Page 104 of Grave Revelations

The witch jerked her head in her direction and moved through the group to stride beside her.

One of the night-creatures hissed at Cassia, but she bared her teeth, and the other woman stepped back.

“I knew you’d make it,” she said, bumping Sophia’s arm.

“What are you doing here, working for Elizabeth?”

Cassia’s nose wrinkled. “Same as you, keeping the coven safe.”

“Why didn’t you help me in Demre? Why did you leave me?”

Pain ghosted over Cassia’s face before she schooled her features into neutrality. “You aren’t the only one with people to look after. She has my papa and sister. As long as I follow orders, she keeps them safe.”

Sophia scoffed. “We could free them. Why do this?”

Cassia’s gaze swiveled to Sophia. “I don’t know where you’ve been, but the world is ending, Pythia, just like you promised. The only way to keep my family and our coven safe is to work with the enemy.”

She pushed a creature in front of her aside roughly and moved away from Sophia, leaving her gaping after Cassia. The world must indeed be at its end if even her sisters had turned on her.

The crowd thinned considerably as they moved, creatures darting off in different directions. Sophia stopped, staring up at a massive skyscraper stretching into the night sky. From here, she couldn’t read the letters glittering high overhead.

Her bodyguards pressed close, wrapping their hands around her arms. “Don’t think of running, or your mother will be the first we end,” one said in her ear.

She bit back a reply that would only cause her trouble. Instead, she asked, “What are we doing now?”

“Elizabeth wants us to pick up a special guest. He should be down any moment.”

Reflective glass doors slid wide just a few feet ahead of her as a hospital bed wheeled out into the night, pushed by another of Elizabeth’s creatures.

Simon’s dull amber-brown eyes met hers.

“Simon,” Sophia gasped. “You died.”

He shook his head, glancing around at the night-beings surrounding them. “Not yet.”

Sophia felt it coming a moment before the beast inside her overrode her senses, and she darted forward, sinking her teeth into Simon’s arm. He thrashed, swearing as he tried to shake her loose. Fingers like steel dug into her shoulders, prying her off him.

Her mind cleared as his life-giving essence bled through her. Deep inside, Simon’s essence had filled in some of what was missing, and she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, staring in horror at the thin trickle of blood running down his arm.

Simon wrapped his hand around the wound, glaring daggers at her, and a cold stone settled in her stomach. She’d never liked him but wouldn’t have intentionally bitten him. What waswrongwith her? No one else seemed to have such a lack of control.

The crowd parted as a blond head bobbed among them, stopping before the pair.

“A reunion!” Elizabeth cried, clapping her hands together. “The last time the three of us were in the same place at one time, Simon, well, I believe you werehelping Rebecca destroy my children. Come to think of it, Sophia,” she shook her head as if scolding a child, “you were also helping my sister.”

Sophia and Simon exchanged glances.

“Never mind. Water under the bridge,” Elizabeth continued. “I’m sure you’ve both realized the error in siding with that traitor.”

Sophia’s gaze slid to Simon, whose teeth ground together so loudly that she was sure everyone could hear it.

Elizabeth tsked, patting Simon’s arm. “Come now, you can’t still want anything to do with the woman who chose a demon over you.”

Simon’s jaw popped as the grinding increased. “She didn’t choose him. He is keeping her captive, and I mean to set her free.”

“Oh,” Elizabeth looked genuinely shocked for a moment. “You must be right. Good thing I found you. We can all go get her.” Elizabeth stepped back, nodding at the creature standing behind his hospital bed. “Load him onto the ship headed for Bath. I’ll meet you there.” She turned her focus to Sophia. “Come, pet. You and I have work to do.”

Chapter 69

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