Page 89 of Savage Sacrifice
She glances past me, and I know the moment she settles on Minnie. The guilt that shimmers in her eyes is evident, whether it’s real or not is an entirely different question.
“Everything I feel for you is real,” she breathes, and Minnie cackles from behind me.
“I don’t believe a thing you have to say.”
Bryony’s eyelids fall closed, despair vibrating from her restrained body. “I’ll help you, I will, I just need you to believe that,” she insists, prying her eyes open to settle on Minnie again, but I cut her off, lurching to my feet and sending the chair clattering to the floor in the other direction, so all that Bryony can see is me.
“You’re going to fucking help, and you’re going to do it without demanding shit from Minnie because she owes you nothing right now.Nothing. Do you hear me?” I snarl, planting my fists on either side of her head so all she can fucking feel is my anger. Her nostrils flare, but I don’t back down. If anything, I like it. It fuels me, keeping me focused. “Whatever you’ve done to Polaris, the lies you’ve told, the shit you’ve put Minnie through, that’s all on you. I can see the guilt in your eyes. I hope it’s burning your soul right now.”
Her lips pinch as water gathers in her eyes. “My mother promised everything would be okay.”
“Your mother? Amuse me, we know who your father is now, but that little detail seems to have slipped your mind.”
Her eyelids fall closed again, defeat rich in the air. “Professor Juniper.”
“Wait, Professor Juniper, as in the witching teacher?” Tatum hollers, and Bryony nods.
“That’s her, my mother dearest,” she whispers, a tear tracking down her face.
Professor Whitmore and Professor Juniper? That doesn’t even make sense. However, I’ve never really paid enough attention to either of them to connect the dots.
“And what’s the grand plan, Bryony? Why are you infiltrating a bunch of students like the world depends on it?” I bark, shaking my head in disbelief, and she blinks her eyes open to stare at me.
“Because it does.”
“I’m struggling to see how,” Minnie interjects, folding her arms over her chest as she glares down at the girl who has been lying to her, to Polaris, to all of us.
Bryony’s lips set in a thin line. “The order, the hierarchy, the balance between factions, it all rests on the blood kin curse. If you take it away, you take all of the control with it.”
“Who needs control? Besides, the factions are as segregated as ever; that’s not real balance, it’s fear,” Asher snarls as Blaze storms back into the room, the door clicking shut in the distance with a resoundingthud.
He nods at me the moment he steps over the threshold, and it takes me a moment to realize he’s alone. “Wait, you didn’t call her already?” I clarify, and he shrugs, tucking his hands into his pockets as he glares at our captive witch.
“You looked excited about it,” he grunts, leaving me to gape at him.
“I am, but you’re a vampire. I mean,theone and only Blaze the asshole too. I was expecting you to walk in here with her,” I admit, and the corner of his mouth lifts in amusement, but he still doesn’t turn away from Bryony.
“I’ve seen more of her than you have lately. Besides, she’ll need your upbeat spirit for this,” he states, and I grin.
“I could kiss you, man,” I mumble, clapping my hand on his shoulder as I turn to him, and his brows furrow.
“Please don’t,” he protests as Lincoln huffs in annoyance.
“Can we stay on topic here?” Lincoln commands, but I ignore him as I turn to give Blaze my full attention.
Taking the two steps needed, I slap a kiss on his forehead. He shoves me off, but there’s amusement still lingering in his eyes. “I take it back, I?—”
I lift my hand, stopping him from finishing whatever he was about to say. “Don’t finish that sentence, or it’s your lips I’ll go for next,” I warn, wagging my eyebrows, and he groans, wiping a hand down his face.
“How the fuck do you deal with him?” Blaze grumbles, looking for guidance.
“We don’t,” Lincoln breathes, making my grin spread wider as I pull out my cell phone.
Two breaths, and the dial tone fills the air.
“Is this a good idea?” Tatum asks, glancing between my face and my device, and I nod.
“The alternative is for us to be separated while they know she’s alive,” I confirm, turning a withering glare to Bryony. There’s a flash of guilt in her eyes, which feels strange. She believes in whatever this is, I can sense it in her defiance, but there’s also a part of her that feels bad about it. Just not bad enough to change.
