Page 100 of Blood Bond (Dark Witch Chronicles 2)

“What?” I choke out.

“Feed your bloodsucker.”

I know it’s an experiment, that they will gain something, but I can’t be bothered to care because if it saves Tarnley’s life, I’ll do anything. Gathering his head into my lap, I press my torn wrist to his mouth.

Nothing happens.

“Take the silver out!” I scream. “He won’t heal with the silver in his body!”

No one says a word.

No one makes a move to do as I demanded.

And when I look back down at Tarnley, I see why. Despite the silver in his skin, the flesh of his throat is knitting back together right before our eyes.

“One of the reasons The Accords were put in place was to keep factions from mating. Would you like to know why?” she asks.

“Why?” I growl out, my curiosity momentarily more important than my pride.

“Because it was rumored that the blood of a mated witch can heal any wound on their mate, silver inflicted or not. Should information like that have gotten out, it would have diluted the witch bloodlines as the factions rushed to mate with our kind. They would have become invincible, and we would have greatly diminished our lines.”

Tarnley gasps for breath and sits up. He grabs me and shoves me back behind him. With the silver beneath his skin, he’s still unable to use his increased speed, but thanks to my blood, he’s completely healed.

“You stand no chance at getting out of here alive, bloodsucker,” Odette spits out.

“I’ve always enjoyed a challenge,” Tarnley retorts.

“I healed you.” My words are barely above a whisper as I stare back at him.

“Yes, you did,” Odette says.

Tarnley reaches back and threads his fingers through mine, squeezing gently.

“Now that we’ve got the confirmation we need, what shall we do?” Elliot asks.

“Kill them both. Then take care of the rest of them.” Odette turns away.

“Wait!” I scream, hoping to buy us more time. For what, I have no clue, but maybe in the additional moments, we can come up with a plan to get back to the cells and rescue our friends.

Odette hesitates before turning to face me. “For what, exactly? You have to realize by now that you will not be escaping.” She gestures to the bounty hunters surrounding us. Hunters, vampires, shifters, and witches that make up the council’s hunting dogs.

“You said you believed our bond is what kept me from dying when the magic was pulled out of me.” Remembering the granite still in my palm, I shift my fingers until it’s poised between two of them. Then, with a deep breath, I drive the stone into the skin just beside the silver pellet. With my blood already spilled, the vampires won’t sense it, giving me a chance to hopefully relieve myself of the fucking magic dampener so I can take out everyone in this damn room.

Which I will. Without hesitation.

“Yes.”

“How? Tarnley didn’t give me any of his blood,” the lie rolls smoothly off my tongue as I ignore another stabbing pain shooting up my forearm.Little bit more.My mind briefly drifts to carving the mark out of Delaney’s skin back when Lucy held us captive, and damn, doesn’t that feel like forever ago? And yet, here I am, doing basically the same thing to myself.

“And why would he need to when it was already rampant in your system? You are not just blood-bound, child. You are magic-bound as well. And that is stronger than any other type of mating bond there is. Your magic is tied to him just as his life is tied to you.”

“So the bond kept me alive.” The burning spreads up my wrist and arm, but I don’t stop. Not until I feel the pellet budge. Still hanging onto the granite, I use my index finger to shove against the pellet.

“It would seem so. Which will hopefully make you realize just why this information cannot leave this chamber. In doing so, you will be destroying the ancient magic lines that have been around since the beginning. In tainting that, you will be condemning our faction.”

“And so that’s why we need to die?” The last word leaves my lips in a tangle of fear and disgust. “To protect your precious lines? What about the others?” The pellet breaks free, and my magic surges through my veins, a beast freed from chains.

I look away now, not wanting her to see the power beneath my gaze.