Page 82 of Thicker than Water
“I’m afraid you aren’t,” chuckles the voice. “You’re still glamoured, little witch.”
Now I recognize it. My eyes shoot open and my hands stretch out in front of me. To my surprise, my eager fingers pass right through the person kneeling there. He wears an ornate robe, woven in rich, yellow hues, and two gold hoops glitter in his ears. He has warm, golden-brown skin, and the kindest hazel eyes that I’ll ever see. He smiles at me widely. I never thought I would see that smile again.
Tears well up in my eyes, obscuring my vision again.
“Father…what are you doing here? Does this…does this mean I’m dead?”
“No, child. Just unconscious. Passed out in Lazarus Grey’s mansion.”
I swallow. Even in this hazy dream world, my throat feels tight and sore.
“Father,” I cry, my voice breaking properly now. “I don’t know what to do. Even if I can get out, what’s the point? I can’t stop theconflict from happening. I can’t protect my coven. And worse of all, I can’t protect…”
The words catch in my throat. It’s too painful to say her name.
“I want to stay with you, father. There’s nothing I can do anymore.”
“Amara, my little witch,” he says, his deep voice radiating through me. “It’s all right to feel hopeless when the situation seems dire. But you don’t have to fight this battle alone.”
I shake my head, my braids limp around my face. “I tried so hard, father. I thought I could see the good in anyone, but…but I was wrong. In the end, she…she couldn’t choose me…”
Fresh tears burn my cheeks.
My father puts his hands on my shoulders. Even though I can’t feel his physical presence, I’m filled with warmth.
“Listen to me, little witch,” he says. “As long as you’re alive, as long as your light is there, there’s hope.”
I want to believe him so badly. But a little nagging doubt plagues me.
“I don’t know, father. I love her, but…we’re just so different. How can I ever trust her? How can I ever trust a vampire?”
There’s a knowing sparkle in his eyes. “Well, I’ve known a few vampires in my time. Some bad, some good. Some…more complicated. But I know one thing to be true.Noneof them are beyond redemption. They all got a second chance, a second existence after their first life ended. They were granted immortality. Enough time to make different choices. Better choices. Harder choices.
“It’s never too late foranyone, Amara. You just have to be brave enough to see the light.”
I wipe the tears from my eyes. And I feel a strange tug. I can hear voices shouting, somewhere far off in the distance. My father’s form becomes hazy.
“Wait,” I whisper, desperately. “Wait, I don’t want to go yet…I don’t want to leave you!”
He shakes his head with a chuckle.
“My darling child. You’re not leaving me. And I’ve never left you. You carry me with you, always. And don’t you forget it.”
“I’ll never forget,” I whisper, clutching my chest. I feel like my heart will burst out. “I love you, father.”
“I love you,little witch.”
My eyelids flutter open. At first, everything is dark. Immediately, I feel a searing pain in my wrists and ankles, and my right shoulder. I’m on my side, my face pressed down against a hard floor. My wrists are bound behind me, and my ankles as well. The bonds are tight. Duct tape.
Ugh…I miss when everyone used rope.
As my eyes adjust, I discover that I’m in a cramped room with shelves along the walls. There’s a small window and a door. It appears to be dark outside, so it must be nighttime.
Damn. I wish I had woken up during the day. It’s going to be so much more difficult to escape when the vampires are roaming around.
But I’ve got to get out. I don’t know what I’ll do when I get out, but I’ve got to dosomething.Something to keep the light burning. I think of the vision of my father. I have to hold on to that feeling.
I twist my head around. And see…my purse!
