At the ring that encircled his thumb just below it.
A ring that caused him pain.
A pill that took it away.
Keras closed his eyes, shutting out the sight of that ring, and placed the pill on his tongue.
Swallowed it.
Fell onto his back in the middle of the carnage he had wrought and flicked his eyes open.
Stared at the stars as the chilling cold slowly crept through him.
As that tangle of unwanted emotions unravelled and dissipated.
Leaving nothing behind.
Leaving him empty.
Just the way he liked it.
Chapter 26
Cass walked in silence, numbed not only by the frigid cold of the white world around her but by the thought of what she had done, and what she was about to do. She kept her chin up and shoulders back, refusing to let the witches who were marching her towards the grim grey building ahead of her see her fear. Her guilt. Her despair.
Her destiny loomed in that featureless block-shaped building that had never resembled a factory as much as it did now as she approached it, a soulless place built for churning out witches, keeping her coven strong. One of the most powerful in the world.
Her thoughts and her heart were back in the Aegean with Daimon.
She was falling for him, and there was nothing she could do about it, and gods it was frightening. He wouldn’t understand why she was doing this, and he wouldn’t forgive her for hurting him as she had.
She was sorry for both of those things, but this was the only way.
It hurt though.
Had tears threatening to line her lashes as she marched forwards, the pain in her heart in danger of rending it in two.
For a moment, she had been swept up in a glorious dream, one where she was able to love someone and have a future of her own choosing.
“Come now, Cassandra,” Belle said beside her, that motherly tone grating and making Cass want to glare at her. “This is your home. It is time you remembered that.”
Cass looked at the building again. It wasn’t her home. That feeling beat deep in her aching heart.
Her home was back on that island, with Mister Milos.
She looked at the witches around her.
This wasn’t her family. Her family was in Tokyo, probably worrying about her. She wished she could have spoken to Mari before coming here, could have had the chance to explain things to her and to tell her that she would be home soon, back with her.
Back with Daimon.
The ache in her heart worsened to a deep throbbing pain and she lowered her eyes to the path someone had shovelled. Would he ever forgive her? Would he ever understand?
Belle’s hand clamped softly around her wrist, pulling her focus away from him. “Cassandra, this is your duty.”
She nodded. “I know.”
“You must fulfil it, as everyone does. There are no exceptions. What we do, we do for the greater good of the coven.” Belle’s eyes remained cold as she smiled, one Cass assumed was meant to be reassuring.
At close to eight hundred years old, Belle was one of the most powerful witches in the coven and one who ran it with only two other witches. The blonde had been in charge of Cass since the moment she had been born, had overseen her upbringing and education. Belle was the closest thing to a mother that Cass had.
But she still wanted to rebel, to flee into the endless white and hope they never caught her.
It was pointless.
If they didn’t catch her, they would target those who were dear to her to draw her out of hiding.
Mari and Daimon would be at the top of that list.
“I know,” she repeated hollowly, sickness brewing inside her as she thought about what she was going to do.
Warmth washed over her as two of the witches opened the doors to the coven and she stepped inside with Belle still gripping her wrist. Wise witch. If Belle didn’t keep hold of her, she was liable to run, wasn’t sure she could stop herself even when she knew it would be a terrible mistake.
Cass forced herself to look at the blonde, at the other witches who escorted her into the enormous foyer of the coven as the doors closed behind them, and at the groups of young witches who were silently moving across it, dressed in the same drab grey colour as the building.
She had been one of those children once, a little over two centuries ago, obeying the rigid rules of the coven and remaining silent, afraid of smiling in case she was reprimanded.
Terrified of laughing.
But there had been better times too, when she had been in the dorms with the other witches of her age, away from the scrutinising and firm gazes of the teachers. There had been laughter then, potions gone hilariously wrong, incantations that had gone awry with amusing consequences, and a hell of a lot of bonding over a mutual dislike of the teachers and the adults.
She had made friends here, ones she remained in contact with despite the fact many of them were now spread across the globe.
So as much as she hated it at times, this was her family.
She told herself that on repeat, hammering it home.
She had sworn to do this duty when she had been on the verge of embarking on her life in the wider world, reciting a promise in a ritual that took place for every witch who chose to leave the coven, and she would, for the sake of her family.
“We shall give you a moment to prepare in your old quarters.” Belle finally released her.
Cold swept through Cass. She swallowed hard.
They expected her to go to the man right now?
She had thought she would have some time to settle in at least, to gather her courage. She pressed a hand to her stomach, unable to stop herself from reacting,
