ARAH“Arah?” A frown appeared on Gildeon's brow, his eyes briefly dropping to the space behind her feet before settling back on her. “Why are you here? They let you in?” He glanced quickly at the door as it clicked shut behind her.He started to stand, shuffling his feet toward her, but stopped short. Something seemed to hold him back, though nothing was physically restraining him. On the table beside him, an empty coffee cup lay knocked over.Arah noticed Gildeon looking down, his jaw clenching at something she had no idea about. She moved toward him instead.“Hey, are you okay?” she asked softly, worry lacing her voice as her eyes moved around him. A crazy thought crossed her mind that he might’ve been hurt, but thank goodness—aside from the weariness in his face and the dimness in his gold-and-black eyes, he seemed fine.“You’re not supposed to be here.” Gildeon lifted his hands as if he were about to touch her face, but just like with his feet earlier, his wrists seemed restrained
GILDEONDeep down, he was glad. Glad that he’d seen Arah’s face, heard her voice, and kissed her lips—even though it pissed him off that he couldn’t even touch her. The invisible restraints around his wrists and ankles confined his movements to a small radius. They also stopped him from initiating any physical contact with another person.‘Durante, you cunning asshole,’ he cursed inwardly.“Is Master okay?” Ghulik crawled on all fours across the table. His tiny hands gripped the edge as he peered down at Gildeon’s bound hands and feet. “Does Master want Ghulik to take them apart?”‘Don’t bother,’ Gildeon replied mentally. ‘This is a powerful enchantment. You’ll only hurt yourself.’He glanced at the coffee cup on the table, anger rising as he replayed the events from earlier. He had underestimated the magic it held. When he’d shifted his hand into its dragon form, the black coffee had suddenly snaked into the air before he could strike at Durante. It had formed a silent, dark chain th
ARAHShe relayed to Roselia what needed to happen tonight. The witch sank heavily onto the couch.Roselia’s hands came up, fingers pressing together as she dragged them across her nose and mouth. “Did My Lord say anything more?” she asked. “What will you do if you find the other coven’s already here? Do I need to come with you?”“You don’t need to. Gildeon said...” Arah lowered her gaze, hesitating to continue. “He said he made a deal with your old coven.”Roselia went stiff, her hands freezing midair near her chin.Arah explained how they’d have to work with the old coven, at least for now, to eliminate the greater threat posed by the other one. Roselia didn’t speak, her face tight with deep, quiet anger. It was understandable.She sat beside Roselia. “I don’t have all the details, and honestly, I’m not completely on board with it either,” she said softly.Roselia stayed quiet, her gaze fixed on the white box still sitting on the coffee table.“They’ve killed innocent people,” Arah a
ARAHThe place was packed, far more crowded than Arah had anticipated, though she shouldn’t have been surprised. Mabel was the kind of person who could fill a room without even trying. She’d probably invited half the island.Above the bar, a large banner proudly hung with bold letters that read, ‘CONGRATULATIONS, NICK AND MABEL.’Arah took a deep breath, trying to calm the nerves creeping up her spine. She couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that someone was watching her. How would she know if it was an ally or an enemy? Gildeon and Roselia hadn’t exactly given her instructions on how to spot a witch.Her eyes swept the room, searching for... anyone suspicious.“Arah!” She heard her name and spotted Cora waving her over from a table in the corner, where a three-tiered cake sat with the words ‘Just Got Engaged’ piped across it.Cora raised an eyebrow as they met halfway through the crowd. “Husband bailed again, huh?”Arah’s stomach churned, remembering how Gildeon was still locked up with
ARAH“Oh, she’s talking about your work, sis,” Mabel butted in, gesturing over her shoulder. “I showed her my tats. Told her to drop by your studio if she wants to get inked, too.”“Oh.” Arah nodded, awkwardly rubbing the side of her neck. It wasn’t that she didn’t appreciate the compliment or Vienna’s enthusiasm, but it felt weird when all she’d done for Mabel was a simple butterfly tattoo.But something about how Vienna looked at her—wide-eyed and almost awestruck—told Arah this wasn’t just about the tattoo. She just couldn’t figure out what it was.A voice rose from the stage, pulling everyone’s attention. Mabel’s sister—the maid-of-honor—stood with a champagne glass in hand, ready to give a speech. Mabel excused herself to join Nick at the front, and the room fell into a hush as the guests settled in to listen.Arah, though, had her focus elsewhere. From the entrance, she spotted a guy—early twenties, maybe—slightly hunched ove
ARAHThe vampire lunged swiftly. Her reflexes kicked in, and she threw herself sideways, rolling against the cold tile just as his hand smashed into the wall, inches from where she’d been. He snarled, his nails dragging across the tiles, sending a jagged screech through the air that made her teeth ache.His other hand slashed toward her, but she ducked just in time and bolted for the door. Her heart raced, every nerve screaming at her to run, her breath coming fast and shallow. But before she could even reach for the handle, a gust of air hit her as the vampire leaped—effortless, silent—landing in front of her with a thud.She stumbled back.His head snapped toward her, jerky and unsettling, his red eyes unblinking. A tremor ran through his lean frame, and he looked like he could barely contain his hunger. His fingers twitched, itching to tear into her.Her mouth went dry. Of all the beings she could have run into tonight...
ARAHArah and Vienna’s eyes met for a split second, but there wasn’t time for words. The cat leaped into the air, and everything exploded into motion—too fast, too chaotic for her brain to keep up.Vienna flicked her hands, a sharp, piercing sound splitting the air—nothing like the soft clinking from before. The first of her thick copper bangles slipped off her wrists as if alive, glinting as it flew through the air. A faint ringing followed—resonating from the bangles still on her wrists.Arah held her breath as she watched the freed bangles expand mid-flight, snapping shut around the necks of both the vampire and the cat. In an instant, the vampire twisted, shrinking and morphing into a black cat with blood-red eyes.The green-eyed cat wasted no time. It pounced, its teeth sinking into the red-eyed cat’s throat. The two crashed to the floor, a violent mess of fur, claws, and snarls. Arah’s stomach churned as the green-eyed cat bit down harder. Blood drained from the vampire-turned-c
ARAHThey said Baccayo Prison had been around long before Caylao Island became the tourist hotspot it is today. As the island grew more popular, people just pretended it didn’t exist—like an ugly scar that no one wanted to mention. The local government quietly pushed it out of sight, never talking about it, so it wouldn’t spook the tourists. The prison was isolated, tucked far away from the beaches and resorts, near the jungle and a rough, restless sea—hard to reach.Arah had never imagined she would set foot in this place. Not only was she about to be near dangerous criminals, but she was also being escorted by a witch whose coven wanted to take whatever power they believed she possessed.Fate surely had a wicked sense of humor.Their car stopped before a massive, rusted iron gate flanked by tall concrete walls topped with barbed wire. Overhead, dim lights flickered, casting eerie shadows on the road. Two uniformed guards stood in watchtowers on either side of the gate, rifles slung