Page 95 of The Secret Life of a Witch

“I didn’t kill her, you idiot. Why would I? There’s no reason I’d want her dead.” His pierced brow curves upward. “Do you really think I’d bring you here just to rub something in your face?”

I shake my head. “No. But I want to know why.”

“You’re smarter than I thought, then.” His gaze lazily scrolls up and down my body. “You did overdress a bit for where we’re going, though.”

“She’s not going anywhere with you,” Hunter warns, his arms circling my waist.

“And who’s going to stop me?” Max challenges, tapping his finger against his bottom lip. “You? The vampire over there?” He flicks a gaze at Peyton, who rolls her eyes. Then his gaze zeroes in on me. “Or this one right here?”

I raise my chin. “I’m stronger than the last time you saw me.”

He searches my eyes, and then breathes in deeply. “You’re right … But how …?” Another sniff, and then he frowns. “You drank vampire blood.”

I shrug. “Perhaps.”

His eyes sparkle with a bit of pride and a drop of hate. “Wow, I’m impressed. I didn’t think you had it in you.”

“Yeah, well, I did. And so did Hunter.” I position my hands on my hips. “So, what do you think? Are you stronger than two almost vampires and one full vampire?”

His gaze stays on mine as a contemplative look masks his expression. “You know, I didn’t come here to fight. I came hereto show you this.” He reaches inside his pocket, causing Hunter to inch toward him. “Oh, will you relax? I’m just getting my phone out.” Surprisingly, that’s exactly what he does.

Moments later, a recording starts playing of what sounds like Opal confessing that she took Ryleigh’s body and handed it over to the demons. Her reason? Because the society told her to.

My heart soars in my chest as I trade a look with Peyton. She raises her brows and mouths, “I told you so.”

Then I tip my head back to look up at Hunter, wondering if he knew. Judging by the stunned anger in his expression, I’m guessing not. But before I can find out for certain, the town clock lets out a loud, single chime. At the same time, the flap of the back exit of the tent opens up, giving me a clear view of the massive clock in the center of the town.

“Why are the hands spinning backward?” I mutter, a memory tugging at my brain.

Beware when the clock spins backward,the clown had warned.

I thought she was crazy, but now I’m wondering?—

A figure suddenly blurs by me as the wind kicks up. I hear Peyton and Hunter shout something, but the sound is smothered out by a loudcrack. Then the world starts spinning as I tumble toward the ground.

Or wait …

Maybe the world isn’t spinning.

Nope, I think my head’s on backward, which means the cracking noise I heard was my neck breaking. Which means I died. Which means I’m a …

Oh no, I’m a vampire.

As soon as my body collapses to the ground, though, I rise back up, like a floating ghost.

Oh, crap.

Yep, turns out, on top of being different with everything else, I also react differently to vampire blood. And by different, I mean, I don’t react at all. Because I’m dead. And not just dead.

Oh, my God, I’m a ghost!

HUNTER

“No! No, no, no …” I cradle Eva’s lifeless body in my arms. “This can’t be happening. Wake up, baby.”

She doesn’t budge. She doesn’t breathe. She doesn’t sprout fangs.

“Why isn’t she changing?” Peyton whispers, crouching down beside me.

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