Page 170 of The Blairville Legacies

The Councils?

“What does Gloria want now?” Amara asked suspiciously and stopped.

“Order and stability, Amara,” Amanda said and then pointed an outstretched finger at me. I blushed. “Whoevershe is, she meanschaos.”

Thank you. That was an accurate adjective for my life.

“So, what do you suggest?” Amara asked.

How about this: let me finally go home, and everything will fall into place.When would they realize that I didn’t belong here, let alone that I didn’twantto be here at all.

“I want to go home,” I sighed softly so that only Mum should hear it.

She looked at me regretfully and stroked those of my hands that hadn’t been mutilated by a dagger.

Couldn’t she just take me and leave? Just get out of this witch’s house.

As if Mum had read my mind, she grabbed my arm to pull me up.

“You’re right, this place isn’t good for you right now.”

But apparently, Amanda objected. “She’s staying here until we sort this out.”

“No, we’re leavingnow, Bayla has to go to university in a couple of hours, and she’s had a rough night,” Mum insisted firmly, pulling me past the little salon table.

“You’re still as you were in the old days!” Amanda murmured, striding to the salon doorway.

“And you’re still interfering in matters that are none of your business.” Mum looked challengingly at the woman. “Bayla is my daughter, and if I have to, I’ll use my word against Gloria.”

Julie’s eyes widened, and Grace sucked in a sharp breath while Vivienna’s mother pressed her lips together.

Wow, what a dynamic. And apparently, it had its origins in Mum’s mysterious past, too.

“You’d better not do that, Diana,” Amara now interfered again. “You know yourself that she can’t be convinced. And besides, Amanda is right.”

Named raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

“What does Gloria want?” Amara asked, turning to Amanda with a sigh.

“The ritual is to be repeated. In a month.”

My heartbeat stopped.

Not again would I throw myself on that altar down there for the vultures to eat.

“If nothing happens...” The woman looked pityingly at Mum. “...She’ll have to forget.”

Mum swallowed nervously and stared motionlessly at Amanda for three seconds. I looked questioningly at Amara, but she ignored me. Then I looked at Julie, who was still leaning against the doorway and seemed to be eyeing me as pityingly as Amanda was eyeing my mother.

What had been meant by forgetting? Did they want me to forget all of this? If so, what was so bad about it? Wasn’t it better, if I just forgot? Would I even be able to convince Mum to move away from here?

Just the idea raised hope in me that there was still an escape from this nightmare here.

I wanted nothing to do with any of this. I wanted to live a human life together with my human friend at a university full of humans.

“Agreed!” it blurted out abruptly, as if I had any choice at all.

“Bay...” Mum looked at me in shock.

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