Page 109 of Heart of a Witch
I couldn’t focus. “I don’t know.”
“I know this is difficult for you, but you also have your sister and brother. Please, give me the dagger. You can still walk away from this.”
I wanted to trust him, but trusting humans had only ever brought me heartache. I still had the dagger. I could push Elijah away and end the hunter now. At least then I could die knowing I finished what I had started. Alex and Cas could stay here. They seemed happy here. “My family needs him dead. He’ll always hunt them.”
“He won’t. They’ll lock him up. I promise I’ll keep you all safe.”
“I want to believe you…”
He rested his forehead against mine. He could turn me over to the church as soon as I handed it to him. He could have those shackles with him now. “I’m not going to hurt you,” he said, as if he could read my thoughts. “Don’t you know? I’m in love with you.”
His words sliced through me. “No, you’re not.”
He pulled out an engagement ring from his pocket. “I do. I was going to give you this tonight.”
I averted my gaze. “I don’t deserve that.”
“I say you do.”
Damian ran up behind us and wrapped his hands around Elijah’s neck. Whatever strength he had in him, he used in that final moment. I spun around, watching as Elijah pushed him back into the wall.
“I won’t let you. She’s a witch!” he shouted, tears falling down his cheeks. It was then I realized the most hurtful thing for the hunter was seeing Elijah love me. My heart pounded. I pushed out my arm, using dark magic for what I hoped was the last time. Power crept toward him like smoke, wrapping around his senses until he dropped to the floor.
Elijah turned around, pale-faced, the ring still in his hand. “Did you kill him?”
“No.” My chest heaved. “I knocked him out. Have him sent away.”
“You’re going to let him go?”
I’d never felt so vulnerable. Honestly, I wanted to squirm on the spot. “I want to be the good you see in me, the good Ember saw in me too.” I looked down. For the first time in my life, I wanted to be worthy of those around me. I looked at Damian, unconscious, and sighed. It wasn’t the revenge I’d planned, but in so many ways, he’d done it to himself.
Elijah wrapped his arms around me, pulling me tight against his chest and holding the back of my head. “I’m right here, love. I won’t hurt you.”
I closed my eyes, holding him back. “How can you love me knowing I’m a witch?”
“Because I trust you. I trust everything you’ve told me, and honestly, witch, human, or something else, nothing can stop how I feel for you.”
I almost collapsed against him as the weight of everything came loose—all the dark magic, grief, heartache, plotting, and pain. He held me up as my tears fell thick and fast. For the first time in what felt like ever, I was myself, and someone loved me for it. He loved me for it, and I didn’t have to pretend anymore. It was over. It was all finally over.
Epilogue
Victoria
Elijah was right. It really was all about networking. I couldn’t go on a stampede through the kingdom, explaining how witches weren’t evil, but I could change the mind of one person at a time. It was how the world could change. That one person could change the mind of another, and it would spread.
He leaned down and kissed my cheek. “You’ve made a lot of new friends.”
“I’m shocked too, but not all humans are terrible.”
He lifted an eyebrow, playfulness glittering in his eyes. “Oh, really?”
I shrugged, grinning. “Some are okay.”
“I’d say the same about witches.”
Cas rolled his eyes from the back of the shop. “Get a room.”
“We have one,” Elijah called. “You’re in it. Aren’t you supposed to be closed?”
