Page 30 of Wicked Curses
“She gave birth to me, but I wouldn’t call her a mother.”
“Who would want to mother an atrocity such as you?”
Sahira rolled her eyes. Maybe she’d be shocked and upset if this was her first time hearing something like this, but it wasn’t. She’d developed a thick skin over the years, and this witch was far from unique.
“I knew her,” the witch continued.
“Good for you. I’m sure you knew her more than I did.” Sahira waited for her to move, but when she didn’t, Sahira sighed. “Would you like a cookie or something?”
The woman’s stony face remained unreadable as her icy eyes ran over Sahira. She contemplated lowering her shoulder and shoving past this ignorant bitch, but she wasn’t looking for a fight or to end up in the pit.
“What’s going on, Blair?” a nearby voice inquired.
She turned to see the warlock Radagast standing to her right. He was a tall man with a regal bearing, golden blond hair, and eyes the color of raisins.
Blair’s lips quirked in a cruel smile. “Just learning more about our newest addition.”
More like just being a bitch, but Sahira kept that to herself.
“Good. We all rely on each other to survive in this realm,” Radagast said.
The witches would throw her out to the scarogs if they got the chance, and they all knew it. The hair on Sahira’s nape rose as a stark reality set in—she had more than the beetles to fear when The Reaping arrived.
CHAPTERTWENTY-ONE
“Is there a problem here?”
Sahira hadn’t realized Orin had come up behind her until his scent filled her nose, his body warmed her shoulder, and his low, menacing tone sent a shiver of unease down her back. Blair’s eyes darted to Radagast before shifting to Orin.
They didn’t care about messing with her—they saw her as weaker because she was half vampire—but none wanted to piss off Orin. He was much more ruthless and powerful than any of them individually.
They could team up against him, but that would only piss off Belda and the lycans. Things wouldn’t end well after that.
“I was introducing myself,” Blair said.
“I’m sure Sahira’s thrilled,” Orin replied in the droll, mocking way he had that irritated her, but seeing it turned on another was amusing.
Sahira couldn’t stop the smile twitching at her lips when Blair’s lips pursed and her eyes narrowed. Orin stepped around her, so his chest was against her shoulder. When he did, Blair hesitated before edging out of her way.
She glanced at Orin and nodded but didn’t thank him. If he believed she owed him, he’d use it against her.
His face remained stony as he stared at her before returning his attention to Blair. If looks could kill, the witch would be dead and buried a hundred times over.
Tired of all the tension and just plain exhausted, Sahira strolled past Blair and upstairs to her room. She closed the door behind her and leaned against it as she tried to sort through the emotions pummeling her.
From below, laughter rang out, shouts of revelry filled the air, and glasses clinked together. She was in a building filled with nearly a hundred other immortals, and she’d never felt more alone.
When she lived in the large manor with Lexi and Del, the place was too big for them, but it wasneverlonely. Their estate overflowed with love, the smells of home, and the comfort of family.
Even after they were told Del died fighting the Lord’s war, the manor never stopped feeling like home. It had been emptier without his presence, but she and Lexi still filled it with love.
Now, she was completely alone and had no one to turn to. Orin didn’t count; he’d sacrifice her to save his ass. He was only interested in her because he hoped she might figure a way out of here or she would screw him.
If they were anywhere else, and if she slept with him, he’d give less than a rat’s ass about her. No, she had no allies here, but she had plenty of enemies because of her bloodline and a bunch of ignorant assholes.
She couldn’t end up in the pit. She was a strong, capable witch, but without being able to teleport, she would be at a disadvantage against someone who had stronger magic than her.
Besides, though she’d killed in the battle against the Lord, the idea of such intimate hand-to-hand combat made her stomach twist. Witches were about celebrating life, not destroying it.
