by K.A. Tucker
16. Telepathy
Yes, it’s me you hear.
My eyes bulged. “How?”
Before Max could answer, a commotion erupted in the atrium. Max lifted his head, struggling to stand.
“Stay,” I ordered gently as I crept out onto the balcony, the broken glass from the doors crunching beneath my sneakers.
Sofie was shouting at someone. “Why would you do this?”
Leaning over the railing, I spotted the top of Sofie’s fiery red head as she squared off against another woman.
“The perfect revenge requires a fair amount of risk,” the woman answered coldly. A wave of recognition hit me. I’d heard that bitterness before. It was the young woman from the park. I thought she was dead!
“Revenge for what?” Sofie’s bewilderment seemed authentic.
“For the worst betrayal,” the woman replied acidly.
There was a long pause as Sofie no doubt worked hard to recall where their paths had crossed.
“You’re not the only witch who has found a form of immortality,” the woman hinted.
Another long pause. Suddenly Sofie gasped in recognition. “Ursula?”
The woman cackled viciously. “You’d be surprised what you can do with host bodies. I’ve gone through dozens now. It’s exhilarating, like shopping for fine furniture. I’ve tried out every ethnicity … always beautiful, though. And young. Those are my prerequisites. It’s a lot of work, but worth it. I’ve been able to remain alive, year after year, studying you, waiting for the perfect opportunity to punish you. I can’t believe I missed the connection between you and the girl all these years. That bloody dog was constantly in the way so I could never get too close.”
Old news, Ursula. I knew she was spying on me. Tell me something I don’t know. Like how Sofie betrayed you too.
“All of this because of Nathan? I think both he and I were sufficiently punished, don’t you?” Grief filled Sofie’s voice.
“Nathan was mine and you murdered him!” Ursula ear–piercing shriek startled me.
A chill ran down my spine. With everything else, Sofie was capable of murder.
“He never loved you,” Sofie calmly answered, pronouncing every word with slow precision.
“Oh please, save your lies.” Ursula turned her head slightly, the only indication that she was aware of Viggo and Mortimer’s presence in the shadows. “Those two imbeciles of yours hired me to watch over you five years ago. They wanted to know what kind of magic you were playing with. Of course they didn’t know who I really was.”
Sofie gasped. “I knew it!” she screeched, her finger pointing accusingly at Viggo.
“I think you’ve divulged enough information, Ursula,” Viggo said, sidestepping to close in on her, Mortimer on the other side.
“Did Sofie tell you that the pendant is a key?” Ursula asked, avoiding Viggo’s outstretched hand.
Sofie lunged for Ursula’s neck but Mortimer intercepted, holding her back.
“What do you mean?” Viggo said, a sharp undercurrent in his calm voice.
“It’s a key. Plug it into the right lock or portal and you’ll get whatever you need with it. It’s obvious to anyone looking at it, including Sofie.”
Mortimer whirled on Sofie, hurling her back to smash through a ground–level French door with the power of his wrath. “What else have you been keeping from us?” he thundered.
Ursula’s speckled green eyes darted up to lock with mine for a split second before moving on. The others didn’t notice. “I did some digging after I met your girl at the park,” she said to the others. “It was interesting … The police report for her mother’s death was in your handwriting, Viggo. If you were going to kill her, why didn’t you just bite her?”
In one fluid motion, Viggo reached up and snapped Ursula’s neck. Her body dropped to the ground, its life extinguished, her last words ringing in my ears as I collapsed to the floor.
