Page 171 of The Black Witch

The Selkie’s entire body is bruised and beaten. Bright red lash marks crisscross her blue-white skin.

Diana walks in, swinging a large, wooden bucket full of soapy water in one hand, a mop in the other. When she sees the Selkie, she freezes, her mouth falling open. She quickly collects herself and sets the bucket neatly on the floor and the mop carefully against the wall.

“I’ll be right back,” she says, her voice pleasant. “I’m going to go kill him now.”

Her tone is so nonchalant it takes my mind a few seconds to process the meaning of her words.

“Wha...what?” I stutter as Diana turns on her heel to leave.

She stops and turns to look at me like I’m daft. “The man who did this to her,” she explains slowly, as if I’m a child. “I’m going to snap his neck. He deserves to die.”

I spring up, my hands flying out to caution her. “Wait, no, you can’t!”

“Of course I can,” she says, annoyed. Her expression turns thoughtful. “No, of course you’re right, Elloren.” I breathe a sigh of relief. “Snapping his neck would be much too quick and painless.” She nods matter-of-factly. “He deserves to suffer for this. I will beat him first. And I will mark him like he marked her.” Diana’s eyes momentarily take on a wicked gleam. “Then I will tear his throat out.”

Panic mushrooms inside me. “You...you can’t kill him!”

“Why do you keep saying that?” She looks offended. “OfcourseI can kill him.”

“You’ll get inserioustrouble!”

She shoots me an incredulous, disgusted look. “Withwho? Not withmypeople. If my mother was here, she would have already torn this man to pieces.”

“At least wait until we’ve spoken to Rafe,” I plead.

She places a hand on her hip and glares at me with exasperation. “Oh, fine,” she relents. “I can smell your fear. It is completely unwarranted, but if it will set your mind at ease, we will speak with Rafe first.”

Diana directs Wynter to go and fetch Rafe, and to my surprise, Wynter leaves to get him without hesitation.

“Your brother will agree with me,” Diana assures me as she kneels to wash the wounds on the Selkie’s back with a soft cloth. “And then I will kill this man. And after I kill him, I will rip his head off and bring it back to the Selkie. It will bring her much comfort to know he is dead.”

* * *

A few minutes later Rafe and I sit on the stone bench in the hall, watching Diana pace angrily back and forth, Wynter having taken over the Selkie’s care.

“Diana, quit pacing and sit down.” Rafe’s voice is quiet, but there’s an undercurrent of authority that’s unmistakable.

Diana stops moving and faces him, hands on her hips. She shoots him a defiant look, which he calmly meets.

“You can’t kill him,” Rafe says, keeping his tone neutral.

“Of course I can,” she snaps. “Your people are weak.”

“Yes, I know you could kill him quite easily and effortlessly,” he replies, his voice firm. “But you shouldn’t.”

“Why?” she demands, raising her chin.

“Okay, Diana,” Rafe says. “Let’s say you go out and kill him. Then what?”

“Then I bring his head to the Selkie woman so that she can see that she is now safe.”

“All right, then what?”

She huffs at him impatiently. “Then I toss it back into the woods for the scavengers to eat.”

“And what happens when the University investigates and finds out what happened? Theywillnotice that their groundskeeper is missing.”

“They can hire someone new.”

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