Page 79 of Vampire's Hearth

I looked at Mac as his face darkened. Something about Aunt Amara’s words concerned him, but I didn’t know what. I moved my hand so it sat over the top of his, giving it a light squeeze. “What do you need with Mac? Obviously, you can command my presence, but not his.”

“I believe I can find the Cure.” Amara glanced away as she spoke. “But I need the blood of a vampire.”

Something in her eyes made me question her statement. What was she not telling me? “What else is there?”

She shook her head. “Nothing, child. Just the next step.”

Mac looked between her and I. “I’ll be there.” His voice was steel.

I turned to him, my words hurried. “Mac, you don’t have to. Not all witches and vampires should trust each other.”

He put his free hand over mine so it was between the warmth of his hands as he gazed into my eyes. “And I want to change that. It is time for an alternative path, Rory. One that you and I take together.”

“Then it is settled.” Amara stepped forward with a smile on her lips. “We’ll be in the clearing at midnight.”

She turned and walked into the house. I bit my lip, nerves twisting my stomach. I hoped Mac knew what he was doing.

Mac and I walked hand in hand through the forest, the moonlight glistening on the Spanish moss, making it sparkle like diamonds. The entire world had taken on an extra glow in the past few days. I looked up at him, his deep blue eyes meeting mine with that now familiar intensity, steady and sure. A small smile played on my lips—one that he returned, along with a gentle squeeze of my hand. I had never loved anyone as much as I loved him. Still, I couldn’t shake the quiet weight in my chest, a feeling that surfaced when I least expected it. I ignored it, like normal, and laid my head on his biceps.

As we approached the clearing, Mac’s arm tensed, causing me to stand. He leaned down closer to my head as if sharing a secret. He pointed to the middle of the clearing where a dark oak table stood. Candles surrounded a large piece of paper on it. “There used to be a fairy ring under that table made of mushrooms.Even when I was six hundred years old, my mother would tell me to be careful of a fairy ring because it would transport me to a magical world. She held all the myths about doorways to the fairy realm in such high regard, as though they were all true.” He gazed off beyond the table at the memory.

I smiled at him. It wasn’t often he spoke of his parents. “Are you saying in a world where you know there are vampires, witches, and all those things that you don’t believe in the fae?”

“I believe in the fae. I’ve met a few in my time in Ireland. But I’m pretty sure they would want to slam their doors in my face.”

I let out a small giggle. “Why?”

Mac shook his head. “They are pure light magic. What would they want with me? I’m darkness incarnate.”

I grinned, leaning a little closer to him, a slight energy in my heart. “Maybe they just need your darkness to help them sleep better. You have a way of wearing people out after nightfall.”

Mac rolled his eyes and chuckled at my ridiculous pun as we approached the table. The paper resting on the top was a map of the world, hand-drawn in black ink. I held my free hand over it, feeling the magical energy radiating from it. A powerful spell had gone into creating this. My gaze locked onto the top center of the map, where the O’Cillian knot twisted—a dark, ominous omen. I guess Aunt Amara had found the next step to finding the Cure.

Mac shivered as he glanced at the edge of the woods. “I wonder what my part is here?”

My pulse raced. He looked so sure most of the time, but a flash of uncertainty crossed his face at that moment like he’d been hurt by something like this before. My heart clenched as I shook my head. “Amara didn’t tell me any more than you heard, but I’m sure we’ll find out soon.”

I held his hand a little tighter. I couldn’t protect him from the past, but I could make sure neither of us faced the future alone.

The candles around the map flickered. From toward the barn, I saw my sister witches approaching, but it wasn’t the full coven, just Amara’s inner circle: Lyra, Willow, Evangeline, and Jade. As they drew closer, the women glanced at each other behind Amara, the light casting uneasy shadows over their faces as if even they weren’t certain of what was to come.

I relished the feel of Mac’s fingers in mine as Amara approached. She held her hands out to me. After giving Mac’s hand a final, comforting squeeze, I took a deep breath and released it, then placed my hand in Amara’s waiting grasp. “Thank you for coming and for bringing him, child. I know you have not had a simple path.”

I forced a smile and shook my head. My heart felt as though it would burst from my chest. “No, it isn’t easy, but I know you only want what’s best for the coven—and to find the Cure, just like us.”

A small laugh came from Lyra. I glanced at her as I clenched my jaw. “If only everyone felt the same way.” I rolled my eyes.

“They do, child. We just sometimes have different ways of getting there.” She wrapped her arms around me and pulled me into a hug.

The warmth of Amara’s hug contrasted sharply with the growing chill in my spine. I felt like I was dealing with a version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. One minute, she was my normal, loving aunt, and the next, acting in ways so unpredictable and unsettling it made my head spin. I allowed myself to relax into her embrace, remembering her words to follow my heart. Right now, it was leading me back to my family, and I would find a way to include Mac.

I pulled back, my gaze falling again to the map, the candles flickering. A movement caught my eye within the tree line. I shook my head, cursing myself at how jumpy I was as the leaves rustled and a dark bird took flight. The sound of its wings fadedand left only the melancholic chorus of the night. I returned my gaze, and I realized that something was missing. Something important. I took a step back, the knot returning to my stomach.

“Amara,” I asked, “Forgive me, but if we’re going to complete a spell to find the next step in the Cure... where’s the grimoire?” I took a step toward the table, and Lyra blocked my path, crossing her arms over her chest. I glanced at Evangeline, her eyes downcast as she had moved behind Mac. I tilted my head. It was as though she refused to look at me. Willow stood closer to his side, fear etched on her face.

Amara shook her head. “You needn’t worry about how we’re going to complete the spell, child.”

As she spoke, Jade came up beside me, placing a hand in the middle of my back, the other resting just above my elbow, as though she were ready to restrain me. My heart raced in alarm. “What is going on?” I asked, my eyes flitting about in my anger.

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