be very keen to see your art,” Jonathan proclaimed.
“We’d love to come, dear,” Miroslava said. “Just let us know the day, and we’ll be there.”
Delmare tried to hide a grin, and failed. Her own mother had never come to see any of her paintings. This was the family Delmare had always wanted. All she had to do was open up and let them in, and they’d be hers.
I just hoped she didn’t get in her own way.
The next day was Odette and Theo’s big recital. Ethan and I were going together to the ballet, to support them. Though I didn’t approve of Odette’s methods to maintain her position as the lead role, I knew this was important to her, and she wanted to see me in the audience. I put on a red dress and did my hair before I slipped into a pair of high heels and a snazzy jacket.
I looked good. Ethan was totally going to drool over me. I stepped out of my room and walked down the hallway with my head held high, feeling like a bad ass.
That feeling was crushed when I felt someone’s long fingers curl around my neck. I gasped as someone wretched me to the side and slammed me against the wall. I grabbed at the hand that strangled me. She had me pinned, squeezing the life out of me as she looked on with malice in her gaze.
“Do you seriously think you can poison me and get away with it?” Gabby hissed. Her fingers tightened, and I choked. I tried to kick her away, but I couldn’t move. The bitch must’ve caught me with a binding spell when my back was turned.
What a coward. She couldn’t even make it a fair fight. Gabby’s eyes glowed red as she snapped, “Your little confusion potion isn’t going to work on me. I’m far too powerful.”
“And why is that?” I squeezed out. My illusion magic fought with all its might against Gabby’s binding spell. Any moment now, it was going to break.
Gabby’s eyes narrowed. She let go of me, and took a step back. I fell to my knees, gasping for breath and clutching at my throat. “Your pathetic attempt to get me off the throne didn’t work. Eli and I passed our trials. You might as well give up.”
She knelt down so she was at my eye level. Her voice was full of contempt as she spoke. “You’re going to pay for that little stunt you just pulled.”
Gabby raised her hand. She cast a spell, and the area around her hands became red. The spell rushed toward me, and I gasped, expecting pain.
But before it touched me, the spell stopped in mid-air— like an invisible shield prevented it from working. The curse burst into ash, fluttering to the carpet.
Gabby’s face was momentarily shocked, then she tried again. She cast the hex, but for the second time, it wouldn’t harm me.
I couldn’t help but give a spiteful smile. “You’re not that accomplished of a sorceress.”
“Shut up.” Gabby smoldered. She grabbed me by the hair and wretched me to my feet before she threw me against the wall again. I heard the rage in her voice as she whispered into my ear, “Make no mistake, penance is coming for that stunt you pulled. One more slip up, and the Phantom’s done for. This is your last warning.”
Gabby walked off. I was left quivering. I so wanted to kick her ass, and knew I could do it... but if I tried, she’d expose Ethan.
If she wasn’t going to already. Dammit, why hadn’t I been more careful?
Tears rose to my eyes at the thought of Gabby revealing Ethan, and him being arrested for being a vigilante, but I forced them down. If Gabby was going to blab, she’d have done it. I was too useful to her. She’d make me pay in a different way, I was sure of it.
The moment Gabby was gone, I fished in my purse. I took out the apple branch— it’d fizzled and turned black, curling inward upon itself.
My breath caught. The spell had worked! It’d protected me from Gabby’s hex. I pocketed the apple branch, and reminded myself to make a new one as quickly as possible. Thank you, grimoire. It’d saved me from getting knocked on my ass back there.
I hurried into the bathroom. Bitch had ruined my hair. It took another fifteen minutes to fix before I noticed the long bruise marks forming around my neck from Gabby’s fingers.