Page 6 of Wicked Bonds
“The headmistress asked me to escort her,” I reply, my tone deliberately neutral despite the territorial rage surging through me. “She’s had a long journey and requires rest before tomorrow’s formalities.”
Soren’s smile doesn’t reach his eyes. “Of course. Though I’d be happy to show her to her room.”
“That won’t be necessary,” I say, placing my hand at the small of Rose’s back before I can reconsider the wisdom of touching her. The contact is hot, like my hand is on fire, even through the layer of her jacket. Her breath quickens, and her heart races; I can feel it through her entire body.
Soren’s nostrils flare slightly. A knowing look crosses his features before he inclines his head in a gesture that manages to be both respectful and mocking. “As you wish. I’m certain we’ll become better acquainted soon, Ms. Smith.”
He retreats into the shadows, but the feeling his presence evoked lingers, and I realize I’m scowling.
Rose glances up at me. “Friend of yours?”
“Colleague.” I remove my hand from her back. “One you would do well to approach with caution.”
“Unlike you?” she challenges, a hint of amusement in her voice. “Mr. Perfectly Safe?”
“I never claimed to be safe, Rose.” I hold her gaze steadily. “Merely the lesser of your immediate dangers.”
Her expression changes, a recognition of the truth beneath my words. For a moment, the bravado drops, and I glimpse the vulnerability she tries so desperately to hide. “Your quarters are this way.”
As we walk up the staircase, I’m too aware of every movement she makes, every breath she takes. The magic within her is like a second heartbeat, stronger with every moment that passes. The binding spell continues to undo, releasing more of her true nature with every step she takes deeper into the academy’s sinister embrace.
The Coven believes it can control her, shape her, use her. Maybe they’re right. But as I watch her, I’m struck by a sudden certainty. Rose Smith will not be contained. Not by her mother’s desperate spells, perhaps not even by the Crescent Moon Coven.
And God help us all when she finally breaks free.
Three
Rose
The last thing I expect is to find myself sitting across from someone who looks like she stepped out of a corporate boardroom.
Headmistress Wickersly’s office is bizarrely modern, considering the age and style of the building, with teakwood walls and a huge minimalist desk. She sits behind it with perfect posture that makes me straighten my spine.
“Miss Smith.” Her voice carries the authority of someone who’s never had to repeat herself. “Welcome to Serpentine Academy.”
I shift in the uncomfortable chair, hyperaware of my gin-stained shirt under her scrutiny. “Thanks. Though I’m still not entirely sure why I’m here. I’m not exactly academy material, according to what I’ve heard about this place.”
“Your bloodline carries certain obligations.” She opens a file folder, my file, apparently, and scans it. “Your mother attempted to sever those ties. She was unsuccessful.”
Well now. That was conveniently left off the invitation. “What kind of obligations?”
“The Accord binds your family line to serve the Crescent Moon Coven. It has for centuries.” She closes the file with a soft snap. “You are under contract, now. You belong to the Coven.”
The words hit me like ice water. “Contract? What fucking contract?”
Her eyebrow arches at my language, but she doesn’t comment. “Your ancestors pledged their bloodline’s service in exchange for certain things. The terms were extensive.”
For one terrifying second, I can’t breathe, and the room goes sideways.
They’ll come for you one day, Rose.
Mom’s voice breaks through my panic, clear as if she were standing right behind me. She’d said it the night before she died, her fingers wrapped around mine so tight they hurt. I’d thought she was delirious from the fever. Now I understand she was trying to warn me one last time.
When they do, baby, you run. You run and you don’t look back.
Except there’s nowhere to run now, and this perfectly coiffed woman is telling me I’m property. Inherited debt.
“And if I refuse?”
