Page 72 of Vampire's Hearth

“Not anytime soon, and certainly not likethat,” Aurora replied, her voice dripping with frustration, her hand reaching to the lynx pendant. It was then I understood. This was no longer just Rory. This was Aurora, the High Priestess Heir, confronting her superior in the coven. With each silent moment, an air of authority gathered around her, stiffening her composure and adding to her beauty.

I stepped forward, my eyes glued to Amara, searching for any trace of dishonesty. “What is it about the grimoire that you needed? And why couldn’t Aurora be there when you found it?” Rory joined me at my side, taking my hand.

Amara met my eyes, her expression softening. “I needed the spell to find the Cure. I intended to modify it to show us the path to the Cure and the vampire that threatens us all.”

Lyra’s face twisted with anger. “Mother, why are you telling him this?”

Amara’s gaze never left me, her eyes narrowing. “Because, in the end, he’s the one who’s going to help us.”

Rory’s hand tightened on mine, the pressure reminding me she was next to me, her position unwavering as she spoke. “Why do you think Mac is going to help you?”

“Because of love.” Amara turned her stony gaze on her niece. “You will help me because you are the High Priestess Heir. And Mac”—she glanced at me—“Mac will help because he loves you.”

Rory’s breath caught, and her hand tensed around mine. The weight of Amara’s words hung in the air, unspoken between us. I could feel Aurora’s pulse in her grip, rapid and uncertain, but she said nothing. Neither did I. There was so much we hadn’tsaid, so much we hadn’t discussed about what was growing between us.

Rory finally found her voice, though she fought the slight tremble in it. “Why do you need Mac’s help?”

Amara hesitated, her eyes drifting from Rory to me as if gauging how much to reveal. “The spell requires something I don’t fully understand. It’s… complicated.”

“And what is it that the spell needs?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“The essence of an entity linked to the vampire,” Amara admitted, her voice low, as though speaking the words aloud gave them power. “But something is strange… like he isn’t fully vampire. Whatever it is, it’s blocking my magic, so I cannot figure out the essence required or where to get it. The spell to find the Cure will likely require the same essence.”

I knit my brows together. I could sense where this was headed. A slight smirk crept to my lips as my hand relaxed in Rory’s. Our dhampir nature was thwarting the High Priestess Regent, which meant she had more to learn before she would be successful.

Before I could respond, Aurora let out a sharp scoff, her eyes filled with a mixture of anger and disbelief. “Let me guess—you want Mac to convince Conall to give you some of his essence, even though you have no idea what it is. And you want us to help you find the Cure that might kill him and his brothers before we even deal with restoring the balance?” Her voice dripped with sarcasm and resentment.

Amara shrugged, calm as ever, her eyes fixed on mine. “If you told us what you know about the evils of the Clan O’Cillian, the monsters they truly are, we wouldn’t need to go through this.”

I shook my head, a half smile tugging at my lips. “Your only need is to find the Cure.” I squeezed Rory’s hand, my trust in her absolute, far beyond my trust in her family.

“And why is that?” Amara asked, her gaze sharp.

Aurora steeled her jaw as she set her gaze on her aunt. “It is something we learned just before we left Waterford. Our coven has two mandates. The second is to maintain the balance between the vampires and the hunters.”

I tightened my grip on Rory’s hand, feeling the warmth of her skin against mine.

She continued. “The first is to protect the Cure. We’ve lost sight of them both.”

Lyra’s eyes narrowed, her tone turning icy. “Why do we need him?” she muttered, gesturing toward me and shooting a glance at Amara as if daring her to disagree.

I glanced at Rory. Her gaze caught mine, full of compassion and fury, before she turned to her cousin. Her temper finally snapped, her voice sharp. “You know, Lyra, I don’t know what your problem is or why you’re doing this.”

“You shouldn’t even be with him. He’ll throw off the balance even worse than it already is, making the vampires even stronger,” she spat, turning her full attention toward her cousin. “You’re supposed to be the future leader of our coven.”

Rory’s hand slipped from mine as she took a step toward Lyra, her voice low. “And I will be.”

Lyra didn’t flinch, her arms still crossed as she stared down her cousin with a cold, calculating gaze. “Not if you keep making these ridiculous decisions. And certainly not if you keep letting him”—her eyes flicked to me with disdain—“into our secrets. Into our circle.” Lyra took a step forward, closing the gap between them, looking down on her cousin.

Rory’s eyes blazed with anger, and she reached for my hand again, stepping away from Lyra and to my side. The gesture wasn’t just for comfort—it was a statement.

Amara stood, her gaze focused, a mixture of ire and admiration. Her eyes focused on me as she tilted her head and took a step back. “There is more to learn and a path to find.”

Rory clenched her jaw. “Let’s go, Mac,” she said, her voice tight with controlled fury. “I’m done with this conversation.”

She turned on her heel, tugging me along with her as she ascended the stairs, leaving Lyra and Amara behind. I could feel Lyra’s eyes burning into my back, but I didn’t glance around. My focus was on Rory, and as I followed her up the stairs, I couldn’t help but notice her tight, raised shoulders and the way her breath came just a little too fast, but her hand in mine was soft and secure.

Aurora

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