Total pages in book: 133
Estimated words: 122946 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 615(@200wpm)___ 492(@250wpm)___ 410(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 122946 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 615(@200wpm)___ 492(@250wpm)___ 410(@300wpm)
“Hench the witch in a straitjacket in her mind.” Melora nodded. “It is her magic that is bound, and she is not able to undo the spell.”
“That still doesn’t explain why she would use witchcraft on us though,” Atarah added.
However, Arsiein looked between Theseus and me.
“That is what I think,” Sigbjørn stated, causing us to look him. But he just nodded to Arsiein to speak.
“What does Father think?” Ulrik questioned, impatiently.
“If someone is attacking one of our mates or family, our instinct is to defend them. If Druella were being attacked with the rest of her coven, Theseus would have intervened; thus, we would have all be there to support him against this enemy. If Druella cared enough about Theseus and his family, she’d try to protect us while we were also trying to protect her. It is like an ouroboros. They attack Druella, Theseus protects her, we protect him, she protects us and so on and on.”
It was silent as they let that sink in for a moment.
“So, she dragged us into a battle, and now we can’t remember it?” Rhea frowned. Her eyes were still razor sharp as they glared into me. “Very well, protection or no protection, what does this have to do with why I cannot see my son in her heart. If we are all affected, why is she still black-hearted?”
Black hearted? That’s a little harsh.
“Mother, you forget,” Theseus said with a small smirk on his lips. “She is not only a vampire but a witch. A bound witch.”
There was a look of realization in Rhea’s grey eyes as she looked me over again. But I didn’t understand.
“It is not uncommon for bound witches to lose the connection to their emotions. Magic is a very big part of a witch. It is at the very core of their being to love. Binding a witch, that is not done easily or without ill effect. Some may go mad; others may weep for the rest of their existence; others can be as my mate calls black-hearted.” Sigbjørn snickered, glancing at Rhea a bit smug. “You cannot see her heart, Draka because it is bound with her magic. Though like her magic, it is seeking freedom.”
“That explains the colors,” Ulrik muttered to himself as he sat forward, but his blue eyes weren’t on me exactly me but more the air around me. When he noticed we were looking at him, he grinned sheepishly. “Forgive me, Father; I did not mean to interrupt.”
“No, continue, I’m sure Druella welcomes as much knowledge as we can provide,” Sigbjørn replied.
“Well,” Ulrik said with a long pause as he lifted his hand to his beard. “You are an odd one, sister.”
“Thanks,” I grumbled, making him grin and Melora elbow him.
“Thank you, Melora.” Theseus shook his head at his elder brother. “Just explain, Ulrik.”
“I did. Druella is odd,” he stated again.
“What he means is,” Hinrik interrupted. “Most witches have an aura of some sort around them that Ulrik can see through his gift. They are of varying colors and sizes. However, with you, your magic is a multitude of colors. And instead of freely moving around like other witches, it is like…”
“A column of lights moving up and down, tightly wrapped around you. The light is faint and keeps flickering.” Ulrik grinned to himself. “But when it holds for a second, it kind of looks like you’re about to ascend into the heavens or get abducted by aliens.”
I looked around myself, seeing absolutely nothing and was grateful for that. “Can you see this all the time?”
“No. It comes and goes as if there is not enough energy for it. Whenever you use magic, though, your light is much clearer.” Ulric shrugged.
“You will show me later,” Melora declared, and Ulrik just nodded.
“So, let me get this straight.” I brushed my hair behind my ear. “There is thread—which I can’t see—that connects me to all of you by magic I do not remember doing or casting because I am a vampire and a witch from a murderous coven of witches who were bound by someone or thing no one knows or remembers? That bondage is the reason why I am “black-hearted,” and Rhea cannot see my feelings, and I can’t truly feel my memories or emotions, hence why I have such a boring mortal life memory to Sigbjørn and am now unable to commit to mating Theseus? And on top of that, every time I use said magic, I look like I’m being beamed up to the Enterprise?”
There was silence for only a half-second before everyone, but Theseus said, “Yes.”
I looked at him, and he stared back at me. “What is the Enterprise?”
“Of all the centuries you had to forget, why was it this one?” I let out a deep breath.
“It is this one because this is the one most connected to you,” Sigbjørn explained. “You are protecting us, remember? Whatever it is, is connected to you, so protecting us from it may include making sure he cannot remember you.”