Page 118 of A Bond with the Dark

Nothing happens.

Not only does she not burn, but she also doesn’t seem to care that she’s out in daylight again for the first time in more than 200 years.

It must be that she can enjoy the light in her house with windows that protect her.

Either that, or she’s hard and cold.

The woman gives me whiplash with her reactions to things. One second, she’s deep in awe at the trinket I’d spelled for Dom; the next, she’s not impressed she had stepped outside in sunlight for the first time in hundreds of years. Maybe it’s to cover her earlier slip of letting me see a softer side of her at all.

Who knows?

Entering back into the house, she stops in front of me.

“Thank you,” she says, no emotion is present in her words.

“You’re welcome.”

Adaline grabs my hand unexpectedly. The steel of her eyes burns into mine, and I look to Dom for assistance. He gives me a smile that disarms me.

“Do you feel that?” she asks, her voice like the rush of a river, cold and calculating.

Other than her cold hands on my forearm, I feel nothing. I shake my head.

“I’ve given you a bit of my power. I want you to try it on Dom. It’ll hurt him a bit, but the pain isn’t real. What you’re doing is making them believe their worst fear is happening to them. You’ll soon find out what Dom’s worst fear is. Being around this many vampires and being as powerful a witch as you are, you need something defensive to use against us. Because you are ruled by the three-fold law—whatever you do comes back at you three-fold, it won’t affect that because you’re not doing any damage.”

Adaline is helping me even though she doesn’t seem to like me in the slightest, which confuses me. Somewhere in Adaline’s dark heart sparks an affinity for me, I’m sure of it.

“What do I do?”

“Imagine him experiencing his worst fear. Whatever their fear is, it will take over their mind, which will be all they can see. It may cause temporary paralysis or unbearable pain, depending on what that fear is. It may be useful, especially since we must lure this warlock here to get her blood. I don’t wanna take any chances.”

“And I have to try it on Dom?” I can’t hide the hesitation swelling in my voice.

“He’ll be fine, I promise.”

I look over to my man leaning against a bookshelf, one eyebrow quirked up in a mocking ‘come and get me’ manner. His dapper demeanor is dripping with confidence, teasing me to try it.

As much as I don’t want to hurt him, I have to try my new power on someone before luring a powerful warlock here. He changes his stance, squaring his shoulders, steeling himself for what I’m about to do.

I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and search my mind for my newfound power. Envisioning myself swimming through my blood, I canal through networks of veins and arteries, searching for anything that seems to be newly placed. Deep in between my shoulder blades is where it’s located, a bright orange and delicate new power. It’s a soft, sizzling sensation that reminds me of being electrocuted, but just slightly. Pulling it to the front of my mind, I push it out from myself and picture it like a net draping over him.

His hazel eyes grow wide; an invisible force we can’t see is crawling up his sleeves as he bats at it convulsively like he’s on fire. Screaming, the imaginary flames grow worse, and he falls to the floor, trying to snuff out the flames that are engulfing his pants now. I keep my eyes locked on him, and he wails.

Before I can let him go, the displacement of hot air steals my concentration, and Hattie stands before me. Her ivory fangs are barred, her eyes white and cat-shaped, the dexterity with which she arrives at me unbridled. The glacial stare and hiss she emanates at me cause me to almost lose consciousness, but Adaline’s sparring grace steps in and shoves Hattie back. Hattie flies and lands on the beam, crashing down to the floor.

“It’s an exercise, Hattie,” Adaline scolds her as she peels herself off the floor and gives Adaline a mocking stare.

My breath returning to me, I notice I let Dom go in the upheaval, and the make-believe fire has diminished.

He stands and brushes off his pants, looking embarrassed. “All right, not bad,” he says in exultation, an embarrassed inflection in his voice.

“I think it’s good for her to have a defensive power,” Adaline concurs. “Considering we have to get that warlock’s blood somehow, and she’s a human in a house full of vampires.”

“I agree.”

The feelings bite at me, not wanting to hurt my love. I stroll up to him and slip my arm into his crook, laying my head on his shoulder as he kisses the top of my head. It’s good that Adaline gave me a new power, invigorating even. Seeing Hattie in her full vamp mode scared the shit out of me but also drew a feeling of dangerous excitement as well.

It takes the rest of the afternoon for me to calm down. My nerves are on edge, and I am absolutely terrified. Being here with them isn’t supposed to be the vacation of my dreams, but I don’t know if Everett and Adaline like me and his sister tried to kill me.

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