A Spell of Time (A Shade of Vampire #10)(19)

“That’s what you came all this way to ask me? Why, are you thinking to become a Channeler?”

“Just answer the question.”

Her brows furrowed, and she paused. “What makes you think I didn’t lose myself?”

I stared at her, examining her heart-shaped face.

“You just strike me as… different from any Channeler I’ve come across before.”

She sighed and leaned against the wall of my boat.

“You’re right. I am different. Though I did lose myself. I was just lucky enough to have someone to remind me of who I was. To save me.”

“What do you mean?”

“I had someone who was able to help remind me of who I was before I lost myself.”

“Who?”

“Someone I was—am—in love with.”

“How?”

She frowned. “I thought you said one question.”

“Just answer me, will you?” I said irritably.

“I… I honestly don’t know how he did it. I just somehow… saw myself in him. And then all the memories came flooding back in waves.”

“Perhaps if I tell you the purpose of my question, you will better be able to help me,” I said after a pause. Although I hated the thought of baring myself before this stranger, I had to if I wanted a useful answer from Mona. “It’s about Annora. She’s lost herself completely. We were lovers and I’d do anything to get her back to how she was.”

Mona looked intrigued.

“You were in love with Annora, huh? Hm. Were you there with her during her induction?”

I shook my head. “What goes on in the induction? What is it?”

Mona’s eyes darkened. She shuddered, wrapping her night gown more tightly around her.

“I don’t want to talk about it. I’m still recovering from it myself. I don’t want to bring those dark memories back. What I can tell you is… it’s carried out in the supernatural realm by someone called Lilith. If you’re interested to know more, I suggest you ask someone else about her.”

I brought my fist down against the side of the boat. It rocked from the force of my blow.

“There is nobody else I can ask.”

Mona showed signs of irritation again.

“Look, vampire. I’ve answered your questions. I’ve given you a lead. Now tell me what you came for.”

I heaved a sigh. She was right, I supposed. At least I had a name. I made a mental note to raid Annora’s library when I returned. If this Lilith was such an influential person, perhaps she would be mentioned in one of Annora’s books.

“Are Derek and Sofia still alive?” I asked.

Mona’s eyes widened. “Of course. Why wouldn’t they be? You know they escaped—”

“Listen carefully,” I said, stepping forward and gripping her shoulder. “What I’m about to tell you—nobody can ever know that you heard it from me. Nobody can know that I came here tonight to talk to you. Not any of the Novaks, nobody in The Shade, and certainly none of the witches. You must promise to not breathe a word to anyone.”

“All right, but—”

“Just promise me.”

She hesitated, confusion lining her face, then reached out her hand for me to shake.

“All right. You have my word. Just spit it out.”

I took a step back. “Annora cast a spell on Derek and Sofia Novak while they were with us. A binding curse. They have seven days from when she cast the curse… and I have no idea when that was.”

Shock turned to urgency. Mona swore and vanished in an instant. She would now do what she had to do.

I returned to the control cabin, the stench of the fisherman’s corpse lingering in the warm night air.

And now it’s time for me to return to my icy prison before my own seven days are up.

Chapter 15: Derek

I didn’t think it possible for that night to bring more surprises.

But not long after I’d drifted off to sleep, the door to my room burst open. I jolted upright. The spitting image of myself stared down at me. The mist of sleep still partially upon me, it took a few seconds to remember it was Sofia. Mona hurried into the room after her.

Sofia put my strong arms around me and shook me. “Get up,” she shouted in my deep voice.

“What?”

She hauled me out of bed and pushed me down to kneel on the floor.

“Sofia, what is—”

Mona gripped both of our heads and pushed us further down against the floor until our heads were touching it. Her fingers digging deeper against my scalp, agony erupted in my chest, as if my heart had just ruptured. A white mist fell over my eyes. I began coughing up blood. I heard Sofia choking by my side.

What is she doing to us?

I tried to look up at the witch, but as I forced my head upward, a burning heat seared through my spine. I collapsed again on the carpet.

“What are you doing?” I managed.

“Shh,” the witch hissed.

A blinding headache came on. It felt like my brain was splitting in two. I didn’t think that it was possible to experience worse pain than what Annora had put us through in her study. But now it paled in comparison to Mona’s torture. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could maintain consciousness.