Page 28 of Snow's Charming
“Well, I’m glad I’m not the only one that thought you should wait.”
“Sylus, my man,” a gentleman with dark hair and a five-o’clock shadow began while palming Sylus’s shoulder. “Learn this nugget about your woman now. Happy wife, happy life.”
“She hasn’t decided whether she’s my Luna yet, Raine.”
“Doesn’t matter. Save yourself the trouble and realize that no matter what she says, she’s right. Now, let’s make a plan before you wind up pulling a Princess Partner. We don’t have Hugo the Humongous on our side. Sound fair to you?”
Sylus let out a grumble deep within his belly, but Raine stopped him with a raised palm.
“Cut the crap, Charming. We can do this the easyway or the hard way—your choice! But remember, I’ve spared with and fought against the first werewolf made. So, you? You don’t frighten me in the slightest.”
“Fine, Raine. Let’s come up with a plan, but just know that every minute that ticks away means we lose the element of surprise. That gives Jackie the upper hand.”
A bolt of fiery blue light screeched between Raine and Sylus before setting a tall white oak ablaze.
“Too late! Jackie has the upper hand.” Said a shrill and unmistakable voice.
My stomach dropped. I knew it would be hard to see this woman again, but no fiber of my core was ready. My knees buckled, my legs grew weak, and everything closed in around me as voices became a mere whisper.
I was fucked. So fucked! I couldn’t have a meltdown right now. Not when my actual family counted on me to save them. And let’s face it—none of us knew what Jackie did to Dad. There was a possibility that I could save him, too. I had to snap out of this panic attack fast.
“And leave it to the little brat to crack under pressure! No matter.” Jackie raised her hand, and somehow, her magic transported me to what I assumed was the primary bedroom at the estate.
Jackie never allowed me inside the bedroom after Dad married her. The decor differed completely from what I’d remembered as a child, but the view outsidethe floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the garden gave me the clue I needed that this was Jackie’s room. I blinked twice and took several deep breaths before I scanned the rest of the room. I needed clues to where Jackie was hiding Chary, Sleeper, Joker, and possibly my father.
Everything was a haze because I was still under the effects of my panic attack. My mind grew fuzzy as I pondered Sleeper. How did she trap him with an amulet? He’d told me he was a werewitch. Unless? No, it couldn’t be that simple—could it? Was he weaker because he didn’t have a coven?
Sylus told me that a wolf is stronger with a pack. That had to mean Jackie was stronger with a coven. So maybe that’s why she cast me to the bedroom alone? I’m weaker without the pack! Of course, that made little sense. She didn’t know I was a werewolf. Why wasn’t anyone else here then?
My eyes rested on a floor-to-ceiling mirror. It wasn’t something my mom and dad had in the room when I was younger. Before I could think about what I was doing, my palms rested on each side of the mirror, and four male figures reflected back at me.
“Sleeper, Chary, Joker, and Dad? What are you doing in there?”
The second the question passed my lips, I knew it was stupid to ask. Jackie put them in there—duh! But how was I going to get them out? A vision from last night flew through my mind. I began recallingevery witch movie I’d ever seen and then the possible accuracy of Hollywood v. the paranormal myths. Could breaking the spell be as easy as breaking the mirror? It was worth a try—right?
“Jackie put the whammy on us and stuck us in here.” Her father said.
“Well, how do I get you out? Is it as easy as breaking the damned thing?”
I said it, scanning the room for something heavy to break the mirror. My eyes rested on a gaudy oak and damask fabric-covered chair beside her white marble vanity.
I grabbed it and was about to slam it into the mirror when it flew from my hands. I scanned the room and saw Jackie with her coven entering the room.
“You won’t be saving them today, Sesi. All you will do is join them.” She raised her hand before continuing. “Exilium!”
Sparks of green light left her hand and were heading in my direction, but all I saw was red. I wouldn’t let her hurt my family any longer. For years, I took her bullshit because all I wanted was for my father to be happy. But all she did was cause us misery. No more. Nope to the nope! No freaking more!
Sylus, Raine, Bear, Doc, Ges, and Thick bolted into the room. Sylus saw the green sparkling light coming dangerously close to me and leapt to my side. He had a hand on my shoulder just as I held up my hands to block the light. Strangely, the light retractedfrom us and redirected back to her. Right before it hit her, her coven members pulled her out of the way, and the light scorched the far wall of the bedroom.
“That’s not possible. She can’t deflect my magic! Unless? No, it can’t be. Impossible! I would have sensed it.” Jackie said as she raised her palm again, but Raine stepped in front of her. A silver glowing ball of energy formed in his palm.
“We can stop this before it gets ugly. Your choice, though, Jackie.”
“I’m not afraid of you, Raine.”
“Good, the pleasantries are out of the way. Since you know of me, you should be afraid, Jackie.”
“A Rom Borro doesn’t scare me or my coven that easily, Raine.”
