“Why in the world would she do that? Aren’t covens supposed to protect one another?”
“In theory.” Melora laughed, spinning her legs back and forth. “But a lot of things are supposed to happen in theory. Parents should always love and protect their children, yet some harm theirs. There is more than enough food for mortals, yet many are starving. In theory, everything should work out. But this was not theory, this was reality, and in reality, mortal—even immortals—are greedy and selfish and self-preserving. I did not understand, not until later, that my coven leader had betrayed me. She stood in the crowd as they tied my hands and feet, stuffed me into a bag, then threw me into the ocean because the rest of the coven wanted to replace her with me.”
“She sent you to your death to hold her position in the coven?”
“Witch politics are severe. I knew some of the other witches wanted me to fight for the position, but I didn’t want the reasonability. I blew it off. I told her I wasn’t interested. Still, she wanted to be rid of me. And the best way to make a Wiccan abandon you is to have you labeled as a witch to the human world. They drowned me, truly medieval. If I survived, it was proof without a doubt that I was a witch. If I died, well, I had broken out of prison and cut my hair against tradition and was a criminal anyway. If not for my maker, a woman who hated my coven leader and simply wished to spite her, I wouldn’t have made it out. This world is insane, Druella. Now that I am immortal, I find it amusing, though. It is all like a play.”
“So, you do not mind being reborn a vampire?”
“The other option was death, so yeah, I do not mind it though I do miss magic sometimes. On the other hand, my maker and mother allowed me all the freedom I wanted. Immortality allowed me the freedom I wanted. I wondered for a hundred and sixteen years before meeting Ulrik—a man I quite enjoy, something I never thought possible. And I can still do this little bit of magic,” she said. Melora bent over to the roses and used her hand to hover over one of the flowers. Slowly sucking all the water from inside the rose toward her hand. The rose darkened and became brittle, almost aging before my eyes as she held all of the water within her hands, letting it swirl for a moment before putting it back to the rose, allowing it to come right back to life. “Cool, right?”
“Very.”
“Took me a bit of practice. Do not tell Rhea I touched one of her roses.”
I smiled and nodded. “It’s our secret.”
“It all worked out for me—ah, about time,” she replied, turning to face the tree lines.
I didn’t hear it as soon as she did, but I did hear it, the sound of running. Three vampires were rushing right toward us. Knowing one of them was Theseus actually made me very nervous about what I was going to say to him.
“On a scale of one to ten, how pissed do you think he is?” I asked when she hopped off the railing to stand beside me.
She laughed. “Throw away the scale. It cannot handle that much weight.”
“Oh, no.” I groaned, tensing as they came closer and closer, my eyes beginning to pick them up. If my heart could beat, it would have exploded in anxiety.
“They’re here.”
No sooner had she said it, Theseus broke through the trees. He came so fast that the gust of wind he caused had the leaves of the trees shaking. No wonder she wanted us outside. If he came into the house like that, walls would break. He stood there dressed in all black, his dark hair disheveled, his gray eyes wide, almost crazed—no, they were definitely crazed. I heard his brothers come as well, but I did not dare break eye contact with him. Something in me just knew that if I did, he’d genuinely snap. He did not move, only staring at me. I walked down the patio stairs and through the trail of red roses until I was standing right in front of him. His eyes locked on me, and what worried me was I could not see anything in them—other than emptiness. I did not have words for him. How could I even begin?
Instead, I reached up, wrapped my arm around his neck, and hugged him tightly. It took him a moment before he wrapped his arms around my waist, his head lowering beside my neck. Good, we can start from here—
“Ahh!” I cried out in pain as he bit so hard into my skin it felt as if my collarbone had broken. “Theseus!” I called, trying to push him off me.
But he would not release me, and as I struggled, we both fell on the roses. I felt my blood soak into my blouse and drip down my skin. This was different from when he had bitten me before to see what was in my mind. This hurt!
“Theseus, you are hurting me. Please stop.” I winced, and he did stop slowly, his teeth releasing my skin.
However, he did not lift his head or rise off of me.
“I said a little insanity was good, Druella, but this was not a little,” he whispered, finally raising his head for me to see the pained look in his eyes, and my blood upon his lips, and a masterpiece of stars above his head.
My heart ached at his pain.
I did not want this.
I was trying to be good to him, and this was what happened.
“I was here,” I whispered.
“I could not find you.”
“But I was here.” It did not make sense, but I needed him to understand. “I chose to stay here with you. I would not leave—”
He was angry. “I did not think you left. I thought you…you…I thought you were taken from me.”
“I would not allow myself to be taken from you without a fight.”