stake. We are prisoners in the Brotherhood’s small world.”
He could tell from the look on Nela’s face that she agreed with what he said, but she didn’t say it aloud. “It’s wrong that we’re forbidden from being what we are. The Brotherhood hates us, they always will. And now that the mood is changing toward witches with all the murders happening, things will get worse, believe me. And once the Brotherhood decides to use the rising resentment to tighten laws even further, there’ll be nothing we can do, because we have forgotten how to fight back.” His voice had risen.
Nela watched him like someone might watch a lion that’s about to pounce. He took a deep breath and forced his voice to soften. He couldn’t let his hatred, his darkness, come out like that. A girl like Nela could never understand why he was the way he was. She’d grown up under the pretense of safety. She could never guess at the horrors that lay in his past. “You can’t pretend to be someone you aren’t. Few witches can go without magic for long.”
“My parents do,” she said simply. He scanned her face for a sign that she was lying but there was none. She didn’t know about her mother’s activities.
“Maybe you don’t want to admit it to yourself yet, but you want, you need to do magic. I can show you how life could be if you embrace your abilities. I can show you what some witches do right under the noses of the Brotherhood. Are you brave enough?”
That question seemed to have strung a cord. Something on her face changed. She licked her lips, then looked down at her feet with a frown. “I…I don’t know.”
He almost had her. Excitement burst through him. “Meet me tomorrow night. I’ll show you what you’re missing and after that you can decide if you’re interested or not, and if you say no, I’ll stay away and you’ll never see me again.”
She tilted her head upward and watched him for a long time. Was she trying to look behind his mask? Many people had tried but they never succeeded. Neither would she. “Okay.” Her eyes widened, as if she couldn’t believe she’d actually agreed.
“Good choice,” he said with a smile. It didn’t set her at ease. He’d have to practice a normal smile in the mirror when he got the chance. The people he usually dealt with didn’t care about a nice smile. They were weary and careful. And his victims never got the chance to worry about the darkness behind his smile before he plunged his hand into their ribcage and ripped their hearts out. “I’ll meet you in front of your house at midnight tomorrow.”
“My house?” she said suspiciously, her eyes narrowing. “How do you know where I live?”
“Don’t worry. I didn’t follow you around. I’m not a stalker.” She let out a small sound that made it very clear she didn’t believe him. “I bet you’re in the directory, right? And even without it, I have my ways of finding out where you live. Or you could just tell me.”
After a moment of hesitation, she gave him her address, then she added, “This time I’ll take more than pepper spray with me, so if you try anything, you’ll regret it.”
He had to suppress a smirk. “I’ll keep that in mind.” He didn’t mention that there were ways he could disable whatever she brought with her. Though he had to admit that she’d caught him off guard last time she used her stupid pepper spray. His eyes had burnt for hours afterward. His healing magic wasn’t as good as he wished it were.
She gave a curt nod, then left without another word. His Master would be pleased at his progress.
Chapter 9
N ela could barely keep her eyes open the next morning. She hadn’t slept more than a couple of hours. Her conversation with Darko had run on repeat in her brain. She wondered if it had been a mistake to agree to the meeting. If her parents caught her sneaking out to meet with a stranger, her father would never let her out of his sight again.
He could tell from the look on Nela’s face that she agreed with what he said, but she didn’t say it aloud. “It’s wrong that we’re forbidden from being what we are. The Brotherhood hates us, they always will. And now that the mood is changing toward witches with all the murders happening, things will get worse, believe me. And once the Brotherhood decides to use the rising resentment to tighten laws even further, there’ll be nothing we can do, because we have forgotten how to fight back.” His voice had risen.
Nela watched him like someone might watch a lion that’s about to pounce. He took a deep breath and forced his voice to soften. He couldn’t let his hatred, his darkness, come out like that. A girl like Nela could never understand why he was the way he was. She’d grown up under the pretense of safety. She could never guess at the horrors that lay in his past. “You can’t pretend to be someone you aren’t. Few witches can go without magic for long.”
“My parents do,” she said simply. He scanned her face for a sign that she was lying but there was none. She didn’t know about her mother’s activities.
“Maybe you don’t want to admit it to yourself yet, but you want, you need to do magic. I can show you how life could be if you embrace your abilities. I can show you what some witches do right under the noses of the Brotherhood. Are you brave enough?”
That question seemed to have strung a cord. Something on her face changed. She licked her lips, then looked down at her feet with a frown. “I…I don’t know.”
He almost had her. Excitement burst through him. “Meet me tomorrow night. I’ll show you what you’re missing and after that you can decide if you’re interested or not, and if you say no, I’ll stay away and you’ll never see me again.”
She tilted her head upward and watched him for a long time. Was she trying to look behind his mask? Many people had tried but they never succeeded. Neither would she. “Okay.” Her eyes widened, as if she couldn’t believe she’d actually agreed.
“Good choice,” he said with a smile. It didn’t set her at ease. He’d have to practice a normal smile in the mirror when he got the chance. The people he usually dealt with didn’t care about a nice smile. They were weary and careful. And his victims never got the chance to worry about the darkness behind his smile before he plunged his hand into their ribcage and ripped their hearts out. “I’ll meet you in front of your house at midnight tomorrow.”
“My house?” she said suspiciously, her eyes narrowing. “How do you know where I live?”
“Don’t worry. I didn’t follow you around. I’m not a stalker.” She let out a small sound that made it very clear she didn’t believe him. “I bet you’re in the directory, right? And even without it, I have my ways of finding out where you live. Or you could just tell me.”
After a moment of hesitation, she gave him her address, then she added, “This time I’ll take more than pepper spray with me, so if you try anything, you’ll regret it.”
He had to suppress a smirk. “I’ll keep that in mind.” He didn’t mention that there were ways he could disable whatever she brought with her. Though he had to admit that she’d caught him off guard last time she used her stupid pepper spray. His eyes had burnt for hours afterward. His healing magic wasn’t as good as he wished it were.
She gave a curt nod, then left without another word. His Master would be pleased at his progress.
Chapter 9
N ela could barely keep her eyes open the next morning. She hadn’t slept more than a couple of hours. Her conversation with Darko had run on repeat in her brain. She wondered if it had been a mistake to agree to the meeting. If her parents caught her sneaking out to meet with a stranger, her father would never let her out of his sight again.
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