Page 88 of The Fearless Witch

“That can’t be,” she whispered, shaking her head in denial. I reached for her, needing to reassure her, but she abruptly got up. Her steps were heavy as she paced around. “How did Regina… Why…? And Samara…” When words continued to evade her, she ran a hand through her hair, heart racing so fast that I thought she might faint. “How did you… Why didn’t Julia tell me? Where is Samara now? Was the story about taking Lily somewhere safe even true?”

Her fear made my rage burn hotter, and for a moment, I regretted telling her. Deep down, I knew this wasn’t something I could fix on my own. I wasn’t even sure if there was a way to kill a male witch, but if there was one, it would take all of us working together to see it through. Including the most powerful witch in the world.

“No. Malakai said that they were likely taken from the garden—Samara, Lily, and Alice. There was blood from all three of them left behind.” Celeste’s eyes had grown distant, as they often did when she was trying to puzzle out a difficult problem on her own. “It was probably the male witch who took them, but we can’t be sure. Samara said he could hide his scent and pass through wards undetected.”

“The Martens… you compelled them, didn’t you?” When I didn’t answer, she took a step toward me, then stopped. “Why would you do something like that? We’re talking about their children! They have the right to know!”

Frustration coiled in my gut, and I glared at her. “Because I had to!” She flinched at the harsh tone, so I tried to soften it as I pushed myself up. “You left them in my care and asked me to keep them alive. So that’s what I was doing! If they knew the truth, they would have tried to force me into doing something rushed and stupid. And had I refused, because I’m not an idiot with a death wish, they would have gone after them, anyway! They are humans! All they are good at is dying!”

I didn’t realize I had raised my voice until the last word echoed through the room like a curse. Her expression was calm and disapproving, but a little guilty too.

“You don’t mean that,” she whispered, shaking her head. “I know you’re just protecting them, but…”

“But what, Celeste?” I interrupted. “What would you have me do? Lock them up? Let them go? Tell them their daughters are as good as dead because nobody here can match the power of a male witch, not even you?”

She looked down at her hands just as they balled into fists.

“I can take their anger. Their hate, too. I’m used to it. But at least they’re alive,” I said, catching her hands gently and tightening my fingers around hers. “But we can’t let this get out of control. If it was my choice, I would have taken you far from here and let others deal with this problem. But I know you and I know you’d never go. So the only other option is to stand together. All of us.” I hooked a finger under her chin, pushing up until she had no choice but to look at me. “The night Samara came here and told us about the male witch, the rules of the game changed. And if what I suspect is true, Mariam is after him. And if she gets hold of his leash…”

Celeste shuddered, her eyes closing as if she was trying to compose herself.

“Does Isaac know about his sister? That she’s missing?” she asked.

“No, he left before I did. Nobody knows except me, Malakai, and Chester.”

She sighed tiredly, stepping away and running a hand through her hair.

“I hate lies. You know that,” she said. I almost sighed with relief when I saw no anger in her eyes, just sadness and… pain. My heart clenched, but I refused to let that look sway me.

“I know,” I replied. “But you know as well as I do that if Isaac learns his sister is in danger, he’ll throw caution to the wind and go after her. That will get him killed. And not only him.”

Celeste’s mouth set into a stern line.

“He might be driven by his emotions, but Isaac’s not an idiot, Roman,” she said. “When he comes back, he’d expect to see his sister here. And if she’s not, no matter what we say, he will go looking for her. Regardless of if he knows the truth or not.”

“I know,” I smiled, and she narrowed her eyes. “That’s why we’re going to distract him until everything is in place. We can send Nym to look for them, he knows Lily’s scent. And when everything else is in place, we’ll find them and figure out a way to get them back. Together. Using our heads, not our hearts.”

She didn’t look convinced. If anything, even more unease oozed out of her.

“Distract him how?” she raised an eyebrow. “If you think I can—”

“Even he’s not that simple.” I sighed. Scowling, she crossed her arms, looking at me expectantly. “As much as it pains me to say this, if we are to stand any chance against a male witch, we need to stand together. Shifters, vampires, Fae… and witches.” She blinked a few times, and I used her stupor to add, “I have the vampires’ support, at least as far as Oscar and his nest are concerned. Malakai will have to convince his sister to help us. You and Isaac will unite the shifters. And the witches… the witches will have no choice because they know better than anyone how dangerous a male witch is. After all, they have been killing their children for centuries just to avoid this day.”

Celeste opened her mouth several times, then threw her hands in the air. Moving past me, she flopped down into her chair and rubbed her face.

“I need you to explain, slowly,” she said, pointing at the seat I had previously occupied. I sank into it just as she continued. “I get where you’re going with this, but I think you’re skipping over some very important parts. Like, how do you expect Isaac and me to unite the shifters? Because of our bond? They have known about it for some time and they don’t care. And the witches…”

“A mating ceremony,” I said and her eyebrows rose almost to her hair. “They have known about the bond, but they have not seen you together. A public ceremony between a witch and an Alpha would tie them to you stronger than anything else.” She continued to stare as if she expected me to say I was joking, but when I smiled, she slumped back. Her expression remained closed, but there was something in her eyes that made me sit at the edge of my seat.

“You’re… serious?” she asked quietly, her heartbeat speeding up.

“Mates are not a casual matter,” I said, running a hand over the left side of my chest. Her eyes followed the movement. “Especially for shifters. The mate bond is sacred and unquestionable. And they need to see that witches can be allies. They need to see you ally yourself with them.”

She stayed quiet for a long time, studying my face as if looking for any signs of duplicity. I showed her none. I had accepted Isaac already, our fates had been tied and sealed after the night in the crypt. Still, her heartbeat continued to race faster and faster, a heavy sadness settling in my chest, which I was almost sure came from my mark.

“Why are you pushing me away?”

The words struck deep, the fear and heartbreak in them so profound, I stood stunned for a second. In the next, I was kneeling beside her, holding her face so she wouldn’t look away when tears welled in her eyes.

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