Page 131 of Summoned
I gesture around us. “You cursed me, Madeline. Surely you didn’t expect a warm welcome.”
She laughs—a high, piercing sound that triggers my gag reflex. How did I ever sleep with this woman?
She shifts on her throne, and the wolf’s head droops loosely in her hand. “You call it a curse. I call it a gift. When you return home, you’ll value everything I’ve given you much more.”
I grit my teeth to hold back what I really think of her idea of “home.” Madeline leans forward, her rune-scarred chest rising above the orange folds of her skirt. “Strange things are happening in the world, Gaetano. Immortal species are falling ill. Unusual events are on the horizon, and I don’t intend to end up on the losing side.”
“I’ve heard about the sickness… But as you can see, that’s not my concern.” I spread my arms wide.
She curls her upper lip into a vicious smile. “It will be soon enough.”
I nod toward the wall. “I still have eleven souls to reap, and finding them is no small feat. Believe me, I’ve been doing this for five centuries.”
Her narrowed eyes lock onto me with irritating intensity. “You’ve devised a plan to finish much sooner than expected, haven’t you,il mio giullare?”
Under different circumstances, the way she addresses me would’ve set my blood on fire. Right now, my heart slows. She can’t possibly know. My wards should’ve kept what I did within the castle walls hidden.
“I used to think pretending to be in love was beneath you. I have to say I like this new version of you. I’ll admit it’s a brilliant plan.”
That knocks the air out of my lungs. She knows about Nicole and me.
If I deny it outright, she’ll sense how desperate I am to cover something up.
Though my throat thickens with dread, I manage to say, “Centuries later, and you’re still stalking me, Madeline? I suppose the men in your coven aren’t quite as endowed in the arts you appreciate?”
Her smile widens. “And yet, I managed to break through your barriers.”
Fucking idiot. I’m a goddamn fool. Why would I ever believe Madeline had forgotten me?
“Last night, I sent out a little astral projection while you and the human cuddled up in bed. I suppose preparing for the grandharvestis draining your power?”
Why didn’t I notice the breach in the castle?
Because all you were listening to last night was Nicole’s heartbeat, my subconscious whispers.
My mind scrambles through our conversation from the night before. Did I mention Madeline? I don’t think so, not until morning. We spoke of the souls and how to collect them. Then we were quiet.
Whatever she overheard, I can’t have her believe I allowed that breach out of carelessness. Let her think it’s because I was conserving power.
“Or maybe,” she adds with a sly smirk, “your feelingscontrolled you?”
A rush of cold washes over me. I brush off her last words with deliberate indifference. “I was just starting to think you’d forgotten about me. Didn’t see the point of wasting magic on wards anymore. And here you are—in all your glory.”
A faint smile touches her lips. “Why did you build those wards in the first place?”
I raise an eyebrow, pointedly smug. “To annoy you, of course. I know how much you hate being kept in the dark.”
Her laughter tears through the room, echoing from the mirror and the stone walls around me. My insides curl in disgust. “You know how to light my fire, don’t you, Gaetano? You’ve always been my favorite. Still are. That’s the only reason I’d even consider letting you back. I had to move the coven to Alberobello, but despite the changes in the immortal world, we’re stronger than ever.”
I cross my arms. “What makes you think I’d come back?”
She leans forward again, as if she might climb out of the mirror. “You belong to the dark arts. It’s in your heart. You were meant for great things. No matter what path you take, you’ll always return to it. And tell me, where in this world will you find black magic stronger than mine?”
My magic reacts, but not like before. This time, it trembles differently. Ithearsthe promise.
“I expect you tomorrow after midnight. Three hundred souls. Three hundred bodies. Then, we’ll celebrate the way we always did. But first, to prove to me you haven’t strayed from your purpose, I want the soul and body of that lost little girl. Nicole, isn’t it?”
My vision narrows into a tight tunnel with Madeline at the center. Her staff in one hand, the wolf’s head in the other. Nicole’s name, on her lips. Inside me, fury flares, andterror so profound it leaves me speechless.
