Page 38 of White Charms and Dark Secrets

Why did I have to fall for it? Why am I such an idiot around him?

“You keep telling yourself that, sweetheart. That sure didn’t feel like an ‘I hate you kiss’,” he retorts, sounding way too damn chirpy about it.

“Are you going to help me or not?” I snap, staring at the stupid, flowery wallpaper I still haven't gotten around to replacing.

“Of course. I'm a man of my word.”

I turn back to face him and see he holds out a golden-coloured chalice. Stunning, green stones line the outside, stones that just so happen to match the stupid colour of his way too pretty eyes.

“How is that supposed to help me find someone?” I question him, reaching for it regardless of my scepticism. He holds it just out of my reach.

“You drink from it and picture the person you wish to find. You'll then be able to find them wherever they are for the next three days or so,” he answers, finally letting me take it. It feels ice-cold in my hand, like he just pulled it out of a freezer or something. I try not to dwell on the chill I feel rushing through my hand from holding it.

“What do I need to drink from it?” I ask, wondering if it requires me to put something creepy in it.Please don’t let it be blood.Kier may be a blood drinker, but there's no way I'm drinking blood to find his dad. Blood drinking is a hard limit for me.

“You don't need to put anything in it. Just tilt it back to drink from it as you would a normal glass of water or something. Trust me, it'll work,” he explains. “You'll need to take your bracelet off first though.”

I fiddle with the bracelet on my wrist, apprehension engulfing me, making me hesitant to take it off. It's become like a safety blanket. I like not worrying about falling over every five minutes. Or about getting arrested and thrown into The Tomb again.

“Kayla,” Rhydian prompts, as if trying to rush me.

I bite the bullet, yanking it off and setting it down on my coffee table. “I just need to picture the guy, right?” I check, wanting to make sure of his instructions before drinking whatever mystery liquid may pour down my throat.

“That's all,” he confirms.

“It doesn't hurt right?” I ask, looking into the empty chalice with concern.

What if it's like swallowing thousands of tiny glass shards?

“Kayla,” he growls, his exasperation bleeding through.

“Fine, fine. I'm doing it,” I grumble, holding the chalice to my lips to placate him. Slowly, I tilt it back. An ice-cold liquid flows into my mouth on contact. It tastes almost metallic, but not like blood. After a moment, a richer aftertaste fills me, it hints of a spicy flavour.

“Picture him,” Rhydian mutters, reminding me that I'm not wine tasting here. I'm trying to catch a damn killer.

I picture Elias. His face. The ruthless look in his eyes. His empty voice. Suddenly, the liquid in my mouth turns sour, surprising me, and I choke, dropping the chalice. Rhydian catches it with ease, and wraps an arm around my waist, supporting me as he pulls me down onto the sofa with him.

“Close your eyes,” he instructs. “Follow the path from your mind to his. If you can, tell me what you see.” I feel fuzzy, only now realising that Rhydian's voice echoes inside of my head again. “Follow the path, Kayla,” he insists, the thought almost takes complete control of me, the command’s power ringing in my head. I begin to understand the strength of Rhydian's compulsion. He could have me do anything, anytime he asked, and yet he doesn't. He's never really made me do anything. He may trick me a little, or play games, but he never forces his control over me, despite the obvious power he possesses to do so.

A silver light begins to dance in my head, and I latch onto it, feeling my surroundings rush around me as I feel tugged forwards. My eyes fly open, and I look around at the beautiful room I'm in. Wait, they're not my eyes, things look too sharp—too focused and the colours all so vibrant.

I sit by a fireplace in an amazing library. Any girl who loves books and watched Beauty and The Beast as a kid wished for a library like this. Set over multiple floors, with several reading nook areas, a gorgeous mahogany table dominates the centre of the room. This place’s beauty stuns me.

Despite never having been here before in my life, everything looks familiar. I know his exact location, able to feel a route laid out between the two of us in a silver-coloured rope in my mind.

My eyes open. My actual eyes this time. I stare into Rhydian's face and smile. “It worked.”

“Huh, I'm a little surprised, in truth. I didn't know if it would work for a witch,” he replies, shrugging his shoulders as he stands up. My eyes dart around, looking for the chalice, but it's vanished from sight.

“Wait, you let me do that, not knowing if it would even work? What if it was harmful for a witch to try?” I exclaim, fury rising in my chest.

“Well, aren't we both lucky that it wasn't?” He leans down, pressing a quick kiss to the corner of my mouth stepping away again before I can do anything about it. My stomach twists as I realise I don't know how I’d react if he didn’t pull away.Would I keep kissing him or kill him... It's a toss-up, really.

“As always, it was a pleasure seeing you, sweetheart,” he drawls, turning a transparent blue before vanishing completely. The after effects of fae magic, once again, leave me dazed and a little nauseated.

“Asshole,” I mutter, leaning back and resting my head on the cushion behind me. I close my eyes, feeling a throbbing beginning in my head.

I just need to rest for a moment... Ten minutes tops.

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