Page 80 of Vampire's Hearth

Mac’s body twitched, ready to rejoin me at my side, but before he could move, he fell to his knees. His cry rang out through the air as he grasped his head, agony in his breaths. Amara’s steady gaze fell on him, her eyes narrowed, an arm outstretched as she caused his blood to boil.

“Amara, stop!” I screamed at her, my fists clenched and my body tense. I went to take a step forward, and Jade’s hand tightened on my arm. Mac remained on his knees, his body wracked with pain.

“You’ll understand soon,” Amara said.

“Amara, don’t do this!” I pleaded, glancing around. No way could I take on all the witches here, even if they weren’t my family. “There’s no reason—Mac said he would help us!”

Her eyes narrowed. “Do you truly not understand? After all this time, all we’ve taught you about the cunning ways of vampires?”

My breath hitched, my heart pounding against the rising tide of betrayal surging through me. I could feel it—hot and suffocating—twisting around my chest, sinking its claws in deep. Had I been blind all this time? Could I trust the woman who had shaped my life and taught me everything? Or had I missed the truth—about her, about the man I love, and the dangerous web we’ve all been trapped in?

“What do you mean?” I resisted the urge to run to Mac, who was crumpled on the ground. Amara gave him a moment of reprieve. The look on Lyra’s face—pure contempt and enjoyment—made me nauseous. I turned to Jade. “Why would you do this?”

Jade’s lips fell open as she started to speak, but Amara cut her off. “This has nothing to do with her. This was what I asked of her—what our coven needs.”

I gritted my teeth, my voice trembling with barely contained rage. “I don’t believe you.” Anger burned through my veins, hot tears rising in my eyes. Mac’s eyes caught mine, the pain mixed with undeniable love for me. Any doubt I had about my feelings for him burned away. He was the one I was supposed to be with, no matter what had been said, no matter the fears. I knew my heart. He was mine to protect, and nothing—no words, no manipulation—could shake that resolve.

The moment between us was broken as Amara stepped to loom over him. She placed her index finger under his chin, lifting it toward her. “Would you like to tell her?” she asked with a sneer. “Or should I?”

“Tell me what?” I screamed. The love in his eyes turned to fear, different than I had seen before. An icy wave of dread washed over me. My heart pounded in my chest, my hands and feet like ice as he glanced my way out of the corner of his eye, Amara holding his face toward her.

“Stop,” he pleaded. “Please, just stop.”

The wind rustled through the trees, the sound of dried leaves rolling over the ground reaching us through the charged silence.

Amara turned on her heel and stalked to the table. “Bring him to me,” she commanded as she stood at the southern edge of the map, her back to me.

Willow and Evangeline seized his arms, both concentrating on him as they pulled him to his feet. He roared in agony as he tried to fight them off, but they turned their magic on him, dragging him to the north edge of the map, directly across from Amara.

“What are you doing?” I demanded.

Amara tilted her head in my direction, her voice dropping to a low, almost remorseful murmur. “Telling you the truth. Showing you who he really is.”

“Amara, please!” Mac growled, his voice tight with desperation. “I’ll give you what you need. I’ll tell you everything I know.”

“Will you?” She spoke through gritted teeth. “Isn’t that what you’ve been telling my niece? To trust you, that you’ll tell her the truth, eventually? She’ll see the truth for herself.”

The ground beneath me seemed to sway. What was Amara saying? My heart raced, every beat threatening to tear my chest apart. Every secret Mac had asked to keep to himself came crashing over me. Could everything I knew about him—everything I believed in—be a lie?

Amara grasped an athame from her waistband. Willow and Evangeline kept their gazes focused on Amara.

Mac looked up at me, weak from the abuse inflicted on him. My heart ripped in two. Jade’s touch, normally such a comfort, burned on my arm. There was no way for me to physically reach him. Whatever they had planned for him, I was helpless. My mind raced, trying to come up with any way out of this. My shoulders slumped forward as I glanced down and shook my head—my failure at protecting him complete.

Amara’s voice dripped with acid as she spoke. “You really expected us to believe there were two families of vampires? Both from Ireland, both with four brothers, both with parents evil enough to turn them?”

So that was what Amara believed. The thought slammed into me, almost knocking me over. Despite all my doubts and questions, I had never directly asked him if he was an O’Cillian. My heart clenched in pain as the air left my lungs. I hadn’t asked because I didn’t want to know the truth. Even though deep in my heart, I already did.

Memories flooded back—Mac’s easy way with Conall, his knowledge of their family’s secrets, the stories of swimming in the cave. My love for him twisted inside me, tangled with a rising sense of betrayal. Why had he not just told me the truth? What did he think he was protecting me from? My shoulders shuddered as I struggled to hold back tears. Jade’s touch fell from my back to hold my hand, more out of comfort than malice.

With a small nod from Amara, Willow pulled Mac’s arm over the map. Tears ran down my cheeks. “Please, don’t do this! Just talk to him. Ask him—ask him if he’s an O’Cillian.”

It was the last plea I could think to make that would stop my aunt from hurting him.

Aurora

Amara spoke over her shoulder at me. “You’ve had weeks to do that, child, yet you haven’t. You’ve let him lead you around the world, falling prey to his lies.”

Lyra snickered, standing between her mother and me.

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