Page 39 (1/2)

Ian didn’t get a chance to finish his sentence The wind gained speed, turning into a wild vortex that encased us Snow and debris flew inches away from my face Out of instinct,on?" Ian snarled

"I don’t know," I yelled to be heard over the roaring wind I didn’t think the weather change was part of the a, I could tell the park was disappearing It washed away like it was nothingaround ht to his chest

"Stop or I’ll rip your throat out!" he ordered

"I’ the new scenery more visible Trees replaced the open space, ht and then left We were transported into the nize as part of Flora When the air dissipated and Ian and I were free, he didn’t loosen his grasp on uarded hiainst an unseen threat I stumbled over my feet as he moved with me in his arms I expected the cavalry to jump out of the tree line and attack, maybe this was a part of the plan, but when Holly appeared before us, a wicked s her lips, I kneasn’t that simple

"Hello, Ian," she said with vehemence

Confused, I stared at her She addressed Ian like she knew hioing on?" I questioned

Ian let go of my waist, but kept a hold ofin the air until the electricity sparked against my skin The hairs on my arms stood on end

"Did you think I’d just let you throw , cal on, her pride was evident in her sh Priestess was the one as picked for my plan When she told ine my surprise that a spirit walker lived, unaware of her power As you may know, spirit walkers are a coveted coed to stay free all these years, I’ll never know," Ian spoke to aze on Holly

"What the hell are you talking about?" I asked Ian "You were sche with Ian this entire time?" I directed the question at Holly All of her actions, the war, her thinly veiled hatred of me, the reaction to my bond with Ian, it all made sense now Kye told me she’d loved one hly of your spirit walker," Holly laughed "Did you know there was an army of witches and vampires in the forest ready to kill you? Gwen set the whole thing up, yet you pick her overme?"

"She’d be stupid not to have backup," Ian interjected "I knew they were there, but you were a surprise I presu my plan," Holly said, almost flirtatiously

"Hold the fuck up!" I threw rip on me, and I walked a few feet between the two of the on? And don’t speak cryptically about ’the plan‘" I bent ers and mimicked air quotes

"What do you see in her? She’s a direed "But she’s nice to look at, and she tastes usted look

"The plan is this, little witch" Ian ignored lare "I told you how I becae ever since As a spirit walker you are connected to this reality and the dimension of the dead As you know, vampires were created from demons, and since demons live within the realm of the dead, you are thereby connected to vah for my plan to work You will be the first of its kind, little witch, a mixture of vampirisiddy at the prospect of his ridiculous idea

I watched hi he’d said before I started laughing "You’ve had over eight hundred years to plan your revenge, and that’s what you came up with? Everyone knoitches can’t absorb the vampire virus, and even if they could, hoould that help you extract your revenge?" I was s out the flaws in his idea

Ian’s hand wrapped around my throat before I even realized he asped to catch oxygen

"Holly is right You’re a daft little bitch"

I clawed at Ian’s hands and kicked against air as he lifted round I was sure if he squeezed any harder my larynx would be crushed Spots dotted es Just when I was sure I’d pass out, he droppedand already swollen

"Silly hed at," Holly advised Her tone was , that witches couldn’t be turned into a vampire hybrid," Ian picked up his story like he didn’t just lose his cool and almost kill me "It was her plan to unleash the secret of the witches blood in hopes that once vah to transfer the virus" Ian clasped his hands behind his back and paced the area in front of me I kept my head down but watched his shoes move back and forth I looked in Holly’s direction, astounded to hear she was the one who’d shared the secret of the witches’ blood From what I’d heard around Moon, it took a very dark spell to break the protection the Goddess set in motion to protect us from the vampires How she found a way around that was beyond me

"It didn’t work, of course," Ian continued "It alh Priestess Her body rejectedwas uncovered You have no idea how boring it gets to drink the sa over and over Brew, I cained, and h my body"