Unraveled

She laughed. “Your fault, not mine.”

“No. It’s absolutely your fault. Now let’s get some sleep.” He hugged her tight for a minute. “Okay?”

“Okay.”

“Good. ’Cause we’ve got a big day tomorrow.”

She didn’t want to think about tomorrow, the day before the spell kicked in. Sleep, though, proved impossible. Her body was achy, and she couldn’t stay still. She needed something, but she didn’t know what. And then, minutes later, perhaps hours, her stomach began to hurt, twisting and cramping, so terribly empty. Like what had happened in town, only magnified a thousand times.

Hungry…hungry.

“What’s wrong, baby?” Riley asked, concerned. She didn’t think he’d fallen asleep, either, because he’d never truly relaxed, but had adjusted his long frame to her every time she’d moved, trying to make her more comfortable.

“I…I don’t know,” she said. A lie. She tried to raise her head, to look at him, but she didn’t have the strength. A tremor was slipping and sliding the length of her spine and vibrating into her limbs. “I can’t move anymore. And I hurt.” Oh, God. Panic set in. “Riley, I can’t move! I’m paralyzed.”

“Don’t worry. I can fix this.” Riley popped from the bed, dressed, then helped Mary A

“Am I dying? Already?” So…hungry… She’d thought she would have more time. Hungry… A moan escaped her. “Riley!”

“Calm down, just calm down. I’ll take care of you,” he said, easing her to the side of the bed and propping her up. “I’ll make it better.” He strode to the door that co

What was he doing? Did she care? No. Another moan escaped her. HUNGRY…

There was no answer. He knocked again. Finally, the door swung open and a frowning Victoria glared up at him. “You’re the hundredth person at my door. I know. You sense Aden. So did they. But to prevent upheaval, I didn’t lie to them, so I hope you’re prepared. Tomorrow, though, and not tonight,” she rambled. “Tonight he’s trying to sleep—I commanded him to sleep actually. We’ll deal with the consequences in the morning because I won’t have him disturbed.”

“Are you finished?”

She hissed at him. “I’m not sending him away, Riley.”

“I didn’t ask you to. In fact, I’m glad you’re finally standing up for what you want. Now, enough about you, brat. I need you to take us to the cabin.”

The cabin, where the witch was being kept. Understanding dawned. Riley was going to feed her. Mary A

“All of us?” Victoria looked back at her bed, and Aden sleeping there. “Why?”

“Just Mary A

“Why do you want to go to the cabin?” she asked again, gaze sliding to Mary A

Starved, dying, scared, agonized…

“I need your blind trust,” Riley told the vampire. “As I’ve often given you.”

Victoria nodded without hesitation. “All right. Yes, of course. Who first?”

“Me, but be careful with Mary A

A second later, the two disappeared. Mary A

“What’s wrong with her?” Victoria asked.

“Like I said, she’s ill.”

“And you think the witch will cast a healing spell? I assure you—”

“Thanks for your help. Now go back to Aden,” Riley said, scooping Mary A

Victoria growled, but disappeared.

“What’s going on?” a familiar voice asked. The witch.

Suddenly warmth and power swept through Mary A

“Drainer,” the witch cried. “No. No! Get back! Get away!”

“Well,” Riley said dryly, “if either of us were in any doubt, that doubt is now alleviated.”

TWENTY-TWO

ADEN AWOKE MORE CLEARHEADED than he’d been in what seemed forever, but also a little peeved. He was in the vampire stronghold; he remembered being whisked here, kissing Victoria, feeding her, loving her, but now he was alone in her massive bed and there was no sign that she’d ever been here. No Victoria meant no more kissing or feeding.

At least he wasn’t twitchy and in withdrawal, needing her to bite him again. Therefore he hadn’t become a blood-slave last night.

He sat up and looked around. The room was as white as he remembered, and he could guess why she’d chosen such a blank canvas. Her father remained true to the I’m-an-evil-badass stereotype: black, black and more black. Colors, which Victoria loved, hadn’t really been allowed, so she’d done the next best thing. The opposite of what her father had wanted.

A small rebellion, but so wonderfully telling. Deep down, she hadn’t wanted to be like her father. Here, in the privacy of her bedroom, she’d allowed herself to be herself.

This place gives me the creeps, Caleb said.

“Why?” He glanced down at himself. He was still wearing his jeans and T-shirt, but his boot, socks and blades had been removed. By Victoria? Had she run her hands all over him? He wished he’d been awake for that.

’Cause there’s no naked girls.

Aden laughed. Typical Caleb.

Well, I like it, Julian said. Add your clothes in the closet, and this would feel more like home than the ranch.

“And why do you say that?” he asked, gaze straying to the closet in question. The entry was dark, too dark to see what rested inside. Probably black robe after black robe.

It’s almost like we’re smack in the middle of an unwritten book. Like there’s nothing here but blank pages.

Which means we can write the story however we want. And anyway, you don’t see this room as it will one day be, Elijah said. There are colors, so many beautiful colors.

That put a smile on Aden’s face. “Will I be here?”

Elijah didn’t reply.

Aden took that for a no, and said goodbye to his blossoming good mood. How could he have forgotten, even for a second, that he was going to die? I don’t want to die, he thought.

Once, he’d simply accepted his pending demise as fact. Then he’d been stabbed in the heart to save Thomas from the pain. Now he was starting to think crazy thoughts—for the first time, despite what the world thought of him. Thoughts of changing his future, even though he knew that would only make his death worse.

Was there something worse than being stabbed?

Yeah, and watching his friends die topped the list. A sobering reminder. He had work to do. “Have you figured out where the witch meeting is being held, Elijah?”

No.

“Caleb, you seem to like them when no one else does. Do you know where the meeting will be?” Aden was begi

Wish I did, buddy, but I’ve got nothing.

One day left, tomorrow, yet he’d made no progress. Six days had passed, and he’d learned nothing. Yeah, he’d been busy fighting goblin poison, meeting the vampires and dying. Twice. But when it came to the safety of his friends, there really was no excuse for his lack of results.