“While that might be true in most instances, it certainly is not in this one.” She moved through the room to sit beside me on my bench. I expected her to continue scolding me. She didn’t, and her next words surprised me. “Which is why I’ve already arranged everything.”
“What do you mean?”
She pulled me into a hug and her fingers stroked my hair in a loving way as I nuzzled into her. These moments of parental bonding were so few and far between that for a split-second it was all I could focus on.
“I’ve set up a meeting for you with someone very special.” The way she placed such heavy emphasis on the word ‘special’ made goose bumps prickle across my skin. My mother never thought anyone was special. Not even me.
I peeled myself out of her embrace and steeled my back. She was about to drop a bomb on me. I could feel it. “With whom?”
“Someone I haven’t been in touch with in quite some time. She happens to be in town, refilling rare ingredients for her concoctions.”
“A witch? You’re sending me to get help from a witch?” My voice rose an octave or two as I processed what she was implying.
Witches were unpredictable. They were tricky and couldn’t be trusted. Everyone knew this. There was a natural balance that needed to be maintained when working with a witch, and sometimes the way to keep said balance was harsh. This scared me about my mother’s plan.
“I am.” Her eyes glimmered with evil intent in the soft light filtering through my mini-blinds. Normally the sight of this particular smile would have brought an equally devilish one to my face. My mother could be so cunning and vindictive. She was everything I strived to be. But right now I was petrified of her. “This isn’t a typical witch, darling daughter. No. I wouldn’t send you to just anyone for help with this.”
“Who are you sending me to then?” I hated asking, but I knew she was waiting for me to. My stomach tied into knots as I waited for her reply.
“I’m sending you to the best, my dear. I’m sending you to Kalisa.”
A chill swept through me at the mention of the witch’s name. Kalisa was one of the most well-known witches. She lived in New Orleans, where people enjoyed pretending they had magical powers and conning people out of money. However, this woman was real. She had magic beyond what anyone could ever wish for. I’d only met her a few times growing up. She and my mother had dealings from time to time. For what, I wasn’t sure, but I imagined it had something to do with the way my mother integrated herself into Vivian’s life as her best friend and also with how she had managed to stay so young looking.
My mother was beautiful. Her skin was dewy and firm. She was in her forties and still devoid of even the tiniest wrinkle. I always imagined when I grew older and my skin started to lose its youthful glow she would let me in on her secret. Then again, she was my mother, and when it came to her beauty regiment she might actually take it to the damn grave with her.
“Why her?” I questioned. “Why not an assassin? Wouldn’t it be easier to hire someone to kill Tessa instead of jumping through all the magic hoops I’m sure working with Kalisa will require?” I hated even saying the woman’s name. It made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end and caused fear to bubble through me.
“No. We have to do this right, if we’re planning on doing it at all.” She insisted. “You know the cost for attempting to kill the Alpha Queen would be death. We can’t risk allowing someone else in on our scheme.”
“Wouldn’t you be allowing Kalisa in on what we’re doing?”
“Not necessarily. Kalisa is a neutral party to this cause. Getting rid of Tessa doesn’t aid her in any way. Anyone wishing to come after her for her minute roll in this would be unwise.”
My brows pinched together. “If there’s nothing in it for her, then why would she agree to help?” People rarely did anything for someone else unless there was something in it for them. It was the way things worked.
My mother’s gaze dropped to her manicured nails. “As payment for her services you will give her a vile of your blood.”
My throat pinched shut. “What?”
Allowing a powerful witch to have access to a vile of my blood didn’t sit well with me. In fact, it terrified me. Who knew what she would do with it once it was in her possession?
“Kalisa needs to refill her supply, which is one of the reasons she’s in town. Generally, I am the werewolf she syphons from, but on this trip you will take my place.”
Why would my mother allow such a thing? She knew how dangerous it could be. Then again, if she was used to it, why was she tossing the payment on me this time? “Why aren’t you offering yourself then, if that’s the case?”
