Page 81 of Broken Hearted
I frowned. Healthy? What did that mean? I didn’t ask because I figured the tea would make me compliant and non-questioning.
A few minutes later there was a knock at the door, and Elisana got up to get it as I moved with her. I’d have to really put on the charm with her mother as well, to buy as much time as I could until hopefully Zane and Isolde, and whoever else, came back to help get me out of here.
When the door opened, Elisana squealed, “Mommy!”
She rushed forward and hugged the woman, and then stepped out of the way so that I could see her.
When I did, my face fell.
“Rowena?” I gasped.
The purple-haired witch, who’d appeared to be in her twenties was Elisana’smother? Perhaps I shouldn’t have been so shocked. I’d seen the woman take ten years off her face with one slurp of my brother’s blood, but even so, to think that this whole time she’d been Elisana’s mother. It took me by surprise and for a few moments my carefully placed mask slipped.
Elisana looked surprised. “You know each other? I know we look more like sisters but Mother, this is Adrien. The love of my life.”
Elisana reached for me, and it took every ounce of my acting ability to give her a small smile and grasp her fingers.
Elisana pulled me closer to Rowena who was scowling at me with an impenetrable gaze. After looking me up and down she peered back at her daughter.
“Darling child, you have a problem. The love potion is not working on him. I can see it.”
At that moment, Elisana clamped her fingers around mine like a vise and growled. “I knew it. Help me hold him down, Mother.”
One second I was turning to flee, and the next something sharp cracked me in the back of the head.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Isolde
The train stopped, and we disembarked and rode to Elisana’s village in the morning sunlight. It was a little slower going than I wanted because Dawn had to ride in a carriage instead of on horseback, but we still made it to the woods surrounding the village by midday. As we neared, it became apparent that something was going on there. There were carts of flowers and food being brought in from all the surrounding places.
When we got to the very edges of the village and tied up our horses to a tree, my stomach sank as I realized what all the fuss was about.
A wedding was happening. From our hiding place within the trees, we could see that the road was covered in rose petals and a garland of flowers adorned every head.
We backed a safe distance away from the village, my mind screaming at me to charge forward and find my mate before it was too late, but I forced myself to hold back. I’m sure my restlessness was evident to everyone because I couldn’t stop pacing.
“You ready to break up another wedding?” Zane asked me, and I was grateful for the confidence in his voice.
I nodded. “Find the vial of Seraphina’s blood, destroy it, kill Elisana. Until then she’s off limits,” I told everyone. They knew what she looked like, so we were good there.
“But everyone else is fair game.” Dawn cracked her knuckles, and Zander raised one eyebrow.
“Okay, little bird, get behind me and remember your promise. Take it easy.” He coaxed her behind him, and she groaned.
Going under the cover of night would be ideal, but this would have to do. We agreed to split into two teams. Zane and I would go on foot to Elisana’s house and try to find the vial while Dawn and Zander scoped out where the wedding was going to take place and prepare to attack.
After agreeing on a safe location to meet again, Zane and I took off, sticking to the tree line as long as possible until Elisana’s house could be seen through the brush and foliage. This time we didn’t walk down the cobblestone streets and enter her home through the front door. Instead, we crept toward the back entrance. We weren’t sure if Elisana or her powerful mother were there, but if so, it didn’t benefit us to announce our presence.
There were no shadows to hide in so we sprinted from the trees to the home, only breathing a small sigh of relief when we were pressed up against the side of the house. Zane put his finger to his mouth, indicating I should stay silent, and then carefully peeked into a couple of the windows.
“I don’t think anyone is home,” he said when he returned to me.
“Good. Let’s find that vial.”
With a nod, we moved to the back door that led into the kitchen, finding it unlocked. I hoped it wasn’t that way because of a trap, but I suppose if you lived in a village with only other members of your coven, you weren’t worried about someone breaking into your home.
Even though we didn’t think there was anyone home, we were still careful as we entered the house. We kept a sharp ear out for any noise, but it was quickly clear we were the only ones there. That was good for searching the house, but bad for Adrien. It meant he was probably already at the wedding site, which caused my anxiety to spike. We needed to find that vial now.
