Page 83 of Locked
CHAPTERTWENTY-THREE
Sorrel
I could practically sense the second she arrived on the premises. Or somewhere thereabouts. I wasn't actually able totellwhen she touched the building. But there was definitely something different and I attributed it toMother.
I'd known about fifteen seconds before Kinden sent me the text.
I recognized the tingle in the air. The sourness thatfeltmore than was. I'd felt it when I'd left that morning nearly a week before. That morning that Zelle had kissed me goodbye and Mother had seen me sneaking out of the Tower.
She was here on a mission, that much was clear. It was likely a good thing that we'd gotten Zelle out of here when we did.
I'd barely had enough time, given how early the witch had shown, but I'd been able to lay a makeshift trap for her.
I was glad I'd been getting some use out of my mirror imaging lately. I hoped her relative lack of knowledge about me would play to my advantage.
Most of the artwork I'd hunted for the gallery hadn't needed to be tricked.
I closed my eyes and thought hard, feeling the quivery feeling as my double stepped to the side of me.
I tilted my head and smirked. My double did the same.
Chewing on my bottom lip, I concentrated enough to send him down the hall to Zelle's bedroom, to wait in front of her closet.
I wasn't banking on Mother remaining trapped for long, but I only needed a few seconds.
I could feel her tainted presence coming closer, so I dropped one of Rapunzel's hairs into the fire at the doorway, and returned to the kitchen to cloak myself in a corner.
I turned off all the lights, the energy rolling through my veins as I waited for her to arrive. My double was standing by the closet, waiting.
I knew it wasn't going to be an easy thing. She was likely an ancient being. Basil thought she might be fae and I was inclined to agree.
This was going to be the trickiest fight I'd ever been in. And I hadn't even prepared.
I made sure to keep all the rest of Zelle's hair together in my pocket.
I'd even gone through the entire house just to make sure there was none of her hair anywhere else.
There wasn't. It looked like Mother had gone through ahead of me, incinerating every strand where they lay.
Zelle's hair brush was a blackened cinder pile on her vanity. Though, I supposed with a cleanly shaven head, she wasn't really in much need of a hairbrush now.
I made a note to go out and get her one as soon as it became necessary again.
Kinden was pretty sure he could regrow her hair, but it would take a little time. Not as much time as it did sans magic, but still some time.
It was at that moment I heard the witch enter the apartment.
"Dearheart?"
The word made me want to shrivel up and die. That woman didn't hold Zelle dear. No matter how many flimsy nicknames she came up with for her.
Zelle didn't deserve to be imprisoned. I didn't care what her parents had promised that evil woman. She hadn't asked for any of this.
I swallowed my nerves and my fingers sparked once more. I had one chance. One shot to get this right. And if I didn't, they'd been given instructions to flee.
I hoped like hell it wouldn't come to that, though.
My fingers sparked once more and I waited for her to speak again, to let me know where she was.
