“She’s aging,” Eric replied.
I gasped. “How is that possible?”
Ethan’s eyes widened as he looked back at them. “You began the Trials.”
Confused, I continued to stare at Drake. “What Trials?”
“Brother, this is none of her business,” Dan snapped when Ethan opened his mouth to explain.
Waving him off, Ethan glanced at me. “The Trials are to get rid of demons, but to do it risks everything. There are deaths, exchanges of power.” He grew angrier as he spoke. Finally, he turned back to them. “If you harm Sophie, I will kill you myself.”
I turned to look at Ethan, brows furrowed. “What do I have to do with it?”
Ethan turned back to watch Drake, his face dark. “Part of it requires using all power of the Ancestors. In the end, they will be destroyed completely. This has been something Mages have been working on since before I came to exist.”
Shocked, I gripped the armrest of the door. “What does that have to do with Heather? Why do you need the Ancestors’ power?”
Eric growled at Ethan in frustration. “This is not Witch business. She can tell the Ancestors and ruin our plans completely. You will be punished for this, brother.” Eric’s staff began to glow.
Fear clenched my heart. I called to my magic, asking for more than only the necklace could provide, and shielded Ethan and me. Just as the shield closed around us, a blue lightning bolt shot out of the staff, directed at Ethan. When it hit the shield and bounced back, the Mages ducked, the bolt crashing through my car’s back window, the sound deafening.
Angry, Ethan scrambled out of the car, gathering magic in his hands. He watched as his brothers climbed out, slightly ruffled. “You dare endanger Sophie and my children? You want to come at me, leave her out of this.”
Dan glared. “As you wish, brother. Tell me, does she know why you’re really here? Why you have come to be with her? Does she know the truth?”
Ethan glanced through the door he’d left open. His face paled. He quickly looked away, glaring at his brother. “Come at me!” he shouted, magic rolling between his hands, forming glowing orbs of blue.
Eric and Dan laughed, looking at each other. “We will leave you alone. Your secrets have done enough damage. Now your Witch will want to know the truth of why you’re here,” Eric said, looking over to where Heather and Drake argued. “We’ll take care of the Vampire.”
Their cloaks swept around them and they disappeared. Ethan let his magic die down. His shoulders slumped and he turned in my direction. What the hell was he hiding? I thought we weren’t going to keep secrets. I thought he was here because the Lady of the Lake made it so? I was confused and angry at the same time.
I climbed out of the car. Ethan stared at me, his face expressionless. “What are they talking about, Ethan? What haven’t you told me?”
“Can we talk about this later? Drake is walking away.”
Glancing over, I noticed Drake’s arms wrapped around the women once again. He suddenly blurred, the three of them disappearing completely. Heather fell to her knees, sobbing. Her body started crumbling into pieces, falling in on itself. I saw Roark blur and appear next to her.
Heather groaned as he picked her up. We rushed over. He looked up at me, eyes wide with fear. She didn’t look like herself anymore. She’d aged at least thirty years in a few minutes.
“What is happening to me?” she choked out.
Ethan’s face was expressionless. “It’s the Trials. It took your Vampirism away and is beginning to age you to what you’re meant to be. You’ll soon die.”
“I don’t want to die! The Mages told me I would go on to live a natural life. That I would die as a human. After living a horrible life as a Vampire, I thought I could make amends, follow a better path,” Heather sobbed, tears spilling over her thin cheeks.
“The Mage’s failed to tell you that you would age to what you’re supposed to be as a human.”
“What are these Trials you speak of?” Roark demanded. “Your people did this? You can fix her!”
Shaking his head, Ethan took a step back. “I can’t. Once it’s begun, I can’t stop it.”
“What does Heather have to do with the Trials?” I asked.
Ethan frowned, running a hand through his dark hair. I almost felt bad for him. Then I remembered he was keeping a secret from me. I crossed my arms, waiting.
Finally, he sighed. “The first trial is reversing Vampirism. The victim has to be willing.”
“She’s dead,” Roark said, looking down at Heather, her body lifeless in his arms. He glared at Ethan. “Why the fuck did they do this to her? She thought she was going to live a normal life and die naturally. You withheld vital information!”
Ethan stepped forward, his magic sweeping around him angrily. “You’d better watch your fucking tone, Vampire! I didn’t know they were doing this!”
Wedging myself between them, I put my hands on each of their chests. “This is no one’s fault. The other Mages failed to give her the correct information or tell Ethan. If you want to be angry at anyone, it’s them, Roark.”
Heather still in his arms, Roark turned toward his car. “Someone has to answer for this.” He started walking, leaving us alone.
“Where did Drake disappear to?” I sighed, rubbing my temples. “I don’t even know where to go from here.”
“Doesn’t his car have a GPS or something?” Ethan asked.
“I wouldn’t have access to it. Wouldn’t he have removed something like that, though?” I stared into the darkness, squinting when a car drove by, the headlights seeming brighter than normal. “Plus, he didn’t bring his car.”
Ethan ran a hand through his hair again. His jaw clenched and unclenched. “If my brothers wouldn’t have shown up, we would be tracking Drake right now. Instead, they’re after him. Who knows what will happen now.” Suddenly, a grin formed on
