Magic Misled (Lizzie Grace #7) - Keri Arthur Page 0,67
breath and then grabbed Karleen’s hand. She growled low in her throat and yanked back, but the wild magic surged around my grip, locking us together. A pulse began deep inside—a beat that spoke of strength being drawn.
My strength.
The thread-wrapped being that was Katie stepped forward. Mother, look at me.
Though the words were not spoken out loud, they nevertheless vibrated through the air, thanks to the presence of the wild magic and my connection with Karleen.
Her head snapped around, and her eyes widened. “Kate?”
It was a hoarse sound, one that was a mix of disbelief and horror.
Stop this foolishness, Mother. Both your blindness and your interference will not only cause greater harm to those you love and seek to protect, but will also cost you dearly on a personal level.
Karleen waved a hand, obviously dismissing the warning. “You know the rules, Kate—”
And rules are made to be broken. They were for me. They can be for Aiden.
“The circumstances are very different, dear heart—”
Yes, but Liz is no mere witch. She is the voice and sword of this reservation. Don’t break her, because you may well break the reservation.
Karleen’s gaze came to mine. Hatred glimmered. She was never going to accept me. Never. It made me wonder what had happened to her in the past. It was more than just blaming Gabe for Katie’s early death, of that I was sure.
“And how do I know this is not an illusion? How do I know she is not putting words into your mouth?”
You don’t. But you know the sound of my voice; you’ve heard it often enough in your dreams of late, Mother.
“Dreams are not reality, but rather desires that can never come to be. Just as this”—her gaze raked me—“can never come to be.”
Then I wish you well with what comes, even as I fear you’ll live to regret your decisions.
With that, the wild magic unleashed our wrists and Katie faded away. I released Karleen and staggered back, somehow falling into a chair rather than on the floor. My heart hammered so hard it ached, and my whole body trembled. Katie might not have talked for very long, but she had nigh on drained me of strength. And while I knew she wouldn’t have taken it that far, her actions could have killed me.
I sucked in a deep breath and lifted my gaze to Karleen. “You may have ensured that my heartbreak happens sooner rather than later, but be aware I will not give him up until I absolutely have to. And if you do anything or say anything to him or to anyone else in an effort to split us before Mia’s arrival, I’ll make your life hell. And rest assured, thanks to this reservation and the power it has given me, that is something I absolutely can do.”
She smiled. It was another of those unholy things. “Enjoy what time remains to you. Rest assured it will be brief.”
And with that, she turned and left. The door slammed behind her, and the sound echoed across the fire-lit darkness. I sucked in air, but it didn’t abate the trembling or the thick ache in my head. I gulped down the rest of my champagne; it didn’t do a lot for either problem but at least eased the dryness in my throat.
The door opened again, and Belle stepped in. She took one look at me and told Monty to grab more champagne before striding toward me.
“What the fuck happened?” She knelt and took my hands in hers. Her fingers were warm compared to the ice of mine. “Why the fuck didn’t you reach out for me?”
“Because I didn’t want Karleen’s hate spilling all over you.” I sucked in another breath, then squeezed her hands. “Katie attempted to talk some sense into her, and the process drained my strength. I’ll be fine in a few more minutes.”
She didn’t look convinced, but that wasn’t really surprising. She might not be reading my thoughts but we’d been friends long enough now that she didn’t need to. “Why can’t the bitch just be happy that Aiden’s happy?”
“I suspect there’s been some sort of trauma in her past involving a witch.”
“You mean other than the whole Katie and Gabe thing?”
I nodded. “Even if Aiden and I did become permanent, she won’t ever accept me.”
“You knew that going into the relationship, though.”
“I did. I just—” Hoped for a miracle.
“So why did she corner you in here? Was it to impart more useless threats?”