Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 87185 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87185 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
She twists, angling herself toward me. “You know why vampires and witches don’t get along, right?”
My head bobs up and down as I nod, and I reach back, twisting my hair into a bun. I have nothing to secure it with, but it feels good just to get my hair off my back. I will curse the winter and miss this heat, but this North Carolina sun can be brutal in the summer. “There was a war like a thousand years ago and some witch was given power that almost wiped them out,” I reply, telling her what limited info I know from the Order.
“Yes, it’s rumored a Lancaster witch was given raw energy in its purest form from an archangel. But the reason witches and vampires went to war in the first place…you don’t know?”
“I always assumed it was because they were both powerful but in different ways.”
“Yes, to some extent. Vampires were trying to turn witches into them, hoping they would keep their powers. They wanted the gift of magic and the ability to walk in the light. They hated us for being able to do things they cannot. And at their core, they know we created them.”
“Witches created vampires?”
“The exact origin has been debated for centuries, but what fuels a vampire? Their hearts don’t beat yet they still have blood flowing through their veins. They bleed when they’re cut, do they not?”
“They do.” I cling to her every word.
“It’s magic—black magic—that gives them their afterlife.”
“Wait,” I say as it comes to me. “You’re saying we can take it away.”
“There have been many who have tried but some things simply just are and cannot be undone. Though that fear remains and vampires will always hate us for it.”
I look at the ground, trying to take it all in. “This is a lot to process.”
“I know.” She puts her hand on mine. “Which is why the universe brought me here. You don’t belong to the darkness, Florence. You can step into the light and still have powers.”
Tipping my head up, I look back into her eyes. “I’m doing that now,”
“Not fully.” She gives my hand an empathic squeeze. “As long as you chain yourself to a vampire, you will always be limited—and in danger.”
Chapter
Thirteen
“Itrust Xavier,” I say, unable to help myself.
“I believe you do.”
“But you don’t think I should?”
Marie rests one of her hands on her lap, casually playing with a string of magic like it’s a fidget spinner. “I think vampires don’t like being reminded there is anything out there stronger than them.”
It’s strange, being on the other side of it. Because Marie doesn’t have to say it for me to know: witches think they are better than vampires. It’s not a one-way street of hate and wanting to out do one another.
Vampires excel at physical strength and speed, of course, but I suppose when it really comes down to it, they are no match for our spells and curses.
“He encourages me to use my powers and learn more about my family and past.”
“Then he will have no problem if you join us for a coven gathering in a few days. I’m setting something up. It’s been quite a while since Charlotte has hosted anything like this.” She looks around. “It’s a beautiful city. It’s my first time here.”
“Are there a lot of witches here?”
“No. Curious, isn’t it? A town run by vampires has no magical presence.”
“When and where are you meeting?” I ask, ignoring her little dig. I am desperate to find out more about my family and learn how to do more spells, but I cannot and will not let someone I just met drive a wedge between me and my husband…even though I think there is truth to what she just said.
I am a human and am beneath vampires because of that. My life can easily be taken…but I can wield power they will never be able to possess, power that can end them without me even breaking a sweat.
“I haven’t decided yet,” she tells me. “I’ll make sure you know.”
“Do you want my number?”x
Her lips turn up in a smirk. “I’m not an amateur.”
At first I assume she means she already has my number. It’s not hard to find someone’s personal info with the internet, though being a member of the Order has given me anonymity most people don’t get.
“You’ll receive my message.”
“Oh, uh, okay.”
“Be careful, Florence. I have a bad feeling that something dark has attached itself to you.”
Hah. It has. “Wait, before you go, you said something about the Blackwoods hunting.” I blink and get a vision of the dream I had before we killed the demon at Camp Dogwood. It was about my parents and they were talking about killing a demon.
“Ah, yes. You asked if witches are allowed to hunt. Yes, we can do what we want in that aspect.”