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89 - I Trust Gildeon
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MAD END'S DECEPTION 90 - I'm Your Fan
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
MAD END'S DECEPTION 91 - Cold and Distant
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
MAD END'S DECEPTION 92 - Leap of Faith
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...
MAD END'S DECEPTION 93 - Someplace Safe
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
MAD END'S DECEPTION 94 - Wicked Sense of Humor
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
MAD END'S DECEPTION 95 - Definitely Not Gildeon
ARAHThe guard led them down what felt like a back hallway, cameras watching from every corner. It seemed to stretch forever, with concrete walls pressing on either side—cold and oppressive. She knew what lay beyond these walls: the worst of the worst. Violent men who’d probably gutted people like livestock. Predators who’d done unspeakable things to women and children.Just the thought of them being so close made her stomach turn, and she had to fight the urge to throw up. But that wasn’t what made her skin crawl the most. It was the quiet. Apart from the occasional squeak of their shoes on the floor, the only other sound came from distant footsteps—likely guards doing their rounds somewhere out of sight. Now and then, the rattle of metal—a gate or maybe the clink of chains—cut through the silence, hollow and way too close for comfort.The stillness felt wrong. She’d expected angry voices, screams, and rage.But the whole prison felt… dead.They moved forward. The hallway opened into
MAD END'S DECEPTION 96 - Headwitch
ARAHThe room Alaunus led her to was one of the cells, but it was larger than she’d imagined. Spacious, even, for a place meant to cage someone. The air was cold, a stark contrast to the warmth below, even without air conditioning. It smelled better here, with smoke drifting from a bundle of burning herbs—the same thing Roselia had used to cleanse their house.A small rectangular window was cut into the stone wall above. A metal cover with tiny holes lay over it, filtering the moonlight into thin, white beams. The light trickled down like rain, pooling onto the crystals lined up across wooden tables propped against the wall. The glow bounced softly from crystal to crystal, spreading like a delicate web of light, shimmering faintly on the walls.Symbols—dozens of them—were scrawled across the stone walls. Most were open-palmed hands, each with a spiral in the center. Her eyes followed them, and she swallowed hard when she noticed the deep red stains marking the designs.“Is that... blo
MAD END'S DECEPTION 97 - Looks Could Be Deceiving
ARAHHeadwitch. She wondered… How powerful could they be to lead a coven full of witches with such crazy abilities—each strong in their own way?She glanced at the table of crystals across the room, the familiar black pyramid in the middle catching her attention.“I’ve seen that before. Roselia has one exactly like it. I just didn’t ask what it was,” she said absentmindedly.Arah had promised herself she wouldn’t mention Roselia, but then again, these were the people who had wronged their witch friend first. Why should Arah care if it stirred up unpleasant memories for them? She didn’t know the full story, but she trusted Roselia’s words far more than those of these witches.Alaunus stood silently behind her, then moved to grab the pyramid and held it out to her. She took it, surprised by how heavy it felt despite fitting in her palm. The surface was smooth, like glass, and she could see her messy, exhausted reflection in it.“It’s used for protective spells,” he explained, sitting do
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