Page 132 of Summoned
Madeline lifts the wolf’s head and swings it like a grotesque ornament. “And no tricks, Gaetano. If you don’t show up at the coven, I’ll hunt you through hell until I find you.”
My jaw locks up. I can’t speak. I can’t breathe.
Madeline leans in until her face fills the entire mirror. Her lips peel back into a vicious snarl. “Don’t make me regret not destroying you five centuries ago.”
And with that, she vanishes, mirror and all. Not like my magic, which dissolves and reshapes itself in smoky threads. She disappears with the speed of lightning—one second there, gone the next. A stark reminder of how powerful she truly is.
I close my eyes, unable to move. How did I ever convince myself I could walk away from this unscathed?
Gaetano. The sound of my name travels along the energy cord connecting me and Nicole.Gaetano, I’m ready!
Gaetano…
For a heartbeat, I resist the pull, the tug in my chest. Have I lost my mind trying to chase happiness?
Gaetano, where are you?The last whisper trembles, as if she’s suddenly afraid.
I teleport in an instant, skipping the invisible-to-visible transition. I materialize before her, solid and breathing, desperate to ease her fear.
It has the opposite effect.She jumps off the bench, startled by my sudden appearance. Her eyes widen—but then, her expression softens.“I thought something had happened,” she says.
I force a smile as I brush a strand of hair from her forehead.“Everything’s fine, my Baroness. Forgive the delay. My magic still hasn’t fully recovered.”That, at least, is true.
Nicole kisses me. Her warm lips press against mine in a soft, brief caress before she pulls away.“Gaetano, is there something you’re not telling me?”
I’m not as good at lying to her as I am to everyone else, so I wrap the lie in part of the truth. “I’m worried. I’ve never been this close to the end.”
That seems to relax the tension on her face. Her gaze lights up with that familiar glint. “Then you should know the plan is working flawlessly so far. Tomorrow, we’ll have more than eleven guests.”
Once again, the ground shakes beneath my feet. I had started to hope she’d fail. That I’d simply let her win the final trial. And then I’d be imprisoned in the castle forever.
But who will protect Nicole from Madeline if I’m locked away? My chest tightens with dread. No, I can’t allow that to happen.
“And you won’t believe who I ran into. Boyana and the twins!”
I pull her down with me onto the bench. “Tell me everything.”
She dives into a recap of the night—who she invited to our event, how she cut ties with her old friends. Her smile is wide, her gestures animated as she talks about the relief of shedding the performance. She was real tonight, bold, a little ruthless. A little cruel.
Is it a sin to have let myself dream, when this is the creature before me? She’s made of everything I’ve ever secretly longed for.
Love clouds the mind, dulls the senses, steals from your magic.
Nicole squeezes my hand. “Let’s go home.”
She means the castle—the one place I can’t bring her to. “Nicole, I want you to spend tonight away from my castle and the shadows. Take in the fresh air here. See your friend.Breathe… Because after tonight, nothing will be the same for you.”
She shakes her head. “Nothing’s been the same since you walked into my life.”
The ghost of a smile grazes my lips. “Please. For me. I never had a last night to say goodbye to my old life.” The lie twists in my gut. Under different circumstances, I wouldn’t leave her for even an hour. But my castle is dangerous, and my strength is far too drained to stay outside its walls. Not until I’ve fully regained my power. “After that, we’ll have all the time in the world.” I lean in, hiding my hesitation with a kiss. A liar, down to the marrow of my bones.
Nicole reaches into her purse and pulls out the prepaid phone we got yesterday for a hotel contact. “I was texting Daria earlier. She said she’ll be home if I want to stop by…” She frowns. “I guess you’re right. There are some things I’d like to tell her before I disappear for good.”
“Should I take you there?”
She nods, and I fight to hide my relief.
Moments later, I leave her with her friend and teleport back to the castle. I listen into the darkness for the crackle of unfamiliar magic, for the vile tendrils of Madeline’s presence. The black walls greet me with silence and emptiness.