I wanted out of paying the witch. Plain and simple. This very well might be the one and only time I decided to butt heads with my mother.
“Because I’m not the one in need for her services this time, you are.” She stood and started toward my bedroom door. “You meet with Kalisa in one hour. I suggest you get yourself cleaned up.”
Heat flushed through my body, but I kept my lips clamped shut. My mother was right. This was my doing, and it was my responsibility to fix. I should be grateful my mother had figured out a way to help, even if it did mean working with a dangerous witch. My pulse quickened. Was a vile of my blood worth seeing Tessa dead? The answer was yes. I only hoped nothing ill-fated happened to me once everything was said and done. If so, I would not only kill Tessa, but I would also kill every person she ever loved.
Chapter 3
When my mother said I had a meeting with Kalisa, I’d foolishly assumed she’d meant somewhere in the public eye. Never had I imagined I would be walking through a creepy graveyard, searching for the eccentric woman. While I generally didn’t scare easily, this woman was like something my nightmares were made of. Remembered clips of her from my childhood shifted through my mind as I continued through the tombstones. The way her fuzzy dreadlocks framed her face. How her skin was the color of the night. The vibrant gowns that cascaded to her ankles and her odd jewelry that always appeared to be made of bones.
Kalisa was the thing I feared as a child that would scoop me up and carry me away to be eaten in the middle of the night, which was ironic, considering I was a werewolf.
A gentle breeze shifted around me as I crept through the cemetery, keeping my ears alert to the noises around me. This woman would not have a chance to sneak up on me the way she had so many times in the past. I was older now, my senses more keen. A rustle of leaves to my left captured my attention. I shifted my face into a neutral expression as I glanced in that direction, hoping I wouldn’t seem startled by her appearance.
It wasn’t her. It was only the wind. However, my feet remained rooted in place and my body rigid, because Kalisa’s scent was carried along on the breeze. It was smoky, like incense burning.
She was here. I could smell her. I could feel her. The problem was: I couldn’t see her.
I shifted around in a tight circle, my lithe muscles taut and ready for action. Why had I agreed to come here alone?
“Shelby. My, my how you have grown.” a female voice I knew well wrapped around me, seeming to come from all angles at once.
I flinched at the sound of Kalisa’s raspy voice. Damn it, she’d snuck up on me again. Shifting in a slow circle, I crouched into a more predatory state while trying to spot her. The need to pinpoint her location burned through me. I hated being taken by surprise.
“Over here, child.” She called out seconds before I noticed her standing at the entrance to a crypt a few feet from me. Nerves danced through me at the sight of her. “Your mother sent you alone?” Her eyes, ancient and all-knowing, skimmed the graveyard behind me as though making sure.
“Yes.” I muttered.
Her head tipped to the side as her gaze drifted over me. I could feel the power behind her gaze as it slipped over the length of me. “Then you will be paying for this service. Joyous.” Excitement rung through her words, causing my nerves to bloom tenfold.<
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This woman terrified me. I was certain she could kill with her eyes and a few carefully pronounced foreign words.
“How can you help me?” My voice trembled as the words rushed past my lips. I knew the cost of what I was supposed to give her today, but I knew nothing of what she was supposed to give or do for me.
Kalisa continued to stare at me. I wasn’t sure if she was deciding on what to offer me, or if the excitement at the promise of my blood was still singing through her veins. “Come in and we shall determine exactly what you need.” She stepped to the side and motioned for me to pass into the crypt.
I started forward. Chills swept through me as I passed by her. Why couldn’t there have been a better place for us to meet besides some creepy crypt? This was insane. I turned to face her once I’d stepped fully inside, not enjoying the fact that my back had been to her for a second. She lifted her hand and whispered something I couldn’t understand. It was in a language I’d never heard before, which had me assuming it was magical. A tingling sensation spread across my skin, clarifying my thoughts. The need to run rushed through my veins.
