Page 65 of Bewitched By a Vampire

“Night Van der Garde,” she murmured thoughtfully, her eyes ice-cold. “That vampire once rampaged through the seat of power of our sister coven, back when we had allies. He was ruthless and left the halls drenched with blood. He cut down any who stood in his way. He slaughtered all who tried to stand in his path and many who were fleeing the horror. The elders. The adults. The children.”

A chill skated down Lilian’s spine and she stared at Beatrice, her ears ringing and mind numb. He wouldn’t. Night was a warrior, but Beatrice made him sound heartless. She couldn’t believe the one who had done such a terrible thing was the same vampire who had tried to defend her last night, who had been so desperate to protect her, not knowing she wasn’t in danger.

“We must know if he is the one responsible for what happened in Germany.” Petra pushed to her feet. “You will take his blood and see if he is… or I will be the one to question him next time, and I will not be gentle.”

Lilian swallowed and her gaze leaped to the silver-haired German witch. She didn’t want to question him or use his blood to see his memories, but she couldn’t let Petra near him. The witch liked to torture her prisoners, was sadistic and cruel, and the thought of letting Night fall into her hands turned her stomach and made her want to vomit. The look in Petra’s eyes said she would be particularly brutal with Night, and Lilian could understand why. The witch had lost many close friends in the attack on the coven in Germany. She had grown up there and had lived there before coming to join the house in England as one of Beatrice’s commanders. This attack had affected them all, but it had deeply affected Petra. She was out for blood.

So as much as she feared discovering that Night was responsible for the attack that sounded far too much like the one he had carried out on another coven in the past, she would do as her superiors demanded.

“You… you said question himnext time. You’ve already spoken to him?” Lilian looked between the three witches.

They had mentioned that he had asked about Lilian but she had presumed he had been speaking to the guard, not one of the elders.

Beatrice’s tone was measured, no trace of emotion in it.

“He was not very talkative. He kept asking about you. He even told me he wouldn’t tell me anything until he had proof that you were alive.” Beatrice eyed her closely and Lilian wasn’t surprised to hear it. “He seems very attached to you.”

Lilian’s blood ran cold again. “He kept watch on me for Bastian when Bastian was called away on business and saved me from the demons.”

“And you thought you’d fuck him as a thank you.” Petra sank back onto her seat, as calm as anything as Lilian’s gaze flew to her.

“No. We were in Norway to meet with his brother. It was late and Night thought it best to sleep before we drove there and—”

“Spare me the bullshit.” Petra held her hand up, cutting Lilian off. “Beatrice and Maryon filled me in on all the juicy details. That room reeked of sex. You two must have been quite busy before your sisters came torescueyou from thisdangeryou were in.”

Lilian snapped her mouth closed.

“Where does your loyalty lie, Lilian?” Beatrice said.

Lilian’s eyes darted to her and she didn’t hesitate. “With my coven.”

“Then, as leader of that coven, I order you to question the vampire and determine whether he was responsible for the attack in Germany.”

They were testing her.

She looked at each of them in turn and steeled herself. They were right. This was her family and a vampire had committed a terrible crime against them. If there was a chance Night was that vampire, she had to question him.

She just wasn’t sure what she would do if she found out he was guilty.

Lilian bowed her head and backed towards the door, turned as she reached it and opened it. She strode along the corridors of the ancient castle, the floorboards creaking under her booted feet and the witches in the paintings that lined the green papered walls staring at her. Judging her. She glanced at a few of them. Each was a coven elder, a witch of immense power who had been responsible for steering their family towards greatness or protecting it from harm.

She felt the weight of responsibility resting on her shoulders more and more with each step she took, each one that carried her down through the building to the basement. Whatever her feelings for Night were, she had to protect her coven from further harm as the elders before her had. She needed to do all in her power to defend it, as she had sworn to do when she had joined the ranks of the witches who served as the mercenaries in their coven.

Her stomach somersaulted as she reached the basement and she paused for a moment, around the corner where no one would see her. She pressed her hand to her stomach and drew down a breath, one deep enough to calm her rising nerves but not so deep that she smelled the disgusting scents that filled the air.

All she had to do was question Night and ask him to prove his innocence by letting her take his blood. She could probably skip the questioning part, but it was risky. Her attachment to Night and fear of him being responsible might cloud her gift, making her omit details as she dreamed his memories.

When she felt steady again, she tilted her head up and rounded the corner, and marched along the damp corridor. The stones beneath her feet were uneven, worn in places by water and far too much scrubbing. How much blood had been spilled in this place? She had never questioned anyone before, had only been here once or twice, but she knew the witches who dealt with the prisoners enjoyed making them talk.

Witches like Petra.

Lilian spotted two guards outside a door ahead of her and drew down another breath, a sudden desire to turn around and leave rushing through her. Forget fearing discovering Night was responsible for the attack. She feared discovering what the elders had done to him while trying to make him talk.

She wasn’t sure she could handle this.

Each step she took towards the guards was a struggle, a monumental feat when every part of her wanted to walk in the other direction. One of the women looked at her and Lilian forced herself to keep moving, the scrutinising look the witch gave her enough to have her steps coming easier. She didn’t want these guards to know how afraid she was or how reluctant. They would report it to Beatrice.

Lilian stopped when she reached the two witches and waited as one opened the iron door for her.

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