Page 132 of Winterfall Destiny

“Temper tantrum?” he retorts. “And I don’t care. I always said I want Gabriella to know what she’s dealing with.”

“Oh, yeah, if she hasn’t gone further underground now,” says Jamie.

“The shadows are a positive aspect,” I put in as animosity clouds the room. “I had control of them until Andrei hurt Jamie. That loosened my concentration and control, and the shadows attacked Andrei, not me.”

“What did the shadows do to you, Andrei?” asks Tobias. “You don’t appear injured.”

“Stopped me.” He hooks an ankle around his other knee.

“How?” asks Ash.

“I can’t explain logically. Like they strangled me. Inside.”

“Your mind?” I ask.

“Everything.” He slants his head. “I’m not keen on repeating that experience. The shadows fucking hurt.”

“Good,” says Tobias but his jaw remains clenched.

Does Tobias’s annoyance come from Andrei’s actions or because he lost control over the situation?

“So, what now?” asks Jamie. “Did anybody at all escape?”

The witches. Coercion. Blood. I swallow. “Hemia couldn’t leave the catacombs. Did the witches? The ones we spoke to didn’t want to join the Dominion. They couldn’t remember agreeing.”

“Possibly,” replies Tobias. “We don’t know what happened because the three of us got out as soon as we could.”

I hope the witches escaped. When Tobias told us he’d spared Natalie and Karl, I’d shared Andrei’s upset that Tobias’s decision could threaten us all. But meeting the four witches today, and sensing their fear and confusion shifted my perspective. If the witches did run from the catacombs, what happened to them? They’d never hide forever. Captured by Dominion troops? Or the Confederacy’s?

This whole world is on fire and Andrei just stoked the flames.

47

MAEVE

Dorian reappears with a glass of whiskey, expression no less sour, and he nods at Tobias. “Let’s hear what you actually achieved, then. Are you any closer to finding the bitch?”

“I have some information, yes,” says Tobias coolly.

“Did you tell Tobias and Ash about the First and the girl’s name?” I ask Jamie.

“I haven’t had the chance.”

“Some recruits thought a girl who joined but then left was my sister because I resembled her. And the name Maeve was on their list,” I tell the others.

Dorian looks up. “Do continue.”

“Was the First in the catacombs?” asks Tobias in horror.

“Not that we saw or sensed,” says Jamie. “Maeve couldn’t hear the heartbeat. Andrei?”

“The First wasn’t down there,” he said. “I would’ve picked up on the presence.”

“I can check the girl’s name now,” says Jamie. “I couldn’t earlier.”

“What was her full name?” asks Dorian and sips his drink as Jamie swipes his phone screen.

“Maeve Erste. Not a familiar witch name. Maybe a vamp. Could be a coincidence?” I suggest.

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