“A simple cloaking spell.” Kalisa’s lips twisted with amusement. “Relax, my child. You are in no danger from me.”
“Funny, considering you want my blood.” I muttered, even though I knew better than to back talk this powerful woman.
“As payment for what I am about to give you.” She insisted. “Think of it as a trade, child, nothing more and nothing less.”
I leaned against the wall, pressing my back into the smooth stone to keep myself still. The desire to run without looking back continued to pump through me. The sensation intensified as I took in the crazy witch paraphernalia scattered across the concrete coffin before me. Each item seemed more ominous than the last.
“What do you plan to give me?” I asked.
Her eyes locked with mine, and I swore she was searching my soul for something. An icy touch sifted through my blood, one I imagined came from her. When the sensation stilled and her eyes widened, I knew she’d found what she was looking for. “Exactly what I thought you might need, a Lover Scorned spell.”
A lump formed in my throat. I attempted to swallow it before opening my mouth to speak. Was that what I was? Scorned? I tossed the word around in my mind, until I finally decided she’d pegged me right. I felt rejected and despised, scorned.
A sick sense of excitement pumped through me. “What does the spell do?”
I hoped it was something horrific. I prayed that if it wasn’t meant to kill Tessa it at least would maim her permanently.
“It’s slow moving, but packs a powerful punch. I assume this is what you’re after?” Kalisa cast a sidelong glance my way, letting me know she understood exactly what I wanted but asked anyway.
“Yes.” I held her stare, even though it took all my willpower. “What’s the outcome of the spell?”
“Death.” Excitement glistened in the woman’s dark eyes.
Death. I felt her excitement burrow itself into my chest, working its way into my soul. Death was exactly what I wanted for Tessa.
“It starts slow, with a sense of heat spreading throughout the body. It will cause one to think they had a fever and were about to come down with a sickness. Some see hallucinations, while others simply fall asleep after a short period of time. Either way, once the heat has spread through the entire body, the spell has latched onto their soul and there is no reversing it. The person affected will die before sunrise the following day.” Kalisa explained in detail.
Tessa would be gone, and Jace would be in mourning. Everything would happen exactly as I wanted. I’d be there for him in his time of need. I’d comfort him until eventually, I’d make him fall in love with me again.
“How do I dispense it?” I asked.
“First, allow me to take a vile of your blood as payment.” She reached for a needle I hadn’t noticed lying in all the things spread before her. “Then we can go over the particulars in great detail.”
“Okay.” I took a step toward her, ready to get this part over with. Giving a little of my blood was a small price to pay for Tessa being removed from Jace’s life for good.
“Remember, this is only payment to me. Once the spell does what it is intended, a cost for balance will occur from the Universe.”
My feet faltered. There was the reminder of balance I knew would be coming. “What will it be?”
“Who’s to say? With this type of magic it could be anything and affect anyone.” Kalisa’s eyes narrowed on me. “Still want to go through with it?” Her lips twisted into a smile, revealing her blackened teeth.
“Absolutely.” I’d deal with the Universe and its cost later.
I hoisted myself up onto the concrete slab dominating the center of the crypt and rolled my sleeve up. Needles weren’t my thing, but I could grit my teeth and bare the situation. I turned my head and squeezed my eyes shut. The feel of something cold and wet met with the inside of my arm, startling me. I flinched and looked to see what she was doing.
“Relax, child.” Kalisa chuckled. “It’s only an alcohol wipe.”
The sharp scent of rubbing alcohol made its way to my nose, and I forced myself to unwind the tension twisting my gut. I held my arm out to her again. Her grip was gentler than before. She swiped the wipe across the inside of my elbow once more and then reached for the needle.
“Breathe.” She whispered as she unwrapped it from its package. “This won’t take but a second.”
“What will you use it for?” I gritted the words out, trying to focus on anything besides the fact that she was about to stick a needle in my arm. A really, really long needle.
