Page 65 of The Last Sacrifice

The second figure wasn’t the same as the first. Dressed eras apart. The face staring back at her was unmistakably her own. Every feature a match for her own. And around her neck hung the black diamond.

“We are you and you are us.” More figures appearing in the mirror. They were all different from each other, without exception. Clothes, hair, era and scars, all different. Yet every face and pair of eyes was a perfect reflection of herself.

“No matter what he tells you, what he does. He will sacrifice you again,” the Victorian woman said, her voice breaking as she fought back tears and furrowed her brow.

“His power grows stronger every time. “

The curl of dread that she had been ignoring for a week returned, and she felt a sudden chill run through her body. One word running through her mind.

“Sacrifice?”

“He must kill what he loves,” a Celtic tribeswoman stepped forward. Grief was deeply engraved on her face. Her voice rich and thick with a Gaelic accent. “And...”

“He loves us,” Talia whispered the words with her.

Every reflection of herself nodding as the mist of the spell swirled. The magic rising around her.

As one by one, the figures faded from sight. The Victorian woman giving a sad smile as the mist reached for her.

“You are to be the last one” Lifting her fingers away from Talia’s, the memory shimmered.

“save our soul”

As the spell dissipated, she stood alone with the faint smell of incense and the echo of whispered words.

Her arm was suddenly heavy and tingling. Talia gasped. Free from the hold that had kept her from pulling away. A powerful spell. That had waited for her, for how many years she couldn’t even imagine. Forcing herself to slow her breathing, she watched as the mirror returned to normal.

Th room coming back into focus, Ghost’s empty expression filling with life as she blinked. Totally unaware of the spell that had peeled back the layers of time. Turning towards Talia, her eyes bright.

“Oh wow. I knew those earrings would be amazing,”

Talia blinked a little, then brushed her fingers over the delicate earring. It was beautiful. But so was everything around her. This room. The clothes. A story of a lost love.

It was all a beautiful trap.

Pulling the earrings from her ears, she tossed them back towards the jewellery box. Tugging the ring off her finger, she tried hard to stop her hands from shaking as she moved to the bed. Placing the ring back into the box. Snapping the lid closed.

“You ok?” Ghosts voice was concerned as she leaned against the table. Whisky in hand, expression quizzical.

“Yeah.” Clearing her throat, she said it stronger, more sure of herself. “Yeah it’s just a little overwhelming,” tossing the box at Ghost, who caught it easily. Waving her hand at the portrait, she rolled her eyes. “It’s like some crazy movie you know”

She so badly wanted to trust Ghost. To tell her what she had just seen, to beg for help. But there was no way that she could believe that Draven, who controlled Hyde so effortlessly, wouldn’t be doing the same thing with every other wolf.

Her fingers raising to the diamond at her neck, she trembled. She wanted to rip it away. To toss it across the room, out of sight.

But she had to think. She couldn’t afford to make any mistakes. She had to be more than just careful.

With a frown, Ghost nodded at her. “I get that” her voice was gentle but thoughtful as she watched Talia move into the bed

“I just need to sleep. I don’t want to think about any of this anymore.”

“I will see you at breakfast then” picking up her club jacket Ghost pushed her arms into the leather. Before making her way to the door. Her fingers switching off the light. “Get some rest”

The windowless room plunged into thick darkness. Talia couldn’t help the tear running down her cheek as the key turned into the lock.

Sacrifice.

The word filled her mind with horrors. Will there be an altar? Would he rip out her heart? Would he bleed her first?

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