Page 61 of Vengeance Becomes Her

“Agreed,” Rhiannon confirmed.

Delphine was silent for several beats.“Guard your heart carefully. He is, but he will still betray you in moreways than one.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Rhiannon’s patience had grown thin. All she wanted to do was sleep.

“When the time comes to kill Silas, you’ll have a choice to make.”

“We don’t have time to argue. I need to ask you about the spelled tincture. Do you know how to make it work?”

“I do. You’ll need to gather the necessary elements”

“Of course.”

“You’ll need rose water, dirt from the oldest soil you can find, snake venom, three drops of your blood, and the ashes of a rope or string that’s been knotted together.”

“Where willI find those?”

“They can be found if you will look.”

“Are there…wordsI need to say?”

“An incantation, yes, but I will need tolend my power.”

“Okay, whenwill we do it?”

“Find the items and I will come back to you. You will need to use the rest of my limited magic, so we only have one chance to do this right. Do you understand?”

Before Rhiannon could ask for more clarity a horrific sight unfolded before her. Black roses bloomed from Delphine’s eye sockets and mouth. Blackened tears thick as blood ran down her face. Delphine was making an eerie gasping sound.

The gruesome scene dissolved into shadows before Rhiannon could react. Delphine was gone and she had more questions than before.

Rhiannon woke with a start and was met by the first blood orange beams of the morning sun. She groaned and pulled the blankets over her face. She wasn’t ready for the day to begin but she needed to find the items Delphine had requested before she left.

She put on her warmest attire and disappeared within the tree line, traipsing through the outskirts of Oakhaven for the aged soil and snake venom—the part she was looking forward to least. Luckily with her daggers, she was able to make quick work of it. She already had roses in a vase at home, so that was simple enough. She kept all the ingredients separate and allowed herself to drift back into sleep for a bit, hoping Delphine would be fine and come back to her to finish what they started.She never came.

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