Chapter 28
Chapter
Twenty-Eight
ETHAN
“Who are you?”
The woman was far enough away to prevent me from clawing her, but still too close for comfort. “You might know my daughter.”
My eyes narrowed. “You’re not a vampire.”
“No.” She smiled. “I’m something far worse.”
“A witch,” I growled. Vampires couldn’t procreate naturally, so why was her mother a witch? I assumed her mother was the one who turned her when she came of age.
I—a memory niggled at me, but reaching for it felt like trying to hold on to fog. Wait. Moira had dark eyes. This woman had green. Wouldn’t Moira have the same color eyes?
Why couldn’t I remember anything?
“It’s difficult,” the woman said, “trying to remember anything when you’ve been spelled as thoroughly as you have.”
“Spelled?” A pain shot through my head.
“Mmm. Yes. My daughter is not only a vampire, Lord. She’s quite the talented witch.”
Her eye twitched. A grimace of pain flickered over the witch’s features.
I took a step back. “Moira doesn’t have the magic to spell me.”
“Are you so sure, Lord?” She took a step forward and gasped in pain.
“What’s the matter with you?”
“Nothing,” the witch barked. “I’m here to strike a bargain with you. Bring Moira to me, and you shall have everything you’ve ever wanted.”
Her words rang false. “I’m a Lord of a large territory and have a beautiful woman waiting for me at home. What more could I possibly want?”
The witch laughed. “Spoken like a man who has never experienced the finer things in life.”
“I do not bargain with witches. Leave my territory.”
The witch grimaced again, lifting a trembling hand to settle over her abdomen. “Your Sarah…” Her voice trailed off. Blood trickled from the edge of her mouth. “Does something about her feel different?”
I straightened. “What did you do to her?”
“Can’t you feel that magic rising in the air, Lord?”
The temperature had dropped by several degrees, sending a chill wind blowing across my skin.
“Moira has always been a covetous sort,” the witch said. Each step she took was punctuated by a gasp of pain. “She wants things that belong to others, and she will go to great lengths to get them.”
I hadn’t known Moira that long, but from what I’d seen of her, I hadn’t noticed anything of the sort. “Oh?” I said, humoring the witch.
She smiled, her teeth stained crimson. “Moira wants you. But you have one beautiful human standing in the way, don’t you?”
I blinked. Moira mentioned we were friends. She implied we were more but never admitted it. Were we more because I was bespelled? Had she slowly worked on me, charming me with small magics here and there? Was this why Sarah seemed less and less appealing to me?
Sarah didn’t like Moira and made no secret about it. Was she trying to save me from being taken away from her?
That made sense. Yes. Why would I ever be involved with a vampire? I could never have children with someone like Moira.
Children…did I want children? Something about that didn’t sit right with me. I was older. Most shifters my age had children or had given up.
Sarah and I had never tried. Why not?
I shook my head. “No. That’s not—”
Magic swam around me, hypnotizing me. “Focus on me, Lord,” came the witch’s voice.
Her breathing was short and labored. “Moira wants you. Sarah will not stand in the way—” A short scream ripped from the witch’s throat.
She doubled over, dragging in rasping breaths. “You bitch,” she hissed. “I will kill you this time for good—”
I took a step back, another, then one more. I had to get away from this witch.
“She will take everything you love, Lord.” A mocking laugh escaped the witch before she disappeared in a blast of sickly green light.