Page 54 of Property of Hayride
“He’s massive, Hayride. Impressive. He even tried to calm me.”
“That was both of us. Our fury nearly took over, but we had to be sure you were okay. I was afraid you’d lose too much blood from your injuries.” He reaches for my hand and squeezes it before holding it close to his heart. “You were stabbed ten times.”
“What?”
“Fuck. Maybe I shouldn’t have told you.”
Ten times? Why didn’t I feel any pain?
The ancestors. My sacred sisters. They’re preventing those injuries from harming me further.
Thank you.
Hayride clears his throat. “There’s a little ritual I want to perform with you, just not sure it’s a good idea until you’re healed.”
A ritual?
“What does that mean?”
“We’ll slash our palms and press them together. A little of my blood will mingle with yours.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s a claiming. A mark on you that all of my brothers and the scarecrows will acknowledge. It means that you’re protected. That one of the cursed has chosen you.”
I jerk back slightly. “Cursed?”
“Long ago, thirteen women were murdered in Salem for their beliefs. Those families fled persecution and the remaining dangers. They relocated to Ohio.”
Huh. I never read that anywhere online.
“But they arrived prepared. The founding families who weren’t from Salem were tasked with protecting all Salem descendants. The witches ensured their oath by binding them with a curse.”
“You’re cursed then? As a protector?”
“I can never leave Raven’s Crest permanently. You should know that before you agree to become my ol’ lady and bind to me by blood.”
“Will it affect me?”
“I’m not sure, but there’s a possibility.”
I think over his words, wondering how it’s any less mystical or jarring than learning I’m a Salem descendant and from the Scott lineage. Even if I have the protection of the Sacred Sisters, I still might need more, especially if the rest of the Allenites decide to keep killing people.
I don’t think Rashell Allen’s death will stop them.
If anything, it might embolden the cult.
“Let’s do it.”
Hayride’s lips stretch into the widest smile. “Really?”
“If you want me, then yes. There’s no doubt about how I feel about you.”
And there, I’m saying it. He’s all I want.
His palms capture my face and bring it closer. “I’d want you even if you said no. If you moved away. If I had to wait forever for you to return to me.”
Wow.
