Page 113 of Caressed By Sin
“Y-you can't, Fatou. Jade is too important to Adae. He would never stop searching for you—”
“Where is she? Is she here?”
Bessie raised her shaking finger and pointed to the far back of the room. “She's over there where all of the most important children are.”
“Thank you.” I hugged Bessie again. But this time, I pulled her closer to me and sank my fangs into her neck, filling her body with venom.
Like me, Bessie was paying off a debt to Adae, but she did it by taking care of the children. It was Adae’s only saving grace. He never let any harm come to the kids. Granted, he probably solely did that so they would be higher valuedproductsto auction off.
Regardless, Bessie had to be asleep when Adae found her or he’d torture her for information.
Zoe helped me set Bessie into the rocking chair.
Once done, I turned around and rushed in the direction Bessie had pointed too.
In this section, thousands of strings hung from the ceiling, strings that held clusters of silk ribbons tied into shapes of various animals. Each ribbon shaped as a cat or rabbit or bear held a tiny portion of enchantment and moved on its own—whether shaking it's tiny head or fluttering it's paws.
I ran past the moving silk and spotted Jade. “Oh my God. There she is.”
I increased my speed. My eyes watered. Tears spilled over.
Azar blurred to my side and kept my space. “Where is she?”
“There.” I pointed to Jade and continued to her bed. “That's my baby.”
My whole body rocked with hope.
I approached the bed.
Jade slept soundly, undisturbed by the noise we'd made. Her brown face had an angelic softness to it, and her silver hair swayed gently in a current of enchanted wind.
Finally.
More tears left my eyes.
Her tiny legs stuck out from under the blanket. Her little eyelashes fluttered as she dreamed. She held on tight to the lavender teddy bear I’d asked Adae to give her for me.
“She looks just like you. Beautiful and thoroughly enchanting.” Azar kneeled and touched one of her silver curls. “Are her eyes violet too?”
I smiled. “Yes.”
“Good.” He grinned. “Are you happy, my love?”
“More than I could ever express.”
“Then, even better.”
“Hey, guys,” Zoe mumbled as he stood by the glass wall. “There must be twenty or thirty sorcerers heading our way. I can sense their magic.”
“I spelled the door, so there’s enough time to escape.” Azar stood up, glanced at Jade one last time, and rushed toward me, pressing his lips to mine.
I pushed away from Azar before he could thrust his tongue into my mouth. “Later.”
Silver dust exploded near Jade’s bed and fell onto her tiny cheeks. Zoe picked her up, careful not to wake her.
We’re almost done.
A bang came from the glass wall. I spun around. Three sorcerers with robes drenched in crimson magic threw spheres of electric flame at the glass. The glass vibrated and pulsed with magical energy. Cracks formed.
