Page 65 of Heart of a Witch
He laughed, and I rested my head back on the seat and sighed. The carriage gruelled to a halt, and I smiled. A nice whiskey and some roasted beef would brighten my mood.
Nineteen
Victoria
Cas, Alex, and I had enjoyed ourselves for the first time in a long time. We’d played board games, and Cas and Alex had listened to me play the piano. Cas had given it a go, but he didn’t possess the same musical talent. We’d walked into town, checked on our store, and went to bed early. It was the first night I hadn’t had any nightmares.
Cas sat at the breakfast table, swirling his tea, reading a newspaper over his eggs. “Good morning.” He shot me a genuine smile. “How did you sleep?”
“Remarkably well.” I grabbed a slice of toast and sat across from him, digging my pointed nail into the crust. “How about you?”
He blew on his tea, then took a sip. “Very well. Alex must have too. She’s still out. I didn’t want to wake her.”
I waved a hand. “Let her sleep.”
He exhaled slowly, placing his teacup back on the table. “I know emotions were high yesterday when you sent Elijah away, but I am assuming you wish to continue our plan.”
I hadn’t thought about it much since I’d told him we shouldn’t meet up anymore. A part of me yesterday wanted to let go of it all, to kill Damian right then and get it over and done with, but a good night’s sleep had changed things. I couldn’t give up now. I had let my feelings, my grief, get in the way, and I’d made a mistake. “I’ll get him back.”
He arched an eyebrow, putting the paper down. “I hope so. If not, this was all for nothing.” He leaned forward and squeezed my empty hand. “Not that I’m not without compassion. We were all upset yesterday.”
“I shouldn’t have reacted so rashly,” I admitted. “I’ll go over there today. I’m intrigued to see how the hex bag is working on the hunter. I hope he’s having a terrible time sleeping.”
“I’ll see if I can find out anything from the priests. They have grown rather fond of me.” The glint in his eye made me smile. “So have their wives.”
“Cas.”
He shrugged back. “They have, and I’ve got them wrapped around my finger. There are so many rumors about him.”
“Like what, and why haven’t I been told?”
“Because they’re rumors, and you know how people like to gossip. I wanted them confirmed before I spread them myself.”
I gripped into the wood of the table, leaning forward until my stomach dug into the edge. “I want to know anyway.”
He licked his lips and leaned in. “Most wouldn’t say a word against him, but after my being in the inner circle for long enough, certain people would let out their thoughts on him. I’ve heard whispers that he hits his children.”
“Like with a cane? It’s not unheard of.”
His eyes widened. “With a whip, apparently.”
My mind flashed with the image of the scars covering Elijah’s back. They crossed each other, some thicker and newer than others. “I believe it. Elijah’s back was covered in scars. It was vile. There were hundreds of them, some stretched so wide, I wonder how deep the original wound must have been.”
He shook his head. “Fucking monster.”
“No wonder Corbin is the way he is.”
“With the opium?”
“Yeah, and the alcohol. Even Elijah drinks a lot, although I’m sure he doesn’t think it’s a problem.”
“No wonder, with a father like that. Although, it seems like Elijah wants to be a hunter too, so we can’t feel too bad for him.”
My lips parted. I wanted to tell him he didn’t, but I couldn’t let Cas think I felt bad for him—or that I might back out of our plan. “He hates witches too.” That part was true.
“Who doesn’t in this town?” Cas scoffed. “At least, from what I heard yesterday, it appears he likes you. A lot.”
“Yes, and we can move on to the next part of the plan.”
