Page 111 of The Shadow Wand

I gasp, my neck aching, as she leans in and bares her teeth.

“I know what you are,” she hisses. “You and your uncle and yourbrothers. Worse than traitors.” Her face tightens into a pitiless grimace. “You’re staen’en, the lot of you, just like your parents were.” I glower back at her, unyielding in the face of the Ancient Tongue slur. “And you’re the worst one of all, aren’t you?” Her voice breaks as she lowers it to an enraged whisper. “Not just in bed with aKelt. In bed with theIcaralson of theIcaraldemonthat killed my mother.”

Pain spikes through me at her mention of Yvan, followed by a rapid resurgence of fury.

Her grip on my hair tightens. “All of this started with Edwin,” she bites out. “He turned you and your brothers into traitors, didn’t he? Tried to destroy our family line. All because of that Uriskbitchhe fell in with.”

Bewilderment roils through me.What is she talking about?

Her gaze sharpens on me, her lip lifting. “Oh, you didn’t know about the Urisk bitch?” she croons, as if she’s read my shock in the mirror’s reflection. “I’m not surprised. I only just found out about it myself. It seems that, years ago, Edwin claimed a little heathen shopgirl as his own to pleasure himself with, then sent her East with all his money. Didn’t you ever wonder why your uncle was so poor? How he squandered his entire inheritance?”

My confusion grows. And so many conflicting emotions that it’s hard to find my bearings. In the space of a second, a hundred pieces of the puzzle that was Uncle Edwin fall into place in my mind.

Uncle Edwin refusing to have Urisk servants.

Uncle Edwin tearing up when hearing reports of Urisk or anyone else being deported.

Uncle Edwin keeping me and my power hidden from the Mage Council—a Council that would use my power against the Urisk and anyone else who is not Gardnerian.

Tears sting my eyes as realization washes over me and grief rises in its wake.Why didn’t you tell us what was in your heart, Uncle Edwin?I agonize. You should have told us.

Aunt Vyvian yanks my hair again, and I grit my teeth against the swell of anger.

“He had us so fooled with all his pretense,” she sneers. “His bumbling ways. All the while, he was lying in wait, with plans to corrupt our family with that Urisk whore. But Edwin’s betrayal endshere. As does yours.”

She releases her grip on my hair and straightens, her expression rearranging itself into a calm, collected mask, but the fury in her eyes remains.

“You’re to be kept under guard at all times,” she says. “We’re all in agreement—Evelyn, Lachlan, Lukas, and I. Lukas is to breed on you as many times as he can. Because Mother’s linewillgo on. Our people’s legacy of power doesnotrest with the Banes.” She raises the hairbrush and resumes brushing the back of my hair, this time with normal strokes, but my whole body is tense, fire blazing through my lines as I wait for her to rip my hair clear out of my head.

“You and Lukas will mingle your blood to bring forth Mages of incredible power,” she says with import, as if she’s suddenly in some type of twisted solidarity with me. “Your child, Elloren, will be the next Black Witch.”

I spit out a laugh of defiance, my fiery hatred of her scalding through me.

Aunt Vyvian’s eyes widen a fraction, as if she’s finally seeing me with crystal clarity. Her smile returns, the smile of a player who knows she’s ten steps further along in the game than her opponent. “We have a good idea where your brothers are, Elloren,” she says, smooth as silk.

My heart constricts, my defiance instantly imploding.Rafe. Trystan. Where? Where are they?

She resumes brushing, gentler this time, then takes up Sparrow’s braid work at the sides of my hair with nimble fingers. “We have spies everywhere.” Her eyes flash as fear knifes through me. “I want to see those Sealinglines flowing down your wrists tomorrow morning,” she says lightly. “If you fight Lukas Grey or refuse him in any way, if you try to escape, or if you ever stepone toe out of lineever again, I will see that your brothers are hunted down and slain in the bloodiest way possible. Do you understand?”

My pulse rushes in my ears as fear streams through me. I nod, suppressing the slight tremor that’s kicked up.

Aunt Vyvian has lost her vicious look, her smile now one of triumph.

Enjoy your moment while it lasts, you witch,I inwardly hurl at her. You won’t have to wait for our children to manifest the Black Witch heritage.

I am the line.

Iam the power.

Aunt Vyvian works another braid into my hair and places a few more gem leaves into the woven design as power courses into me from the ground to lash through my affinity lines. My aunt sets down the comb and gives me a pleased smile, her dominance reestablished, her family’s shocking rebellion squelched. And a new trajectory set where she can look forward to reclaiming her high social standing.

She inclines her head.“Girl,”she calls sharply, and, miraculously, Sparrow enters the room, head lowered.

I’m amazed by how perfectly Sparrow has honed her submissive servility, and also deeply disturbed by this. I realize that this talent has probably come at a brutal price. And I wonder what Sparrow’s life story is.

Sparrow waits, head down, her face blank.

“Finish up here,” Aunt Vyvian blithely orders Sparrow as she dismissively sweeps her hand toward me. “I’ll be back with the dressmaker at the seventeenth hour.” She straightens and smooths out her skirt. It’s as if I’m no longer in the room. A prisoner, with no say at all.

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