Page 73 of The Secret Life of a Witch

I pause in the doorway, glancing over my shoulder at him. “Yeah?”

He walks toward me, taking slow, measured steps, as if approaching a skittish cat. “Did the demon say why he took you? Or anything to you at all?”

I hesitate, not because I don’t plan on telling him, but because I’m afraid of what he think of me—and maybe do to me—when he finds out what I am. “He may have said a few things.”

“About what?”

“About what I am.”

“Can I ask?” He inches closer to me with uncertainty. “Will you tell me what he said?”

I swallow the lump crammed in my throat. I don’t want to tell him. I don’t want to tell anyone. I want to keep the truth locked inside me where it can never escape. That way, I don’t have to see the disgust in their eyes when they realize just how foul of a creature I am. Fake friends or not, I don’t think I can handle that right now.

“I’ll tell you later, after I make sure Ryleigh is still lingering around,” I say. Then I hurry out of the room before either of them can try to wriggle the truth out of me.

By the time I make it to the basement door, I’m on the verge of tears. Nothing makes sense anymore. Not myself. Not my family. Not Opal. Not Hunter.

What was with all the kisses he gave me? He’s never kissed me like that before, except for right before I was kidnapped. But that was more because we shared magic. Perhaps that’s why he’s kissed me twice since he rescued me. Perhaps the connection spell is still in place.

I continue to obsess over it, more than I probably should, as I trot down the stairway. Then, all thoughts leave my mind when I see Ryleigh’s body lying on the metal table, lifeless, her eyes open, her skin deathly pale.

Worry blasts through me as I rush up to the table. “Ryleigh, can you hear me?” I touch her cheek to find her skin is blistering cold. “Ryleigh, wake up and talk to me.”

Silence is my only answer.

“Ryleigh, please, you can’t go yet,” I beg. “I know I was angry at you, but I’m not ready to lose you.” Tears fall from my eyes and cascade down my cheeks as she remains motionless. “Please,” I whisper. “Please wake up.”

Again, I get nothing but silence. And the longer it goes on, the more I realize I may have to accept the truth.

I’m too late.

Ryleigh has completely died forever.

EVALEE

Idon’t know how long I stand there, sobbing my eyes out, before Hunter eventually comes down to check on me. He takes one look at my hot mess of a face and wraps his arms around me.

“I’m so sorry, baby.” He hugs me, smoothing his hand up and down my back.

Tears stream from my eyes as I press my cheek against his chest. Everything hurts. My brain. My body. My soul. Ryleigh may have been my fake sister, but I still cared about her—still do. I don’t want to deal with the pain right now. Can’t. I’ve felt too much pain in the last few days, and I feel like I will fall apart at any moment.

“Baby?” I ask in an attempt to distract myself from the pain. “Why do you keep calling me that?”

“I honestly didn’t realize I was.” His tone is a mixture of perplexity and intrigue.

I clutch onto the bottom of his shirt, and he runs his fingers up and down my spine. “It’s weird you keep doing it.” I suck an uneven breath, fighting back the tears that want to pour out. “That’s what Ryleigh’s boyfriend used to call her all the time.”

Ryleigh. I choke on the name.

My heart is breaking in half.

“Hmmm …” is all Hunter says, pressing me closer to him.

“You’re acting weird,” I whisper. “Is it …? Is it because we shared magic?”

“Maybe.” He sounds completely doubtful.

“What else could it be?”

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