Page 17 of Watch Me Burn

“It’s good to meet a fellow witch, Bridget.”

I don’t even try to deny it. After what just happened… I can do at least one trick. If that counts, I guess I really am a witch.

She gestures to her chest. “I am the head witch of the Ravenhill coven.”

“Ravenhill is the nearest coven to Clarity,” explains Thorn. “I’m sure you understand by now that I can’t allow you to stay in my city. But Ravenhill might do well for a fledgling witch who needs guidance when it comes to her powers.”

“Yes. But the fire…” Celeste has dark brown eyes that seem to turn black as she gazes at me. Tall and slender, she cuts an imposing figure in her floor-length coat. Unlike Elise, she doesn’t wear high heels. She has on a pair of boots that go well with her dress and coat, and she moves soundlessly as she approaches me.

Only when she’s standing right before me does her worried expression turn curious. She offers me her hands, palms facing down. “Take my hands.”

I hesitate.

Her smile warms. “I won’t harm you. And I’m sure you won’t harm me. After all, you have no reason to use your fire against me. I just want to help.”

“Help me?” I ask. “How?”

“As a witch, I can sense things. It works best with skin-to-skin contact. If you allow me to get a read on you, I’ll have a better understanding about your witch skill. Your personal brand of magic.”

Elise clears her throat. “Isn’t it fire?”

“There are those who conjure fire. Then there are those witches whoarefire. And that’s not the only element, either. Depending on her magic, it might not be as simple as relocating Bridget from Clarity to Ravenhill.”

Right. Because Thorn is totally kicking me out of the vampire city.

I guess it’s better than him using his judge, jury, and executioner status to off the firestarting witch. Then there’s the whole ordeal with the witch hunter. No witch in Clarity means that the witch hunters won’t come back. As much as I don’t like the idea of leaving the city, I get why Thorn arranged this meeting with Celeste the way he did.

Whatever. I take her hands, pressing my fingers against her palm, laying my thumb lightly over the top of my hand.

She jolts. For a second, I think I might’ve accidentally burned her, that’s how quickly she takes my hands, then releases them.

Oh, yeah. Celeste totally just sensed something about me right now.

What? No clue since, as soon as she lets go of my hands, she turns so that she’s facing the desk. “Thorn. A word in private please?”

The head vampire nods at his witchy counterpart. Then, turning to his right-hand vamp, he says, “Jasper? Please bring Ms. Hayes down to the basement level,” and I fight back the urge to scream in frustration.

Looks like I’m still a prisoner. But no matter how hard it is, I swallow my temper before the fire returns. I already spooked the head witch with my so-called magic.

And no way do I want to test Thorn’s fangs again. Not on me, and not on Elise.

So I nod and, without any smart ass remarks, keep my mouth shut—and my palms flame-free—as I shuffle over to Jasper.

What else can I do? Outrun a vampire?

I saw how fast Thorn moved. I haven’t ran since I graduated high school more than a decade ago.

I glance up at the stone-faced blond vampire. “I’m ready when you are.”

Elise stays behindto speak with Thorn after he’s done with Celeste while I’m escorted back to the same cell I was in before.

I didn’t like that. What if he blamed Elise for letting a witch roam around Clarity unchecked all these months? What if he decided that, by protecting me as best she could—as human, or a witch—she broke his stupid laws? If she didn’t want to join me in the basement… and I don’t blame her… why couldn’t she go home where it’s safe?

I don’t know, but my worries were in vain because she appears on the other side of the cell bars barely ten minutes afterJasper instructed me to sit down until Thorn gives him any other orders.

Now that I know silver seems to have an effect on vampires, I kind of understand why he pulls on those gloves of his everytime he opens or closes the cell bars. He does that now, letting Elise in, before moving a few cells down to give us some semblance of privacy.

She smiles at me, a tight-lipped smile that conceals her vampire fangs. “I know that had to be a lot upstairs. How are you doing?”

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