Page 97 of When Bones Whisper
“Why do you care? He has been threatening your family,” Charlotte stated, placing Duke on a chair in the corner. He coiled himself up, but kept his yellow eyes fixed on Katherine, who sat across from her on the bed.
“He is not the only one. The Avery family have my brother. They’re going to kill him unless I stop the ritual from happening.”
“Oh,” she said, trying to feign sympathy for Baron Ellenwood. “I’m sorry to hear it.”
“No, you’re not,” Katherine said with a shrug. “It’s okay. He isn’t a kind person, but he isto me,and he’s the only family I have left.”
Charlotte inhaled sharply, before huffing out a breath. She knew that hurt well. If it was Alice in his place, she’d do anything to help her. “I thought we killed most of the Avery family.”
“There are hundreds, if notthousandsof them. They’re the largest witch bloodline of us all and they heard what happened at the ball. They don’t want the curse broken, so they asked me to help you.”
“Not kill me?”
“No. They don’t want Nathaniel’s wrath after what he did to his own mother.”
“Whatwedid, Katherine,” she pointed out when she noticed her expression twist.
“Nonetheless, as long as you promise to leave London and go into hiding, they are happy for you to escape. Honestly,” she added when Charlotte arched a brow, disbelief written all over her soft features, “I am certain they will come after you eventually, but for right now, this is the deal they’re willing to make.”
“Is that what that is?” Charlotte pointed at the vial in her fingers. “A way to help me escape?”
She nodded. “It’ll make your blood poisonous to vampires. It won’t hurt you.”
“I don’t trust you.”
“I know. I can see it in your eyes,” she said, her stare sharpening. “I do not blame you either, but recall, I did not ask to be here. My hand was forced.”
Shivering, Charlotte leaned forward. “What’s stopping you then from handing me over? How do I know the potion won’t killme? I know about the spell on the entrance. You never intended to disable the Avery witches’ magic. Your brother was safe that night.”
“It didn’t mean they hadn’t threatened him, or me. Without him, I have nothing to live for. I did what I had to do .”
“I’m not taking it,” Charlotte decided, recoiling from the potion.
With an extended sigh, Katherine lifted it to her lips, swigging just a small mouthful. Charlotte watched it pass through her lips and into her mouth, leaving behind three quarters of the contents. “See. It won’t harm you. You may not trust me, but what other options do you have?”
“What will it do to Nathaniel?” Charlotte asked, hesitantly taking the vial in her hands, the purple liquid sparkling under the afternoon light spilling in through the window.
“It’ll render him unconscious, only for a couple of hours but it will give you enough time to get away.”
“How long does it take to work?”
“Not long, so you need to take it right before you are caught.”
She turned it in her fingers, before sliding it between her breasts and out of view. “I’ll only use it if I have no other choice. I plan on not getting caught.”
“Of course,” Katherine said, not looking convinced. “It should go without mentioning, you will need to ensure he bites you for it to work, but with the bond being so strong, that shouldn’t be a problem. Don’t worry,” she said when the burning question sparkled in Charlotte’s eyes. “It’ll hit him almostimmediately after biting you and then you can run. Alexander won’t stop you. He, unlike Nathaniel, has a big heart.”
“What about the death hounds patrolling the borders?”
“I’ve got them under control. Just make sure he bites you and escape through the back entrance to the patio. I will meet you there with enough money for you to get out of this city.” She stood and glanced at Duke, before walking to the door. “I must go. Best of luck, tonight. Just remember, don’t take that until he catches you.”
She nodded and watched Katherine leave. Saving her brother was motive enough, but she still didn’t trust her. The potion was a last resort. She was going to find a spell to help her win first.
As soon as Katherine’s footsteps faded, Charlotte turned to her grimoires, placing herself down on the bed to sift through the brittle pages.
Hours passed with little disturbance, other than Hartley, who she was relieved to find was okay, who brought her some toast with various jams and marmalade.
By the time she’d found a spell that could help, the light behind the drapes had already faded. Midnight was just a couple of hours away.
