He touches my arm lightly with his fingers and I sense a magic crawl across my skin and up my arm, like a spider creeping into my hair. I sidestep. "Aren't you going to introduce me to anybody?"
"I suppose I could, but everybody knows who you are."
Realisation strikes. "Are you parading me to show off the witch you caught? That the Blackwoods now have something valuable to both sides?"
He scratches a cheek. "Well, we are rather proud of the achievement."
His arm winds around my waist to guide me towards a group, and after a few shocked moments I prise his fingers away. A tall woman with sleek black hair and eyes the colour of the siblings smirks at us.
"This is Larissa. My aunt."
I force a smile.
"Aren't you just darling?"
Unable to stop myself, I shrink back when she touches my face.
"Can you sense the Blackwood?" Nikolai asks excitedly.
"A little. I'm not sure if she has enough Blackwood inside her for our needs.”
Nikolai snickers. "I can help with that."
I choke. "What?"
"I can help you with Blackwood energy and magic. Why? What did you think I meant?" He arches a brow and I fight the heat growing in my cheeks as I fall for his innuendo.
"Don't tease the girl," says Larissa with a light laugh. "How long are you staying, Maeve?"
Until my friends arrive and help. "I don't know."
"Is she learning much?" she asks Nikolai.
"Indirectly." He gives a sly smile. "We prefer to trigger Maeve so we can see what she's capable of."
Larissa opens her mouth to speak then glances at me before tiptoeing to murmur something in Nikolai's ear. He purses his lips. "That is father's decision."
"He needs to tread carefully," she replies. "Gabriella may not be directly responsible for the death, but we will not forget the betrayal."
My ears prick up at the words. Dissent between Blackwoods and vampires?
"I believe the situation was a mistake. The child was out of control, you know that."
"Hmm." Larissa strokes her long dark hair and looks to Gabriella and her entourage. "I will reserve my judgement."
"Aunt," protests Nikolai. "Please take time to talk to Gabriella. We're stronger together."
Although curious about the situation discussed in vague terms, I study the gathered partygoers, relieved the focus on me has dropped. My relief is replaced by a rapid heartbeat when Tobias is missing. He left me here. I suck in a calming breath. He'd have his reasons.
As Nikolai's arm winds around my waist again, and he escorts me to a new group of witches, I no longer believe this evening will end well. "This is Diana," he says and gestures at a stocky woman with long brown hair who looks down her nose at me. "She's from the Ashwood coven. Her husband, Rupert, and daughters Tamara and Gina."
The girls resemble their red-headed father and their faces are smattered with freckles. They smile, but with suspicion in their emerald eyes.
A blond-haired guy beside them studies me harder than the girls, but his gaze isn't uncomfortable compared to Nikolai's, and his smile more genuine than theirs.
"Anton Lewis has joined us for training too," says Nikolai with a smile. "Obviously he can't use Blackwood magic, but his elemental is strong, despite his great grandmother marrying a human and weakening his family line. The guy can command water in a way I've never seen before."
"Oh?" My interest is genuine. The elemental witches at the academy fascinate me, and I'm awed by simple spells.
He grins. "Oh yeah, I'm impressive."
Gina rolls her eyes. "And modest."
"He went to a Nightworld academy too. The one in the States," puts in Tamara. The mention of the academy lurches my stomach and the smirk tells me this was a deliberate dig. "Seems not everybody likes the Confederacy grooming."
I have to bite my tongue so hard not to retort. The longer I spend in this room, the more stifling the air becomes. Not magic, but the growing panic. I'm on alert for a magic assault or something to prompt this curiosity into revealing her magic. "Don't you have a drink?" asks Anton.
"I don't drink," I repeat.
Anton cocks his head. "Anything? Or just alcohol?"
"I'm uncertain about eating or drinking anything in this house."
Nikolai looks at me as if I killed his dog. "How base! We're Blackwoods, not lower witches with no real power. If we wanted to harm you, we'd use better magic than simple poisons."
I moisten my lips and place shaking hands behind my back.
"You don't want to harm her," replies Anton.
"I know." Nikolai chuckles. "Perhaps some gentle brainwashing."
I glare. "I'd like to see you try."
"You would?"
"No! That's not what I meant. I wish you'd leave me alone, you creep." I cover my mouth as soon as my thoughts spill out into words. What the hell? Anastasia stands several feet away giggling.
She wanders up to her brother and places a hand on his shoulder. "Never mind, Nikolai. You could always use your magic."
Bile pushes into my throat at what's she's suggesting. The witch commanded me to slit my palm the other night and just pushed my thoughts into words. I'll need one hell of a strong barrier against Nikolai. With a disgusted noise, Nikolai tips his head upwards and stalks away. My shoulders drop as some tension leaves with him.
"Excuse me, I'd like to borrow Maeve." The tension springs back again as Anastasia guides me to one side. Her cool fingers on my arm are as unpleasant as her brother's. "I can help, Maeve. My brother's intentions for you aren't pleasant."
"I doubt any of your family's intentions for me are pleasant."
Her laugh tinkles and I clench my jaw. "If I help you, would you help me?"
"How?"
"I'll teach you how to access the deeper side to your magic. Fulfil your potential. Nobody has succeeded in teaching you because they're scared of your capabilities. I can teach you how to repel or control people deliberately, not as a side effect of emotion." She smoothes her skirts. "Emotion is your downfall. You spent too much time in the human world. Too many close relationships. You need to disconnect and listen to what pulses through your veins."
"I do. I'm practising." My words sound pathetic, like a young pupil placating a teacher.
"But now you have some Blackwood energy to aid you," she says softly. "To take the edge off the emotions."
To corrupt me?
"I'd rather not access that energy," I say. "But thank you for the offer."
I shrink back as she steps forward and into my face. The same heady perfume drags me back to the night outside the farmhouse, the aura from the dark magic she's forcing on me sucking more oxygen from the room. "Sweetie, you would be sensible to co-operate."
"You won't kill me."
Her face lights up at my bold statement. "Not you, no."
"Tobias?" I blurt.
She waves a hand. "He'll kill himself."
"What?"
"You heard what the curse means. The man won't turn away from you, however many lovers you take. What's your current count? Three?"