“Wait. Don’t—”
I jolt awake, eyelids snapping open so quickly my head hurts. I sit up in bed, chest heaving, and stare into my dark, quiet bedroom. My pulse is racing, my bed soaked from sweat.
Suddenly someone is at my door. The loud echoes of harsh knocking radiate off the walls. Before I can slip from the bed, Jasik is entering.
“Are you okay?” he asks, but he doesn’t wait for me to respond. He’s scanning the room, checking my closet and bathroom for monsters that hide in the shadows.
My throat is closing, and I cannot answer him. But I nod.
His gaze settles on me. “You’re shaking.”
“I’m okay,” I whisper.
As I reach for my blankets that lie in a bundle on the floor, I notice the marks on my wrists. I stare, gaze tracing each delicate curve of both handprints.
“What is it?” Jasik asks. Slowly, he walks toward me.
“Do you see them?” I ask. I can’t look away. I worry if I do, they’ll disappear.
Jasik doesn’t answer. Instead, he turns on the bedroom light, and a blinding flash illuminates the room.
But the moment the shadows retreat, the marks are gone. Still, I can’t help but feel like they really were there, and if they were, my dream wasn’t simply a nightmare.
It was a warning.
Chapter Six
The basement training quarters are suffocating. The room itself is airy and large, with cushiony mat floors, a wall of mirrors, and a long table housing various weapons to wield. But there’s something stagnant in the air. The smell of impending doom is formidable, and it tastes like raw sewage.
Today, I wear a breezy two-piece. The spandex shorts and sports bra allow me to watch the way my body moves during training. I’m convinced there is a connection between my vampire senses and the magic inside me, but today I’m distracted. I can’t focus long enough to dodge Malik’s attacks, and his frustration is evident. He’s already chastised me once. I can see he’s again at his boiling point.
“Ava, I know you’re upset about Amicia’s decision, but you need to focus.”
I frown, looking up at him from where I lie on the floor. The mats are soft beneath me, and I burrow my elbows into the mush, pretending I can escape this place and Malik’s accusations.
He stares at me, a funny grimace on his usually pristine face. “What is it?”
“I’m not upset with Amicia because of her decision. I understand why she doesn’t want to help the witches.” I grunt as I shuffle to my feet, dusting off my thighs instinctively. My hands are slick from my exertion. Malik certainly isn’t holding back today.
“Then what’s the problem? Our sessions are useless if you can’t focus,” Malik asks. His eyes are hard, his tone sharp, but I know he’s not mad at me.
How can I answer this question? Sure, Amicia’s decision bothered me, but that’s not why I’m distracted. I can’t stop thinking about my dream, wondering if my blood promise to Amicia is why I now have a dark shadow cast over me. There is no doubt in my mind that last night’s nightmare is somehow connected to what we did.
The gnawing sensation in the pit of my gut is telling me to confide in Malik, even though I’m overwhelmed by sheer terror at the thought of betraying Amicia’s confidence. She never explicitly stated not to tell anyone about the oath, but I’m pretty sure it was implied. Everything about it felt…wrong. That usually means I’m supposed to keep my lips sealed.
“We don’t have a lot of time, Ava. Holland will be here soon to begin your magic training,” Malik says, eyeing the clock on the wall.
My heart leaps at the thought of training with Holland. Today, we’re focusing on calling the elements—something I used to do so easily when I was just a witch. I haven’t tried to summon my magic that way since I turned, and I’m honestly not sure it will work. But the itching feeling crawling across my skin comes with a burning realization: I need to protect myself from whatever is coming. I woke with the stark realization that last night’s nightmare was a warning, and I won’t sit idly by while my life crumbles around me. It’s time I fight back.
“I’m glad training with Holland brings you such joy,” Malik says, voice deadpan.
My smile falls. “I’m sorry… You know I enjoy our sessions too, right?”
“Just tell me what’s on your mind,” he continues, waving away my concern.
“It’s—It’s probably nothing,” I say, trying to convince myself more than Malik.
I want to tell him, but I’m suddenly struck with the notion that telling my trainer before I tell my sire could prove problematic. Even so, it feels easier to admit wrongdoing to Malik than to Jasik. He’s like the older brother I never had and didn’t know I wanted. Things with Jasik are complicated. One minute, I want to shout at him to kiss me already, and the next, we’re fighting about ridiculous things. I definitely have better control over my emotions when I’m not in the same room as my sire.
“Great. That’s exactly the kind of thing I want so overly distracting—absolutely nothing important.” Once again, he feigns annoyance with me. I know Malik takes training seriously, but this might be a bit much. After all, do I even need combat training anymore? I’m pretty sure my rogue tally is much higher than anyone else’s this week.
I chew on my lower lip, wincing when I nibble on raw flesh. I gather the strength to explain what happened when Amicia forced the vampires out of the house during our meeting. I inhale slowly, deeply, and exhale just the same. With each passing second, my muscles unclench. I stand straighter, taller, more confidently. And I know it’s time.
“It’s just…” I begin.
“Yes?” Malik arches a brow, both amused and concerned with my hesitation.
I sigh. “Amicia forced me to make a blood oath with her.” I spit out my words so quickly, they jumble together, but based on Malik’s immediate reaction, I know he understood me just fine.
Every fiber of his body stiffens as my words settle over him. His eyes widen with shock, and his hands ball into hard fists at his sides. If it were possible, I would believe time actually slowed as he processed my words. He stares at me, unmoving and unblinking, like a monster on the brink of attack. He’s looking at me, but I’m not so sure he sees me. His gaze is lost. But is he lost with my words, or has his mind been transported to another place completely?
“Malik?” I speak softly, hoping I don’t jar him back to reality too harshly.
He blinks several times, his vision focusing on me again.
“She asked you to make a dark promise?” he asks, clarifying what I said earlier.
I nod. “She did.”
“She shouldn’t have forced you to do that.” Malik’s voice is hard and low, and I shiver. The coolness of his words settles into my bones, and I’m unsure I’ll ever be able to shake the ice that now forms there. I wrap my arms around my chest, hoping to hold myself, to keep myself still, to keep my body warm.
Before I can muster the courage to ask him why this is so bad, Holland enters. With my back to the door, I don’t see him, but I hear his approach. He whistles as he walks, a happy skip in his step.