Page 18 of Night Prey
“Someone do something!” I yell.
The High Witch kneels next to him and touches his forehead. His body goes slack and his face relaxes too. But my attention diverts to the black void that appeared where the Taluah Mirror used to be. Vivi is gone. What the hell! I step back, not willing to go near that thing.
My companions don’t hesitate to jump into the darkness. Ronan lifts Lucca off the ground and tosses him into the void before he looks at me. “Come on, Vaughn.”
I shake my head.
He doesn’t try to grab me to throw me into the void, or pressure me to go. He simply follows Lucca. A second later, the void collapses onto itself and a powerful blast knocks me down. I hit the ground hard, tasting blood. I must have bitten my tongue. My ears are ringing, but besides that, I seem to be in one piece. I sit up and search for the High Witch. She’s getting back on her feet.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
“Yes,” she grits out. “And you?”
“Yeah.”
I search for the Taluah Mirror, but it’s gone. An overwhelming sense of shame takes over me. Everyone crossed over the portal, even Solomon. Only the High Witch and I stayed behind, but the difference between us is that she was supposed to stay—which means the only coward in this scenario is me.
“I choked,” I blurt out.
“Because you didn’t want to cross?” Isadora asks.
“Yes. This was my chance to prove I’m not a deadweight, and I blew it.”
“I’m sure no one thinks you’re a deadweight.” She begins to collect the objects used in the ritual.
“Ronan looked hella disappointed.”
“That vampire always looks disappointed. Don’t take it personally.”
I bite my tongue instead of saying that it’s hard not to take it personally when my very existence feels like a burden to Lucca and company.
To distract myself from my woeful thoughts, I help Isadora, and we work in silence for a minute. Nothing she can say will erase the fact that I chose not to follow my friends. More than ever, I miss my family. Annabelle, my older sister, would know what to say to make me feel better. And Clarissa, my baby sister, thinks I’m the coolest guy around, which is always good for the ego. Mom would have some sage advice, although I can’t tell any of them about what happened to me. I can’t even go visit them because Mom, for sure, would know I’m no longer human.
Stuck in my head, a thought occurs to me. I’m in the presence of the most powerful witch in Salem. She could help me.
“Can I ask you for a favor?”
Isadora looks at me with narrowed eyes. “You can ask, but it doesn’t mean I’ll grant it.”
I run a hand through my hair. “Right. Well… I haven’t been able to see my family since I was turned, and they’re starting to get suspicious because I’ve always visited them. We’re tight.”
“You want a potion that will make you appear human,” she replies without missing a beat. Boy, the lady is sharp.
“You read my mind.” I smile, hoping my dimples will work their charm.
“It was easy to guess. I suppose there’s no harm in allowing you to visit your family. I’ll drop by tomorrow with a potion. But remember, it’s just an illusion. It doesn’t grant you immunity to the sun.”
The fact that she feels the need to warn me about it tells me she thinks I’m a dumbass.
“Noted. And thank you.”
I still feel like shit, but at least now I have something to look forward to.
Eight
SAXON
ELLNESARI
