Page 35 of Captive Witch

Ruya squeezes my hands gently, stealing my attention. “Adara Morrow,” she says, her voice a hushed whisper, “you must find the treasure hidden in the fortress. Befriend the keeper, as they have the answers that you need to seek, and they will stand beside you when the demon walks through the shadows.”

“Gods,” I mutter, chewing on my lip.

She grimaces, letting go of my hands. “It was darker than I expected, I’m sorry.”

“No,” I say quickly, “it’s okay. Thank you for seeing for me. I-I don’t know who else I could’ve asked.”

Ruya smiles. “Of course. Please, be careful, lycan witch.” Bowing her head, she steps back and turns to the crowd, disappearing into the sea of bodies.

I stare after her, trying to commit her words to memory, when someone crashes into me from behind. Wren and Jules giggle, each clinging onto one of my arms.

Let go,my wolf says.Let go just for tonight.

I swallow down my fear, the uneasiness brewing my chest, and try to focus on the bright smile on my little sister’s face and the best friend she’s found through her new life at the academy. A new life she never would’ve had with Monique. One she has because of Gideon. Wren shoves another potion into my hand,this one a pastel pink, and I blow out a breath, plastering a smile on my face.

The rest of the night goes by in a blur of magic-infused alcohol, dancing, and enough drunken laughter to leave my stomach aching. When we stumble back to the dorm, Kaylus soars ahead of us to watch for teachers or the headmistress. Collapsing onto Jules’s bed, I snuggle under the blankets and cuddle up to her. Wren’s soft snores and the comforting creamy citrus scent of Jules’s hair lull me into a deep sleep.

Flames lick at the forest around me, trees creak and embers pop, filling the night air with glowing cinders. I spin slowly, taking in the wreckage before me. Most of the forest is burned to the ground, the tall pines and oaks charred and ashes littering their roots.

“You need to be careful, lycan witch,” a voice echoes around me—the Lockwood witch. “They’re watching you.”

I bolt upright, gasping for breath, and look around me. Wren and Jules are both asleep, their light snoring filling the space and competing with the pounding of my heart. Pulse in my throat, I slip from beneath the covers and pad to the window. Darkness stares at me, but it’s wrong. The moon was almost full when we walked to the hideout earlier tonight. There should be two weeks until the new moon.

Swallowing hard, I let my wolf come out, the silver glow of my eyes reflecting in the glass pane back at me. The trees’shadows sway in the wind, and the tall grasses of the meadow surrounding the academy stand tall and empty, but it feels wrong.

I search every inch of it, the feeling of being watched scuttling over my skin like a handful of spiders. My arms wrap around my waist as my shoulders shake, a chill creeping down my spine.

“Addy?” Jules’s sleepy voice startles me, and I spin around to face her. Her curly hair is wild in a halo around her head, and she rubs her eyes while she yawns. “What’re you doing? Is everything okay?”

I glance once more out the window before moving toward her. “Uh, yeah, every—”

“Woah, your eyes.”

My head snaps to the left, Wren’s wide eyes staring back at me.

Jules scurries off the bed, rushing over and grabbing my shoulders. “Your eyes areglowing.”

“Oh. Um, yeah, I…” Glancing behind me at the window, I look back at them and shrug, letting my wolf sight fade. “I thought I saw something outside. It was dark, so…”

“So cool,” Wren breathes out.

“Can you shift?” Jules dances on her feet. “Please, please!”

Wren gasps. “Yes, do it,” she whisper-yells.

I pull my lower lip between my teeth, worrying at the skin. “Um… I don’t know. I don’t want—”

Use a shield spell,my wolf says.

“That should work,” I mumble, opening my palms to stare down at the magic tingling over my fingertips. “Okay,” I glance up at Wren and Jules, smiling, “but you have to turn around.”

Jules jumps onto Wren’s bed, bouncing on the mattress and grabbing her friend’s hand as they face the wall. I blow out a breath, letting my gathered magic out of my palms to make a small dome around me. Peeling off my pajamas and unclaspingmy necklace, I pull my wolf to the surface, my skin itching as the fur pops through. Two large gasps sound as my bones crack loudly and reform, my spine bending. I shake out my fur, my tongue lolling out as I tip my head to the side, watching the two witches who stare back at me.

Biting onto the edge of a blanket lying on the couch, I cover myself before shifting back and quickly pull my pajamas back on. I brush my hair back from my face, sheepishly looking up at Jules and Wren as I settle my necklace against my collar. They explode from the bed, tackling me.

“Oh my gods, that was so cool!” Wren says, her cheeks red and eyes bright.

“Addy, your wolf isbeautiful!” Jules says, tears brimming in her eyes. “That was incredible. I wish I could shapeshift like that!”

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