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He flashed me a forced smile that made my stomach churn. It was sadistic and unkind. “Be quick. Jade and Julian are taking us to the airport. We leave in less than an hour.”

He released my arm, and I hurried to the bathroom. I didn’t need to go. I just needed a moment away from those three. I looked in the mirror, not recognizing myself and desperately needing to know if everything he’d told me since I awoke on his couch was true. Why would anyone try to hurt me? That question didn’t seem to press Maurice. He should be wondering why the hell this happened and trying to find a solution, not moving across the damn country. I couldn’t leave on a plane with someone who was a stranger to me, regardless of these fragments of memories I had of him.

I had to get the fuck out of here.

After I cast my eyes around the bathroom for anything to defend myself with if he or his two minions tried to stop me, I saw the window above the bathroom sink. I double-checked that I had locked the door, moved to the window, unlocked it, and slowly cranked it open. Ipulled myself up, climbed out the window, and dropped to the grassy lawn below me. Since it was daylight out, I was able to check around at my surroundings to locate an escape, except there wasn’tone. The onlyrelief I felt was that the three vampires were still inside, and even if they wanted to come outside, the sun would stop them.

I snuck around the corner just in case, and when I turned, I ran into a solid chest.

Hischest.

Maurice looked down. “Where on earth do you think you’re going, my love?” he asked with a sinister grin. I looked behind him, and there stood Jade and Julian. The sun beamed down on them as if my theory were only something you’d see in a movie.

“Magic,” Maurice answered the question as if he had read my thoughts.

I blinked. “What?”

“You’re asking yourself how we’re able to walk in the light, aren’t you?”

I nodded.

“You see, when we discovered that this witch couldn’t allow us to walk in the light unless she turned us human, we found a witch who created a temporary spell for when we needed it. It only lasts about ten minutes, so we need to get back inside the house.”

When I tried to back up, he grabbed my arm and yanked me toward him, slamming me into his body.

“Fuck you,” I said.

“Oooh,” he hummed. “I sure do love it when you fight back.”

His grip tightened.

“I would never be with a sadistic fuck like you,” I said, spitting in his face.

Maurice hissed through his fangs; his grip on my arm bit down so hard I knew there would be a bruise the next day. “I know you wouldn’t.”

That was when I screamed so loudly Maurice had to muffle my mouth with his hand. His other hand reached up and fisted my hair, dragging me back into the house. I flailed my arms and kicked my legs frantically, trying to wrench free. There was no one around to help me. I wailed as I scanned my surroundings. It was just us. The house stood on the property, deep in the forest, surrounded by nothing but trees. No neighbors, no road, nothing. No one would hear me. Maurice told me that my powers came from my hands, so I lifted my hand and focused on this energy I supposedly possessed, but nothing happened.

Shit! This was my chance to escape, and I hadn’t a fucking clue how to fight them.

Maurice threw me into a corner of the family room, and Julian stomped toward me. I recoiled the closer he came, my back pressed against the wall.

“Let’s try this again, shall we?” Maurice said to Julian. “She is to remember she’s a witch, but our attacker took her ability to use her magic. Mercy’s too powerful of a witch to not feel her powers inside her.”

Jesus Christ, I thought.What the fuck is happening?

“She also needs to know about the existence of vampires so she isn’t afraid of me,” Maurice commanded. “Just make sure she doesn’t knoweverythingabout who she is.”

“Her mind is too strong to take away everything, Maurice,” Julian said, “but I’ll try.”

They spoke to each other as if I weren’t in the room. My heart still pounded hard against my chest.

Julian looked down at me as panic filled my entire body. This guy, Julian, wasn’t a vampire. He was a witch.

“Oh, and Julian,” Maurice added. “Make her fucking want me.”

Julian fisted my hair before yanking me down to my knees. He placed his hands over each side of my temples and then chanted. My head screamed in pain, and fear engulfed every part of me … until it went dark.

CHAPTER 31

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