ask for your strength and extra power as I hunt him down and destroy this evil once and for all.”
My mother smiled, but the worry was apparent in her eyes. “You don’t need anything further from us. Your power already rivals the extent of the coven.”
Gypsy and Aunt Gwen issued audible sounds of surprise, but I simply nodded.
“Thank you, ancestors. I love you, mother. So mote it be.”
“As I love you, my daughter. So mote it be.”
The spirits of my ancestors faded as I stood and waved my hand in the air, extinguishing the candles before I spun on my heel and walked toward the manor with purpose. The voices of myCosanfaded into the background like white noise as I squared my shoulders. Now that I knew the plan of my enemy it was time to act. A plan formed in my head and I was certain the rogue witch would make an appearance tonight. I needed to be ready.
If war was what he wanted,so mote it be.
“WHAT’S THE ISSUE WITHKayde?” I stood in the kitchen with Aunt Gwen after a long nap, raiding the fridge and cabinet, followed by several warm Soul Cakes cooling from the oven.
It was Samhain, after all. I was supposed to indulge.
Aunt Gwen opened her mouth to answer when Gypsy glided into the kitchen and snatched a Soul Cake, flicking off the extra raisins. She always picked them off even though she insisted they be included during the baking process. I found it kind of cute and endearing.
“He’s a Van Helsing. They’re always grumpy.”
Frowning, I took a bite of my cookie and swallowed. “I thought his last name was Winchester.”
“It is,” Gypsy shrugged. “You can ask mom about that.”
I turned to Aunt Gwen expectantly.
“The Van Helsing line is an old one. A powerful hunter lineage that combined with an equally potent line of witch hunters with unique traits. The Winchester clan are gifted in their ability to locate and hunt immortals, specifically those with magical qualities.”
“You meanwitches,” I pointed out. “Why is he here?”
“Because I’m the only one who can save your ass from that rogue witch and his demented group ofdamnedfollowers.” Kayde’s deep voice surprised me and I nearly jumped as he sauntered into the room, laying a crossbow down on the counter as he picked up several cookies. “And I meandamnedas in demonic, little witch.”
“I suppose you think you’re some expert,” I retorted. “If that’s true, then why haven’t you figured out who he is?”
“Cassie,” Aunt Gwen warned, but I ignored her.
Kayde and I seemed to be right back where we were before. He was irritating and entirely too smug. It grated on my nerves and I retaliated with sarcasm. My defense mechanism which assuredly irritated him in return. How was this supposed to work again?
“There’s not a lot of options,hot stuff, so we narrow it down. There’s only so many of you Salem bloodlines.” He leaned back against the counter and gave me a once over as he bit into a cookie. “I’d say your enemy is probably one of the Salem lineages not included in the original thirteen.”
Aunt Gwen straightened with a gasp. “Why didn’t I think of that?”
“Why didn’t the Third Eye reveal it?” Gyps asked as she munched on the rest of her cookie and took a sip of tea. “The leaves were quiet last night.”
