Chapter 17.
541 Words
They cautiously entered the glade, and Nick wasn't wrong. It seemed the witches there had been waiting for them.
They were all spread out in a wide circle, wearing cloaks with hoods that covered their faces.
Sapphire gasped. “Skylar,”
There was her sister, dangling by her hands from a tree, her head bowed to her chest.
“Take a step towards her, and watch her die.” said one of the witches, brandishing her staff.
Everyone stood rooted.
“We're not moving,” Nick assured, “We're not moving.”
One of them laughed and slowly drew back her hood. She moved to stand in the center.
Nick was shocked. “Avalon.”
“Nick the Blood Alpha. Kneel before me. Kneel before the witches. We want to see you bow and grovel.”
Nick complied.
“Would you like to beg us?”
Silence.
“Beg, Nicolas Ryder!”
“Don't hurt her.”
“Giving us orders?”
“I beg you, Avalon. Please.”
“Your humiliation tastes sweet. Sweeter than a child's tears. Yes, I am the high priestess and now I will have my vengeance on you. I did warn you, didn't I?”
“I did you no wrong.”
“You did me no wrong. You did me no wrong,” she repeated with a pretty, tinkling laugh. It ended as abruptly as it began. “What went wrong was you not taking me as your mate. Oh, poor, pretty Avalon. Only good for bed and nothing else.”
“It wouldn't have been possible.”
“I AM A WITCH! I can make anything possible.”
“I'll do anything you want, Avalon. Please. Just leave her.”
“I DON'T want anything you have.” The voice was calm, with an underlay of terror waiting to be unleashed.
“Avalon, I'm begging you.”
“The time for begging has now passed.” She paused. “Would you discard her if I told you to?”
Nick tensed. His answer, when it came, was quiet and sure. “No. I love her.”
Twank! The slap hit him full on the face. It left a mark.
“So you won't leave her?”
“No.” The answer came again, still quiet, and still sure.
Twank! Came the slap again and again and again.
“I've always admired your straightforwardness.” She said when she stopped.
A cricket chirped, momentarily piercing the silence, a ghostly sound from a faraway land.
“I won't take a used, secondhand thing like you.” She continued, turning slowly round and round him.
Nick forced himself to focus on her face, on her voice. He might run mad if he didn't. His heart was calling out to his mate. Yearning for her.
Was she alive, he wondered desperately? He couldn't feel anything coming from her, not a wisp of life or connection, despite her nearness.
“I would like something fresh,” Avalon continued.
Anything, Nick would have said, but making affirmations to a witch was like binding your soul to the devil.
“I want him,” she declared, her staff pointing straight at Liam. “Him. In exchange for your beloved.”
- Writer
