Page 55 of Taken

He brushed off my question, only handing me two envelopes. I opened the first one that read, “I have the dagger.” I opened the second one, but there was a photo in the envelope instead of a note. I glanced at the picture, trying to understand whom I was looking at.

“Oh my God!” I cried. “I don’t …” My thoughts mangled as I choked back a sob.

It was Sarah.

Leah had moved to my side while my eyes stayed on the picture. “I’m so sorry,” she said, holding my hand and squeezing it. “Whoever did this is going to pay. I promise you.”

I turned the photo around, no longer able to look at her dead body at the bottom of a shallow grave.

There was a note on the back, so I read it out loud.

Now I’ll always know your true face.

My stomach lurched as the meaning sunk into my mind. Whoever was doing this knew the power Sarah held.

“Mercy?” Caleb said, pulling my attention away from the envelope in my hand with a picture of my dead friend. “Now may be the time to consider that it’s not Maurice.”

“What the fuck are you talking about? Of course, it’s Maurice. He knew her. He was upset that she had helped me. It’s just like his revenge on Tatyana. He’s going after everyone who did him wrong a year ago.”

“But it was a witch who attacked Caleb last night. Did you not get the text?” Ezra asked, seemingly annoyed by my rant.

Yes, I got the fucking text, but none of this made sense.

“Then Maurice sent a witch to do it,” I said. “He’s always had witches working with him. Always!”

“We … have another theory,” Simon spoke, barely finishing the sentence. I wasn’t going to like this theory, and he knew it.

I looked up at Roland. He crossed his arms over his chest, silently watching me.

“Gee,” I said. “You’re pretty quiet over there, Roland. I’d like to hear this theory from you.” I knew exactly what the coven was thinking, and it was bullshit.

“Okay, fine. I believe it’s your father,” Roland accused while walking toward me, stopping at my feet, and looking down. He placed one hand on the armrest, leaning forward. “You gave him your blood, and now he’s using his magic against us.”

I shook my head. “No,” I seethed. “He wouldn’t do that.”

“Yes, actually, he would, Mercy,” Roland snapped. “Alexander knew killing those people would draw you out. He manipulated you into turning him back into the powerful witch he’s wanted to be again after all these centuries. And now he’s taking out the coven because he can’t stand that you’re still more powerful than him.”

I jumped to my feet, stepping forward so abruptly that he moved back. “How is that any different from whatyoudid to me, you son of a bitch?”

Roland’s face went still. “Not going to let that one go, are you?”

“Never!”

God, Roland was such a fucking hypocrite.

“I’m not killing people, Mercy,” Roland said as my shoulders slouched and I stepped away from him.

I shook my head. “And neither is my father.”

Leah stood and placed her hand on mine, probably hoping her touch would calm me down. “Look, Mercy. We don’t want it to be Alexander but think about it. The killings happened when he was a vampire. Then you turned him, and no one is dying anymore from a bite. Now it’s suddenly a witch trying to kill the coven. Your father knows where Caleb lives, so of course, he’s going to look in our homes first for the dagger. If he had magic, then he could have easily located it. Not to mention, he has the ability to read minds, so he could have gotten the code to the safe from Caleb without him knowing.”

I thought about everything she had told me, and I still couldn’t believe it. The memories I had of my father were genuine; he loved me. He loved the coven. My mother and father used our elements for good, so why would he try to remove us from this earth when he knows how instrumental we are to the world?

“You told me that if your father was guilty, you’d kill him yourself,” Caleb said. “Has that changed?”

Not that I believed it was my father, but yes, I would kill him if he were trying to hurt us. Of course, I would, but I wasn’t ready to admit it. Not right now.

“I need to call Joel so we can locate Sarah’s body with a spell and bury her properly,” I said, desperately wanting to cry. But I couldn’t anymore; the tears wouldn’t come. There was only the anguish and the pain burning through me.

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