Page 15 of Shackled to the World
Annora let her anger burn out. She shrugged off Edgar’s hold and marched toward the door, the floor bowing and creaking under her feet. Ignoring the way the metal knob felt spongy under her grip, she flung open the door. The hallway outside the room looked mundane, almost surreal, compared to the sinister world surrounding them.
A few motes of black dust landed in the hallway, and the rot spread like water across the floor, black mold sprouting up and eating away at the normal world.
“Stop,” Hetty snapped, her frown thunderous. “You’ve made your point.”
While there was anger in her eyes, it didn’t hide the greed. Whatever power Annora had over the darkness, they wanted to control it and wouldn’t let anyone stop them.
Annora had made a stupid mistake and allowed her anger to control her.
Not only did the witches want the book, they now knew she could use it.
If they couldn’t get the book, they would settle for her. Or worse…if they got the book, Annora worried something in it would allow them to control her. She refused to have her life dictated by anyone else ever again, and the need to eradicate the threat burrowed into her mind like a compulsion.
Ribbons of smoke slithered across the floor, the darkness determined to do anything to keep her safe…starting with killing everyone in the room who knew the truth.
“Annora.” Rufus didn’t hesitate to step out from behind his desk. The ribbons of smoke plumed in the air under his footsteps, retreating from him as he stopped in front of her. “I won’t let them touch you. But if you kill them, I’m not sure I’ll be able to protect you.”
She wasn’t sure if her power recognized itself on him when she used her gift to save his life, or if it didn’t sense a threat from him. Maybe it realized that she needed him to survive.
“If you attack them, you’re just giving them an excuse to hunt you down.” Without an ounce of fear, he placed his hands on her shoulders and gave a comforting squeeze. “If you run, your men will follow. You don’t want them to get caught in the crossfire.”
The small particles floating in the air like an invisible current stilled, coming to attention at the threat. Then, like the fog rolling in, the particles kicked up off the different surfaces, peeling back from the real world to wrap around her and seep into her skin. Rufus retreated, watching her and the witches both, as if he wasn’t sure which was the biggest threat.
She couldn’t blame him for his suspicions—hell, she wasn’t even sure she trusted herself—but it still stung.
The darkness caressed her skin, a promise to protect her, before her body absorbed every last speck of the afterworld.
Lights flared in the room, the brightness burning her eyes. When everything came back into focus, the room looked dingier, as if being touched by the afterworld had tainted it somehow. The desk remained crooked, the floors covered with grime, the door warped, the chairs lopsided, having aged a hundred years in seconds.
It was the first time since she’d called on the afterworld that the outer world remained affected after the power vanished.
Like it was getting stronger.
Feeding from the human world.
Hetty recovered first, tugging at the hem of her shirt and clearing her throat, speaking toward Annora as if the rest of the room didn’t exist. “You were right. We only teach the four devotions because the rest have been lost to us over the centuries. Magic becomes stronger or weaker depending on the individual students. Two witches who master control over air are almost guaranteed to breed a strong air witch. They may have minor talents in the other devotions, but it’s rare.”
“So you run a breeding program to make stronger witches.” The knowledge made Annora’s skin crawl. To be forced to breed against one’s will reminded her too much of her uncle forcing her to perform on cue for the highest bidder.
Suesette clicked her tongue in annoyance and rolled her eyes. “No different than a wolf breeding a wolf. Like-minded devotions gravitate toward each other. The first child of any witch is always the strongest. We ask that each female give us one child in her chosen devotion to be raised by the coven. After that, they are free to choose whomever they want as a mate.”
Even though no one else appeared the least bit surprised, Annora couldn’t keep the repugnance off her face.
“Oh, don’t look so shocked. Ask your friends what will become of them when they leave this school. If they don’t find their pack grá, they must abide by the rulings of their alpha. They would have their future mates chosen for them, perhaps even be shipped off to another pack, separating them from their family and friends.” Suesette’s face twisted in disgust, like she’d smelled something bad. “At least we aren’t so barbaric.”
Almost afraid of what she would see, Annora glanced at the guys.
And was floored when they all nodded. Camden’s vivid green eyes didn’t waver as he met her gaze. “The rarer the species, the stricter the laws. It’s to ensure the races don’t die out. Too many have gone extinct. While some have mandatory mating, most only require you produce the allotted number of children before being allowed to seek your pack grá.”
His skin rippled, a pattern swirling across it for a second, before he gained control and his skin smoothed out. The scruff along his jaw made him look dangerous and wild as he ran his fingers through his black hair, the strands shimmering a deep iridescent blue and silver as he sighed.
When he reached for her, she flinched away from his touch. The exotic smell of flowers she associated with him swamped her as his agitation increased.
Camden curled his fingers into fists but didn’t back down. “Most packs don’t follow the archaic rules.”
“But yours do.” She looked at each of the guys, a sick feeling invading her stomach when none of them denied it. “And when your alpha demands you do your duty? What then?”
She felt betrayed, her one tie to this world snatched away in a moment, her whole existence shifting.
