Page 13 of Heart of a Witch
The men’s eyes landed on me as if they could sense what I was. I reminded myself there was no way they could. I had my necklace on, one that had come at the cost of a life of an innocent; animal or human, it didn’t matter to me. A life was a life, a soul still a soul.
It took every ounce of restraint I had not to stare at them back, to show them I wasn’t afraid of them, but I knew better. I lowered my head so they couldn’t see my face. I didn’t want to make an impression. Being forgettable was the first lesson of being a witch in hiding.
By the time I reached the house, the temperature had dropped a couple of degrees. I fingered the pendant on my necklace as I hurried up the driveaway, then into the house.
“Ember!” I shouted, letting her name reverberate around the walls of the living room, praying she had come home in the time I was gone. “Ember!”
“She’s not here.” An irritated Cas appeared from the kitchen, running his hand through his brown waves. “No luck finding her?”
“No,” I snapped.
He turned the ring around his finger. “Are you going to tell me how you managed to pull that ritual off?” He arched an eyebrow, knowing glittering in his eyes.
“Not right now. Look, something terrible has happened,” I explained. “I went into the back of the club.” I looked around for Mother, but she wasn’t there. “The Blackwoods sacrificed a woman. She was dead, Cas, on an altar, with symbols cut into her body.”
The light faded from his eyes. “Are you certain?”
“I didn’t fucking hallucinate it, brother.”
His jaw tightened. “I know you don’t like them, but they’re good people. They wouldn’t just—”
“You too? What is it with my family and liking those awful people?” I grabbed his arm, my eyes wild as they clamped onto his dissociating stare. “Cas? What is happening?”
The bulb of his throat moved when he swallowed hard. “What did the woman look like?”
“I don’t know… She was naked and dead. I was mostly focused on the blood.”
“Her hair? Was it black? Did she have a scar over her lips?”
I searched my scattered memories. “I think so. Why does it matter? They killed her, Cas. That’s what’s important. We have to find Ember and get her away from Chester.” I snapped my fingers in front of his face. “Hello? Brother? Have you finally used those last few brain cells?”
The color drained from his face. His glazed gaze finally moved back to me, and his lips parted, a tense breath passing through them. “I can’t believe she’d do this.”
“Who?”
“Katherine—I mean, Lady Blackwood.”
My eyebrows pinched together. “Katherine,” I stated. The soft tone caressing her name on his lips made me nervous. “Oh gods, Cas. What did you do?”
“Well, she was lonely and—”
I put a hand up to stop him. “Don’t. I’ll vomit.” I shuddered away the awful image. Having a strong imagination was both a blessing and a curse. “So you and Ember are both sleeping with the murder family now?”
Goose bumps spread along his arms, standing his hairs erect. “The woman they killed, she might have been the same one I brought here the other night.”
I rolled my eyes, swearing under my breath. “Tell me Lady Blackwood didn’t choose that woman because she was jealous?”
To his credit, he looked as if he were going to throw up. At least he hadn’t gone entirely over to the dark side. “I hope not, but she was just a one-time partner. You know how it is.”
“Not really.” The muscle in my jaw feathered. “Did Lady Blackwood see you with this woman?”
“Yes, she knows her. She’s a local at the club.”
“Human?”
“Of course.”
“Fuck.” I balled my fist. “Don’t you realize the hunter is here? That he has a team of priests in training with him, and they’re looking for witches? If you were seen with that dead woman last and now she shows up dead, fingers will point to you, especially if she shows up covered in black-magic symbols.” I inhaled sharply. “We can only hope they dispose of her well, so she’s not found.”
