Page 184 of Blue Moon Mistress

“Annalise?” I ask, hoping I’ve remembered right.

She nods, her dark hair pulling from her bun in wisps.

Good. “What’s wrong?”

“The youngest one is still spelled.”

I glance toward the house and know they’ll survive a while longer without me.

Mrs. Miller is happily baking away in her kitchen, oblivious to everything. “Who spelled her?”

“Not one of us. She’s been like this since we arrived. Oblivious to the chaos around her. She’s next on the list of people we need to take care of. But we wanted the others settled first.

I follow Annalise down to the basement where another witch has bound one of the three sisters to a twin bed.

Her bindings have left her skin raw and red.

“Cut her loose. Right now.”

“She’s volatile.”

“Then hold her down. If you keep her in those bindings, you’ll do more damage.” I look pointedly at the skin on her arms, already red, soon to be deep purple with bruising.

“Aphrodite used blood magic to bind them to her will. Whatever she was told to do, she’s still trying to do it.”

There’s a choked sob from behind me and I pull off my sweater, moving around to the other side of the woman as the other witches untie her and take hold.

“I read the spells. I can get her back.”

“Why didn’t she snap out of it as soon as Aphrodite died?” Annalise asks.

“That’s not how blood magic works… the magic lasts as long as the source is alive. And since this is vampire blood, she’s trapped until the spell is broken. Kurt left town and it would take too long to find him and stake him.”

Rosemary—I remember the other witch’s name as soon as I look in her eyes—glares at me. “You know an awful lot about blood magic.”

“Yeah, Why is that?” Annalise’s question isn’t an accusation like the other witch’s.

“Because no one believed me and I knew I’d have to deal with this myself.”

“Do you have everything down here we need to get her back?” One of the sisters asks.

Even after the ordeal of the night, this sister’s makeup is pristine—a different kind of witchcraft.

“What’s your name?”

“Victoria.” She doesn’t look away from her sister. Neither does the woman beside her.

“And which one are you, Charity? Or Bethany?”

She looks up, startled. “Charity.”

“Alright. I need one of you to help me with this. We’re going to make her better. And then the three of you are all going to take a nice long nap.”

There are crystals strewn around the room, and I grab two chunks of clear quartz, handing one to each of the sisters. I find a sprig of sweetgrass, a branch of juniper and a bundle of sage.

Set alight, I place them into a bowl at the foot of the bed.

“Each of you take one of her hands. I need you to ground her.” I look up at the other two witches. “Whatever happens. Don’t let go.”

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