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It takes all I have to drag my gaze from Raven to her sister as my brother pushes the black silk of the robe apart and there, on the swell of the last girl’s breast, finds the small crescent moon.
A birthmark.
A birthright.
The Sacrifice.
Chapter 3
Raven
Tears streak down every last remaining Wildblood face as we stand outside the gate of our home, watching the taillights of Azrael’s car disappear with Willow inside.
She’s gone, and it feels like my heart has been wrenched out of my chest. We all know what’s to come. There will be a wedding. An indoctrination into The Society. A new role for my sister as Azrael’s wife. Expectations. Rules. An entirely different life. One we’re all secretly afraid she won’t survive. History of the sacrifices who came before her have dictated as much.
As if her thoughts match my own, my mother releases a horrific sob before nearly collapsing into my father’s arms.
“Come, Clara,” he murmurs. “Let’s get you inside.”
“We’ve got you, mama,” Aurora says, gently supporting my mother as they help her along.
Cordelia and I watch them go before turning our gazes back to the empty street.
“Is mama going to be okay?” Cordelia asks.
I stare down at her freckled face, the picture of innocence, and swallow the agony of my response. Cordelia is the youngest, at only twelve, and she couldn’t possibly understand the full weight of what’s happening. But she feels it as deeply as we all do. To lose a sister in this way– to have her ripped from our lives so cruelly– I’m quite certain there is no greater agony.
“I don’t know,” I answer honestly. “But we’ll do our best to make sure she is.”
“And Willow?” Cordelia whispers.
I take her hand in mine and offer her a watery smile. “Willow is strong. The strongest of all of us. She has a warrior’s heart and Wildblood in her veins. Remember that.”
Cordelia nods, a glint of pride beaming from her eyes for our sister. I don’t know if she felt the tremor in my hand or heard the crack in my voice, but she accepts what I tell her. We both know it’s the only option we have.
“You should go on up to bed,” I tell her. “It’s getting late.”
“What about you?” she asks.
“I’ll be in later.”
“Okay.” She squeezes me in a hug and darts inside the house, leaving me to lock the gate.
I glance down the street as an eerie feeling creeps over my skin. I get the sense I’m being watched. I don’t know if it’s the foreboding energy of what’s to come, or perhaps something more sinister afoot. Because as much as I hate the Delacroix family, they aren’t the only enemies we have.
Modern-day witch hunters still live and breathe. Religious zealots would gladly bring back the witch trials if they could. But they don’t need permission to wreak havoc on our lives. They’ve already done enough of that.
I shake off those thoughts and check the line of black salt scattered across the sidewalk. Of course, Azrael and his brother tromped right through it. With a sigh, I retreat to the greenhouse and gather a fresh supply to restore the protective boundary around the property, walking the length of it to ensure the salt is intact.
When I am satisfied with that task, I wander to the backyard pool and stare up at the starry sky. It’s a tradition Willow and I often participated in together. I wonder if there will ever be any more of those nights together. If I will ever sit beside her in the darkness of night as we share our deepest secrets.
Pain lances through my chest at the loss of her, and it’s almost too unbearable. There is only one thing to be done, she would tell me.
I squeeze my eyes shut and draw in a deep breath before sliding the robe from my shoulders, followed by my chemise. The silk fabric falls around my feet, and a shiver moves over my naked flesh as the moonlight bathes me with its restorative energy.
I dip my toe into the stillness of the blue water, testing the temperature. It’s a humid night, and the water is warm. But another chill moves over me as I lower my naked body onto the concrete, slipping into the water completely.
Dark energy lurks around me, and I can’t shake the feeling as I glance around the backyard. Everything is still and quiet. But I feel like I’m going crazy as I clutch the opal pendant around my neck, directing the negative energy back to whatever source it came from.
