Chapter 26 #2
The image of Cordelia’s memory from her dream realm popped into my mind. While the older woman burned at the stake, in the distance, Cordelia and another woman stood and watched, crying. Was the other woman Willa?
This was bad news. I wanted nothing to do with a dark witch who attempted to kill me and chop off my arm. I wheezed as I struggled to breathe. What if this was the truth? Did it mean that I had darkness in me too?
“Anna?”
I shook my head, making the throbbing worse.
“Anna?”
I exhaled. “Dad, I have to go. I’ll be back soon.”
“What are you planning to do?”
“I’m planning to open the witch book Willa left for me.”
“Take Hayden with you,” he said.
Dad seemed to be coming to terms with my decisions.
“No need. I’ve got Tammy with me here.”
“But Hayden is your mate—”
“Hayden is also hiding something from me, Dad. Haven’t you considered why he doesn’t have the royal crescent marking on his body?
The kingdom fully accepts him. Everyone loves Hayden.
So then, if the magic marking didn’t appear on his skin, it means that Hayden doesn’t fully accept the kingdom.
” I paused to give Dad something to think about.
“Just like the other men in my life, he is hiding something.”
Dad drew in a long, ragged breath. He realized his mistake now. He should have looked into why Hayden and Torin had no sign of the royal pack on them, even after living under the King’s rule for so long.
“I’m sorry, honey,” was all he said. “I’ll see you soon, then. Be safe, okay?”
“Okay.”
Dad hung up, leaving me with my thoughts. I didn’t need Torin, Hayden, or Dad when I had Tammy and Mom’s unconditional love. These two women were my pillars at the moment.
The bedroom door creaked open, and Tammy sauntered in.
“I didn’t want to interrupt,” she said, walking to the desk.
I handed her phone back, and she smiled.
“So where are we going to open your magic book?”
I gave her my best smile. “Where all the books are located.”
Tammy laughed.
After sauntering to the bed, I sat cross-legged and took a deep breath. Tammy lounged beside me, staring at the ceiling.
“You know, when I was a kid, I loved going to the library with Uncle Derek. My favorite place with my favorite uncle,” I said.
Tammy glanced over at me, raising her eyebrows. She flopped onto her stomach, placing her hands under her cheeks.
“In third grade, our teacher taught us about cursive writing. I was immediately hooked, especially when she mentioned calligraphy.” I paused, smiling.
“I told Mom about it, and she bought me this beginner’s calligraphy workbook where I could practice.
I showed it off to our teacher during class and left it on my desk during recess. ”
“And?” Tammy prompted when I didn’t realize I’d fallen silent.
“When I returned after recess, the pages were ripped out. Layla admitted to doing it, but no one else saw.”
Tammy’s brows furrowed, and she reached out to give my hand a comforting squeeze.
“Back home, I cried about it to Mom, and Uncle Derek heard me. He made Layla apologize, but I could tell she didn’t mean it.”
“And did you forgive her?” Tammy asked.
I shook my head. “How could I? She destroyed something precious that Mom gave me.” A soft sigh escaped my mouth at the memory. “But Uncle Derek explained forgiveness to me—how it meant letting go of anger toward someone who’d wronged you. But I was too young to understand.”
Tammy gave me a half smile. “Have you forgiven her now?”
“I don’t think so, but back then, I pretended to forgive her only because Uncle Derek took me to the library. That day in the library with my favorite uncle was one of my favorite memories. I found peace there, instead of truly accepting Layla’s apology.”
“Bookworm,” Tammy said.
She knew me too well.
“Libraries are my thing. There are always exciting things that happen to me there.”
The city library was walking distance away from this apartment. Once we were ready, Tammy and I left the apartment, not bothering to contact Adrian. His men would alert him as we left the building.
The city streets bustled with people and cars, neon lights shining brightly and tall buildings towering above us. The sounds of cars passing surrounded us.
We walked on the sidewalk, rounded the corner, and both of us halted at the same time. Tammy’s hand grasped my wrist, her arm trembling.
“We’re in so much trouble, Bree,” she whispered, not disconnecting her gaze from the one person we didn’t want to see.
Torin leaned against a wall across the street, hands tucked in his front pockets.
His dark hair was tousled from the wind.
His intense, calculating gaze pierced through the chaos of the city.
He must have seen a glimpse of the place when I lost control of my mind in the dream realm.
It was the only explanation for how he found me.
His gaze finally fell on me, and our eyes locked. A cold chill sliced my spine. He took a step forward, and Tammy pulled me behind her.
“C’mon, Bree. We can lose him in the city.”
I loved Tammy’s endless optimism, but outrunning the hybrid Alpha wasn’t possible. It was inevitable to face Torin.
But first, I was going to open my witch book and find out where I was supposed to go next. My biological mother had left crumbs for me to follow, just like in fairy tales. I hoped the path didn’t lead to the dark witch’s house.
The bitter taste in my mouth was a combination of fear and determination.
Tammy and I sprinted, darting through alleyways and around corners.
The race against time had begun, and there was no turning back.