Page 27 of The Powerless Witch

“The hell I am!” Isaac frowned. “He just confirmed you can’t use your magic, which means you are helpless against the Fae. Against anything! And he mentioned before that his mother does not like you. You need all the protection you can get—and I don’t plan on dying because you can’t keep your mouth shut and angered the Queen of the Fae.”

“Don’t you have a pack to run, Mr. Alpha?” Celeste scowled, crossing her arms. Isaac’s nostrils flared in annoyance. “Also, I might not have magic, but I’m most certainly not helpless.”

“I. Am. Staying,” Isaac replied with surprising calmness, holding her gaze. They stared at each other for a long moment—long enough for me to consider leaving the room—then both turned to me as if expecting me to resolve their argument.

“I think having Isaac around would be lovely.” I shrugged. “He may come and go as he pleases.”

Isaac gave me a thankful nod while Celeste’s lips turned downward.

“Fine, then.” She sighed, waving her hand dismissively. “What is your price?”

I smiled, trying to pick the right words.

“The pleasure of your company is of no small value, dear Ancient one.” When she looked ready to smack me, I added. “I owe you a life for the one you gave me. So consider this a repayment of my debt.”

“What debt?” Isaac asked, but his mate was already outstretching her hand, waiting for me to take it. Smiling wider, I grasped her slender fingers.

“It’s a bargain, then,” she said breathlessly, squeezing tighter.

Nodding, I let go just as the door to the hall opened and several Fae stepped in, carrying trays and decanters filled with food from both the earth we thrived on and the human world beyond. Taking a step back, I opened my arms, giving them a light bow.

“Welcome, my dear friends, to my humble court.”

Chapter 12

Roman

Staring at the ceiling of my room, I wondered what would happen to vampires if they never slept. It wasn’t that our bodies needed rest or mental relaxation, but the sun was making us lethargic and weak, so shutting off for a few hours usually helped pass the time quicker. Except for the last several days, I hadn’t slept a wink. Just knowing that there was someone out there who could kill Celeste with so little effort, especially now that she had accepted me, made the thought of sleep abhorrent.

Pushing the covers aside, I got dressed and left. The sun was still up, probably just past noon, but heavy clouds covered the sky, making the day gray and dark.

I was making my way to the Control room, ready to comb through all the information I had on the Castle bloodline all over again, when a distinct presence made me pause. The familiar had disappeared sometime when Isaac left with Celeste, but he must have returned while I was trying to rest.

I changed direction, heading toward the sitting room where I felt him settle. He must have sensed me too because his eyes found mine the moment I stepped through the door. I paused, waiting for him to say something, but he just rested his tiny head on his paws and closed his eyes as if intending to take a nap.

“Is she—”

“She is alive,” he said without opening his eyes. “I watched them enter that wolf pack territory. I tried to follow, but I almost ran into one of their patrols and I didn’t want to antagonize them.” I nodded, even though I felt no relief. I would have preferred if he had stayed to watch over her. I wasn’t entirely sure Isaac was enough of a protection. “She is awake.”

I focused back on Nym to find him watching me.

“She woke up last night. Our connection is strong, so she is healthy. She was agitated, but then she…calmed.” Nym added before curling up like he was a real cat in search of the most comfortable position to sleep in. “The three of them left a few hours ago.”

“Three?” I raised an eyebrow.

“Celeste, the wolf, and another female wolf.”

I nodded. So she had been there—Isaac’s sister.

“They are coming back?” I asked, even though something in Nym’s demeanor made me think that I wouldn’t be getting a favorable answer. The familiar let out a low, grumbling sound.

“They went to the Fae,” he said. I pinched the bridge of my nose, holding back a sigh. The Fae? Why the Fae? What was she up to now and when the hell would she learn to pick up a phone and call? “She can’t use magic,” Nym continued, and I let my hand fall, staring at him in disbelief. “Whatever the witches did, it didn’t fix her. I suspect she isn’t with the Fae to make social calls. I can’t get in without causing a commotion and I don’t think she’d want that.”

Frustration filled my chest, but I pushed it down. As much as I wanted to help her with whatever she was planning, I couldn’t go to her there either. A grove was the worst place for a vampire, with all that sunshine. Not to mention, unlike witch magic, Fae magic could affect us to a great extent since their power relied on nature and balance, not on the person wielding it.

“That’s good. If she has no magic, she’d be safer there. The witches can’t enter without being invited, and the Fae are not particularly open to visitors. She’ll just need to protect herself from them, but I doubt she went there without a plan.” Nym nodded, his eyes following me like a cat watching a mouse.

“And what are you going to do?” Nym asked, still not moving from his spot.

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