Instead of affirming her theory, Bettina shook her head. Hannah got a perverse thrill at the way Astra’s forehead wrinkled.
“I don’t believe you understand nearly as much as you pretend,” Bettina countered. “The nexus isn’t some pool of magic. The nexus is Amelia and me. Our energy created the magic of the land. When we escaped, the land emptied. There is no more magic.”
Astra’s mouth dropped open. “No. That can’t be right.”
“Who would know better than she?” Cooper challenged.
Astra ignored him. “I’ve been working toward a goal for years. You just told me that it’s all gone. There has to be a way to get it back.”
“Oh, you’re such a naive girl.” Bettina’s gaze was pitying. “You’re incapable of seeing the truth because you’re blind to anything other than what you want. Your plan, your wish to tap into the energy of the land, was never feasible. You can’t handle our magic and if you try, you will become one of us.
“I find it interesting that Amelia went for the other witch,” she continued. “In theory, you’re more powerful. I can see the layers of your magic and you have legitimate strength, although it’s not as great as you pretend.
“Your soul isn’t completely black, though,” she continued. “It’s gray, which means you couldn’t give her the host she really wanted.”
“Or perhaps she knew Astra would never cede her body,” Hannah countered. “Maybe she tried and got turned away, like I fought you off.”
“It’s possible,” Bettina agreed, ignoring the accusatory tone Hannah lobbed at her. “For whatever reason, she went for the black-hearted witch even though this one was probably a better fit. The lack of pigmentation is ... uncanny.”
“She wanted to take me over?” Astra was incredulous. “Why would I allow that?”
“Because that’s the only way to tap into the nexus’ power,” Bettina replied simply. “We are the nexus. If you want to be the nexus, you have to become us. When we go back to sleep, the nexus will close and there won’t be a thing you can do about it.”
Astra worked her jaw. “I don’t believe that.”
“It doesn’t matter what you believe.” Bettina was dismissive as she turned to Hannah. “You are no longer of consequence to me, witch. Amelia made her choice. It wasn’t you. She needs to be our focus. As for you, Hannah, we need to talk. Amelia will be back when she recovers. This isn’t over.”
“I didn’t think it was.” Hannah was rueful as she leaned into Cooper, taking a moment to absorb his warmth as he brushed a kiss against her forehead. “We’ll talk. I need a break for now, though. I need to ... make sure Lindsey is okay.”
“She’s fine,” Boone volunteered. “She was wandering in the field behind the post office. She hid when she heard me calling for her because she didn’t want to get in trouble. Now she’s grounded for the rest of her life because she took an Uber out here without permission.”
“Well, that sounds fun.” Hannah winked at the girl. “At least she’s okay.”
“What about Angel, though?” Lindsey persisted. “What’s going to happen when her parents wake up and find out their daughter is gone?”
“They won’t wake up,” Bettina replied. “I’ve put them in a perpetual sleep until this is over. I don’t want to deal with questions ... or people who can’t be reasoned with. I might not look like a woman, but I won’t be stopped. Amelia has to be taken in hand.”
“And what happens when your personalities shift?” Hannah asked. “That’s the deal, right? You guys switch back and forth.”
“That was the deal,” Bettina countered. “It’s no longer the case. When I made my choice and acted, we became frozen as who we were. There is no more switching.”
“So, had she made the choice when she was good, it would be the same way?” Cooper asked.
“Yes. Then she would be trying to kill me.”
“You don’t seem broken up about that.”
“It’s not something that can be changed. None of this is. It’s not a battle that can be lost either. She’ll be expecting us to move on her. We must not disappoint her.”
“We won’t,” Cooper agreed, tugging Hannah close to him. “First up is breakfast, though. Then we’ll start figuring this out. We have to come up with the right plan to deal with this. We won’t be caught unaware again.”
“Let’s hope not.” Bettina didn’t smile. “As for breakfast, I like a good mush.”
Hannah made a face. “Yeah. I think it’s time to introduce you to the wonder that is the McDonald’s breakfast sandwich. Just because you’re here to do a job and then leave again doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy yourself with greasy goodness.”
“That is true.” Bettina attempted a smile ... and failed. “So ... food?”
Since there was nothing else to do but eat and talk things out, Hannah nodded. Her world had shifted again. This time she had to wonder if it would ever shift back.
It didn’t seem likely, and yet there was always hope.
“Food,” she agreed. “Then we have to look forward. There’s no salvation in the past. We can only focus on what’s to come.”
“So, that’s what we’ll do,” Cooper replied simply, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “We’ll figure this out. We always do.”
Hannah could only hope that was true.
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About the Author
Amanda M. Lee and Lily Harper Hart
I want to thank everyone who takes the time to read my novels. I have a particular brand of humor that isn’t for everyone – and I know that.
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