Page 17 of A Tale of Treachery

“We’ve been here. So kind of you to finally grace us with your presence,” I countered as Eulalia narrowed her eyes at me.

Oh, right. I was supposed to be pleasant.

“You’re a spiteful little wretch,” Glendora shot at me.

I wanted to say so much, wanted to snap back at her, but the look Eulalia gave me kept me silent. She would take care of her coven and hold Glendora accountable. I was just a bystander.

“Is what I’ve heard true? Is a collection coming our way?” Eulalia asked.

“Yes,” Glendora replied flatly.

Eulalia spoke, her voice shaking with barely suppressed rage. “And you didn’t think to warn us?”

“We still have two hours before we must be gone. I was only waiting for her,” she retorted, a bitter smile stretching across her face.

My heart stopped, and dread clawed at my shoulder blades. This felt like a trick.

Eulalia appraised me momentarily, then directed her ire toward the seer. “Why the gods chose to grant someone like you the gift of sight, I will never understand. You were forewarned about what would happen tonight but chose not to notify the coven. You would risk our safety? And for what? Tell me!” Eulalia screamed her demand, her shout punctuated by the loud crash of the crystal ball she’d knocked off the table.

Eulalia had never been so angry.

Glendora tutted, “Oh, calm down. We will all be safe.”

“Why would you ever wait for me?” I asked, interrupting their shouting match.

The vengeful twinkle in Glendora’s eyes grew bright and mocking. She held her pointer finger to her lips as if she ought to keep silent on the matter.

As if she could ever remain silent.

After a moment of quiet, she finally spoke. “I’ve had visions of you.”

“And? I don’t really care to hear anything you have to say about me.” I snapped and rose from the soft cushion, knowing it was best not to get involved with the seer’s games. “This conversation is over.”

I walked away and Eulalia rose by my side to join me, dismissing the seer.

A brief look of dejection fell over Glendora’s face but was soon replaced with a knowing sneer. We reached the exit to her tent, prepared to leave the seer and her spite behind.

“I know what you are, Dahlia,” she seethed.

The words halted my steps and I twisted around.

“Oh?” I asked, raising my brows, trying to appear unbothered, although my heart was pounding inside of my chest like it was trying to escape.

Her responding smirk made me wary. Bells tolled inside my head, telling me to flee or find a way to quiet her.

“I do,” she trailed off. “He’ll be coming for you…”

Malachi. Glendora knew about Malachi.

The world stopped, a buzzing in my head piercing the silence. The whooshing of blood in my skull drowned out everything around me, and I tried to breathe and not panic at the mere mention ofhim.

But it was too late. The familiar darkness clawed inside me. My skin burned red hot as my magic railed against it. It had been lying dormant since last night, but it was rising to the surface, clawing at my skin, begging to be set free. It wanted to end her and protect me.

I couldn’t allow that.

My vision tunneled, and everything surrounding us blacked out until it was just her and me, my magic locking onto the target that would threaten its host’s safety.

Eulalia interjected, and her form blurred in my peripheral vision. Everything seemed clouded. “He who? What’s this about?” Her voice rose in excitement. Relief. There was hope in her voice when she asked Glendora, “You know what she is? We’ve been trying to figure it out forever.”