Page 50 of Destiny of the Dragons

“Yes.” Mother looked like the cat that ate the canary. “The Matriarch of the Cross witches approached me last week.”

If Cross told her mother what they’d agreed to…

“It seems her oldest son Preston and she have come to an idea.” Mother's blue eyes bore a hole into Mia’s chest. “If our two families were to join, we would both benefit.”

Mia swallowed hard. So far, Mother wasn’t screaming at her.

“The Matriarch believes our augury would augment their tracking spells.”

“What sort of deal do they want to make?”

Maybe she wasn’t doomed. Her chest was still too tight, but maybe Cross didn’t sell her out after all.

“The Matriarch is a pompous old witch,” Mother said with a glare. “But she makes a good point. A union of our two families would lift both of us up.”

Mother said union with a particular emphasis. The sinking feeling grew worse until blood pounded in her ears.

“Any deal we could sign on paper could be broken,” Mother went on. "Even in blood. It could be ruined with a few choice spells."

Mother looked pleased. “The old bat doesn’t trust us to keep up our end of the bargain. She’s heard the whispers about us—“

About me,Mia thought.The whispers about me doing blood magic.

“And rightly fears us. So. We must do things the old fashioned way.”

“We’re going to join covens?”

“No, you idiot.” Mother snapped. “We will not give away our secrets. You will marry Cross.”

Time stopped. Mia blinked, unable to process her thoughts.

“This way our families are connected by blood and marriage contract. They won’t be able to wiggle their way out of it.”

Mia’s face was hot, but her body went cold. Her hands were sweating, and she licked her lips again. “Married?”

“Yes, you will be married.” Mother smirked. “To the oldest Cross boy.”

Mia’s heart ached inside her chest. It felt like someone had done blood magic on her, terrible magic, to make her heart lift out of her chest.

All she could think about was Smoke and Jace. Married. But not to them.

Never to them.

“I can’t,” Mia said.I’m in love with two others, she thought.

Mother paused. “What did you say to me?”

It was a warning, more warning than Mother usually gave, but Mia couldn’t stop herself. Her heart ached in her chest, she couldn’t get a full breath. “Cross is…he’s killed his past lovers.”

Mother cocked her head. No explosion yet, and somehow that was worse. Scarier.

“Are you afraid of him?”

Yes,Mia wanted to say. She shook her head instead. “No, but he’s…vile.”

“Of course Mia, you’re right. How dare I think otherwise.”

Warning bells went off in her head. She eyed her mother like the viper she was.

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