I dropped to one knee and stared at the ground, hoping their magic wouldn’t slice me in half as the shield dissolved.
My heart pounded and sweat rolled down my back. I could barely breathe, and yet anger poured through me.
I got to my feet slowly, glaring at the Witch who’d orchestrated that ‘trial.’
“What did you do that for?” I probably should have been more careful with how I talked to these people—they were supposed to be important and could have seriously caused me or my sisters great harm—but rage clouded any rational thinking.
“You, my dear, are not who you appear to be,” she said, her eyes glowing yellow. “And we will not be leaving this room until we find out who you really are.”
Chapter 17.
Why the hell did I leave my necklace back at the room? Mother would know what to do!
I swallowed hard and forced a smile to my face. “What do you mean?”
“Charity, you don’t need to terrify the poor girl,” Matlock said, stepping in. I wanted to look at him, to demand that he tell me what to do because right now, I was clueless.
I almost laughed. My nerves were making me reckless. I had to be careful.
Charity whirled on my father. “You are our High Warlock, Matlock. You of all people should be suspicious of this girl. She could be here to infiltrate our realm. She could be a spy, a decoy, anything at all. She is much more powerful than she should be. You should be the first of us to question her whereabouts, her parentage.” She narrowed her eyes. “Why don’t you care?”
Matlock hunched only a little, but it was noticeable. Wasn’t he the High Warlock? Why was he letting some woman boss him around?
Then the answer hit me in the face like a ball of snow. “Are you... his... wife?”
; Charity the bitch stared at me, her nose twitching in annoyance. “Yes. I am. But the question is... who are you?”
I straightened my spine and stared her dead in the eye. Thank god I didn’t look like my father.
“My name is Ava Melfi,” I said, each word clipped. I thrust my hands behind my back, afraid I would start to fiddle with them and the last thing I wanted to do was giveaway that I was nervous. “I am not here to hurt, anyone. I simply came to,” meet my father, “find a place for myself. A community. I’ve been separated from my people my entire life, but by the way you’re carrying on, no wonder my mother kept me hidden. She wanted to protect me from people like you. You’re treating me like a criminal... and what have I done? Passed one of your stupid tests? Bad-fucking-luck.”
I crossed my arms over my chest, my mother’s fiery blood pumping through my veins.
“Ava...” Matlock’s warning came too late. I was on a roll now.
I narrowed my eyes. “What’s wrong... Charity... Jealous that I’m more powerful than you? Well that’s not my fault!”
I could feel the power pulsing inside me.
Then a cold darkness fell over the room.
I glanced around. “What the hell is that?”
Charity lifted her nose with a lofty snort. “Tavlor. Put her under arrest.”
Slimy, cold snakes slithered around my wrists and pulled my arms behind my back. I gasped and tried to look behind me, where I’d last seen him. Was Tavlor seriously going to arrest me? For what?
There were flashes, and pops, and bangs, as several witches and warlocks used their magic to change the room from a hall, into a courtroom.
Shit!
My magic simmered, deep in my blood. If I fought these chains now, I may be able to get free. But what then?
Would my father, or Tavlor be on my side? Most likely not, since Tavlor just helped them capture me.
I was pushed into a large black chair and before me, rows of pews were assembled.