Page 48 of Spelled By Truth and Tresses

I walked out the first door and took a moment to catch my breath. He had killed the student—no surprise there—but still, he did it intentionally. He had no remorse or regret on his face.

With a heavy heart, I pushed open the second door, my pale hand contrasting starkly against the black color.

I covered my mouth with my hand as I stepped through the door. Thomas was in my room, standing over my sleeping self. He reached into my mind and forced dreams into my mind. He twisted them into something sinister and dark. He painted the pictures vividly, tempting me to fear Jax and go to him.

I shuddered at the thought of him being in the room with me while I was sleeping.

I fell out of the second door and landed on my knees. My pulse pounded in my ears. I needed to know everything, I reminded myself, then forced myself to go on.

The next door was dark green. I opened it cautiously, and my worst fear was realized.

When I stepped inside, I saw Thomas sitting with my fucking mother. She smiled at him, a smile more genuine than I’d ever witnessed cross her features.

Thomas dropped to his knees. “Please. Give Zellie Bathory to me,” he begged.

Mother tipped her head to the side, then laughed. “I will, but first you must do two things for me.”

“Anything.”

“First, you will do everything in your power to make her break up with Jax Holmes. I don’t care what you decide, just handle it swiftly.” She narrowed her gaze on him. “Second, during a time of my choosing you will place wards on my house, and more specifically on Rapunzel’s bedroom. They must be impenetrable.”

He nodded eagerly, “I can do that, I swear!”

After I left the last door, I closed my eyes and left his mind. When I opened them, I was back in my body, and I was livid. The witches were gone, and Jax was stroking my hair.

I pushed the memory containing my mother back, but only for a moment. Thomas was dangerous. More dangerous than I had ever imagined.

“There’s one thing I have to do before he gets locked away.”

“Don’t do anything you’ll regret,” Josh advised.

“Trust me, I won’t regret this.” I strode over to my boots, slipped them on, and laced them up, then pulled my leg back and with intense force and kicked Thomas hard in the face. Blood spurted out of his nose and sprayed over the dying grass. “That’s for hurtling Lalita.”

Josh manifested a rope of his magic, then looped it around Thomas’ throat. He tugged and Thomas stood, but his eyes were wide and uncertainty. “Well, we’re off to the principal’s office. Then it’s Cape Sirenorai for this dick,” Josh grinned, then waved before walking away, pushing Thomas in front of him.

The thoughts of my mother I held back crashed into my psyche with the force of a tsunami, then that last memory curled long, sharp claws into my brain. Jax held me as scalding tears fell thick and fast, “I will fucking kill her!” I screamed through clenched teeth.

Jax curled his body around mine, then said, “As you deserve, pet. Come, let’s scrape out the rest of the rot.”

CHAPTER 20

Mother was going to die today.

It wasn't enough for her to torture me throughout childhood and into my 20s. No, she had to find a way to dig the knife deeper. Using a student to get to me was her most despicable manipulation yet. I am fucking done with her dictating my life. If there's one thing I learned from the treacherous Dr. Roads, it's if something in your life doesn't bring you happiness, then you should remove it.

Jax ran alongside me as we sprinted through the streets of Crimson Leaf. Rain slithered down the sidewalk in miniature streams, and lightning flashed overhead. It was a perfect night to end everyone who had wronged me.

I had already taken care of one threat, and now I would remove the final one. Our boots splashed through puddles as we rounded the corner and stopped in front of my family home. The gloom of the day making it appear just as sinister as the energy within.

I grinned wickedly, then kissed Jax and stomped up the front steps. The porch groaned as I walked across it, then kicked the front door open. The door slammed against the wall so hard it bounced back; Jax’s palm connected with the wood before it could rebound and hit me. A shriek sounded from within and I cackled. He winked at me, then smirked as we took in my mother cowering in the corner of the living room.

“Oh, good! You're home,” I said, my voice falsely cheerful. “It's about time we brushed my hair again, don't you think, Mother?”

She screamed, then buried her head into her violently shaking hands. My inky void purred as if it too relished her fear.

All the emotions compiled from years of neglect, manipulation, guilt, and just straight up abuse raged within me screaming for justice–and I was going to give them exactly that.

I stalked over to her, then yanked her to her feet by her hair. My skin glowed softly as lavender sparks danced all over my body.

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