Page 83 of Her Blood Revenge

Her words spill from her mouth in quick concession, and she never looks away from me.

‘What did you swear to her?’

‘Everything,’ I reply. ‘Anything.’

‘Me?’ she asks, her voice cracking. ‘Did you swear to give her me?’

I go to stand, reaching only to my knees before she has leapt to her feet. Her entire body is poised to either attack or run. I can’t be sure which. It doesn’t matter. Either one will end in her defeat.

I’m up, and we face one another.

I take a step. Vines entangle around my ankle, holding me in place.

Not purple, but green. Hers.

‘Tell me. Did you promise her me?’

‘I promised her all blood witches,’ I admit, knowing that the truth is out and will only destroy us further if I attempt to keep it to myself. ‘I promised I would love her forever. I promised her I would obey. I promised her my undying loyalty.’

She steps back, and the vines on my wrist tighten.

‘Did you send me to her?’

‘No!’ I scoff. ‘Don’t be absurd. I swore what I had to swear to get away from her. I was her prisoner. Her slave. Toget out of hell, I would have done and said anything. You saw her. She called me a betrayer. A liar. Because she knew as soon as she saw me that I had no intention of keeping any vow or oath I had sworn to her.’

She’s unsure.

‘What was that place?’ she demands.

‘You know what it was.’

She shuffles her feet.

‘The goddess of the blood witches. It was the goddess Hel herself.’

I nod.

‘All those people in the blood,’ she whispers, more tears leaking past her eyes.

‘Her disciples,’ I reply. ‘Blood witches.’

‘Will-’ She rests her hand over her heart. ‘Will I end up there?’

‘Only those who worship her fully. Who allow the darkness of their power to take hold of them. Witches like Neve. Like Dhalia or Sinthia. Or any who allow blood magic to corrupt their souls.’

‘So. You forced me to do that spell to resurrect Neve and her sisters, knowing I could end up in that place when I die? That my eternity would be spent clawing to her in a sea of blood?’

‘It was a worry I raised with the others. But we agreed you were too much of an earthwitch to allow it to be of a concern.’

‘You decided,’ she scoffs. ‘I doubt where my soul ends up is something you get to decide, Shadow Master.’

‘It’s where dark witches go. You are not dark. You will not go there.’

‘Icould have been after that spell. The more I use blood magic, the worse I get.’

‘Which is why we forbade you from using it. Which is why we have done nothing but encourage you to use your earth magic instead!’ I slam my fist into a tree, splintering the bark so it shoots out in all directions. ‘And yet you reanimated the dead. You took control of the queen’s spirit and wielded her against your enemies!’

I’m beyond enraged. I’m actually fucking scared. I know it, but I can’t stop myself from lashing out at her.

---