Page 40 of Destiny of the Witch

‘You’re supposed to offer me my heart’s desire,’ I bitched. ‘That’s what the bad guys do. They offer wealth or the power to resurrect a loved one. You’re not doing very well.’

‘You’ve already got your heart’s desire, Amber. My daughter – the Crone! I’m ever so proud.’

‘Fuck off,’ I snarled. ‘You have no right to be proud of me, John.’ Dammit, I hadn’t meant to let his current alias slip out, but my anger at his pride had made it fall from my lips.

There was a pause. ‘Ah,’ he said lightly, as if my knowing his new identity was of no importance. ‘The beans have been spilled, have they? All the more reason to crack on. Tick-tock, Amber. What will you decide? A second chimera coming out to play, or are you coming with me?’

My jaw clenched. I hated the idea of co-operating with him, but I hated the idea of Bastion dying even more. ‘Where do I go?’ I asked tightly.

He didn’t crow in triumph. ‘Into the red car that is idling at the front of the house. Go quickly. We don’t want Bastion noticing you’ve slipped away or I’ll have to distracthim.’ The threat was clear. I took a step backwards towards the house.

I heard an angrykraa. I looked up and met Fehu’s eyes.Don’t,I pleaded with him.Don’t tell Bastion I’m going. I have to keep him safe. Don’t tell him I’m leaving or my father will kill him.

Fehu screamed in rage and I felt his anger like a hot blast across my skin. He hated not being able to help us both.Please, I whispered again. He had been Bastion’s familiar for two centuries and mine for a hot minute, so I hoped he would want to protect him a shade more than me.Please, I entreated and felt his assent.

I reached into my left pocket and set my vial of final-defence on the ground.Make sure he gets it.I wasn’t taking something so valuable into the arms of our enemies. On the black market that little vial would go for a hefty seven-figure price tag. I wasn’t giving them revenue to buy more dark objects.

After a moment’s hesitation, I left my athame there, too. My enemies weren’t going to leave me armed, and I didn’t want to give them my family heirloom. I had my potion bomb in my right pocket. Here’s hoping my enemies overlooked it.

Intending to take it off, I touched the pendant around my neck but it wouldn’t budge. No matter how I tugged at it, it wouldn’t lift higher than my eyeline. I guessed it was coming with me.

Above me, Fehu let out another angrykraa. The furious raven turned back to the chimera, flying at her eyes, claws extended. ‘Raven!’ Bastion cried, horrified, ‘Get back!’

Whilst my clever little familiar drew everyone’s focus onto him, I slunk away to my own private doom.

Chapter 32

As promised, the maroon car was outside the safe house with the engine running. I recognised the driver but I kept a closely guarded lid on my anger. If Bastion felt any sort of strong emotion from me he’d come running – chimera or no – and that meant he’d turn his back on the deadly creature. I couldn’t risk that, even with Frogmatch’s helpful immunity coming into play.

I climbed into the back of the car. ‘Hello, Mack,’ I greeted the driver as neutrally as I could manage, as if his treachery were nothing to me. He didn’t deserve for me to waste my emotions on him; he was a pawn, nothing more.

‘Amber,’ he sneered at me. ‘Thank you for co-operating with the plan.’

I wanted to knock the damned smirk off his face. With real effort, I ignored him. ‘So,’ I said calmly as I buckledup my seatbelt – safety is always important, even during a kidnapping – ‘you’re not anti-black magic after all.’

He laughed. ‘Where better to hide than as a fanatic of the weak little white witches?’ he chortled.

He was right. Even after Tristan had been revealed as an evil witch, I still hadn’t looked twice at Mack. I’d hated him, thought he was a prick, but I hadn’t thought he was evil. He’d played the role so well. With hindsight, I should have looked harder at him after Tristan’s attack. Hindsight is such a smug bitch.

I folded my arms like I was in a snit. He seemed to be in the mood to lord it over me and that meant I could use his ego to do some information gathering. ‘Did you serve Hilary as well as Tristan?’

‘Oh yes,’ he confirmed. ‘I truly was fond of her. My anger at her death was not faked, I assure you. I really did enjoy slamming you into that dank jail cell. I would have thrown a few jabs into your ribs, but your father was clear that would not be tolerated.’ He met my eyes in the rear-view mirror. ‘More’s the pity.’

‘I doubt he was happy with the whole thing,’ I blustered.

‘He had no issueswith Tristan’s plan. He wanted to put pressure on you. You don’t know Daddy Dearest at all,’ he taunted.

He wasn’t wrong there, but I knew a little about John and a little about Shaun. There was bound to be a bit of truth in the memories that I had of the latter, though I was conscious that as a child I hadn’t had an impartial view of my father. My memories may have been distorted or affected by my childish admiration of the man; children are rarely discerning judges of character. Regardless, I knew the man more than Mack thought I did, and I fully intended to use that to my advantage.

Mack continued, ‘We’re far enough away now that we don’t need to worry about the griffin. Drink this.’ He chucked a small potion vial at me.

I studied it, stalling for time. I unstoppered the vial and gave it a cautious sniff, dipped my little finger into it and tasted it. It was definitely a sedative potion, a strong one. The amount in the vial would put me out for a couple of hours at least. I dithered, not wanting to be unconscious at Mack’s mercy.

I looked up as I heard a click and stared down the barrel of a gun.

‘Drink it.’ All traces of humour had gone from his voice. ‘Or I’ll start putting holes in you.’

I believed him. I was all out of options. With a grimace, I drank. I unwound the window and tossed the empty vial out of the window before the sedation could take hold of me.

---