“I’m not sure I understand what you mean.”
“My blood.” I clarified. “What will you use it for?”
“A magnitude of things.”
A tiny prick stabbed through the delicate skin on the inside of my elbow. I squeezed my eyes shut tighter and nearly forgot how to breathe. The sensation of life being drained from me made my limbs feel weak and my stomach woozy.
“Such as?” I needed to keep her talking. It was the only way I would make it through this without passing out.
“Things that do not concern you. Nothing ill-intended will befall you from the use of your blood. Put your racing mind at ease.” I felt the needle slip out of my punctured skin. Kalisa placed a cotton ball there. “Hold this in place to stop the bleeding. I’ve gotten what I need.”
“What about me?” I’d just given her my blood willingly without having received the spell beforehand. What was wrong with me? I should have played it smart in this situation, but I’d let the promise of what her spell could do distract me.
“Here is what you seek.” She moved to the end of the slab I was sitting on and picked up a tiny, dark red vial. “Pour the contents into a liquid the person you wish to remove from your lover’s side will drink, and let the magic do its thing.”
I took it from her. It was warm to the touch which struck me as odd, considering the temperature outside. I stared at the liquid. It was so dark in color it was nearly black. “Won’t she notice the color or taste?”
“It will be colorless and tasteless within seconds.”
“Thank you.” I slipped off the tomb I’d been sitting on and started toward the door. My mind was already racing with situations I could create to make sure Tessa drank the entire contents of the vile. There was one moment in particular that stood out to me most—the acceptance dinner. My lips twisted into a vicious grin, because the timing couldn’t be more perfect.
“Shelby,” Kalisa called after me.
I paused in the threshold and glanced back at her. “Yes?”
“A word of caution, meddling with someone’s heart as well as someone’s life does not come without a steep price in order to keep the balance of the Universe. Do you understand?”
“I do.” My attention shifted to the warm vile of redemption in my hand. “It’s worth it though. He's worth it.”<
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He was. I would endure whatever the Universe sent my way as long as I got to be with Jace in the end. Tessa didn’t deserve him. I did. Jace was mine, and I was taking him back the only possible way.
Chapter 4
“Do you have your outfit picked out for the acceptance dinner?” Jolene asked as she continued to file down her nails.
“Of course. Mother bought me a new dress yesterday.” My words were bitter. I shouldn’t be preparing for an acceptance dinner. I should be celebrating my union with Jace.
There was only one thing standing in my way. Tessa. Once I slipped the potion Kalisa gave me into her drink tonight she would no long be a thorn in my side.
The thought had my lips twisting into a wicked smile.
“Is it sinful? You’re smiling as though it’s utterly sinful.” Jolene clapped her hands. Her kinky curls bounced around her face as excitement lit the honey color of her eyes.
“Of course it is.” Avery chimed in. “Shelby wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m sure it’s so fabulous she’ll have Jace eating his own damn heart out and wishing he hadn’t bothered with that half-blood.”
The three of us broke out into a chorus of cackles. These were my girls. They understood me. Which was why the desire to tell them my plan danced on the tip of my tongue. I swallowed it though, because I couldn’t tell them anything. Pulling them into this wasn’t smart. It was better for their safety if they didn’t know anything. No one needed to know. Kalisa had promised the concoction would be tasteless and colorless. As long as no one noticed me dumping it into Tessa’s drink, everything should be okay. I was a good actress. I could pretend to be shocked when I found out she was dead come tomorrow morning.
“Honestly, it’s his loss.” I forced myself to say. I needed to convince these two I cared nothing about Jace and Tessa; I was over the entire thing. If I could fool them, then I was positive I could fool anyone.
“Damn right. It is his loss. But,” Avery was the first to say something. Her eyes shimmered with skepticism. “I’m sure you care, even if it’s only a little. You don’t have to lie to us, you know. We get it.” Her features softened. She pitied me.
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