Page 106 of Spellbound
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Naomi slumped in thearmchair of the study. “Where’s everyone?” She dropped her bag on the floor, looking a little worse for wear.
“Raiden’s with Maddox, and Edmund is going over ancient scrolls and stuff so he can take over the underworld.”
“Oh, right. Yeah, Az mentioned.”
My eyebrows pinched. “Az?”
“Aziel.” She cleared her throat. “Anyway, I’m sorry. I know you liked him.”
“Forget it.” I played it off, but my stomach was in knots. “Since when is Aziel Az?”
She let out a small, sad smile. “He’s, well, you know, he’s hard to read, but once you get under the surface...”
“How far have you got under the surface?”
“Not like that. He’s gone through a lot, and I’ve been trying to help him. Everyone else just steers clear because he’s a little—”
“Standoffish? Assholeish?”
“Yeah.”
“You always were too kind.”
She bit her bottom lip. “I know he said some things, and he’s sorry.”
“He is? I haven’t heard this apology.” I paused when her expression dropped. The closer I looked at her, the more I noticed her fading bloodshot eyes and empty gaze. “Nai, what happened?”
She slapped her hands against her face, letting out a loud sob. “It’s my dad.” She gasped again, sobbing.
My eyes widened. Was he sick? Dead?
I rushed to her side and held her hand in mine. “Nai.”
“He cut me out of the family.”
My nostrils flared. “He did what?”
She cried through her fingers. “He was already disappointed when I didn’t pass the test and then he found out I’ve been going out of town, and someone told him they saw me with Aziel, who looks like, well, he looks like trouble, Elle. He thinks I’ve gone off the rails and I’m whoring myself out, and he said I’m an embarrassment to the family name.” She hiccupped through her sobs. “Something about having seven generations of casters, grandcasters, and revolutionary business owners for me to besmirch the name. It was bad enough I was a magician, but to have failed that too and to be ‘whoring’ around... That’s what he thinks.”
“That bastard.”
“My mom just went along with him. Like always.”
I shook my head. “Don’t listen to him.”
“My brother said I need to try to fix things. Family is family after all.”
“Fuck that. Family isn’t a reason to put up with his toxic ass.” I balled my fists. “Don’t worry though. You’ll show him. Once you start your own business, he’ll regret saying anything, and he can watch from the sideline.”
Her breath hitched, and her shoulders slumped. “I can’t. You know the influence he has. No one will want to have anything to do with me after this.”
